Nikon D5000 review
Performance and value
Nikon D5000 review - Performance
Nikon D5000 autofocus system
The autofocus system, as already seen in the highly successful D90 is impressive. Single point focusing is fast and accurate in almost all conditions and the 3D tracking mode is quite impressive for this level of camera. When switching to live view mode the focusing relies on a contrast detect system, instead of the dedicated focus sensor module. This is significantly slower to lock on but does still give a choice of modes, including an effective face recognition AF.
Nikon D5000 metering
The 3D Matrix metering proves itself more than capable in most situations, providing an even exposure. The centre-weighted and spot modes are useful however, for trickier lighting situations such as back lighting or high contrast scenes. Generally the metering tends to slightly underexpose rather than overexpose but, by incorporating the D lighting system, no detail was lost and it actually meant that bright skies were controlled much more proficiently than in some competitor models.
Nikon D5000 shooting speed
The continuous shooting speed of 4fps is impressive and also takes a lead on its competition. Using a SanDisk Extreme III 1GB SD card it kept shooting for up to 100 fine JPEG images, 11 Raw images, or seven Raw plus Fine JPEG images. Write times for a single shot were just 1sec for Fine JPEG, 1.5sec for Raw, and 2sec for Raw plus Fine JPEG.
Nikon D5000 LCD screen
The LCD screen has huge benefits for live view or movie shooting, thanks to its vari-angle bracket, making it easy to view from waist-level or at awkward angles but the size and resolution are less impressive. In general use the screen appears plenty bright enough and is definitely large enough for composition and review but when compared directly to newer 3in models with 900,000+ dots, the D5000’s 2.7in 230,000-dot screen does fall down slightly. Whether I’d give up the vari-angle screen for more resolution and a bigger screen is another question.
Nikon D5000 movie mode
Just having a movie mode was enough to be sensational but now with Cameras such great movie functions now out there we need to know a little more about how this compares. Firstly, the lack of full 1080P HD is a slight disappointment but as the Canon 500D only offers this at a slow 20fps, it’s not a huge issue – especially as you’d need to be viewing the results on at least a 32in screen to see any difference at all between 720P and 1080P.
However, the EOS 500D does shoot 720P at 30fps compared to the 24fps from the Nikon D5000, and this drop in frame rate is more noticeable. Producing an effective and quiet autofocus for a DSLR movie mode still seems to be an issue for all models so Nikon’s decision to leave it off is not losing it points; at least until the new Panasonic GH-1 hits the shops. One benefit users may find for this movie mode is the file format. It saves into .AVI format which seems from our experience to be supported more readily than the Quicktime .MOV format, though modern editing software should support both.
Nikon D5000 built-in flash
The built-in flash unit gives a fairly standard guide number of 13m, though this equates to 18m at the D5000’s native ISO 200 value. Generally though, it offers good coverage and decent results for a flash of this type.
Nikon D5000 review - Value For Money
Based purely on recommended retail prices, this model is significantly cheaper than the new Canon EOS 500D and offers all the benefits of the more expensive Nikon D90 in a smaller body.
In many areas it doesn’t quite match up to the new Canon – resolution, ISO range, screen size and movie size are all lower – but the differences are minimal and for the price difference you can almost accept this.
Nikon fans will be faced with a tougher choice though between this and the older D90 – which can now be bought on the high street for cheaper than the D5000. There are benefits, the vari-angle nature of the screen among them, but against the larger body and the higher resolution LCD of the D90, it may be a tough choice.
It is slightly unfair however to compare the D5000 to discounted older models and within its market it offers a very competitive performance. In the last month the price of the Canon 500D has already dropped by £110 and we expect the competition between these two cameras to result in some great deals to be had.
Nikon D5000 review pages:
- Page 1: Nikon D5000 Review - Introduction
- Page 2: Nikon D5000 Review - Features page 2
- Page 3: Nikon D5000 Review - Design
- Page 4: Nikon D5000 Review - Performance and value
- Page 5: Nikon D5000 Review - Image quality
- Page 6: Canon 500D - Specifications / Spec
- Page 7: Nikon D5000 Review - Verdict
Nikon D5000 – other What Digital Camera links:
Have your say!
Latest comments
May 10 13:27
Mick W.
Have a few problems with the value here. Nikons traditionally seem to sell closer to list price than Canons. Both this and the 500D arrived in stores almost simultaneously, yet the Canon with lens is already at least £20 cheaper than the Nikon (£40 less at Amazon at the time of writing). Both models remain overpriced and should be streeting at closer to £500 in my opinion, but both reviews should bear in mind fully the actual prices the cameras are available at. In particular, the Canon looks better value and the D5000 a lousy value compared to the D90. The lack of a vertical grip for the D5000 also seems silly in light of the moveable LCD. Very strange that Nikon should price this the way they have. The D60 continues to look dated and there's now a huge gap between it and the D5000 covering t a very popular price-point. Spec-wise, what could Nikon now fill this gap with?
May 26 12:22
Mat Gallagher
Hi Mike, The Canon did go on sale at least a few weeks ahead of the Nikon, and as the higher priced model it was bound to fall faster. Looking at the latest prices you can now pick up the Nikon D5000 for just £570 and the Canon 500D for £600 so your wish has almost been answered, and as it is now £100 cheaper than the D90 it's better value too. As the D40 has now been discontinued I'd expect the D60 to take up the budget position for a while longer - and at a street price of just over £320 it's bound to still attract plenty of new DSLR users.
June 29 10:46
Bipin Gupta
On your review for Nikon D5000, on the page for specifications, it is mentioned that D5000 has DOF preview. From my research around, I think this data is wrong. It does not have DOF preview.
August 25 07:43
Brice Bragato
Hi Mat, These informations were very intesresting. I'm looking for a DSLR and I'm still questionning myself between the Canon 500D and the Nikon D5000. One thing I would like to ask you is the capacity of the battery. My feeling is that the LCD screen of the Canon will use a lot because high resolution (comparing the D5000). What do you think about this point ? Thanks.