Nikon D5000

We love it when the features that make gadgets great trickle down into less expensive products. That’s why we highly recommend the $849 Nikon D5000, a reasonably priced DSLR that has the same sensor and 720p video recording as the $999 D90. In addition to stellar colors and sharpness, this camera stuns by delivering long battery life and the best low-light quality we’ve seen in a lower-priced DSLR. In short, the D5000 very much deserves our Editors’ Choice Award.

Design

In the grand scheme of things, the D5000’s 21.6-ounce polycarbonate and metal body feels lightweight (the D90 is only 4 tenths of an ounce heavier), but other entry-level cameras, such as the 15.9-ounce Sony A230—designed for timid novices who would otherwise buy a point-and-shoot—are lighter and more compact. The tradeoff, of course, is that those cameras (usually made of plastic) will feel cheaper, too. Despite this weight, the D5000’s deep hand groove and textured, rubbery finish allowed us to easily hold and even shoot with the camera in one hand.

The camera’s connectivity options include an HDMI output (to match its HD video), a GPS port that works with an optional GPS unit (for geotagging photos), a tripod mount, an SD/SDHC Card slot, and A/V out. The camera also has a hot shoe for attaching an external flash (not included).

User Interface

Aside from command and mode dials, a five-way navigational pad, and standard information, Live View, menu, and playback controls, the D5000 doesn’t have many buttons. All of the camera settings can be reached by accessing controls through the Menu system; this setup is convenient for people who would otherwise find lots of discrete buttons intimidating, though more advanced users may find drilling through menus tedious. If you fall into the latter category, you can also press the Info button to access and adjust such settings as ISO and shutter speed.

The different choices (e.g., various ISO settings) have picture previews, which reminds us that this camera is just as much for beginner DSLR owners as it is more intermediate users who can’t afford a D90 or comparable camera. In addition, the menus are interactive. For instance, as you point the camera at different kinds of light sources in Graphic Mode, an on-screen graphic of the lens will open and close, illustrating the aperture. This will be mere eye candy for advanced users, but such visuals provide an educational tool for novices.

Display

The hallmark of the D5000’s design, which makes it different from any other Nikon camera, is its 2.7-inch LCD, which you can pop out and tilt at up to a 180-degree angle. You can also swivel the screen, as you would the display on a camcorder. It’s convenient when you find yourself shooting a tricky angle (holding the camera above your head, say, to take a picture of a crowd). We used it at a tourist site, where visitors were told to stand behind a barricade while they took pictures; meanwhile, the scene we wanted to shoot was behind a tall balcony, some 20 feet away.

While this feature makes it easier to frame shots, it involves ditching the optical viewfinder and shooting in Live View mode instead. In addition to the fact that Live View creates shutter lag (more on that later), we also noted that focusing in this mode was slow, in a way that we didn’t experience when we enabled the optical viewfinder. Even when we adjusted our distance from the subject by either rotating the zoom ring or stepping backward (useful solutions if you can’t focus with the optical viewfinder), we still had difficulty focusing.

We quickly tired of this feature, and decided it was more effective to focus using the optical viewfinder. However, you still might want to flip the screen out and turn on Live View just while you’re framing the shot.

As for the screen itself, it’s large enough for reviewing photos, and the built-in accelerometer is a plus, as photos and menus rotate depending on how you’re holding the camera. However, we had to squint at it in direct sunlight. You can adjust the brightness in small gradients (e.g., +3, -3), as you would your camera’s exposure. In addition to a brighter default setting, it would be nice if Nikon included an ambient light sensor instead of so many brightness options.