Nikon has just announced the new Nikon D5000, so I decided to post a quick comparison between the Nikon D5000 and Nikon D90 in this “Nikon D5000 vs D90” article.
Nikon D5000 (image courtesy of Nikon)
The new Nikon D5000 is a new generation DSLR that sits between D60 and D90, which can be classified as an “upper-entry-level DSLR”. It features exactly the same sensor that is found in Nikon D90 and Nikon D300/D300s, which is much different than the D60 that hosts a smaller resolution 10mp sensor. The Nikon D5000 is also the first Nikon DSLR that has a tilt and swivel LCD, which is supposed to be helpful for capturing video and images at different angles.
Here are some differences between Nikon D5000 and D90:
- D90 has a top-mounted information display that provides useful information such as shutter speed, aperture, etc., and D5000 does not have this feature. It is unfortunate, because the top display is very useful and I personally use it all the time.
- Unlike D90, D5000 does not have a “flash commander” mode, which means that you cannot control remote flashes like SB-600/Sb-900. This is a problem for those who have a single external flash, since you cannot use it in a remote mode and would need at least two flashes or a flash+SU-800 commander for off-camera flash.
- D5000 has an added “Airflow Control System”, which is supposed to keep the dust out every time the shutter snaps.
- D5000 has no internal focus motor, which means that older lenses (such as Nikon 50mm f/1.4 AF-D) without the focus motor on the lens will not work. This is not a big problem, as most newer lenses have an internal motor. But if you do own a really old Nikon lens, this might be a problem for you.
- D5000 is a little slower than D90 – it can capture 4 frames per second, while D90 can capture 4.5 frames per second (not a big difference).
- Viewfinder type and magnification on D90 is much better compared to D5000 (D90 has a “pentaprism” viewfinder with 0.94x magnification, whereas D5000 has a “pentamirror” viewfinder with only 0.78x magnification). For those who use manual focus lenses, this might present a problem, as you would not be able to see as clearly inside the D5000 viewfinder.
- The LCD monitor on the back of the D90 is better than on D5000. D90 has a full 3.0″ LCD with 920,000 pixels, whereas D5000 has a 2.7″ LCD with 230,000 pixels.
- D5000 has a larger buffer compared to D90, since it can record up to 63 JPEG and 11 RAW images in continuous mode, compared to 25 JPEG and 7 RAW images in Nikon D90.
- D5000 is a smaller camera that measures 127 x 104 x 80 mm, whereas D90 is 132 x 103 x 77 mm. It is also lighter than D90 (560g vs 620g).
- There is a new “Q” (Quiet Release Mode) in D5000 that is absent in D90.
- D5000 allows 8 programmable buttons for the function button, whereas D90 has 10.
- There are 23 custom functions in D5000 vs 41 in D90.
- You cannot get a vertical grip for D5000, while you can get an MB-D80 grip for D-90.
- D90 has “EN-EL3e” type batteries, whereas D5000 has “EN-EL9a”.
Here comes the big question: would I recommend D5000 over D90? If your budget is small and you do not have the need to use the “flash commander” mode for off-camera flash, then I would say absolutely! When it comes to image quality, both cameras produce exactly the same quality images, so the only differences are in features. D90 is definitely a more robust camera that stands above D5000 both in terms of features and price, but if you need a camera for family portraits and occasional landscape photography, then the D5000 would deliver the same quality images as the D90. I wish that D5000 had a top display like the D90 since I use it a lot, but I could see the same information on the back LCD of the camera by pressing a button, so it is not a big deal.
Nikon D5000 is currently selling for approximately $650 for body only, whereas the D90 is selling for $900, so there is about a $250 difference. If you do not need the extra features above, get the D5000 and invest in better quality lenses instead!
Nasim Mansurov
Hi Nasim.
I have been reading through your site, and got a lot of information. thank you very much for sharing your knowledge with us..doing a great job here..
I bought nikon d5000 few days ago. When I wanna do contiguous shooting , it makes 4 frames per second only in first second, after it began to take one shoot per second. Is it the way it should work? or am i doing something wrong?
Nuran, thank you for your feedback!
That’s normal behavior – the speed of the camera depends on two things: a) buffer size, and it is not very big on the D5000 and b) memory card speed. You need to make sure that you are using a fast memory card, like the SanDisk extreme series. Otherwise, your bottleneck will be the write process. Also, consider reducing the size of your JPEG files, which can easily/quickly fill up the camera buffer.
In terms of process, you take a picture, camera puts the image into a temporary buffer and then it starts dumping it from the buffer into a memory card. If the buffer fills up, the camera waits until the memory is released. If the memory card is slow, the buffer cannot get emptied quickly, so it will wait for the write process to complete first.
Hope this helps, let me know if you have any other questions.
I bought the D5000 and love it….I am a total newbie but play with it as much as possible. I read tutorials then go play ha ha. Anyways, I am going to New York for Christmas and am wondering what is a great all around lens for shooting in the city. I only have the kit lens. I will be with 4 kids so I want to make life easy and not have to switch lenses. I am looking to spend no more then $250. Thanks in advance. I love your site!!
Michelle, sorry for a late response. The 18-55mm kit lens should work fine for all-around photography. I don’t think you need another lens for that.
Hi..good articles and very useful. TQVM..can U make a comparism between Nikon D5000 VS Canon 550D.
Halimbraz, I would love to, but I am a Nikon shooter ;-) Maybe later, if I get some more time on my hands I could do more Canon gear. But for now, I will stick with Nikon…
i read your comparison to both cameras which I am really confused at…thanks for the review I am a traveller now starting in photography as one of my hobbies…i really want the d5000 for its LCD only the rest is in d90 feature…thanks for clearing it all out and i have my choice now the d90
Maria, you are most welcome! Yes, the D90 is a terrific camera.
Hi Nasim,
Your blog is very interested and helpful. Thank you for your time to write such a wonderful blog and the friendly way to respond to readers.
After reading your comparing article between D90 and D5000, my mind is settled for D90. However, the F-error and hot pixels problems in D90 make me concern a lot. So I’d like to ask you that have you ever encounterred those F-error and hot pixels as you used the D90 ? Are they little problems to deal with or big problems ?…
Besides the prime lens 50mm f/1.4G for indoor and low-light environments, if I want to buy a D5000, what is the best lens for D5000 to use outdoor ? (i.e. to use all around most of the time . I don’t want to change lens very often!). I use camera to take photos of my daughter’s piano recital, games, family’s event, and for travelling as well ). And the same question with a D90. I don’t want to spend more than $600. :)
Once again, thank you for your time.
Sandy
Sandy, sorry for a late response.
In terms of F-error, it is usually easily fixed by cleaning the contacts both on the lens and on the camera body. I know many D90 shooters and they do not have any problems with the dreaded “F-” error. So, I think the number of F-error problems is rather small. When it comes to hot pixels, don’t sweat over them either! Lightroom 2/3 automatically removes hot pixels from images, so I do not even notice them anymore. Hot pixels typically show up in images shot at higher ISOs (typically above ISO 400). Even if you get a perfect camera in the beginning, it will most likely develop some hot pixels overtime. So far I have shot with four Nikon bodies from D80 to D3s and I have hot pixels in every single one of them. Hot pixels are not a feature of a particular camera or a sensor – it is just a fact of digital sensors, just like dust.
In terms of lenses, check out the Nikon 35mm f/1.8G – it is an excellent lens and it is cheap. I would get the kit lens with the 35mm…
I just wanted to follow-up and say that the D90 is a FABULOUS camera. I couldn’t be happier. I nearly went with the D5000 because of price, but I believe I would’ve been disappointed… or even bored… with it. The D90 looks intimidating when compared to the D90, but as a novice I have quickly gotten used to the settings and just love it! Thank you for your help!
sorry, that should have said “The D90 looks intimidating when compared to the D5000″…
Holly, you are most welcome! I’m glad you are enjoying your D90 – it is a terrific camera!
Thanks for this..
But the upcoming D3100 will definitely make we want to ditch my D90
Joenel, you are most welcome! The D3100 will be announced today, but do not worry – your D90 is still going to have more features than the D3100 and is still overall a better camera. Don’t just look at megapixels and ISO range…those are used as marketing tools. I will be comparing the D90 with the D3100 very soon and we’ll see who wins.
hi nasim, im trying to buy another dslr after my sony a300, i have been an avid amateur photographer for 2 years now, and im thinking of an upgrade, i’m stuck on either d90 or d5000, u mentioned d5000 has only 23 customs functions and the d90 has 41, is this something to consider? i have never used a nikon before so im not sure, does the d5000 have the “major” or best functions of the d90? I initially want a camera that gives amazing photos with sufficient settings that i can play around with. I dont want to spend alot, please advice me should I buy a d5000 or d90? if i buy a d5000 do u think i would need to update it in the future? or is it something that will last me 5 years?
do u think i should wait for a d90?
i need ur opinion, thankyou for reading this , please advice soon.
Piasa, absolutely! If your budget can accommodate the D90, go for it instead of the D5000. The D5000 has the same sensor as the D90, but it is an entry-level camera vs a semi-professional camera.
By the way, Nikon will be releasing a D3100 tonight…
Hi Nasim
Like a number of the posts here, I am new to SLR and have yet to make the choice of D5000 or D90. One thing I’m not sure of is would the extra scene modes on the D5000 assist a novice? By that I mean if I use the appropriate scene mode and see what settings the camera chose for the photo. From there I can try tweaking the settings in manual mode.
Thanks
I also meant to ask which kit would you recommend. The twin lense 18-55mm VR & 55-200mm VR or the single lense 18-105mm VR. The price for either in Australia is pretty much the same.
Go for the single 18-105mm instead of 18-55 & 55-200mm. Less lenses to swap will result in less dust on your sensor.
Sorry, keep thinking of more to add.
My main reason for wanting to get an SLR is to photograph my two young children (3 months & 2 1/2 years) as they grow up. So would like to be able to take low noise photos of them indoors as well as capture them playing outside.
With the lense choice I was thinking the 18-105mm VR simply to avoid having to change lenses when with the children. I have read some info that mentions a few issues (eg distortion) with this lense, mainly down around 18mm. When mentioning this to some friends they have said you can fix most minor issues with a good photo editor on the PC.
Duncan, the 18-105mm would be a good choice for general photography, but you might want to get a faster lens like the Nikon 35mm f/1.8G or Nikon 50mm f/1.4G for children…
Duncan, forget about scene modes – they are junk. I never use anything but Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority and Manual.
Thank you very much for all your advice Nasim, very much appreciated.
hi nasim. first of all i’d like to thank you for your enthusiastic endeavor in providing suggestions to photography maniac. I’m a raw newbie and I’m really confused about the D90 over D5000. what do you suggest for a newbie to start in photography? D90 or D5000?
Nafiul, if money is not an issue, go for the D90. If it is a stretch, go for the D5000.
Nasim,
Thanks very much for your recommendation. I have purchased my D90 with 18-105mm and yes, you are correct, it’s a wonderful camera. I will take a 35mmf/1.8G very soon.
I like to know how to save my camera from fungus from salty air of sea side. Infact I faced this issue before with my Cannon 350d. There were all around fungus on mirror and lens after taken photograph on sea side. I would appreciate if you give some suggestion as it is quite simple and helpful.
Thanks again for your suggestion to choose D90.
Debasish