Hands-On Review: Nikon D5000 Digital SLR

PLUS
Superior image quality at ISO 800 and higher levels
Variable-angle LCD is very useful in Live View
Very fast AF with Silent Wave (AF-S) lenses

MINUS
Great ease of use but some features are complicated
AF in Live view is very slow
No autofocus in D-Movie mode

Nikon's most advanced entry-level DSLR, this 12.3-megapixel (MP) camera is smaller, lighter and, at $830 (body only), more affordable than the prosumer-grade D90. Even so, it boasts some of same technology and features, making the D5000 surprisingly fast and powerful. This is the first Nikon DSLR with a variable-angle LCD screen, a useful amenity when shooting stills or HD movies in Live View.

Do note that the D5000 can autofocus only with lenses equipped with a special focus motor such as Nikon's Silent Wave (ultrasonic) AF-S series. That's fine, because autofocus is very fast and nearly silent even with the AF-S kit lens. (Some of the newer Sigma and Tamron lenses also include a "focus motor for Nikon" but not all are ultrasonic.) Nikon has been expanding the AF-S line and offers focal lengths from 10mm to super telephoto; many include a very effective Vibration Reduction (anti-shake) stabilizer.

Design and features: Larger and heavier than average in its category, this DLSR feels solid. The handgrip should fit all but very large hands. Nikon has provided all of the important analogue controls, including a mode selector dial with 11 options and an [i] button. Press that and a control panel appears; 14 frequently used functions can be set here. Granted, the menu lists dozens of extra items (some quite complicated), but those are mostly for experienced photographers. Because this camera employs the user-friendly graphical interface developed for the Nikon D60, data presentation is excellent.

The D5000 was intended to appeal to DSLR buyers from beginner to experienced, so it provides 19 automatic scene modes, but also a vast range of other options plus a 4-frame-per-second burst mode. Nikon's scene-recognition technology combines data from the matrix-metering and AF systems for optimal exposures, white balance and tracking focus. Active D-Lighting (set to automatic by default) is available, with five intensity levels, for improving contrast and shadow detail. Images can also be modified in playback mode with retouching features for improving technical aspects or with tools for adding special effects.

While the D5000 is missing a few of the D90's advanced functions, it offers some very nice extras, such as additional scene modes, continuous AF and a Quiet-Shot mode in Live View, and more retouching tools in Playback mode. The 2.7-inch LCD screen is adequately large but does not provide ultra-high resolution. Still, the display is bright and contrasty.

Live View: Press the [LV] button and the D5000 provides a real-time preview of the scene. The variable-angle screen makes it easy to compose when the camera is held at ground level or high above the heads in a crowd. Several autofocus options are available in Live View. These include Face Detection for people pictures and Tracking AF for following a moving subject. The versatility is great, but AF (using contrast-detection technology) can take up to two seconds. Turn Live View off however, and AF is lightning-fast, thanks to the Silent Wave lens and the camera's advanced phase-detection technology.

Pressing the [OK] button starts HD video recording at 720p and 24fps for up to five minutes, with mono sound. (Lower resolution levels are available too and allow for shooting 20-minute clips.) Operation in D-Movie mode is fully automatic but you can pre-set Picture Controls (styles), white balance, exposure compensation and AE Lock. Note too that you have some control over the f/stop when shooting videos. Set f/1.4 to f/8 in aperture-priority mode before entering Live View, and the camera will use that f/stop during video recording.

Autofocus is disengaged as soon as recording starts, as with many other DSLRs. Movies are saved in the familiar AVI (Motion JPEG) format, which is supported by many affordable software programs such as Windows Media Player, QuickTime, VirtualDub and i-Movie. As a bonus, AVI is easier to edit than the MOV format. The 1,280x720-pixel videos look decent on a widescreen TV. Sound quality is acceptable in clips where a person is close to the camera and there's little background noise.

Speed and quality: In conventional operation (without Live View) the D5000 was fast in all aspects. Autofocus was perfect for action photography with a wide-aperture AF-S zoom, and I could fire a long series of shots at 4fps. During a go-kart race, roughly 70 per cent of my shots were sharply focused. The 3D Matrix metering system often produced pleasing exposures, but Active D-Lighting at the high level was useful in harsh, contrasty light.

In the Standard (default) picture style, my photos were slightly soft, so I often set a +1 level for sharpening; colours were quite bold. My JPEGs made at ISO 100 and 400 are unusually clean; after a bit of sharpening, they made gallery-quality 13x19-inch inkjet prints. Digital noise is well controlled; the D5000 performs very well at high ISO levels. My ISO 800 shots produced excellent letter-size prints. Even ISO 1,600 provided nice 8x10-inch glossies, while ISO 3,200 was quite acceptable for 4x6-inch prints.

Evaluation: In spite of its entry-level designation, this DSLR employs the latest technology and should satisfy many photo enthusiasts with its great versatility, speed and reliability. The tilt/swivel LCD monitor is a definite bonus. Some competing DSLRs boast sensors with higher resolution; but this 12.3MP camera provides impressive image quality with its larger pixels, especially at high ISOs. Similar in operation to the basic D60, but with many D90 features, the D5000 offers the best of both worlds. In my estimation, this is just about the perfect DSLR for families that include both novices and at least one serious shooter.

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