Nikon D5000 (with 18-55mm lens)

The Nikon D80 lasted a long time at the top of our entry-level dSLR list, and the D5000 has been an eagerly awaited replacement for that just-under-$1,000 kit segment. And there are plenty of significant changes in this model. Nikon switches to a CMOS sensor instead of the CCD it's been using in its entry-level models, in this case, the same 12.3-megapixel version that's in the D90. Plus there's the new (to Nikon's dSLRs) flip-down-and-swivel LCD, and an improved AF system-the same 11-point AF system as the D90--that distinguish it clearly from the cheaper D60. But, as frequently happens, this poses quite a bit of competition for the more expensive D90. Especially since it has a newer version of the Expeed image processor (with improved Auto Active D-Lighting and face-priority AF) and enhanced

Live View AF, along with a connector for the optional GP-1 hot shoe GPS. It also supports direct wireless upload when you use an Eye-Fi card.The D5000 is available in two configurations, at least from Nikon: body only and a kit with the 18-55mm VR lens. I wouldn't be surprised if a dual-lens kit with the additional 55-200mm lens eventually showed up as well.

Constructed of polycarbonate over stainless steel, the 21.6-ounce D5000 weighs a few ounces more than the D60 and competing Canon EOS Rebel T1i but about 4 ounces less than the D90. It feels plasticky, but not cheap--pretty typical for its price segment--although the SD slot cover does seem a bit flimsier than usual.

The control layout is pretty typical, although Nikon seems to have eliminated more direct-access buttons than most products in its class and replaced them entirely with the interactive display. Through it, in combination with the back dial and multi selector, you adjust shutter speed, aperture, image size and quality, white balance, ISO sensitivity, focus mode, AF area (single, multi, wide area, and 3D tracking), metering, D-Lighting, exposure bracketing (three shots in up to two stop increments), Picture Control, exposure and flash compensation, and flash mode. I generally like the interactive displays, but the D5000's LCD is a bit difficult to see in sunlight, which made changing settings somewhat problematic. There's also a programmable function button that falls under your left thumb--I like that location--to which you can assign direct access to drive modes, image size and quality, ISO sensitivity, white balance, Active D-Lighting, raw override, and bracketing.

Nikon moved all the shooting controls into the interactive display

There's no dedicated mode for shooting video (that's a good thing); instead, while in Live View mode, you use the OK button to stop and start recording. Though it doesn't do continuous autofocus, you can initiate AF while recording. Like Canon's, however, it's very slow and a bit noisy. (For more on the design, click through the slideshow. For a complete list of features and their implementations, you can download a PDF copy of the D5000's manual.)

I do feel somewhat ambivalent about the D5000's design. Articulated LCDs are great, and definitely enhance the usability of Live View. But ultimately I find the flip-down version on the D5000 less useful than the flip-out versions on Olympus' SLRs: it's good for overhead and hip-level shooting, but not as comfortable for sideways. Of course, from that perspective it's far more flexible than Canon's fixed LCDs. But the D5000's LCD isn't very good. In addition to the aforementioned visibility problem in direct sunlight, it just seemed soft; I couldn't tell if my photos were sharp, and manual focus in Live View (and video recording) was nearly impossible. Furthermore, there's no way to keep the multi selector switch from accidentally moving the selected AF points, which I did, repeatedly. Finally, the viewfinder is small and dim, and the AF lock light is way down in the lower left corner where you have to strain to see it. On the upside, it has an optional grid display.

But the D5000 definitely comes through on performance and photo quality. It's fast, and generally outshoots the D90, most notably in low-light autofocus. It powers on and shoots in about 0.2 second, with shot lag as good as 0.3 second under good light and a still-respectable 0.7 second in dim. It shoots and saves JPEG files slightly faster than raw, though they both round out to about 0.5 second; adding flash bumps that just slightly to 0.9 second. Burst shooting clocks about 4 frames per second--same as the D90--putting it at the head of this class. The AF system is pretty good, too, and the whole thing is certainly fast enough to keep up with the typical shooting material of kids, sports, and pets. The battery lasts a relatively long time as well; it's CIPA rated at about 510 shots.

It also delivers excellent photo quality for the price, with solid exposure (though not as bright and straight-to-printer friendly as the T1i's) and great color. Its noise profile is very good up through ISO 1,600 and, for a variety of scenes, usable through its extended ISO 6,400 (Hi). The kit lens is above average as well: very sharp and able to focus quite closely. As with the D90, though, the video is a bit disappointing. The camera only shoots 24fps 720p, which isn't a fast enough frame rate to render quite as smoothly as we've come to expect and doesn't scale very well to full-screen playback. It's usable, and fine if you're interested in experimenting, but it doesn't look sharp or polished.

As long as you don't get as hung up as I did on its operational quirks or have high expectations of shooting video, there's plenty to like about the Nikon D5000--especially if you're most interested in its core aptitudes of a wealth of features, speedy shooting, and high-quality photographs for the money.

Main Features

• New 2.7-in. 230k-dot Vari-angle monitor swings down approximately 90° and rotates 180°
• Nikon DX-format CMOS image sensor with 12.3 effective megapixels and Integrated Dust Reduction System
• Specially designed EXPEED image processing system
• One-touch access to Live View, which includes face priority AF and subject tracking
• D-SLR movie function: D-Movie, selectable from 320 x 216 pixels, 640 x 424 pixels or 1,280 x 720 pixels in AVI format
• 19 Scene Modes that automatically adjust exposure, image processing, Active D-Lighting and other settings for superior image quality
• Scene Recognition System, utilizing 420-pixel RGB sensor, improves autofocus, auto exposure and auto white balance performance and is also integrated with the Face Detection System
• Active D-Lighting for smooth tone reproduction in high-contrast environments
• Multi-CAM 1000 autofocus sensor module featuring 11 AF points provides fast and precise autofocus coverage across the frame
• Picture Control System offers Portrait and Landscape options for more vibrant customized colors
• Extensive palette of in-camera Retouch Menus including several new retouch options such as Soft Filter and Color Outline
• Incredibly low-noise performance throughout a wide sensitivity range of ISO 200 to 3200; can be set to ISO 100 and ISO 6400 equivalents
• Viewfinder with approx. 95% frame coverage and an easy-to-view 17.9 mm eyepoint (at -1.0 m-1)
• Up to 4 fps continuous shooting
• Built-in pop-up flash with Nikon's original i-TTL flash control
• Highly efficient energy-saving design that allows approx. 510 images on a single charge of the Rechargeable
• Li-ion Battery EN-EL9a (CIPA standard, with AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR and flash fired at full power once every other shot.)
• Compatible with HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) output
• Included Nikon ViewNX software makes browsing and organizing your images easy
• Optional photo-editing software Capture NX 2 allows quick and easy photo editing
• Lightweight compact body