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Nikon D5000 Comparison Review

The Nikon D5000 is a DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) camera that was announced in April 2009 and is equipped with an APS-C sensor. It offers a resolution of 12.2 megapixel.

camera

Is the Nikon D5000 a good camera? The D5000 has a Camera Elo of 1365. This rating puts the D5000 below average of all digital single lens reflex cameras. In terms of its sensor size category (APS cameras), the D5000 also ranks below average. Based on its within category standings, the camera earns a 2.5-star performance rating. – Well, the Nikon D5000 is more than 14 years old, and there have been many other good digital cameras released since 2009.

Headline Specifications
Nikon D5000
Digital single lens reflex
Nikon F mount lenses
12.2 MP, APS-C Sensor
720/24p Video
ISO 200 - 3 200 (200 - 6 400)
Optical viewfinder
2.7 LCD, 230k dots
Fully flexible screen (no touchscreen)
4 shutter flaps per second
510 shots per battery charge
127 x 104 x 80 mm, 590 g

Read on to find out more about the camera's size, sensor, features, reception by expert reviewers, and how it compares to other digital cameras.

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Body comparison with a credit card

The side-by-side display below illustrates the physical size of the Nikon D5000 vis-à-vis a credit card. Three consecutive views from the front, the top, and the rear side are shown. All width, height and depth measures are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

Nikon D5000 vs credit card front
D5000 versus credit card top view
D5000 and credit card rear side

The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the Nikon D5000 alongside a set of similar cameras. If you want to review a particular camera pair side-by-side, just move across to the CAM-parator tool and choose from the broad selection of possible comparisons there.

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Body Specifications
#   Camera
Model
Camera
Width
Camera
Height
Camera
Depth
Camera
Weight
Battery
Life
Weather
Sealing
Camera
Launch
Launch
Price (USD)
Street
Price
1.
 
Nikon D5000 127 mm 104 mm 80 mm 590 g 510 n Apr 2009 749ebay.com
2.
 
Canon XSi 129 mm 98 mm 62 mm 524 g 500 n Jan 2008 799ebay.com
3.
 
Nikon D5600 124 mm 97 mm 70 mm 465 g 970 n Nov 2016 699 amazon.com
4.
 
Nikon D5200 129 mm 98 mm 78 mm 555 g 500 n Nov 2012 749ebay.com
5.
 
Nikon D5100 128 mm 97 mm 79 mm 560 g 660 n Apr 2011 749ebay.com
6.
 
Nikon D3100 124 mm 96 mm 75 mm 505 g 550 n Aug 2010 599ebay.com
7.
 
Nikon D3000 126 mm 97 mm 64 mm 536 g 500 n Jul 2009 599ebay.com
8.
 
Nikon D60 126 mm 94 mm 64 mm 522 g 500 n Jan 2008 629ebay.com
9.
 
Nikon D90 132 mm 103 mm 77 mm 703 g 850 n Aug 2008 1,299ebay.com
10.
 
Nikon D40X 124 mm 94 mm 64 mm 522 g 520 n Mar 2007 729ebay.com
11.
 
Nikon D80 132 mm 103 mm 77 mm 668 g 600 n Aug 2006 999ebay.com
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.
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The listed prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The Nikon D5000 was launched in the US market at a price of $749. Usually, retail prices stay at first close to the launch price, but after several months, discounts become available. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down. Then, after the new model is out, very good deals can frequently be found on the pre-owned market.

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Sensor comparison with a 35mm slide

The imaging sensor is at the core of digital cameras and its size is one of the main determining factors of image quality. All other things equal, a large sensor will have larger individual pixel-units that offer better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and richer color-depth than smaller pixels in a sensor of the same technological generation. Moreover, a large sensor camera will give the photographer more control over depth-of-field in the image and, thus, the ability to better isolate a subject from the background. On the downside, larger sensors are more costly to manufacture and tent to lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.

The Nikon D5000 features an APS-C sensor and has a format factor (sometimes also referred to as "crop factor") of 1.5. Within the spectrum of camera sensors, this places the Nikon D5000 among the medium-sized sensor cameras that aim to strike a balance between image quality and portability.

Nikon D5000 sensor measures

Consistent information on actual sensor performance is available from DXO Mark for most cameras. This service determines an overall sensor rating, as well as sub-scores for low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and color depth ("DXO Portrait"). The table below summarizes the physical sensor characteristics and sensor quality findings and compares them across a set of similar cameras.

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Sensor Characteristics
#   Camera
Model
Sensor
Class
Resolution
(MP)
Horiz.
Pixels
Vert.
Pixels
Video
Format
DXO
Portrait
DXO
Landscape
DXO
Sports
DXO
Overall
1.
 
Nikon D5000 APS-C 12.2 4288 2848720/24p22.712.586872
2.
 
Canon XSi APS-C 12.2 4272 2848none21.910.869261
3.
 
Nikon D5600 APS-C 24.0 6000 40001080/60p24.114.0130684
4.
 
Nikon D5200 APS-C 24.0 6000 40001080/60i24.213.9128484
5.
 
Nikon D5100 APS-C 16.1 4928 32641080/30p23.513.6118380
6.
 
Nikon D3100 APS-C 14.2 4608 30721080/24p22.511.391967
7.
 
Nikon D3000 APS-C 10.0 3872 2592none22.311.156362
8.
 
Nikon D60 APS-C 10.0 3872 2592none22.511.456265
9.
 
Nikon D90 APS-C 12.2 4288 2848720/24p22.712.597773
10.
 
Nikon D40X APS-C 10.0 3872 2592none22.411.451663
11.
 
Nikon D80 APS-C 10.0 3872 2592none22.111.252461
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Many modern cameras cannot only take still pictures, but also record videos. The D5000 indeed provides movie recording capabilities. The highest resolution format that the D5000 can use is 720/24p.

Feature comparison

Beyond body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. For example, the D5000 has an optical viewfinder that provides a field of view of 95% and a magnification of 0.51x. The tables below summarize some of the other core capabilities of the Nikon D5000 in connection with corresponding information for a sample of similar cameras.

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Core Features
#   Camera
Model
Viewfinder
(Type or
000 dots)
Control
Panel
(yes/no)
LCD
Specifications
(inch/000 dots)
LCD
Attach-
ment
Touch
Screen
(yes/no)
Max
Shutter
Speed *
Max
Shutter
Flaps *
Built-in
Flash
(yes/no)
Built-in
Image
Stab
1.
 
Nikon D5000optical n2.7 / 230 full-flex n 1/4000s 4.0/s Y n
2.
 
Canon XSioptical n3.0 / 230 fixed n 1/4000s 3.5/s Y n
3.
 
Nikon D5600optical n3.2 / 1037 swivel Y 1/4000s 5.0/s Y n
4.
 
Nikon D5200optical n3.0 / 921 swivel n 1/4000s 5.0/s Y n
5.
 
Nikon D5100optical n3.0 / 921 swivel n 1/4000s 4.0/s Y n
6.
 
Nikon D3100optical n3.0 / 230 fixed n 1/4000s 3.0/s Y n
7.
 
Nikon D3000optical n3.0 / 230 fixed n 1/4000s 3.0/s Y n
8.
 
Nikon D60optical n2.5 / 230 fixed n 1/4000s 3.0/s Y n
9.
 
Nikon D90optical Y3.0 / 920 fixed n 1/4000s 4.5/s Y n
10.
 
Nikon D40Xoptical n2.5 / 230 fixed n 1/4000s 3.0/s Y n
11.
 
Nikon D80optical n2.5 / 230 fixed n 1/4000s 3.0/s Y n
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.
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The LCD screen on the Nikon D5000 is flexibly attached to the body. In particular, the LCD is multi-hinged and can be tilted both vertically and horizontally to enable odd-angle shots in landscape and portrait orientation. The LCD thereby offers a lot of flexibility to adjust and use the rear screen in a diverse set of situations.

articulated screen
Flexible screen on the D5000

One convenient feature of the D5000 is the presence of an on-board flash. While this built-in flash is not very powerful, it can at times be useful as a fill-in light to brighten deep shadow areas.

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Connection comparison

For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Nikon D5000 and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

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Input-Output Connections
#   Camera
Model
Hotshoe
Port
Internal
Mic / Speaker
Microphone
Port
Headphone
Port
HDMI
Port
USB
Port
WiFi
Support
NFC
Support
Bluetooth
Support
1.
 
Nikon D5000Ymono / mono--mini2.0---
2.
 
Canon XSiY- / ---mini2.0---
3.
 
Nikon D5600Ystereo / monoY-mini2.0YYY
4.
 
Nikon D5200Ystereo / monoY-mini2.0---
5.
 
Nikon D5100Ymono / monoY-mini2.0---
6.
 
Nikon D3100Ymono / mono--mini2.0---
7.
 
Nikon D3000Y- / ----2.0---
8.
 
Nikon D60Y- / ----2.0---
9.
 
Nikon D90Ymono / mono--mini2.0---
10.
 
Nikon D40XY- / ----2.0---
11.
 
Nikon D80Y- / ----2.0---
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Further information on the features and operation of the D5000 can be found in the free online Nikon D5000 Manual or on the Nikon support site.

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Expert reviews

While the comparison of technical specifications can provide a useful overview of the capabilities of different cameras, it remains incomplete and does no justice, for example, to the way the D5000 handle or perform in practice. User reviews, such as those found at amazon, can sometimes inform about these issues, but such feedback is often incomplete, inconsistent, and biased. This is where reviews by experts come in. The following table reports the overall rankings of the cameras as published by some of the major camera review sites (amateurphotographer [AP], cameralabs [CL], digitalcameraworld [DCW], dpreview [DPR], ephotozine [EPZ], photographyblog [PB]).

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Review Scores
#    Camera 
 Model 
 AP 
 score 
 CL 
 score 
 DCW 
 score 
 DPR 
 score 
 EPZ 
 score 
 PB 
 score 
Camera
Launch
Launch
Price (USD)
Street
Price
1.
 
Nikon D5000..+ +..75/1004/54.5/5 Apr 2009 749ebay.com
2.
 
Canon XSi..+ +..+ +4/54.5/5 Jan 2008 799ebay.com
3.
 
Nikon D56004/5..4/579/1004.5/54/5 Nov 2016 699 amazon.com
4.
 
Nikon D52004/5+ +..79/1004.5/54.5/5 Nov 2012 749ebay.com
5.
 
Nikon D51005/5+ +..76/1004.5/54.5/5 Apr 2011 749ebay.com
6.
 
Nikon D31005/5+ +..72/1004.5/54.5/5 Aug 2010 599ebay.com
7.
 
Nikon D3000..+..72/1004/54.5/5 Jul 2009 599ebay.com
8.
 
Nikon D60..80/100..+ +4/54.5/5 Jan 2008 629ebay.com
9.
 
Nikon D90..+ +..+ +4/54.5/5 Aug 2008 1,299ebay.com
10.
 
Nikon D40X..79/100..+ +4/54/5 Mar 2007 729ebay.com
11.
 
Nikon D80..+..+ +o4.5/5 Aug 2006 999ebay.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.
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The above review scores should be interpreted with care, though. The ratings are only valid when referring to cameras in the same category and of the same age. Hence, a score should always be seen in the context of the camera's market launch date and its price, and comparing ratings of very distinct cameras or ones that are far apart in terms of their release date have little meaning. Also, please note that some of the review sites have changed their methodology and reporting over time.

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Nikon D5000 FAQ

Below are some additional questions and answers concerning some particular features of the D5000.

What type of imaging sensor is used in the Nikon D5000?

The camera features a CMOS (Complementary Metal–Oxide–Semiconductor) sensor.

Which image processing chip is used in the Nikon D5000 to convert the raw signal into an image file and perform noise reduction and image sharpening?

Nikon equipped the D5000 with the EXPEED image processor.

What is the ISO sensitivity range of the Nikon D5000?

The camera has a native sensitivity range from ISO 200 to ISO 3200.

Does the Nikon D5000 have a selfie-friendly screen?

Yes, the LCD-screen of the D5000 is flexible and can be turned to be front-facing for capturing selfies.

What is the life expectancy of the shutter in the Nikon D5000?

Nikon mentions a shutter rating of 100 000 actuations for the D5000. This number represents a Mean Time before Failure, that is an average value. The shutter might fail earlier, or it might last longer. Anyway, in order to exhaust the expected shutter life of the D5000 over, say, three years, one would have to take about 100 pictures each and every day.

How do I find the shutter count on my Nikon D5000?

Nikon embeds the number of shutter actuations in image metadata. You can check the number of shots that your D5000 has taken up to now by uploading a recent image to the free online shutter count finder app.

Do I need to purchase an external camera trigger to shoot time-lapse sequences with the Nikon D5000?

No, the Nikon D5000 has an intervalometer built-in, so that low frequency shooting (for example, flower blooming, sunset, moon rise) can be undertaken without the need to purchase a separate external intervalometer and related software.

Does the Nikon D5000 feature an autofocus assist light?

Yes, the camera has a lamp built-in that can illuminate the subject and improve autofocus in low-light settings.

What is the fastest shutter speed that can be used with the Nikon D5000 for flash photography?

The D5000's flash sync speed is 1/200 sec.

Which battery does the Nikon D5000 use?

The camera gets its power from the EN-EL9a (here at amazon), which is a rechargeable Lithium-Ion power pack.

Is there a vertical grip available for the Nikon D5000?

Nikon does not offer an optional battery grip, but third party suppliers do (see here on ebay).

Camera to camera comparisons

If you would like to see a side-by-side review with another camera, just make your choice using the following search menu. There is also a set of direct links to comparison reviews that other users of the CAM-parator app explored.

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    Specifications Summary
    Camera Model Nikon D5000
    Camera Type Digital single lens reflex
    Camera Lens Nikon F mount lenses
    Launch Date April 2009
    Launch Price USD 749
    Sensor Specs
    Sensor Technology CMOS
    Sensor Format APS-C Sensor
    Sensor Size 23.6 x 15.8 mm
    Sensor Area 373 mm2
    Sensor Diagonal 28.4 mm
    Crop Factor 1.5x
    Sensor Resolution 12.2 Megapixels
    Image Resolution 4 288 x 2 848 pixels
    Pixel Pitch 5.53 μm
    Pixel Density 3.28 MP/cm2
    Moiré control Anti-Alias filter
    Movie Capability 720/24p Video
    ISO Setting 200 - 3 200 ISO
    ISO Boost 200 - 6 400 ISO
    Image Processor EXPEED
    DXO Sensor Quality (score) 72
    DXO Color Depth (bits) 22.7
    DXO Dynamic Range (EV) 12.5
    DXO Low Light (ISO) 868
    Screen Specs
    Viewfinder Type Optical viewfinder
    Viewfinder Field of View 95%
    Viewfinder Magnification 0.51x
    Top-Level Screen no Top Display
    LCD Framing Live View
    LCD Size 2.7 inch
    LCD Resolution 230k dots
    LCD Attachment Fully flexible screen
    V-logging Friendliness Front-flip possible
    Touch Input No touchscreen
    Shooting Specs
    Focus System Phase-detect AF
    Manual Focusing Aidno Peaking Feature
    Maximum Shutter Speed 1/4000s
    Continuous Shooting 4 shutter flaps/s
    Shutter Life Expectancy100 000 actuations
    Silent Shootingno E-Shutter
    Time Lapse PhotographyIntervalometer Built-in
    Fill Flash Built-in Flash
    Storage Medium SDHC cards
    Single or Dual Card Slots Single card slot
    UHS card support no
    Connectivity Specs
    External Flash Hotshoe
    USB Connector USB 2.0
    HDMI Port mini HDMI
    Wifi Support no Wifi
    Body Specs
    Battery Type EN-EL9a power pack
    Battery Life (CIPA)510 shots per charge
    Body Dimensions 127 x 104 x 80 mm
    (5.0 x 4.1 x 3.1 in)
    Camera Weight 590 g (20.8 oz)

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