Nikon D5000 Overview

by Shawn Barnett, Zig Weidelich, and Dave Etchells
Preview: 04/14/09
Review: 04/30/09
Full Review: 07/04/09

Nikon's already excellent digital SLR lineup gets a new member: the Nikon D5000. With the D90's 12.3-megapixel sensor, HD video capability, and a new 2.7-inch articulating LCD, the Nikon D5000 doesn't clearly displace any other cameras in the lineup, but fits between the D60 and D90 in both features and price.

Built on a smaller frame, like the D60, the Nikon D5000 takes up the top position in Nikon's consumer SLR camera space, and joins a small set of competing digital SLRs that offer HD movie recording: the Nikon D90, Canon 5D Mark II, and Canon T1i; and though not strictly an SLR, the Panasonic GH1 will also be considered by many looking for an interchangeable lens digital camera.

Nikon D5000 Features

Since the Nikon D5000's 12.3-megapixel CMOS sensor is said to be the same as the D90's, we expect it to have excellent imaging characteristics. ISO ranges from 200 to 3,200, with a Lo 1 setting of 100 and a Hi 1 setting of 6,400. Nikon's EXPEED image processing system should easily handle noise suppression and image optimization with the somewhat slow four-frame-per-second frame rate.

HD movie mode is the second major feature of the Nikon D5000, capturing 1,280 x 720 resolution movies at 24 frames per second. As with all digital SLRs so far, the Nikon D5000 is better for capturing video snapshots that you can string together in a video editor, rather than longer recordings, because the camera can't autofocus while you record. Called D-Movie clips, movie files are recorded in Motion JPEG AVI files. The major benefit of capturing video with a digital SLR like the Nikon D5000 is that you can take advantage of the wide range of SLR lenses, from extreme wide-angle to telephoto.

The Nikon D5000 will be the first video-recording digital SLR to ship with an articulating LCD. As with stills, recording video from multiple angles is easier when you can turn the LCD to face multiple directions. Though it's not the most versatile design, the Nikon D5000's LCD swivels from the bottom, allowing you to compose and capture images from above, below, left, right, and the front of the camera.

Live View mode features four autofocus modes, all of them contrast-detect. The Nikon D5000's Subject-tracking Autofocus locks onto a moving subject, and remembers the subject if it leaves and comes back into the frame. Face-priority Autofocus can pick out five faces, focusing on the closest. Wide-area AF covers a broad area, and Normal-area AF features a single focus point that you can move around the screen.

For optical viewfinder shooting, which tests considerably faster than Live View, the Nikon D5000 uses the company's diamond-shaped 11-point AF array, whose results are complemented with data from the camera's 420-point exposure system. Also known as the Multi-CAM 1000, the autofocus system in the Nikon D5000 is the same as the D90's, which means it includes 3D Color Matrix Metering II for instant scene evaluation, even in extreme conditions. The Nikon D5000 also has the Integrated Dust Reduction System, with a four-frequency ultrasonic motor to shake dust from the sensor, as well as the Airflow Control System, which works to move dust away from the sensor with shutter release.

Other features from the D90 make it into the Nikon D5000, including Auto Active D-Lighting, In-camera retouching, and Picture Control. The Nikon D5000's shutter is expected to last 100,000 cycles, and a new Quiet Release Mode reduces shutter noise for use in very quiet situations.

GPS geo-tagging is now easier as well, thanks to the accessory port built into the Nikon D5000, designed to work with the optional GP-1 GPS Unit, which automatically records time and position data with each photograph.

Nikon D5000 Pricing and Availability

Available as a kit with the 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR lens, the Nikon D5000 starts shipping in late April 2009 for $849.95. Body-only, the Nikon D5000 is expected to retail for $729.95.