The first Nikon D5000 preview

By [NR] admin | Published: April 14, 2009

Updates (I will be adding links throughout the day&night):

Nikon D5000 videos (jelly efect):

Nikon D5000 preview:

Related posts:

  1. Nikon P300 hands-on preview (no RAW!)
  2. Rumor from Korea: entry level Nikon D5000 @ PMA
  3. Nikon D5000 pictures
  4. Yes, Nikon D5000 is now discontinued
  5. Nikon D3000 and D5000 to be discontinued
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  • NikoDoby

    Actually it’s a Preview, but still has lost of goodness inside.

  • dpreview is fast 😀

    • Siletto

      DPreview sure kept themselves quiet. They probably had the pre-production some weeks ahead.

  • AZ

    There are two other previews on http://www.optyczne.pl and http://www.fotopolis.pl, so I guess Nikon sent the test cameras to many different places.

  • Siletto

    DPreview lists the intervalometer as built-in on the D5000. They’re making the same mistake as in the preview of the D90 or is it really there?

    • Siletto

      yeah, D5000’s got the intervalometer. Saw it in the alternating screen shot of the camera LCD

      http://www.dpreview.com/previews/nikond5000/page11.asp

      Now I expect the D90 to get an intervalometer in the next firmware revision. Speaking of firmware for the D90, it’s long overdue. I need bug fixes.

      • Justin

        Which bug fixes exactly?

        • Siletto

          One of them (and most annoying) is the Func button customization. I wanted to add RAW capture when I press it, but rather than adding RAW to all of the following exposures, it adds only to just 1. If that’s a feature and not a bug, I want it changed.

          Some other “bugs” includes color temp on my LCD is way warm, and images are noisy at even ISO 200 (some are, some aren’t). I’m not in a position to exchange my D90 so I’m hoping the new firmware would fix some of the problems.

      • Desinderlase

        I found several bugs, some of them are hard to explain.
        One particular is that when you close the aperture in a live view and take a shot, aperture will stay closed after the shot, so you will not see anything on the screen. It could be fixed by switching off live view and then switching on again but it’s annoying.

  • Phil

    In reading the preview, I thought ‘what the heck is Nikon doing’, this camera is so close in price to the D90 and it isn’t a D40/D60 replacement, which is what they really need to compete against the Rebel XS/XSi. But now that I think about it, I can understand Nikon’s position a little more. I think Nikon felt compelled to offer a camera with all the latest features (live view, HD movie mode, etc.) and compete with the new Rebel T1i, hence the D5000, which is very similar in price and specs to the T1i. It wouldn’t surprise me if Nikon released a cheapened D5000 without the movie mode, slower continuous shooting rate, and maybe without the rotating LCD. This cheapened D5000 would be the true D40/D60 replacement.

  • NikoDoby

    Yeah, NikonRumors.com already has a D400 and admin is starting to write his “preview” tomorrow :}

    • I sure have plenty of Nikon D400 rumors

      • Andrew

        Such as…..?

      • Desinderlase

        Is that a rumor that you have rumors?

  • Anton

    Guys, have you seen those test shots? =)
    GOSH! tHEY’RE ALMOST NOISELESS! Compared with my d80, at least =))

  • NikoDoby

    High ISO on my D70 looks like sand while the samples from the D5K look like milk.
    I’m hoping for video output samples soon.

  • NikoDoby

    High ISO samples from my D70 look like sand and the D5K samples look like milk.
    I’m hoping to see some video output samples soon.

  • Jørgen

    Here is a Norwegian test on an early version. The conclusion is very saticfied for a camera in this class.
    http://www.akam.no/artikler/nikon_d5000/69090

  • rhlpetrus

    Samples from DPR and test images from IR show this exactly same as D90’s sensor, pretty good, actually.

    Camera is well-positioned, initial prices are always high, 6mos from now it’ll be like 700USD and D60 demoted to <500USD.

    A D3000/D4000, simpler body with this sensor is likely due by end’s year, ending the CCD lines from Nikon. Or they may just keep selling the D40, still a fave of many.

    • Stephen

      As long as Ken Rockwell has anything to say about.

  • Nikkorian

    The 1600 iso Shots at depreview are amazing. I see no noise. Even the 3200 are good.

    Only the D90 has the aperture preview button, the built-in motor, can control remote flashes (Nikon Creative Lighting System), has more dedicated buttons, plus the two scroll wheels. For, what, 150$ more, or even 250$? Who wants to buy the D5000 now?

    • Justin

      The D90 also has a larger & brighter viewfinder, and a larger & much more detailed rear LCD, and a top info LCD.

      • 9190

        Yeah, agree with you. I started think about D90 now. Viewfinder magnification in D5000 (0.78x) even less (smaller) than in D60 (0.8x). Bad. I agree with dpreview, camera some ugly (especially in the back IMHO). And side-opening LCD (like in Panasonic GH1) is better, than in D5000. I was expecting D40 replacement. But D5000 is other story. And now I think either D90 or Panasonic GH1.

        • Desinderlase

          I actually think that bottom-opening LCD is better solution, because we need button to the left of the screen. This is still DSLR not camcoder, so those buttons will be used much more than the screen.

          • 9190

            I understand about this buttons.
            This is dpreview: “One problem with this particular design, though, with the hinge positioned towards the base of the camera, is that the screen movements can become severely restricted or blocked once the camera is actually attached to a tripod. Therefore, you well may have to think about where you want the screen to go, before mounting the camera on the tripod. It simply doesn’t work as well as the side-hinged design on Olympus and Panasonic cameras.”

          • 9190

            And I started understand (thanks to dpreview), that with so slow AF in Live View, like in D5000, twist & swivel LCD doesn’t have big sense. For me much more important high resolution 3″ LCD, to check sharpness. Panasonic GH1 – other way, it has much faster AF. And again, no AF in Video Mode, again very bad mono sound, missing direct access to ISO, WB, Image Quality etc. Joystick button located too low. But they have space upper! Why they didn’t put joystick upper?

        • Bill

          yeah, D90 or GH1. I’m pretty sold on the GH1, the main problem being the price for the camera and kit especially considering the f*ckin’ chipped batteries…

  • netmare

    D90 Body only = 799 USD on B&H (out of stock)
    D90 Body only = 890 USD in Amazon

    D5000 Body only = 730 USD

    Guess price for D90 is gonna go up

    • Nikkorian

      i guess in 6 months time, on the bay i’d get 180 euros for my d40x. if the d5000 will sell for 380 euros by that time – which is the current price for the d60, i might upgrade.

  • VD

    Has anyone noticed that it has an L firmware and an “Auto distortion” option?
    I guess this confirms the earlier rumor, and it certainly seems like a very cool feature, although I wonder why there’s no mention in the press release.

    • Nikkorian

      it says in the press release, i think the one for the new lens, that the nikkor is especially designed to show good performance TOGETHER with nikon dslr’s. that will be a hint towards a software image correction inside the camera.

      • VD

        “Exceptional optical performance designed specifically for use with Nikon DX format digital SLR sensors.” If this is what you are referring to, I believe that it actually doesn’t hint to anything.
        My point is that I find this feature to be much more important (and even original, I guess) to warrant only a hint. I would certainly like to see more information on this.
        Or maybe Nikon is holding out on marketing this feature for later, who knows.

        • Desinderlase

          It means that the lens is cheaper because it is made for digital SLR (DX).

  • Xavier

    That blog also has videos and photos of the D5000: http://www.1854.eu/
    Wonder if the camera is worth the investment though…

  • funny

    so with even the $2K+ 5DMII showing rolling shutter artifacts during pans as seen in plenty of video samples not produced by vincent+tripod, is it even possible to have video w/o this problem using the cmos sensor?

    • Nikkorian

      I guess they’ll work out a way. There’s a solution to every problem. It just takes the right engineer 🙂

      • Bill

        GH1? the few 720p examples seem pretty nice. I suspect being able to control the shutter speed helps…

  • RP

    Interesting… Using a MacBook Pro and Keynote to present the new D5000! I thought that there was a big agreement between Nikon and Microsoft. I guess you cant persuade every employee to go along with that!

  • A new Nikon fanboy

    Here’s another quickie preview, this one from PC Magazine:

    http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2345203,00.asp

  • A new Nikon fanboy

    And I find it interesting what the Canon Rumors site admin said yesterday:

    “If the specs for the D5000 are true, Canon appears to be getting their proverbial butt kicked from a perception standpoint.”

    And he also said:

    “I’m not a spec person, but for an entry level camera.. specs can lead to sales. Consumers love specs!”

    That was based on the leaked specs from this site, which all appear to be true.

    (Except of course for that “Bali-angle LCD, 2.7 inch,” which has been replaced at the last moment by the far less exotic “vari-angle LCD.” Apparently, now I will have to travel to Bali to get their angle.)

    We may not be doing back-flips over here, but the D5000 stands up well against the latest Rebel.

    http://www.canonrumors.com/2009/04/nikon-d5000/

  • Dweeb

    Funny how companies that don’t GIS about Apple rely on their products.

    Whatever happened to OLED technology?

  • bamse

    Played with a D5000 and 10-24mm lens yesterday at Nikon’s showroom in Tokyo. Too tiny for my taste but it sure will find its fans. The delete button is weirdly sticking out. Might be the same for other small Nikon DSLR. I like the cherry blossom (sakura) and autumn color (koyo) scene modes….

    Not sure if it is interesting or has been posted before, there will also be the following new products from May 1:

    DK-24 (rubber eyecup)
    EN=EL9a (battery)
    CF-DC2 (case)

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