Nikon D5000 Digital SLR Camera - Body Only

Product Information

The Nikon D5000 does not offer body-integral image stabilisation, but the kit lens bundled with the camera features Vibration Reduction, Nikon's proprietary lens-based optical stabilisation system.

I haven't compared the D5000 directly to the Voigtländer bodies, but since the Voigtländers are louder than LEICA, they must be louder than the D5000 in Quiet Mode. With most of the necessary usability comments now out of the way, we can get on to what I regard as the good news: The Nikon D5000 is an excellent image maker. This is not quite the same thing as the mirror lock-up feature of the higher-specified Nikons - as you cannot set the time between raising the mirror and actually taking the shot -, but it's still quite an effective tool for maximising sharpness when shooting from a tripod. They've added more to properly gauge factors like white balance and subject motion, and now they're tracking faces with SRS.As with the D90, each uninterrupted movie shot at 720p is limited to 5 minutes duration and 20 minutes for all other resolutions (the D7000 can do 20 min movies). At left you can see the Nikon D5000's three ports, two of them new: The Accessory terminal on top is for the GP-1 GPS unit or an MC-DC2 wired remote; below that is the USB/AV connector port; and the Mini-HDMI port. Though there is some difference in exposure between these two shots, it's clear that both the Nikon D5000 and D90 maintain good detail and have minimal noise in the shadows even at ISO 1,600.

However, it appears Nikon has again decided that simply replacing models isn't the best way to address the market. Sadly though, the anti-glare coating leaves a lot to be desired - so much so that the screen proved almost unusable outdoors in strong daylight. The Nikon D5000's design isn't perfect, but it does meet an important need for those who want to get more creative. Not only is the D5000 the same as, or a little quieter than the LEICA, the D5000 winds itself at the same time, while the LEICA still needs to wind film.on thing I can't understand: why in this review camera specifications and shooting menu says two different things? Last year's big SLR news was Live View and Movie mode, and the D5000 adds an articulating screen to the mix, making both modes that much more valuable. In addition to the Auto Active D-Lighting mode added with the D700, the Nikon D5000 gets the D90's Extra High setting to add even more punch to shadow detail.

Shooting in D-Movie mode is another time I'd have preferred to shoot on a tripod with the Nikon D5000. Speaking of Live View, it can be accessed by way of a dedicated Lv button on the back of the camera, just as on the D90.I have plenty of dB meters here, but the jury is still out — and has been for decades — trying to agree on objective standards for measurements of discontinuous noise that correlate well to perceived levels.