Nikon D5000 DSLR test

Plein air and white balance

Stable operation of such function as white balance during digital imaging is especially important for those who shoot only in JPEG there are a lot of them among amateurs and professionals alike . Naturally, the delicacy of the white balance depending on changes in color temperature is very important: rough jumps, if, for example, the sun went behind a cloud, should not be.

And one more important point: when choosing a shooting mode BB, aperture value, shutter speed, sensitivity, etc it is very easy to hold the camera in my hands. d. you see on the monitor, next to the selected mode, a small color photo, which shows for which shoots this mode is preferable.

It’s very useful, especially for beginners. I hope that it helps to understand pretty quickly and to understand the particularities of each shooting mode.

I have a quick look at the new creative tool in my studio. Dmitry Linnikov, a photographer who showed up, also held the camera in his hands and took a snapshot of me. Sensitivity 2000 ISO ! , white balance automatic for fluorescent lighting.

I have to confess I was expecting this kind of result as Nikon’s progress in fighting noise and white balance is unmatched to date. Of course there is some difference in BL, but not essential, and let’s not even mention the noise at 2000 ISO: those who used to shoot with compact cameras seldom got such results even at 400 units photo 1 .

On the way home on a June evening about 9 o’clock , I took a picture of the building of a children’s music school, again in auto-balance. The color temperature changes radically at this time of day, and the excess of blue in the photos with the wrong BB will inevitably show up. But nothing like this: the camera does a great job with this test too photo 2 .

I dedicate the next day entirely to plain-air shooting. Everything is important here: stable performance of the chosen exposure mode, refinement of shades and details, absence of distortion and geometric lens distortion, white balance performance in different light conditions, sharpness of tracking focus, quality in continuous shooting..

Nice summer weather: clouds, sunny – what could be better for photography! Today almost all shooting is done in the area around Christ the Savior Cathedral: there are many interesting and photographically interesting places a view of the Kremlin from the so called “Bridge of lovers”, the bridge itself, the temple and the adjacent buildings .

I took the first shots from the bridge with the view of the Kremlin – I needed to check the plan, the lens performance at the “infinity” setting, white balance and dynamic range of the sensor. The result, in my opinion, is excellent in every way photo 3 . I noticed the camera is very comfortable in your hands, even in the hands of someone as big and used to bulkier and heavier equipment as me.

Continuing work on the bridge. On the opposite side there is a view with the distant view of the high-rise building of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The light has changed, but even here I do not see any faults: all plans are perfectly detailed, the lens is sharp, the dynamic range of the sensor is impressive, there are no gaps in the shadows and “beaten out” areas in the highlights photo 4 .

In the middle of the bridge I took a shot of the majestic temple to check distortion and lens geometry. There are some distortions: the lanterns are a bit “dumped”, but for an inexpensive lens and with the focus of 18 mm the result is more than decent photo 5 .

Taking a picture of the temple “in the company” of tall trees and small buildings. Given the abundance of greenery and the good illumination of the trees, one can assume the appearance of unwanted color reflexes on the walls. But this time too, the D5000 performed flawlessly, producing a great, color-balanced picture photo 6 .

Our kid is working and trying, and with each shot we become convinced that our child prodigy can do just about anything. Visually, you can’t tell the difference between his shots and those of the D300 and D90 of course, depending on the quality of the optics used .

Going down to the square from the bridge, I took a stab at an almond vendor feeding pigeons and the lamppost. The saleswoman is in the shadow of her cart, and the sides of the pedestal are very contrastingly illuminated. I have to check the detail in shadows.

I have no doubts about the result: the way it was meant to be, the way it turned out! Excellent detail in shadows and detailed light reaffirm the wide dynamic range of the sensor photo 7 . I took a picture of a part of the church with a view of the flowerbed the light is contrasting but everything is great and after getting down under the bridge I took a picture of the bridge from below. The shadow is a good one, but the detail and the general balance between light and shadow are very good Photos 8, 9 .

Taking pictures of a sculpture is a great way to test a camera, because it reveals all the imperfections of the exposure as well as the imperfections of the matrix and lenses used. In the square behind the temple there is a monument to Emperor Alexander II by sculptor N. Vlasov. Rukavishnikova.

Upper side light perfectly sculpted the most noble image of the Tsar-martyr. I choose a point from the side in shadow of the sculpture – the elaboration of details on the bronze is wonderful, despite the apparent shadow.

I take a picture of the sculpture from the opposite side I must check the accuracy of the matrix measurement on the object with a view of the sky . Everything is very good, and the metering is right, and the detail is right on top. The 18-55mm lens turned out to be a pretty good starting tool Photos 10-11 .

I was quite satisfied with the results. The new camera was at its best. I will call it by the quality of work, of course ! Lightweight version of D90.

On the way home I check the tracking focus and continuous shooting. The results are predictable: the difference from Nikon D90 in this mode is, well, maybe, only in the quality of the optics, though I rate the lens with “B” photo 12 .

Concluding today’s tests with a shot in the subway: ISO 2000, fluorescent lights, automatic white balance. There’s no too much light at the station, but despite that the noise is at an acceptable level, so I rate the noise reduction system of the camera “excellent” photo 13 .

The 18-55mm lens offers macro capabilities. Sensitivity 1800 ISO, fluorescent lighting, auto white balance, aperture 5.6, shutter speed 1/30s.

I think the macro mode is good: the details are nicely detailed, no shake the stabilizer helps , and the camera didn’t let me down. The auto white balance doesn’t confuse even the “unprofitable” color temperature for it photo 14 .

Immediately testing the effectiveness of the built-in flash I only reduce the sensitivity to 200 ISO . A very delicate job, I must say: I wouldn’t expect any miracles from indoor flashes, but they did the job perfectly when shooting macro photo 15 .

Thoughts and conclusions

It’s time to give our verdict. The Nikon D5000 meets its purpose in absolutely every way. I didn’t see any difference in the quality of the file compared to the images from the older models. What’s more: I’m sure that in a situation where you only have the Nikon D5000 with a couple of decent lenses, it will help you solve almost any professional photographic problem. The level of amateur hardware is steadily increasing, the quality of the file is already very close to that of professional models.

I have not said anything about the menu of the new camera just because it has the same appearance and feature set as the older models. In general I got the impression of a younger but very capable brother of the D300 and D90. Those of you who intend to link your future creative life with Nikon can safely start with the Nikon D5000.

You won’t regret it for a minute! Of course, very detailed instruction manual written in understandable language will help you which, it should be mentioned, gets thicker and thicker with every new camera release, of any class . The tremendous functionality of the new products requires a detailed and thorough explanation.

If you, dear beginners, have not decided yet on the purchase of the first SLR camera and the choice of system, then you simply must pay attention to the Nikon D5000. This DSLR prodigy is very capable of much, and from working with it you’ll get a lot of pleasure and great pictures in addition.

Have a nice picture!

The editorial team would like to thank Nikon’s New York office for kindly providing me with the equipment for the test.

Picture tests

By clicking on the picture, you can see the enlarged image. You can get out of full screen mode by clicking outside the image field.

Photo 1. Sensitivity 2000 ISO, white balance automatic in fluorescent lighting. Tight overhead light, yet the detail in the shadows is excellent. AF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR DX Zoom-Nikkor, ISO 2000, 1/50sec, f/5.6

Photo 2. Taking pictures at twilight. White balance was perfect. AF-S 18-55 mm f/3.5-5.6G VR DX Zoom-Nikkor lens, ISO 200, 1s, f/4.0

Photo 3. I check the planes, the lens at infinity, white balance and the dynamic range of the sensor. The result, in my opinion, is excellent in all respects. AF-S 18-55 mm f/3.5-5.6G VR DX Zoom-Nikkor, ISO 200, 1/400 s, f/10

Photo 4. The light in this scene is different, but even here I don’t see any faults: all plans are well defined, the lens is sharp, the dynamic range of the sensor is impressive, there are no gaps in shadows or “beaten out” areas in the light. AF-S 18-55 mm f/3.5-5.6G VR DX Zoom-Nikkor lens, ISO 200, 1/400 s, f/10

Photo 5. Checking distortion and lens geometry. I still have some distortion: the lights are a little “crooked”, but for an inexpensive lens and with a focus of 18mm the result is more than decent. AF-S 18-55 mm f/3.5-5.6G VR DX Zoom-Nikkor lens, ISO 200, 1/500 s, f/11.0

Photo 6. Given the abundance of greenery and good illumination of the trees, we might expect unwanted color reflections on the walls. But this time too, the D5000 performed flawlessly, producing a great, color-balanced shot. AF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR DX Zoom-Nikkor lens, ISO 200, 1/400s, f/10

Photo 7. Superior detail in shadows and detailed light shows once again the wide dynamic range of the sensor. AF-S 18-55 mm f/3.5-5.6G VR DX Zoom-Nikkor, ISO 200, 1/400 s, f/1

Photo 8. Church base overlooking the flower bed. Deep shadows in some areas because of the contrasting light, but it turned out great. AF-S 18-55 mm f/3.5-5.6G VR DX Zoom-Nikkor lens, ISO 200, 1/400 s, f/10

Photo 9. Significant brightness difference and deep shadow under the bridge, but the detail and general well-balanced light/shadow image is very good. AF-S 18-55 mm f/3.5-5.6G VR DX Zoom-Nikkor, ISO 200, 1/320 seconds, f/9

Photo 10. Photo 11. Taking pictures of sculpture is a great way to test your camera, because it reveals all the imperfections of the exposure as well as the imperfections of the sensor and the optics used. The detail on the bronze, in spite of the obvious shadow, is wonderful. AF-S 18-55 mm f/3.5-5.6G VR DX Zoom-Nikkor lens, ISO 200, 1/320 s, f/9

Photo 12. On the way home, I checked the tracking focus and continuous shooting. The results are predictable: the difference from the Nikon D90 in this mode is, maybe, only in the quality of the optics, though I rate the lens with “B” at the end of the work. AF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR DX Zoom-Nikkor, ISO 400, 1/500s, f/11

Photo 13. Subway shot: fluorescent lights, auto white balance. There is no excessive light at the station, but despite this the noise is at an acceptable level, so that the noise reduction system of the camera I rate as “excellent”. AF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR DX Zoom-Nikkor, ISO 2000, 1/100sec, f/5

Photo 14. The lens performance in macro mode can be evaluated as good: the details are well detailed, there is no shake the stabilizer helps , and the camera did not let me down. Auto white balance was not confused even the “unfavorable” color temperature for it. AF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR DX Zoom-Nikkor, ISO 1800, 1/30sec, f/5.6

Photo 15. Checking the performance of the built-in flash. Very delicate work, the built-in flash did its job perfectly for macro photography. AF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR DX Zoom-Nikkor, ISO 200, 1/60s, f/5.6