How would you change Nikon's D5000 DSLR?
By Darren Murph 
posted June 5th 2009 11:51PM
posted June 5th 2009 11:51PM
posted June 5th 2009 11:51PM
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I love mine. Wouldn't change a thing. New lens is a *must* - I bought the Nikkor 18-200mm and its fantastic. I shot photos at a political rally two weeks ago and the swivel screen was invaluable. Couldn't have done the work I did without it. This is my first ever dSLR so have I no bias against AF lenses and no money invested in lenses without AF.
I give it a 10.
My wife just bought one for some side jobs, to replace her D50. She has the VR lens, but she is using the nikkor 18-200 that I bought for her for Christmas (and I wear the ugly ties she gave to me).
I did some test footage of the video capability of the D5000 vs. the HMC150 from Panasonic (prosumer camcorder), and the results are not surprising. The D5000 can't handle fast movement until there are manual settings available for it, however, the simple ability to handle any nikon lens over such a huge image sensor (compared to most any camcorder), makes the future really bright for video creators.
I think that the D5000 is interesting because you really have to make a conscious decision between it and the D90, and you have to actually be there and hold both in order to do so. For the money, for the size, and for the convenience of having that swivel-out viewfinder, my wife took the D5000. So, the frame isn't metal - so what? She's never going to use a heavy lens, and she doesn't do anything adventurous, so it is perfect for her.
To answer the question of what they could do to make it better, as far as a still image camera, I honestly don't know. That's not my background, but compared to the D50, or my coworker's Canon Digital Rebel from a few years back, the images are far better and extremely easier to take. The low-light abilities without using a flash are amazing - I mean, really amazing. Just the other day, somebody was showing me the low-lighting shots they took with their D700, and then my wife bought the D5000, and I'm serious - it was taking comparable (to me) shots.
In all, the D5000 could use a metal frame, but I think that it is not necessary for the target consumer. Also, I was a little upset to find that the RAW images were not supported on her mac, but the patch came out yesterday (hooray). Maybe, since it is in every other consumer-end phone and camera, it would be good to have GPS built-in. It is schticky, and not really that useful, but I think it is neat in iphoto. Anyway, that's my 2c. Great camera, and not much more to ask for as of June 2009.
entry level hahhaahah........ canon t1i doesnt even get 24 fps.......... unless
It needs a display on the top.
The screen needs to hinge from the side instead of the bottom, so you can use it with the camera on a tripod.
Make it cost $350 so that I can afford it :)
Bigger viewfinder.
LOVE the camera.... Just wish CANON made it. Won't buy another Nikon EVER!.
Nikon support/repair has screwed me over 3 times.... Save yourself the trouble!
* High resolution LCD like the D90
* Swivel at the side instead of the bottom like most other cameras (Its a crazy idea to have it at the bottom)
* Manual focus for videos
You guys help me decide. My wife's graduating from college and wants an SLR. She doesn't know much about photography right now, but we're enrolling her in a class. She wants to take photos of landscapes. I know she'll be using it for birthday parties and other kid stuff, so I know low light and IS are very important. She'll probably never be taking fancy Macro shots. I don't see her really using the articulating screen much at all. SO, I'm currently looking at the D5000 vs the T1i. (with kit lens)
What do you guys like best?
Should I be considering the sony 350? Oly E-620? Other?
Thanks
Indoor Photos
---------------------------
Personally I'd invest in a flash unit (regardless of any unit you get)...onboard flash is crap for indoor shots, IMO. Bounce flash is great for natural-looking shots.
* SB-400/ SB-600 for Nikon.
* FL-36R / FL-50R for Olympus (both wireless capable)
and/or cheap Metz units like the 48 AF-1 (get the Olympus version) that can do wireless.
Wireless Flash
------------------------
Olympus have the edge here because their cam bodies let you use their flashes wirelessly with their entry cams, controlling output from various flash units from the LCD. Nikon you have to buy the D90 or higher to act as wireless controller (or alternatively buy the SB-900 or SU-800 remote commander plus any additional flash units you want to control off-camera). Expensive. Wireless flash is cool if she wants to get more creative lighting indoors and strobist-type portraits. If she doesn't, ignore what I said.
I like the in-body stabilisation of Olympus, meaning every lens is stabilised, but Nikon's in-lens has its benefits, too. Olympus kit lenses are second to none.
I'm generally not a fan of Canon's entry-level stuff (their higher-end is nice), so excuse the ignorance and non-recommendations. If you decide between the Canon and Nikon, I'd be personally spending on the Nikon. I use both Nikon and Olympus and have not been a fan of Canon's more smeared look with their entry-levels...their kit lenses have traditionally been throwaways, too (but I understand they are improving).
Comparisons
----------------------------
A good comparison of all these three can be found here (in Spanish):
http://www.quesabesde.com/noticias/canon-eos-500d-nikon-d5000-olympus-e-620-comparativa,1_5248
(the T1i is known as the D500 in some markets)
Download the full-size samples (and view them full size 1:1) and see that Olympus suffers in shadow detail but has great lenses when the light is half-decent. Canon's performance I felt to be the most lacking overall (whether that is lens and/or processing), though both are better than Olympus in lower light and/or high ISO.
My opinion
----------------
* I think nothing beats Nikon at the entry-level for low noise / ISO performance and decent AF.
* I think nothing beats Olympus for kit lens performance, enthusiast ergonomics and features (including depth of field preview, best anti-dust, direct-button access, mirror lock-up, anti-shock, etc), cam size and JPEG quality at the entry level. Olympus is not the low-light / high ISO beast of your dreams; its big weakness. Quality and consistency of its lenses are its strength.
I use both for the best of both worlds.
But ultimately it's up to you. There really is no perfect cam, just the perfect compromise for your dollar and your needs.
Good luck!
If in your price range. I think you should buy a D90 w/ kit (~$1300). If your main concern is low light and IS, it's got both covered along with having a much more decent range 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6 lens. The from my experience and photo reviews the Nikon slightly performs better than Canon, even the 40D, at High ISO settings. Sony, Oly, Pentax are very good cameras but they don't even come close to Nikon and Canon in high ISO performance. I've shot completely usable pics at ISO 1600 and for web/small prints even 3200 is great. High ISO is great for indoor and night photography without use of a flash and the IS on the 18-105mm helps a lot with slower shutter speeds. IMO the build quality of the D90, even though a not magnesium body, is in a completely different ballpark than the T1i. It just feels so much more stable and comfortable in my hands. I like the heft, though she may not. Best for her to go to a store and just play with the cameras to see what she likes the best. The D90 has much more "pro" features and IMO makes for a much better experience.
You may think now that the swivel won't be of much use, but trust me, she'll come to love it. The D5000 and T1i are great cameras. In my opinion the D90 is well worth the upgrade if you can afford it. The kit lens performs very well and has so much more usability than the 18-55mm kits on the hobbyist end of the camera lines. And yes, the Nikon's menu system may seem overwhelming and tedious at first, but it's fantastic and the customization it allows is far more than Cannon. Ken Rockwell has a great article on his website, http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/d90/users-guide/index.htm the "My Menu" is great. Also the D90 has in-camera retouching, I believe the D5000 does also, not sure about Canon.
Yes, the T1i is 15 megapixels. Yes, the T1i shoots 1080p. But... the 12.3 megapixel sensor in the D90 (I believe the D5000 would have the same) performs better in the low light you say is very important. Honestly you won't be able to tell the difference unless you have both and compare shots side by side, but I doubt you'll ever need to print a 15 megapixel photo either. And the 1080p is a completely useless marketing gimmick, but the Canon can shoot 720p much longer (Nikon is 5mins at 720p).
I hope this helps.
1) give it the kit lenses of the quality of the Olympus E-520/ E-620 (though the 18-55 is not bad, really)
2) give it the Pixel Mapping feature Olympus cams have had for at least the past 5 years (fix hot / dead pixels without warranty service, which are a fact of life for all digital cams)
3) don't give it the high ISO performance of the Olympus cams :)
4) give it the size and fully articulating LCD of the E-620, though the one it has is not bad
5) give it the best anti-dust of the Olympus DSLRs, not the joke Nikon alleges it has
6) give it a far more sensible price. I think it's priced stratospherically now and it's only a matter of time...
7) give it direct buttons (a la E-520 / E-620) that allow you to avoid looking away from the finder to the LCD to change common shooting parameters. As it is now, it's very baby-ish, as Nikon has tended to be in their entry levels (along with others)
Yeah, you like Olympus. We get it.
The flip screen is going to be a great device for someone who might be using it for doing remote shooting. I have sevearl times wanted something so I didn't have to try and view the back display or look through the viewfinder.
You should be able to shoot videos for the length of the amount of space left on your SD card---NOT a damn 5 minute cap on the videos you shoot. That's the only thing I have really dis-liked about my purchase.
Give it a least a few features that the much lower price Olympus E-620 has:
1) Depth of field preview (620 has two modes Viewfinder & LiveView, D5000 none)
2) Side swivel articuated screen
3) Live Histrogram
4) Wireless flash control
5) Optional battery grip
6) WB and Exposure Compensation preview
@benny
Your wife doesn't know photography, but knows she wants a SLR? How is that?
Use the best camera you can borrow. When you outgrow it, get a slightly better camera.
The point is, a better camera won't make you a better photographer. Take the class. And, with the money you saved by NOT buying the latest and greatest "Look ma! I'm a real photographer now!" camera, you can go to the bookstore and read/buy books about photography, art, and creativity. Books and taking pictures will make you a photographer, cameras and internet forums will not.
I would like to have the following features in D5000:
1. An extra dial or buttons to have some more control, espacially for WB and ISO.
2. Pentaprism instead of Pentamirror.
3. A larger viewfinder.
4. Higher resulation LCD.
2, 3 and 4 effects what I see not the picture itself, so can be compromized. But more control
atleast for the basic things like WB and ISO are absolutely necessary.