Nikon D5000

	Introduction
The Nikon D5000 is one of a handful of sub-$1000 video SLRs. Overall we found the Canon XSi did a better job shooting video, with higher definition and smoother video motion, but the Nikon was superior for still photography.
		Page 1 of 21	Product Tour

Section		The Good	The Bad
	Product Tour	Comfortable mid-size body with pivoting LCD screen	Not many buttons for direct access to settings; plastic feel
	Color	Very good color accuracy and long exposure results	Some color shifting with reds and oranges
	Noise	Outperformed all cameras in our comparison group; noise reduction filter unusually effective	Nothing significant
	Resolution	Low distortion with kit lens; wide dynamic range	Image sharpness is disappointing
	White Balance	Extensive selection of presets including multiple fluorescent options	Less accurate than others in our test group
	Playback	Nice variety of info displays; extensive in-camera editing options	Rudimentary slideshow capability
	Hardware	Articulated LCD allows shooting from varied angles using Live View	No autofocus motor in camera
	Controls	Highly customizable Picture Controls; lots of scene modes; sophisticated autofocus system	No depth of field preview
	Design & Handling	Nice combination of comfort and portability; extensive online tutorials	Few buttons to access shooting settings directly
Video Section		The Good	The Bad
	Video: Color & Noise	Very low noise levels	Color accuracy was only average, overall image was too bright
	Video: Motion & Sharpness	Natively progressive 24p frame rate limits trailing and blur	Sharpness is limited by 1280 x 720 maximum image resolution
	Video: Low Light Performance	Good low light color, decent low light sensitivity, excellent low light noise results	ISO adjustment isn't avialable for video
	Video Features	Multi-angle LCD is a lifesaver for shooting video	Many controls don't work with video mode
Exclusive - Video testing on the Nikon D5000 is provided by CamcorderInfo.com, the leader in camcorder reviews.

[page title="Product Tour"]

	Product Tour Summary
• Body size a nice balance between compactness and easy maneuverability • Articulated LCD screen for shooting flexibility • Direct one-button access to Live View
	Introduction	Page 2 of 21	Color

Front

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		Autofocus assist / Self-timer / Red-eye reduction lamp
					Microphone
							Lens release button
	Infrared remote receiver

Back

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Viewfinder

Autoexposure/Autofocus lock image protect button in playback

Command dial

Delete

Playback

Live View

Menu

Playback zoom out/help

OK button

Playback zoom in

Memory card access lamp

Information edit

Four way controller

2.7-inch, 230,000-dot articulated LCD

Speaker

 

Sides

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							Diopter adjustment
		Pop-up flash release / flash compensation
	Programmable function button				AV/USB, HDMI and GPS connectors under secure rubber door			SD / SDHC memory card compartment

 

Bottom

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	Battery compartment
			Metal tripod socket centered under lens

 

Top

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Shutter

Pop-up flash

Information button

Power switch

Exposure and flash compensation / aperture adjust in manual mode

Mode dial

Hot shoe

 

Size Comparisons

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Front
Nikon D5000	Canon Rebel T1i	Canon Rebel XS	Nikon D90	Pentax K2000
Price: $849.95 (w/ 18-55mm VR lens)	Price: $899.99 (w/ 18-55mm IS lens)	Price: $599.99 (w/ 18-55mm lens)	Price: $999 (body only)	Price: $599.95 (w/ 18-55mm lens, flash
Back
Nikon D5000	Canon Rebel T1i	Canon Rebel XS	Nikon D90	Pentax K2000
Width:   5.0 in/127mm	Width:   5.1 in/129.1mm	Width:   4.96 in/126.1mm	Width:   5.8 in/147mm	Width:   4.8 in/122mm
Top
Nikon D5000	Canon Rebel T1i	Canon Rebel XS	Nikon D90	Pentax K2000
Depth:   3.1 in/80mm	Depth:   3.1 in/77.9mm	Depth:   2.4 in/ 61.9mm	Depth:   3 in/77mm	Depth:   2.7 in/67 mm
Left
Nikon D5000	Canon Rebel T1i	Canon Rebel XS	Nikon D90	Pentax K2000
Height:   4.1 in/104mm	Height:   3.9 in/98.9mm	Height:   3.8 in/97.5mm	Height:   4.1 in/103mm	Height:   3.6 in/91mm
Right
Nikon D5000	Canon Rebel T1i	Canon Rebel XS	Nikon D90	Pentax K2000
Weight:   19.8 oz/560g	Weight:   16.9 oz/480g	Weight:   15.9 oz./ 450g	Weight:   22 oz./620g	Weight:   18.5 oz/ 524g
Bottom
Nikon D5000	Canon Rebel T1i	Canon Rebel XS	Nikon D90	Pentax K2000

In the Box

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• Nikon D5000 body with body cap
• 18-55mm F/3.5-5.6G VR lens
• DK-24 rubber eyecup (on camera)
• EN-EL9a rechargeable Li-ion battery
• MH-23 Quick Charger
• AN-DC3 strap
• UC-E6 USB cable
• EG-CP14 audio/video cable
• BS-1 hot shoe cover
• DK-5 eyepiece cap
• Software CD
• Quick Start Guide, in English and Spanish
• User's Manual, in English and Spanish

[page title="Color"]

	Color Summary
• Solid color accuracy results overall • Flesh tones reproduced nicely, along with blues and greens • Some color shift in reds and oranges
	Product Tour	Page 3 of 21	Noise

Color Accuracy (15.21)

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The Nikon D5000 did very well in our color accuracy testing, with only the Canon Rebel XS performing significantly better. Flesh tone reproduction is very good, and so are the blues and most green hues, with some minor color shifts in the reds and oranges. Our test images were somewhat oversaturated, at 104.5%, but not enough to catch your eye in an actual photograph.

Our color testing is designed to test accuracy rather than attractiveness (you can always tweak color values to suit your personal preferences later, and better to start with an image that reflects what you actually saw through the viewfinder). As with other Nikons, the D5000 employs the company's Picture Control System which offers presets for Standard, Neutral, Vivid, Monochrome, Portrait and Landscape. We shot the X-Rite ColorChecker chart in each mode under bright studio lighting and calculated the color error using Imatest software. Neutral proved the most accurate setting, so that's what we used for scoring purposes, and in the chart below. Click here for more on how we test color

 

The following table shows patches from photos of the ColorChecker chart taken with the Nikon D5000 and four additional cameras for comparison purposes, each in its most accurate color mode. The color names are those used by X-Rite.

	Camera Color Comparisons
	Ideal	Nikon D5000	Canon Rebel T1i	Canon Rebel XS	Nikon D90	Pentax K2000
Dark Skin
Light Skin
Blue Sky
	Ideal	Nikon D5000	Canon Rebel T1i	Canon Rebel XS	Nikon D90	Pentax K2000
Foliage
Blue Flower
Bluish Green
	Ideal	Nikon D5000	Canon Rebel T1i	Canon Rebel XS	Nikon D90	Pentax K2000
Orange
Purplish Blue
Moderate Red
	Ideal	Nikon D5000	Canon Rebel T1i	Canon Rebel XS	Nikon D90	Pentax K2000
Purple
Yellow Green
Orange Yellow
	Ideal	Nikon D5000	Canon Rebel T1i	Canon Rebel XS	Nikon D90	Pentax K2000
Blue
Green
Red
	Ideal	Nikon D5000	Canon Rebel T1i	Canon Rebel XS	Nikon D90	Pentax K2000
Yellow
Magenta
Cyan

NOTE: Because of the way computer monitors reproduce colors, the images above do not exactly match the originals found on the chart or in the captured images. The chart should be used to judge the relative color shift, not the absolute captured colors.

The chart below shows the relative scores for the cameras in our comparison group.

Color Score Comparison

 

NOTE: We updated our testing and scoring procedures in January 2009. For comparison purposes, we re-tested several cameras we'd reviewed in 2008, producing the scores shown in the chart above for the Canon Rebel XS and Nikon D90. However, the scores in the original reviews for these re-tested cameras remain unchanged, for consistency's sake.

 

Color Modes (4.00)

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Nikon offers its Picture Control system, with adjustments that affect saturation and hue along with sharpening, contrast and brightness. There are six presets, Standard, Neutral, Vivid, Monochrome, Portrait and Landscape. These Picture Controls and their customization options will be discussed fully in the Picture Effects section below. Here we want to look specifically at their effects on color reproduction. In the table below we have same-size samples from photos of the X-Rite ColorChecker chart taken with the D5000 at each Picture Control setting (except Monochrome). The leftmost column shows the colors from the original chart.

The overall color accuracy was nearly the same in Neutral (the most accurate mode) and Portrait, though Portrait enhanced the red values and boosted saturation to 109%. Landscape mode pushed saturation way up, to nearly 129%, boosting green and orange values, Standard mode was very similar to Portrait in color reproduction but with even higher 113% saturation. And Vivid lived up to its name, with saturation at 134% and significant shift in blue, green and red values.

 

	Color Mode Comparisons
	Ideal	Standard	Neutral	Vivid	Portrait	Landscape
Dark Skin
Light Skin
Blue Sky
	Ideal	Standard	Neutral	Vivid	Portrait	Landscape
Foliage
Blue Flower
Bluish Green
	Ideal	Standard	Neutral	Vivid	Portrait	Landscape
Orange
Purplish Blue
Moderate Red
	Ideal	Standard	Neutral	Vivid	Portrait	Landscape
Purple
Yellow Green
Orange Yellow
	Ideal	Standard	Neutral	Vivid	Portrait	Landscape
Blue
Green
Red
	Ideal	Standard	Neutral	Vivid	Portrait	Landscape
Yellow
Magenta
Cyan

NOTE: Because of the way computer monitors reproduce colors, the images above do not exactly match the originals found on the chart or in the captured images. The chart should be used to judge the relative color shift, not the absolute captured colors.

As expected, the Nikon D5000 supports both the sRGB color space that's appropriate for most situations and the Adobe RGB color space, with its wider color gamut.

Long Exposure (11.38)

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In our long exposure test, which measures both color accuracy and image noise levels at several shutter speeds, the Nikon D5000 turned in very strong results, just a hair's breadth lower than the Canon Rebel XS overall and significantly better than the competitively priced, video-enabled Canon T1i.

To test long exposure performance, we shoot the X-Rite ColorChecker Chart at low light levels (20 lux or below), at shutter speeds ranging from 1 second to 30 seconds. We shoot with long exposure noise reduction turned on and turned off. This feature works by taking a second exposure with the shutter closed, then mathematically eliminating the noise found in the second dark exposure from the original captured image. Since image noise is inherently random, we've found this noise reduction feature rarely does much good and, in many cases, actually produces a lower-quality final image. For the D5000, though, long exposure noise reduction did produce improvements with shutter speeds of 10 seconds or slower, and didn't impact color reproduction. Click here for more on how we test long exposure.

 In the following chart, the bars represent color error, so a shorter bar indicates better performance. As seen here, color accuracy varied little as shutter speeds got longer, a good result.

Nikon D5000 Long Exposure Color Error

Image noise hovered around 0.8% across the range of shutter speeds, with very little variation. Again, this is a very strong performance. Bars in this graph represent noise levels so, again, shorter is better.

Nikon D5000 Long Exposure Noise

The following chart shows the scoring results for our group of tested cameras, with the Nikon D90 nearly identical to the Rebel XS at the head of the pack.

Long Exposure Score Comparison

 

NOTE: We updated our testing and scoring procedures in January 2009. For comparison purposes, we re-tested several cameras we'd reviewed in 2008, producing the scores shown in the chart above for the Canon Rebel XS and Nikon D90. However, the scores in the original reviews for these re-tested cameras remain unchanged, for consistency's sake.

 

[page title="Noise"]

	Noise Summary
• Top performer in our comparison group • Noise reduction filter highly effective without severe loss of image detail • Standard ISOs range from 200-3200, expanded range 100-6400
	Color	Page 4 of 21	Resolution

Noise (6.83)

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The Nikon D5000 delivered better image noise performance than any of the other cameras in our comparison group, though the camera-to-camera differences aren't dramatic.

We test for image noise, the annoying speckles that resemble film grain from days of yore, by shooting the X-Rite ColorChecker chart at all of the official (i.e, not extended range) ISO settings under bright studio illumination, and analyze the resulting images using Imatest software. We shoot at each noise reduction level, all of which factor into the final noise score. While ramping up the noise reduction level inevitably leads to a loss of fine detail, we were pleased to see the D5000 suffered far less of a problem here than many other cameras. To visualize the relationship between higher noise reduction levels and loss of image detail, see the Sample Photos section. Click here for more on how we test noise.

The following chart shows the effect of each noise reduction level across the full range of official ISOs. Even with noise reduction off entirely, image noise never rises beyond 2%, and the Normal level keeps noise at about 1% even out to ISO 3200.

 

Noise Reduction Level Comparison

Shown here are the individual noise components: red, green, blue, yellow and luma (gray). If these are widely spread, imperfections can be visible even if a camera has a low overall image noise score. In this case, that's not a problem.

Color & Luma Noise

The following two charts compare image noise levels for each tested ISO level, first with noise reduction off (and image detail at its highest), the second with noise reduction at its highest setting. While there isn't an enormous performance spread here, the D5000 does significantly outperform the Pentax and Rebel T1i across the board, and the tough ISO 1600 level proves to be a sweet spot for this camera.

Noise Reduction Off Comparison

With noise reduction cranked all the way up the D5000 produces extraordinarily clean images at high ISO settings. If you need to grab available light photos in challenging conditions, you're going to welcome this polished performance, even if it does cost a bit of fine-line sharpness.

Noise Reduction Maximum Comparison

As seen in the score comparison graph below, the Nikon D5000 holds a small overall edge when all noise reduction levels are considered.

Noise Score Comparison

NOTE: We updated our testing and scoring procedures in January 2009. For comparison purposes, we re-tested several cameras we'd reviewed in 2008, producing the scores shown in the chart above for the Canon Rebel XS and Nikon D90. However, the scores in the original reviews for these re-tested cameras remain unchanged, for consistency's sake.

ISO (6.00)

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As with most Nikon cameras, the D5000 has a range of official ISOs, indicated numerically in the menus, plus additional extended ISO settings above and below. In this case, the official ISOs run from 200 to 3200. The lower extended range settings are Lo 0.3, equivalent to ISO 160, Lo 0.7 (ISO 125) and Lo 1 (ISO 100). On the high side there are Hi 0.3 (ISO 4000), Hi 0.7 (ISO 5000) and Hi 1 (ISO 6400). Why not just treat all the ISO settings equally? Because, as Nikon points out, the Hi settings are subject to increased image noise and color distortion, while the Lo settings have lower contrast.

In addition to the standard controls there is an Auto ISO setting, used in Auto shooting mode and by default in scene modes. When shooting in program, shutter-priority, aperture-priority or manual modes, turning the Auto ISO setting on will only affect exposure if the camera determines that an appropriate exposure can't be achieved at the ISO setting chosen by the shooter. A maximum allowable value when shooting in Auto ISO mode can be set.

The table below displays same-size crops taken from still life photos taken with each of the comparison cameras across the range of available ISOs.

 

	ISO Examples
	Nikon D5000	Canon Rebel T1i	Canon Rebel XS	Nikon D90	Pentax K2000
ISO 100
	Nikon D5000	Canon Rebel T1i	Canon Rebel XS	Nikon D90	Pentax K2000
ISO 200
	Nikon D5000	Canon Rebel T1i	Canon Rebel XS	Nikon D90	Pentax K2000
ISO 400
	Nikon D5000	Canon Rebel T1i	Canon Rebel XS	Nikon D90	Pentax K2000
ISO 800
	Nikon D5000	Canon Rebel T1i	Canon Rebel XS	Nikon D90	Pentax K2000
ISO 1600
	Nikon D5000	Canon Rebel T1i	Canon Rebel XS	Nikon D90	Pentax K2000
ISO 3200
	Nikon D5000	Canon Rebel T1i	Canon Rebel XS	Nikon D90	Pentax K2000
ISO 6400
	Nikon D5000	Canon Rebel T1i	Canon Rebel XS	Nikon D90	Pentax K2000
ISO 12800

NOTE: The images above are not used in our testing or scoring, but are included here to show real-world examples of the differences between cameras at the various ISO settings.

[page title="Resolution"]

	Resolution Summary
• Image sharpness was unimpressive shooting with the kit lens • Distortion very low at tele and midrange settings and acceptable at wide angle • Image stabilization effective when camera shake is high
	Noise	Page 5 of 21	White Balance

Resolution (6.86)

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This is an area where we were surprised at the D5000s mediocre performance. While test images shot with the kit lens were slightly sharper than the Canon Rebel T1i, which is this camera's most direct competitor, even the value-priced Pentax K2000 outpaced the D5000 in resolution performance by a substantial margin. And the Nikon's problem lies in the core component in our resolution testing, image sharpness.

We test resolution in three parts, distortion, chromatic aberration and sharpness, but with SLRs don't incorporate the distortion results in the final section score, since it's so dependent on the interchangeable lens you're shooting. Our testing was conducted using the 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR kit lens. We shoot the multi-target resolution chart shown below at three focal lengths (widest, full tele and the midpoint), at three aperture settings for each distance. The resulting images are analyzed using Imatest at multiple points across the frame. Click here for more on how we test resolution.

Distortion
The good news in this test came in the one area not included in the scoring. Distortion with the kit lens was very low at the 33mm and 55mm focal lengths tested, and the 2.54% barrel distortion at 18mm is within the acceptable range.

Chromatic Aberration
Performance here is a mixed bag, with reasonable performance overall but readily noticeable trouble spots when shooting at 18mm.

Sharpness
Maximum sharpness results were found at 18mm, where the camera hit a mediocre 1169 lw/ph horizontal and 1342 vertical. At the center of the lens results were sub-1000 lw/ph at most focal length/aperture combinations. As you can see in the same-size crops from our test shooting below, the D5000 equipped with the kit lens takes noticeably soft photos.

	Image Sharpness and Chromatic Aberration
	f/3.5			f/10			f/22
18mm

At the widest 18mm setting, sharpness is very low at f/3.5, with noticeable chromatic aberration. Results improve as the lens is stopped down, but not by much.

	Image Sharpness and Chromatic Aberration
	f/3.5			f/9			f/22
36mm

 

Chromatic aberration improves somewhat at 36mm, but edges lack crispness throughout, particularly at f/22.

	Image Sharpness and Chromatic Aberration
	f/5.6			f/14			f/36
55mm

 

At the maximum zoom setting, sharpness at the center is marginal, particularly when fully stopped down, and the crops along the edges of the lens look fuzzy at all apertures.

The fact that the Nikon D5000 isn't the lowest scoring camera in our resolution comparison says more about how poorly the Canon T1i performed than how well. the Nikon did. It's interesting that both of the sub-$1000 video-enabled SLRs on the market revealed significant sharpness problems in our lab testing.

Resolution Score Comparison

 

NOTE: We updated our testing and scoring procedures in January 2009. For comparison purposes, we re-tested several cameras we'd reviewed in 2008, producing the scores shown in the chart above for the Canon Rebel XS and Nikon D90. However, the scores in the original reviews for these re-tested cameras remain unchanged, for consistency's sake.

Picture Quality & Size Options (8.85)

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Three image sizes are available; large, medium and small.

Image Size Options
Large	4288 x 2848
Medium	3216 x 2136
Small	2144 x 1424

The D5000 will shoot in JPEG or RAW (in the Nikon NEF format). There are three available JPEG compression settings. Fine uses approximately 1:4 compression, Normal 1:8, and Basic 1:16. When shooting RAW+JPEG, any of these JPEG compression settings can be selected.

Dynamic Range (7.46)

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The Nikon D5000 offers an impressive dynamic range, meaning it will handle high-contrast subjects well, without blowing out the highlights or losing detail in the shadows. We test dynamic range by photographing a 20-patch Kodak Stepchart at all standard ISO settings and a range of aperture settings, shooting at a bright 3000 lux illumination. The resulting images are then analyzed using Imatest to determine how wide a range in the white-to-black chart progression was captured. Click here for more on how we test dynamic range.

Dynamic Range

The dynamic range starts at a solid 7.46 stops at ISO 200, and while this inevitably diminishes as the ISO setting is raised, the progression is smooth and scores remain high throughout, maintaining nearly 6 stops even at ISO 800. By contrast, the Canon T1i was down to a 3-stop dynamic range at ISO 800.

Dynamic Range Comparison

Shooting at ISO 200, the two Nikons produced nearly identical results. The Canon T1i result was acceptable at this level, but plummeted at ISO 400 and beyond.

Dynamic Range Score Comparison

 

As shown in the chart above, the D5000 stacks up well against the competition here. It's worth noting that the least expensive camera in our test group, the Pentax K2000, offered the widest dynamic range across the full range of ISOs.

NOTE: We updated our testing and scoring procedures in January 2009. For comparison purposes, we re-tested several cameras we'd reviewed in 2008, producing the scores shown in the chart above for the Canon Rebel XS and Nikon D90. However, the scores in the original reviews for these re-tested cameras remain unchanged, for consistency's sake.

 

Image Stabilization (4.48)

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We test image stabilization at two levels of shake intensity, producing interesting results when shooting with the D5000 and 18-55mm VR lens. At our low shake setting, the stabilization system produced minimal benefits. Crank up the movement to a higher rate, though, and the VR lens delivered a significant improvement at most shutter speeds, even the higher-speed settings where most image stabilization systems we've tested are ineffective or even have a negative effect.

To test image stabilization, we mount the camera in a custom-designed computer-controlled rig that produced carefully controlled movement patterns and shoot a slanted-line chart at a range of shutter speeds from 1/500 second down to 1/8 second, analyzing the sharpness of the photos taken using Imatest. Click here for more on how we test image stabilization.

 

Nikon D5000 Image Stabilization: Low Shake
Horizontal: Sharpness Vs Shutter Speed	Vertical: Sharpness Vs Shutter Speed

The low shake setting is meant to approximate the movement you might experience holding the camera two-handed while standing still. As shown above, the image stabilization system had minimal effect in this relatively quiet shooting situation. On the plus side, it didn't hurt resolution results at any shutter speed, which has frequently occurred with other cameras we've tested.

Nikon D5000 Image Stabilization: High Shake
Horizontal: Sharpness Vs Shutter Speed	Vertical: Sharpness Vs Shutter Speed

At the higher shake level, roughly what you'd find when shooting one-handed or while moving around, the VR lens produced a nice improvement at most shutter speeds, though at the really slow 1/15 and 1/8 second shutter speeds the effects were minimal.

Compared to the two other cameras in our test group for which image stabilization data is available, the Nikon scored nearly the same as the Pentax K2000, which uses in-camera image stabilization. This is an area where the Canon Rebel T1i produced a higher score, but this is in part due to the fact that the base resolution figures for this camera were quite low, so the gain from using image stabilization enhancements represented a greater percentage improvement.

Image Stabilization Score Comparison

The table below will help visualize the effects of image stabilization, based on the data above. These are same-size crops taken from our test photos, at each horizontal shake level and shutter speed.

	Image Stabilization Comparison Table
	Low Shake IS Off	Low Shake IS On	High Shake IS Off	High Shake IS On
1/500
1/250
1/125
1/60
1/30
1/15
1/8

[page title="White Balance"]

	White Balance Summary
• Less accurate than others in our test group, but acceptable • Auto WB produced noticeably warm images under typical household illumination • Wide selection of white balance presets includes extensive fluorescent bulb variety
	Resolution	Page 6 of 21	Sample Photos

White Balance (9.37)

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We test two facets of white balance performance, shooting under three types of illumination using the camera's auto white balance system, then taking custom white balance readings and shooting under the same three conditions. The combined scores for the Nikon D5000 were nearly identical to those for the Nikon D90, a middling result that nevertheless surpasses the Canon T1i by a small margin.

We test white balance using the X-Rite Judge II, which produces consistent illumination at a variety of color temperatures, shooting the ColorChecker chart and measuring color error in the test shots using with Imatest. Click here for more on how we test white balance.

Automatic White Balance (10.35)
As with most cameras, the auto white balance system had a difficult time with incandescent lighting, producing the kind of overly orange images you're used to seeing in shots taken with standard household bulbs. The shots taken under fluorescent lights were a bit warm but not bad, and shooting under daylight illumination produced reasonably accurate results. In the charts below, the bars indicate color error, so shorter is better.

Auto White Balance

The D5000 photos under daylight illumination were cooler than most, but not by very much amount, and significantly more accurate than the Canon T1i.

Auto Daylight White Balance Performance Comparison

With incandescent lighting the D5000 couldn't match the results from the D90, but still stands up well to the competition.

Auto Incandescent White Balance Performance Comparison

Both Nikons delivered warmer than expected images when shooting under fluorescent lighting in auto WB mode.

Auto Fluorescent White Balance Performance Comparison

 

Custom White Balance (8.39)
Switching to custom white balance setting didn't affect the D5000 results in daylight, though incandescent and fluorescent results were far superior to the auto white balance images. We expect a very high level of color accuracy after taking a custom white balance reading, though, and the D5000 result is only fair compared to the other cameras in our lineup.

Nikon D5000 Custom White Balance

The chart below shows the relative overall white balance scores for our comparison cameras. While the D5000 did outscore the Canon Rebel T1i slightly, it still falls behind both the Canon Rebel XS and the surprisingly strong Pentax K2000 here.

White Balance Score Comparison

 

NOTE: We updated our testing and scoring procedures in January 2009. For comparison purposes, we re-tested several cameras we'd reviewed in 2008, producing the scores shown in the chart above for the Canon Rebel XS and Nikon D90. However, the scores in the original reviews for these re-tested cameras remain unchanged, for consistency's sake.

 

White Balance Settings (9.00)

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In addition to automatic and manual white balance, the D5000 offers the following twelve presets:

White Balance Types
Display	Mode	Color Temperature
	Shade	8000K
	High-Temperature Mercury-Vapor	7200K
	Daylight Fluorescent	6500K
	Cloudy	6000K
	Flash	5400K
	Direct sunlight	5200K
	Day-White Fluorescent	5000K
	Cool-White Fluorescent	4200K
	White Fluorescent	3700K
	Warm-White Fluorescent	3000K
	Incandescent	3000K
	Sodium-Vapor Lamps	2700K

The wide range of fluorescent presets is welcome, though only one at a time is available through the LCD information display menu; to get at the others, you have to go through the conventional menu system. Setting a manual white balance also requires a trip through the menu system by default, though if you assign the programmable Fn button to white balance control, you can use the control dial to cycle through white balance modes and hold down the Fn button to enter custom white balance setting mode.

If there's a photo on the current memory card with a white balance setting you'd like to replicate, choosing Preset Manual from the white balance menu and then "Use photo" lets you choose the appropriate shot and set the camera to the same white balance value.

Any of the preset white balance values can be fine-tuned along the blue-amber and green-magenta axes, for greater accuracy or a particular effect you're after (manual white balance settings can't be adjusted). Unfortunately, the display used to make these adjustments is an on-screen color grid rather than an actual photo that shows the effects of the adjustments interactively.

Unlike higher-end Nikon models, there is no option to enter a white balance setting directly in degrees Kelvin.

White balance bracketing is available. A single shot is taken, but it's stored with three different white balance values, one with increased amber, the other with increased blue. Bracketing isn't available on the cyan-magenta axis. The bracketing increment can be set to three levels.


[page title="Sample Photos"]

	Sample Photos Summary
• Resolution adequate for most purposes, though substantial enlargement reveals softness • Color reproduction accurate and attractive throughout • Pivoting LCD made overhead shot simple
	White Balance	Page 7 of 21	Playback

Clicking on the large image in each group of samples below will download the full-size original, which will take some time if you have a slow Internet connection.

Landscape Example
				Focal length: 18mm Aperture: f/9 Shutter: 1/250 ISO: 200 Taken in Brightwaters, NY on a sunny spring day, shot in program mode with automatic white balance using the neutral Picture Control setting.
				This image looks sharp enough at small sizes, but the full-size crops at left reveal an overall softness, especially in the corners, where chromatic aberration is also visible.

 

Waterfront Example
				Focal length: 55mm Aperture: f/10 Shutter: 1/400 ISO: 200 Taken in program mode with the standard Picture Control setting, automatic white balance and center-weighted metering.
				Here the sharpness differences across the lens are clearly shown. The color reproduction is precisely what we saw when shooting.

 

Noise Reduction Example
	Focal length: 44mm Aperture: f/7.1 Shutter: 1/200 ISO: 1600 To see how much image detail was lost when we cranked up the high-ISO noise filter setting, we shot this graphic in indirect sunlight, with a manual white balance reading, at a consistent  ISO 1600. The D5000 has low noise even with noise reduction off, but we were pleased to see that even at the maximum setting, much less detail is lost than with most cameras we test.
	Noise Reduction Off
	Noise Reduction Low
	Noise Reduction Standard
	Noise Reduction High

 

 

Close-Up Example
				Focal length: 55mm Aperture: f/14 Shutter: 1/800 ISO: 200 Shot handheld under overcast skies, using the standard Picture Control.
				The exposure is a bit dark, but levels of detail are reasonable, particularly in the center, and the subtle differences in the shell colors were captured nicely.

 

Overhead Shot Example
				Focal length: 55mm Aperture: f/6.3 Shutter: 1/160 ISO: 800 Shot using spot metering in Live View mode, on an overcast day with lens stabilization turned on.
				The articulated LCD was the key to getting this shot. The cat was in a raised window, so we held the camera overhead with the screen tilted down and got the framing we wanted.

 

Long Exposure Example
				Focal length: 40mm Aperture: f/11 Shutter: 3 seconds ISO: 1600 Taken in a very dark room, with only indirect sunlight through curtains for illumination, using a manual white balance reading in shutter priority mode, with high ISO noise reduction at normal setting.
				The D600 did a fine job on this long exposure shot, with good detail, minimal noise and spot-on colors.

Still Life Examples

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Clicking on any of the thumbnails of our still life shots below will download the full-resolution image.

	Still Life Comparisons
	Nikon D5000	Canon Rebel T1i	Canon Rebel XS	Nikon D90	Pentax K2000
ISO 100
ISO 200
ISO 400
ISO 800
ISO 1600
ISO 3200
ISO 6400
ISO 12800

NOTE: The images above are not used in our testing or scoring, but are included here to show real-world examples of the differences between cameras at the various ISO settings.

Noise Examples

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Shown in the table below are full-size crops taken from photos of our still life setup, at all standard ISO settings.

	Noise Comparison Table
	Nikon D5000	Canon Rebel T1i	Canon Rebel XS	Nikon D90	Pentax K2000
ISO 100
	Nikon D5000	Canon Rebel T1i	Canon Rebel XS	Nikon D90	Pentax K2000
ISO 200
	Nikon D5000	Canon Rebel T1i	Canon Rebel XS	Nikon D90	Pentax K2000
ISO 400
	Nikon D5000	Canon Rebel T1i	Canon Rebel XS	Nikon D90	Pentax K2000
ISO 800
	Nikon D5000	Canon Rebel T1i	Canon Rebel XS	Nikon D90	Pentax K2000
ISO 1600
	Nikon D5000	Canon Rebel T1i	Canon Rebel XS	Nikon D90	Pentax K2000
ISO 3200
	Nikon D5000	Canon Rebel T1i	Canon Rebel XS	Nikon D90	Pentax K2000
ISO 6400
	Nikon D5000	Canon Rebel T1i	Canon Rebel XS	Nikon D90	Pentax K2000
ISO 12800

NOTE: The images above are not used in our testing or scoring, but are included here to show real-world examples of the differences between cameras at the various ISO settings.

[page title="Playback"]

	Playback Summary
• Wide variety of picture information displays, with number shown customizable • Extensive array of in-camera editing features, many genuinely useful • Perspective and distortion controls sophisticated and effective
	Sample Photos	Page 8 of 21	Hardware

Playback Mode (10.00)

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Pressing up and down on the four-way controller during playback cycles through the available displays. By default, there are only two, File Information and Overview Data, but this can be expanded up to eight screens via the playback mode menu.

Playback Displays
File Information Lists folder and file name, data and time taken, image size and format.	RGB Histogram Displays a small view of the photo, luminance and RGB histograms, and white balance setting information.	Highlights Overexposed areas of the photo blink.
Shooting Data 1 Information on metering, shutter speed and aperture, exposure mode, ISO, exposure compensation, focal length, lens, focus mode, image stabilization and flash mode.	Shooting Data 2 Lists white balance, color space and Picture Control information.	Shooting Data 3 Noise reduction, Active D-Lighting and in-camera retouch information.
GPS Data Shows latitude, longitude, altitude and time.	Overview Data Same as the File Information screen at the bottom, with added info on metering mode, exposure mode, shutter speed and aperture, ISO, focal length, exposure compensation, white balance, color space, Picture Control and Active D-Lighting.

Images can be magnified up to in eight steps by repeatedly pressing the zoom key, With both data displays and magnification, turning the control dial scrolls through images in the same view, making comparisons simple.

Pressing the zoom out button while in full-screen view brings up screens with first four, then nine, then 72 thumbnails. One step further takes you to calendar view, with all photos on the memory card organized by date taken.

During movie playback, you can pause, fast forward or reverse, watch frame by frame, and adjust volume. There's no option to jump immediately back to the beginning of a clip. The same information displays used for still photos are available when browsing your movie files.

We rarely mention image deletion as a feature, but we do like the way Nikon handles this chore. Most cameras make you press an Erase button, then confirm the deletion by moving a cursor with the four-way controller and pressing another button. With the Nikon system, you press Erase, the confirmation message appears, you press the same key again (no cursor manipulation required) and ugliness has been banished from your camera. Fast, effective, satisfying.

The slideshow capability is very rudimentary. You can choose how long each picture will appear, and that's about it — all photos are included, and there is no audio or between-photo transitions.

In-Camera Editing (13.00)

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Nikon consistently provides a wealth of image editing options in its consumer-level cameras, and the D5000 is no exception.

In-Camera Editing Options
Trim	Unusually flexible cropping utility, supporting five aspect ratios, each at multiple resolutions
Small Picture	Creates a copy of the selected photo at 640x480, 320x240 or 160x120
Quick Retouch	One-step enhancement boosts saturation and contrast, applies D-Lighting
Red-Eye Correction	Automatically detects and corrects red-eye
Monochrome	Creates a copy in black and white, sepia or cyanotype (blue and white).
Filter Effects	Six filter effects are available. Skylight subdues the blues, warm boosts reds. Red intensifier, green intensifier and blue intensifier allow two levels of adjustment for those colors. Finally, cross screen produces a starburst effect, with several adjustable parameters.
Color Balance	Interactively adjust levels of green, magenta, blue and amber, with preview thumbnail image and RGB histograms on screen.
D-Lighting	Provides two levels of dynamic range adjustment.
Distortion Control	Corrects barrel and pincushion distortion, automatically or manually.
Fisheye	Creates fisheye lens effect, with 10 levels of adjustment.
Perspective Control	Corrects keystoning, with fine control over horizontal and vertical adjustment.
Straighten	Allows rotation of photo up to 5 degrees in 0.25-degree increments.
Image Overlay	Creates multiple exposure from two RAW files, with control over gain for each.
Color Outline	Removes color and creates black and white outline.
Stop-motion Movie	Turns up to 100 images into movie sequence, at 3, 6,10 or 15 frames per second. Interesting when combined with interval timer shooting.

 

 

Software (5.00)

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The Nikon D5000 software CD includes two programs, Nikon Transfer and ViewNX, in both Windows and Macintosh formats.

Software
	Nikon Transfer Ordinarily we ignore the image transfer programs camera manufacturers provide in favor of good old drag-and-drop, but Nikon Transfer has a few features that make it genuinely useful. You get a nice thumbnail display, with the option to organize by date shot, extension or folder. You can rename files during transfer, embed copyright or other text, automatically save a backup in addition to the original, and transfer photos directly to Nikon’s My Picturetown online service.
	ViewNX ViewNX is most valuable as a way to read the Nikon-specific embedded file information that won’t show up using standard photo browsing software, along with displaying the focal point used when a photo was taken, but it brings a few additional tricks to the party. Available quick adjustments include  sharpness, contrast, brightness, highlight and shadow control, chromatic aberration correction and saturation adjustment, plus exposure compensation, white balance, tint and picture control for RAW files. You can tag files with labels (0-9) or star ratings for sorting purposes. And while the slide show utility doesn’t support music, it has lots of transition effects.

 

Direct Print Options (3.50)

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The Nikon D5000, as expected, supports both PictBridge printing directly to a USB-connected compatible printer and the creation of a DPOF file for output from a memory card at a service bureau.

Direct Printing

PictBridge The Nikon D5000 implementation of PictBridge is flexible and easy to use. Photos can be printed one at a time or in groups (including the option to select by date), with clear menu choices for page size, border or borderless and time stamp, plus the option to crop before printing. Thumbnail index prints are available, but it isn't possible to print multiple images on a single sheet of paper.

DPOF The DPOF (Digital Print Order Form) utility is simple. You select pictures, the number of each you want printed, decide whether or not you want data imprinted on them, and that's it.

[page title="Hardware"]

	Hardware Summary
• 12.3-megapixel resolution, same as more expensive Nikon D90 • Viewfinder adequate but not as bright as higher-end models • Pivoting LCD screen useful for overhead and low-angle shots
	Playback	Page 9 of 21	Controls

Sensor (2.50)

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The D5000 uses a 23.6 x 15.8mm CMOS sensor with a gross pixel count of 12.9 million and an effective resolution of 12.3 million. The DX format sensor produces a 1.5x lens magnification effect, so the kit 18-55mm lens shoots like a 27-82mm would on a 35mm camera.

The low-pass filter in front of the sensor vibrate to remove accumulated dust, a process than can be performed automatically when the camera is turned on or off, or triggered manually. In addition, its possible to take a reference photo to identify stubborn dust spots for use with the optional Capture NX2 software.

Viewfinder (7.25)

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The viewfinder is an eye-level pentamirror with approximately 95% coverage horizonally and vertically, and a magnification factor of approximately 0.78x. There's a sliding diopter control lever on the left side of the viewfinder, providing an adjustment of -1.7 - +0.7m^-1. We found the viewfinder reasonably easy to use, even while wearing glasses, though the use of a pentamirror instead of the pentaprism used in higher-end Nikons does produce a dimmer view. The information display at the bottom is bright yellow and visible without losing sight of your subject.

There is an optional viewfinder grid overlay, available through the custom settings menu, that superimposes a 16-section grid on the optical display. Nikon used a light hand here — the lines are clear enough but not intrusive — and we found ourselves using the grid frequently, particularly when shooting buildings and cityscapes.

				Grid line display (optional)
								Focus points
	Center-weighted metering area
		Battery level
					No memory card indicator

 

Over 1000 shots remaining indicator

Battery level

Focus indicator

Shots remaining

Warning indicator

Bracketing indicator

Program shift indicator

Aperture

Auto ISO

AE lock status

Flash comp indicator

Shutter speed

Exposure/ Exposure comp indicator

Flash ready indicator

Exposure comp indicator