How would you change Nikon's D5000 DSLR?

Nikon's newest entry-level DSLR -- the D5000 -- has been out and about for just over a month now, which means it's just about time that we checked in with the early adoption crowd to see what kind of vibes are emanating. As Nikon's first DSLR with an articulating display, this one drew all sorts of attention for its unorthodox design. During our time with it, we found the display to be more of a gimmick than an aid in most scenarios, but we're interested to see if you agree / disagree. Has the D5000 lived up to your dreams? Are you stoked on the image quality? Have any quirks kept you up at night? Spill it all in comments below, we're all friends here.

[iKurt 5D @ Jun 5th 2009 11:57PM]

1080p movie mode. Oh wait, the Rebel T1i has that! Shame on Nikon.

[The Walrus @ Jun 6th 2009 12:03AM]

At the industry stand 20fps... wait

[The Walrus @ Jun 6th 2009 12:04AM]

I meant standard. At any rate, iKurt sucks

[Plothole @ Jun 6th 2009 12:10AM]

iKurt is a troll. I have doubts that he even owns the Canon 5D he claims to.

[jordan turpentine @ Jun 6th 2009 2:45AM]

his brother has a t1i, he drools over high end slrs, like the sony a900 and nikon d3x

[Jamesology @ Jun 6th 2009 3:51AM]

It's funny who actually post on these "how would you change" threads. It's not even users of the products that post on these threads but instead the haters.

For example "iKurt 5D"

I say this b/c maybe I am a real photographer who actually knows camera and know neither brand is better than the other. Heck I even bought a Sony, new to the field, and still love it. Oooooor iKurt does not even own a camera.

[geothermalcat @ Jun 6th 2009 6:24AM]

idiot

[reuben @ Jun 6th 2009 11:26AM]

Maybe you is, maybe you ain't...

[ginubrian @ Jun 8th 2009 7:52AM]

I'm a 5d Mark II owner and I could careless. Just use what you have and go with it. Unless you're insecure about Nikon of course......which then, you should probably check your photography skills.

[Thomas @ Jun 5th 2009 11:57PM]

Add an extra jog wheel on the front side of the grip

[devcoder @ Jun 6th 2009 12:00AM]

no jelly video

[Brent Schmidt @ Jun 6th 2009 12:01AM]

Turn it into a D90.


/ziiiiiiiiiiing

[Markekai @ Jun 6th 2009 12:07AM]

Change the way the screen swivels to be more like Canon G5. Also, they could make a D90 model that had all the features of a D90 but with a swivel screen, call it a D95!

But since there isn't anything major besides movie mode to make you spend more money for it than the D60, could also make a D60 swivel screen and call it a D65 and throw in the movie mode.

[kamakaze @ Jun 6th 2009 12:47AM]

or they could call it the D9500! why, you ask?
because IT'S OVER 9000!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[YpoCaramel @ Jun 6th 2009 1:15AM]

I own a Canon T1i/500D, but it was a hard choice. I have a Nikon FM2 for film that I love, after all.

I agree the siwel screen should be side mounted like everyone else. I wish my Canon that the rotating screen. While taking casually taking pictures of food and products, you really want to try all angles. It is also a pain to bend down to get the right perspects when I could just have rotated the screen to the right angle. All in all, I find a rotating screen quite handy, allowing me to take creative photos.

The main reasons I skipped out on the 5000D is the menu setup. All the options are in the menu and take a thousand button presses, just like in a P&S, even basic ones like WB and ISO. Also, the lack of autofocusing drive is a pain, because I'd love to share autofocus primes between my DSLR and film FM2 (even if it won't AF on the FM2).

Also, check the review sites - the kit lens for the D5000 sucks. The Canon 17-55 IS isn't bad for a kit at all, very usable. I know Nikon suggusted getting a 17-200mm lens; my view is no thanks. I don't need the tele and I like my primes. Though I am seriously jealous of the Olympus f2.8 normal zooms. Niether Canon or Nikon has a good, fast normal zoom under $1000; the Tamron 17-55 f2.8 is sharp alright but loud and lacks IS.

Really, if I wanted a Nikon I really need the D90. But its significantly bulkier than the D5000, which is already slightly bulkier than the T1i. Really a shame, since the D5000 is slightly better than the T1i

[YpoCaramel @ Jun 6th 2009 1:18AM]

*sorry, did not proofread. Should have been:

"Engadget recommended a 17-200mm..."
and
... D5000 seems slightly better in image quality. Actually, I think the D5000 is a leap beyond the D60 in photo quality - the D60 sure can't do ISO 3200 well IIRC

[engadget @ Jun 6th 2009 1:41AM]

"Also, check the review sites - the kit lens for the D5000 sucks"

That couldn't be any further from the truth. The 18-55 is absolutely fantastic optically, and certainly better than the Canon equivalent. In general, Nikon makes sharper consumer zooms than Canon, and the 18-55 is the sharpest of them all.

http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/18-55-ii.htm

[Bluecold @ Jun 6th 2009 5:34AM]

Err, no. The Nikon kitlens sucks just like the canon kitlens.
http://www.dpreview.com/lensreviews/

[Kevin @ Jun 7th 2009 2:31AM]

No the kit lenses are ok but when you combine the powers of the Kit lens with the powers of the 5000 in LV mode you get.... POOP!
The lens is ok man. For the average smuck it gets the job done. I just wish that the lens wouldnt make the 5000 take 3-5 seconds to focus corectly in LV mode.

[engadget @ Jun 6th 2009 1:23PM]

"Err, no. The Nikon kitlens sucks just like the canon kitlens."

Spoken by somebody who's never used it, I'm sure.

dpreview sucks for lens reviews, and nobody except you actually read that review.

[YpoCaramel @ Jun 6th 2009 9:37PM]

... except that Rockwell heeps praise on the Canon 17-55mm IS as well. I generally read SLRGear.com and Photozone.de; comparing this:

http://www.slrgear.com/reviews/showproduct.php/product/1114/cat/11 Canon 17-55mm IS
http://www.slrgear.com/reviews/showproduct.php/product/1154/cat/13 Nikon 18-55mm VR DX

If you look at the graphs, you can immediately see that the Nikon kit has corner sharpness problems at 17mm f3.5, problems that the Canon doesn't have.

Of course, niether are "great" lenses, and obviously both companies have their classics. But calling either one "shit" is probably going too far, on the second thought. The lens doesn't make the image, after all, and these are hardly Holgas.

[engadget @ Jun 7th 2009 3:08AM]

"But calling either one "shit" is probably going too far, on the second thought. The lens doesn't make the image, after all, and these are hardly Holgas."

Totally agree. The cheap consumer zooms these days are capable of producing spectacular images in the right hands, and anybody who calls them shit doesn't know the first thing about taking a good photo.

[chuuchdizzle @ Jun 6th 2009 12:08AM]

articulated screen has to go or atleast be made more useful, the fact that the "arm" comes out from the bottom takes away any usefulness it could've had. besides that get rid of the jello effect(but that's also aimed at canon)

[Kit Gerrits @ Jun 6th 2009 5:48AM]

Actually, I prefer the arm at the bottom ;-)
Before I bought my D90, I had a Fuji S9500 with a vertically-swiveling screen.
It was ideal for concerts (lift the camera above the crowd) and wide-angle shots from inside a corner (can't seen the screen otherwise).

I keep a keen eye out forwhat photographers take with them and the ones with battery grips usually have it attached to their 'portrait' camera, not their 'long-range' camera.
Just keep this one around for 'trick shots' and you won't even need a battery pack.

[Tom @ Jun 6th 2009 8:42AM]

The big problem I have with the bottom-swivel screen is that if you want to have the camera on a tripod and be able to see the screen from the front (for self-portraits, etc), it's useless! By flipping down, your tripod would block the LCD from view.

[d00medr0mance @ Jun 6th 2009 12:19AM]

A swivel screen that allows for a battery grip. Ideally just a tilt screen like the new Sony A380. Other than that any other changes I'd want is why I bough a D90 instead of the D5000.

[otdrummer @ Jun 6th 2009 12:28AM]

needs more cowbell . . and . .wait for it . . a palm pre! nah just kiddin but noone had mentioned it

[martin.p.kemp @ Jun 6th 2009 12:33PM]

No... no, they didn't.

[Bernie @ Jun 6th 2009 12:27AM]

I'd give one to me.

[Luke @ Jun 6th 2009 12:27AM]

Higher resolution LCD like the rebel T1i (500D)

[TJ @ Jun 6th 2009 12:31AM]

AF motor.

[Jonno @ Jun 6th 2009 7:22PM]

There's a reason why this camera doesn't have an AF body motor: Nikon saves that technology for its higher cameras (D90, D300, D700, D3, D3x) because the users of these cameras are more likely to have old AF lenses that need the body motor than someone buying a D40, D40x, D60, or D5000.

That said, I wouldn't mind if they created an attachment of some kind that would allow for those older lenses to focus properly.

[Tsen @ Jun 7th 2009 12:15AM]

Yes, but the Canon T1i DOES have an internal auto focus motor at a comparable price. Why can't Nikon do the same?

[Michael @ Jun 12th 2009 3:56PM]

Tsen: No Canon body that I know of has a motor for autofocus - EF and EF-S lenses have the motor integrated in the lens, like Nikon's AF-S lens lineup.

However, there is a variation between lenses - cheaper ones use louder and slower motors of some traitional type, which newer and more expensive lenses have USM (ultra-sonic motor) technology (like the S in Nikon's AF-S, which notes SWM, or "Silent Wave Motor") which allows the lens to focus faster and more quietly.

[Jordan @ Jun 6th 2009 12:54AM]

I think if they hit the $899 (CAD) price point ($100 less than current) on release it would be a much better seller. Currently they have a large gap from the D60 ~$550 to the D5000 which is almost double the price. It should really bridge the gap a little better. Other than that I think it's a fantastic camera for what the average user requires, although I wish the video mode looked a little better (no jelly).

[Dr. Spaceman @ Jun 6th 2009 1:06AM]

I'd put a top panel LCD on it like the D90.

[Jinto @ Jun 6th 2009 1:10AM]

Give it hackable firmware.

[Plothole @ Jun 6th 2009 2:04AM]

You mean make it easy to hack? Wouldn't that take the fun out of it?

[Matt Kern @ Jun 6th 2009 1:46AM]

Make the video mode not so shitty by giving it the impossible:

- The ability to dismantle the Fed
- 4K FF unlimited record time.
- Selectable shutter angles/speeds.
- 4:4:4 sampling w/ optional Proress 4:2:2 HQ recording
- None of this h.264/AVCHD non-sense these DSLR makers are pushing (actually, just none of this 4:2:0 long-GOP garbage [excluding XDCAM EX])
- Liquid-cooled sensor
- Dual XLR inputs on the bottom
- 24.5MP stills
- X-Ray

[tommyzen @ Jun 6th 2009 1:58AM]

The swivel screen's resolution is not good enough.

If that were better, I'd purchase this camera in a heartbeat, but with the 18-105mm lens instead.

[Nick Searcy @ Jun 6th 2009 2:23AM]

FIrst of all, I'm surprised no one has mentioned the ability to zoom while taking video. Seems like that would nearly make it unusable.
This may be a problem with the way it was billed and have nothing to do with Nikon but in David Pouge's NYT review Pouge touted it as a small DSLR, I guess it's small compared to the D90, but has anyone seen Olympus's four thirds cameras (like my e420), or Panasonic's micro four thirds? They make this think look seriously cumbersome.
But for what it's supposed to be, it's a great DSLR. It'll be difficult to beat the PQ at the price point. Even though the video seems like an afterthought, it's better to have marginally useful 720p than tiny unuseful video (like most Nikons).
On a completely different note, I agree with Ypo about Olympus's 25mm f2.8 pancake lens. It's my favorite lens that I've ever used. It makes my e420 the size of a point and shoot and with f2.8 for a kit! Nikon will have to push harder if it wants a chunk of the bridge market from the high end.

[BigBadBruno @ Jun 8th 2009 12:15AM]

What are you talking about? You can zoom while shooting video! Check it...http://vimeo.com/5051159

Canon or Nikon are the only 2 brands to consider...EVER!

[Hel @ Jun 8th 2009 1:46PM]

----------^^^ "Canon or Nikon are the only 2 brands to consider...EVER!"
Fanboi-tard! You consider ALL options. Just because Olympus or Pentax or whomever isn't worth considering in your (uninformed) opinion doesn't mean it is for everyone.

[SonicEarth @ Jun 6th 2009 11:16AM]

Less Ashton Kutcher.

[Greg @ Jun 6th 2009 3:50AM]

Rolling shutter. It's a nightmare. Do not buy this camera to make movies. (Same goes for D90 too)

[luzzio @ Jun 6th 2009 4:19AM]

Smaller body, better design of the controls.

[Patriks7 @ Jun 6th 2009 4:25AM]

Not make it suck... ie. don't make it a Nikon!




Just kidding, I haven't even seen this thing in the stores yet!

[jdang @ Jun 8th 2009 3:18AM]

I ended up buying a T1i, but anyone who tells you the Rebels are built better than the Nikons are lying to you. I had a D60 for a short while, and I miss the build quality and ergonomics of Nikons. But as my GF bought me a T1i (not knwing I bought a D60) plus two buddies with Canons (So we can share lenses, one is a wedding pro so a long list of L lenses) I stuck with the Canon, which is a nice kit.

The only thing about the NIkon I would improve would be better video functions, and the weight. I like the D60 for size, and weight was nice. The D5000 just goes too far.

But the Nikons blow away the Rebels for noise on highe ISO's from the reviews put out so far.

[Russ @ Jun 6th 2009 9:46PM]

after spending about 2 hours in the store testing out both the canon t1i and the nikon d5000, i ended up with the t1i. there was something about the menu system on the nikon that didnt feel as intuitive to me as the t1i did. also, even though the t1i doesnt have a swiveling screen as the nikon does, the resolution on the canon is very high, about twice that of the d5000. every thing else was easily comparible. 12mp vs 15mp, 720p vs 1080p. but very similar quality for both nikon and canon. the sales person swears by nikon, but this time around she couldnt help but sway me in the direction of the canon t1i. really, at the end of the day, it's a matter of brand choice, since both are very similar, save a few differences like resolution for stills and hd movies. so, i guess what i'm saying is, boost the tech specs to make it more like the t1i :)

[Adam @ Jun 6th 2009 6:59AM]

I actually got my D5000 last week.
I must say that it's an amazing camera!
The only thing i hate about it is the lack of an AF motor inside the camera...
People who complain about autofocus while shooting video should just try the camera... it's not that big of a deal...