Photography Bay

Digital Camera News, Reviews and Tips

Nikon D5000 Review at PhotographyBLOG

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PhotographyBLOG has posted a review of the Nikon D5000.

Those who require dual control wheels, more dedicated buttons, a large viewfinder and greater compatibility with older AF lenses will still be better served by a D90 and are therefore advised to save up for the higher specified model. For everybody else, the Nikon D5000 provides much the same functionality and image quality in a smaller, lighter and quieter edition.

For more news and reviews on the D5000, visit Photography Bay’s Nikon D5000 Reviews and Resources.

 

Nikon D5000 Review at Let’s Go Digital

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Let’s Go Digital has posted a review of the Nikon D5000.

The technical tests of the body also reveal that Nikon managed to maintain the quality and even improved it. The Nikon D5000 benefits from this technical progress and this makes it more than logical that we consider the Nikon D5000 an excellent performing DSLR camera if we look solely at image quality.

For more news and reviews on the D5000, visit Photography Bay’s Nikon D5000 Reviews and Resources.

Nikon D5000 Interval Shooting Mode

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The Nikon D5000 offers a very cool interval shooting mode that offers endless creative possibilities.  Several other Nikon DSLRs feature an interval shooting mode as well (do all of them?).  I have had the pleasure of using a variety of Nikon DSLR models; however, the interval shooting mode is one thing I had never taken the time to dig into.

Now that I have toyed with it a bit, I have to say that I really like the potential that it offers. Leave it to me to wait to use a Nikon DSLR with 720p HD video capabilities to jump into the stop-motion movie creation.

So, here’s the rundown on how I created the above movie using still images via the Nikon D5000 Interval Shooting Mode…

I set the Nikon D5000 on a tripod in the backseat/floorboard of my car.  I criss-crossed the rear seatbelts through the back leg of the tripod in order to stabilize it a bit.

I then set the D5000 to capture 999 frames (the max setting) at 1 sec intervals in Shutter Priority Mode of 0.8 sec each.  I used JPEG Medium file sizes to conserve card space and because I knew that I would not need the extra resolution from JPEG Large-sized files for a video.  Oh, and all the images were ISO 6400.

After getting everything set up, I ended up making two stops to reset the interval mode and restart shooting.  I ended up with roughly 2100 images, which I edited down to about 1500 or so for the final video.

I dropped the unaltered images into Windows Movie Maker and set the duration of each image to 0.13 seconds for a “fast” look in the final film.  I then dropped in Endless Road by The Coal Men as the soundtrack (it seemed fitting).  Thanks to Dave C. and the guys for allowing me to use it!

The nice thing is that the D5000 did most of the work without much real thought from me other than the initial concept.  This was my first foray into the interval shooting mode, time lapse, stop-motion or whatever you want to call it.  I’ll definitely be on the lookout for more opportunities to use this feature in the future.  Big kudos to Nikon for making it simple and straightforward.  If you want to download the full-res video for personal use and closer inspection, you can get it here. (Right-click and choose Save as…)

If you’re interested in the Nikon D5000, check on prices and availability at B&H Photo.

Canon Rebel T1i vs. Nikon D5000 Review – ISO Comparison Part II

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The Canon Rebel T1i and Nikon D5000 are the two new consumer-level DSLRs from the leading brands in the business right now.  Over the past month or so, I’ve shot extensively, almost exclusively, with these new DSLRs.  While there are a number of features that make these cameras stand out, the one that I keep coming back to is their ability to manage noise, even at higher ISOs.

Both cameras do something new in the entry-level category by turning up the sensitivity. The Canon Rebel T1i tops out at ISO 12800, while the Nikon D5000 pushes its sensitivity one-stop lower to ISO 6400.  In my day-to-day shooting, I would have no problem shooting with either camera at ISO 3200 for snapshots that will make my wife or mom happy to have in the family photo album.  Truth be told, they probably wouldn’t notice the difference between ISO 3200 and ISO 6400 in either camera.  The Rebel T1i’s spec of ISO 12800 may be a bit much for most applications; however, in a bind, you can likely get some decent black and whites at that level.

To see how the Canon Rebel T1i and Nikon D5000 stack up against each other, as well as the Canon 5D Mark II and Nikon D700, read on. [Read more…]

Advanced Sound for DSLRs

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Advanced Sound for DSLR’s from Steve Weiss, Zacuto USA on Vimeo.

If there’s one huge gap in the video features of new DSLRs like the Canon Rebel T1i and Nikon D5000, it’s the sound.  Simply put, it was an after thought that seriously handicaps these cameras.  This video from the guys at Zacuto talks about how fix this problem with a little $349 solution called the Zoom H4n Handy Portable Digital Recorder.  They also give you a couple of quick and simple tips for synching your audio with your video in post-production.  Good stuff.

Canon Rebel T1i vs. Nikon D5000 – Video Comparison

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In my ongoing review of the Canon Rebel T1i (aka 500D) and the Nikon D5000 (see the T1i vs. D5000 ISO Comparison), I decided to take a closer look at the video functionality of these two cameras since it is one of the headline features in both models.  Below, you will find a review of each camera’s video capabilities, followed by some embedded samples and a link to download the full resolution video files.  Each camera’s kit lens was used in the samples below. [Read more…]

Nikon D5000 vs. Canon Rebel T1i – ISO Comparison

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The new Nikon D5000 and Canon Rebel T1i have stirred quite the fuss with their solid specs and entry-level price tags.  The prior generation cameras from the Nikon and Canon camps were capable performers.  The Rebel XSi (aka 450D) and the Nikon D60 rang in at 12.2 megapixels and 10.2 megapixels, respectively.

The Nikon D5000 features the same 12.3 megapixel sensor found in the Nikon D90, while the Canon Rebel T1i packs in 15.1 megapixels, which is similar to or the same as the sensor found in the Canon 50D.  Kudos to both Nikon and Canon for staying lean on megapixels, relatively speaking.

As for sensitivity, both Nikon and Canon have extended the range.  The Nikon D5000 features ISO 100-6400 range, while the Canon Rebel T1i covers a range of ISO 100-12800 for an extra stop on the high end.  Both of these numbers reflect the ISO expansion features.

I’ve been shooting with both cameras side by side for a couple of days now and nabbed a few handheld shots of some orange roses, up close and under a mix of incandescent and indirect sunlight.  The flowers were on my kitchen counter next to a window.  This is hardly a scientific comparison, but I think is a fair representation of real world ISO performance.  Additionally, you will get some taste of the stabilization capabilities of each of the lenses that come in the respective kits for the Canon and Nikon shooters.

Below you’ll find the entire quick and dirty ISO comparison throughout the range of ISOs available for both these cameras. [Read more…]