Nikon D5000

smyth · Apr 13, 2009

This camera is real and has been announced. Check out the UK Nikon website Nikon UK - Home there is a link to the D5000 page

Nikon UK - Products - Catalogue - Digital Cameras - SLR - Consumer - D5000 - Overview

12.3 MP Sensor
ISO 200-3200 and 6400
11 Point AF
AF-S and AF-I Lenses only AF

more to come

elemental · Apr 13, 2009

MikeBcos said:
OK people have all your fun (I'm not directing this at smyth personally), but I will stand by what my local Nikon dealer told me months ago - the in-body focus motor is finished for all Nikon consumer bodies, only the pro cameras will have it on future releases.

Look at Nikon's current lens line-up, when I last counted a month ago 48 of their lenses now have motors built in, that is more than 50%.

I reserve the right to have fun at Nikon's expense if they insist on leaving this absurdly basic feature off of their entry-level cameras (I shoot Nikon, so I'm allowed). I believe you that it's finished, and I think that's ridiculous. Depriving its consumers of a large portion of the utility of its excellent catalog of non-motorized lenses (50mm f/1.8 comes to mind) over what is probably a $10 "cost savings" is pointless except to add another notch to the upselling stepladder ("well, if you step up to the D90 you get a built-in autofocus motor").

Second place in ridiculousness goes to leaving the superb AI/AI-S metering functionality that's been around since the D200 off of the D90. How much could that software addition possibly cost? Pentax did a great job with this on their $500 K100D. Though I like my Nikon gear, I think the way they use cheap and basic features to move customers off of cameras that should have had them in the first place is below the belt.

epp_b · Apr 14, 2009

I reserve the right to have fun at Nikon's expense if they insist on leaving this absurdly basic feature off of their entry-level cameras (I shoot Nikon, so I'm allowed). I believe you that it's finished, and I think that's ridiculous. Depriving its consumers of a large portion of the utility of its excellent catalog of non-motorized lenses (50mm f/1.8 comes to mind) over what is probably a $10 "cost savings" is pointless except to add another notch to the upselling stepladder ("well, if you step up to the D90 you get a built-in autofocus motor").

I couldn't agree with you more. What Nikon is doing is an upsell, plain and simple.

Second place in ridiculousness goes to leaving the superb AI/AI-S metering functionality that's been around since the D200 off of the D90. How much could that software addition possibly cost?

Er, actually, AI/AI-S metering requires a spring-loaded ring around the lens mount for the camera to mechanically read the selected aperture. Still, I completely agree with you because it can't cost more than another $10-or-so to add this ring, its related mechanisms and required software. It's all implemented on other cameras, so there would be no additional R&D costs and software integration would be trivial.

When Nikon pulls this kind of crap, it has me seriously start considering switching to another system. Too bad most of Canon's LCDs suck until you pay top dollar and all the other brands have comparatively crap ergonomics.

fast1 · Apr 14, 2009

elemental said:
All of you are rumor-mongers. Those pictures are clearly fake. I have the real camera in my hands, and I can confirm the specs:

-6x7 format CMOS sensor (dubbed "FXXX" format)
-41.9 megapixel resolution
-31 fps continuous shooting
-Clean shots at ISO 102,400
-Expected street price: $8.50

Unfortunately, it still doesn't have an autofocus motor.

I already sold my house and my car so I can pre-order five hundred of them from Amazon. It's going to be that good.

haha looks like me pre-ordering one sounds really cheap... amazon is allowing pre orders already?

blash · Apr 14, 2009

About the movie mode: copied and pasted from my response on DPreview:

If Nikon wants to get into the video business, fine with me. Nikon glass is very nice glass, and the ability to add things like PC or fisheye for minimal cost should sound good to a lot of people - this is why a lot of people were excited about the D90 in the first place. What happened though, after the T1i and the D5000 have come out, is that it's apparent the camera manufacturers are adding these features for the soccer moms, not for artistic ability.

Nikon should make a stand-alone camcorder that takes F-mount lenses. Simple as that. Let it do 1080p off a sensor built for video-recording in the first place, and put it in a camcorder form-factor. Slap in 2 500 GB hard drives in RAID 1 because you can get terabyte hard drives for like $100 now and you're set - it'll actually be revolutionary like that, because the footage will back-up while in-camera, guaranteeing massive sales not just for the camera but for lenses too as small-time directors snap this up, probably for around $1k - $1200.

Then, return and purify the DSLR. Get rid of the D5000, the D60, and the D40, return the D40x and add the small stuff like a secondary dial, sensor cleaning, etc. Price the body at $500 at you're done.

smyth · Apr 14, 2009

blash said:
Then, return and purify the DSLR. Get rid of the D5000, the D60, and the D40, return the D40x and add the small stuff like a secondary dial, sensor cleaning, etc. Price the body at $500 at you're done.

I don't understand your crusade for getting rid of the D60 and bringing back the D40x... the D60 is essentially the D40x with a few changes. It has sensor cleaning and dust reduction.

Farsad · Apr 14, 2009

Hi
More information about D5000:

Nikon D5000 announcement

D5000 Complete features

D5000 Full specifications

D5000 PDF Cataloug

D5000 Sample Pictures

D5000 Images

ISO Test Imaages

Slaphead · Apr 14, 2009

Having read the specs on this it's essentially the same as a D90 in a smaller body. Main differences appear to be lack of focus motor, no secondary command dial, lower resolution LCD (although articulated) and 0.8 viewfinder magnification (as opposed to 0.94 on the D90), lack of DOF preview.

Edit: Seems to be no flash commander mode either.

In other words it's only missing minor things - focus motor aside, but personally I've never had to use it (my 50mm f/1.8 does all of it's duty on the D40x - never had a problem with manual)

If I hadn't already bought a D90 this would be a no brainer. The D90 just died.

Edited to add: I will be going the bar tonight to drink to my D90 and remember it as it was, in the good old days, when he was the new kid on the block.

LuckySo-n-So · Apr 14, 2009

If I hadn't already bought a D90 this would be a no brainer. The D90 just died.

She ain't dead yet! I'll be purchasing one soon.

As a D40 owner, there is no way I would "upgrade" to the D5000. The only upside I can see is more megapixels, which is only good if I somehow wanted to make larger prints.

The flip screen does absolutely nothing for me. Nor does video. The lack of the AF motor really kills it for me.

They basically added more cupholders and mag wheels.

Long live the D90!!!

JustAnEngineer · Apr 14, 2009

elemental said:
I reserve the right to have fun at Nikon's expense if they insist on leaving this absurdly basic feature off of their entry-level cameras (I shoot Nikon, so I'm allowed). I believe you that it's finished, and I think that's ridiculous. Depriving its consumers of a large portion of the utility of its excellent catalog of non-motorized lenses (50mm f/1.8 comes to mind) over what is probably a $10 "cost savings" is pointless except to add another notch to the upselling stepladder ("well, if you step up to the D90 you get a built-in autofocus motor").

The two newest Nikkor lenses (50mm f/1.4G AF-S and 35mm f/1.8G AF-S DX) filled out the requirement for a fast normal prime lens. The AF-S lenses now cover most of what people will want. The lack of a focus motor becomes an economic hurdle rather than a serious technical limitation. If you got a D80/D90/D200, you could pick up a lot of inexpensive AF lenses without built-in motors. If you buy an entry-level Nikon camera without the focus drive, you'll end up looking for the more expensive AF-S lenses, but you'll probably find one that meets your needs.

elemental · Apr 14, 2009

JustAnEngineer said:
The two newest Nikkor lenses (50mm f/1.4G AF-S and 35mm f/1.8G AF-S DX) filled out the requirement for a fast normal prime lens. The AF-S lenses now cover most of what people will want. The lack of a focus motor becomes an economic hurdle rather than a serious technical limitation. If you got a D80/D90/D200, you could pick up a lot of inexpensive AF lenses without built-in motors. If you buy an entry-level Nikon camera without the focus drive, you'll end up looking for the more expensive AF-S lenses, but you'll probably find one that meets your needs.

This is a perfect example of the upselling strategy. The 50mm f/1.8 is an incredible lens value and every D40/X/D60 user should have one. Unfortunately, Nikon restricted autofocus to the three times more costly f/1.4, which is slicing it pretty thin on the cost/benefit side. I understand that they're using the cheaper bodies to get you to buy more expensive and newer glass, and that's what I think is ridiculous.

epp_b said:
Er, actually, AI/AI-S metering requires a spring-loaded ring around the lens mount for the camera to mechanically read the selected aperture. Still, I completely agree with you because it can't cost more than another $10-or-so to add this ring, its related mechanisms and required software. It's all implemented on other cameras, so there would be no additional R&D costs and software integration would be trivial.

When Nikon pulls this kind of crap, it has me seriously start considering switching to another system. Too bad most of Canon's LCDs suck until you pay top dollar and all the other brands have comparatively crap ergonomics.

You're right- for some reason I assumed all of them already had that ring, but that makes no sense. So now for an extra $20 we could have AF capability with all AF lenses and metering with AI/AI-S lenses.

This is why I spent D60 money on a D200 body. I'll be getting my 35mm f/2.8 AI later this week, and it will work perfectly. I pity the fool who loves old AI/AI-S primes but is stuck with a DXX instead of a DXX.

epp_b · Apr 14, 2009

From Nikon Canada's website:

D5000 kit with DX 18~55 VR $1,059.95

So, that makes the body-only around $900. For 30% more, you can get a D90, which is way more than 30% better. What a no-brainer!

MikeBcos · Apr 14, 2009

LuckySo-n-So said:
She ain't dead yet! I'll be purchasing one soon.

As a D40 owner, there is no way I would "upgrade" to the D5000. The only upside I can see is more megapixels, which is only good if I somehow wanted to make larger prints.

The flip screen does absolutely nothing for me. Nor does video. The lack of the AF motor really kills it for me.

They basically added more cupholders and mag wheels.

Long live the D90!!!

Sensor cleaning, active D-lighting, auto-bracketing, GPS socket, live view, viewfinder focus grid and 4fps are all added features that will probably make the D5000 my D40 replacement.