How New Nikon D5000 Brings a Little Accessibility to Photography

Nikon D5000 DSLR
When I first saw the Nikon D5000 it was love at first sight! As it happens I have been shopping for a new digital camera to replace my Nikon D50 and at first glance it appeared to have everything I am looking for and then some! However, writing for a technology rental firm has taught me to study reviews and talk to other users before buying the next big thing.

So I set out to find out what the Nikon D5000 had to offer and I found myself with quite the dilemma. The Nikon D5000 has a swivel display with LCD cover built on it and I found this feature reason alone to want to go and buy it. As a wheelchair photographer there has been many times that I have been in a crowd and needed to get my camera up over my head to get my shot; usually missing that “moment” due to shooting blind. I have wished for something like this for some time. After all, this feature was available on camcorders, why not a still shot?

The D5000 is a 12.3MP and has the same type sensor as the Nikon D90 and the upper level D300 which promises great images even in low lighting. The Nikon D5000 also has a lot more shooting modes so that beginning photographers have the opportunity to be more creative.

Unfortunately, this fairy tale doesn’t have a happy ending for me. Because despite the swiveling LCD screen, movie making capabilities and many cool features borrowed from the D40, D40x D60 and D90, the Nikon D5000 has a few issues that are a deal breaker for me. The biggest issue here is no remote flash capabilities for studio lighting so while this camera is on the edge of being on a professional level it was mostly designed for the consumer who wanted extra features that a point and shoot does not offer. Here is a wonderful review that I found listing all the amazing features and the limitations of this new camera from Nikon.

Bottom line is if you want creative possibilities and have some extra cash the Nikon D5000 has all the bells and whistles you could want. However it is not for the professional who wants to work with remote flashes and studio lighting. So my love affair with the Nikon D5000 turned out to be a really big crush. Gosh it’s hard to find true love these days. ;)

Comments

Loren_Worthington said…
Hi. As a C-5/6 quad photographer I got started with an Olympus because of the swiveling LCD screen. Its a goord feature for shootig at low or high perspective. I now use the D300 which lacks this feature but offers plenty otherwise.

The D5000 wouldnt be my next choice for many reasons, but the lack of CLS wouldnt be too much of an issue for anyone using any type of 3rd party wireless strobe controls such as the Pocket Wizard. Manual mode offers many advantages over CLS at this point. But CLS is definately where one starts when you have 1 or more sb800's or 900's.

I'd love to jump to the d700, but most of the pundits are predicting the D400 will have swivel, video and the D3's ability to go iso 2000+. So I'll sit tight.

The new Pocket Wizards come out for Nikon this summer. They allow you to manage the power from camera. Thats a big winner for those who roll around, as its such a pain to be rolling back n forth.

Cheers,
Loren
May 25, 2009 at 3:28 PM
Etha Walters said…
Thanks for the feedback Loren! =) It is always great to have others perspctive and experience to grow by. :)
May 29, 2009 at 6:11 PM
Hello there! My name is June said…
I can relate to reading up on everything before making a purchase & am looking for a new camera now! Thank you for a review that highlights the positives as well as the negatives ...without being negative. Does that make sense?
August 7, 2009 at 5:26 AM
wheelchairs said…
I really appreciate your post and you explain each and every point very well.Thanks for sharing this information.And I’ll love to read your next post too
February 3, 2011 at 2:09 AM
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