Nikon D3000

Barry Fitzgerald decided to offer us a comparison of five of the entry-level D-SLR.

I invite you to read to the conclusion which should please some of the admirers of Pentax.

The reviewed cameras are:

• Sony Alpha A230
• Sony Alpha A550
• Pentax K-x
• Canon EOS 1000d/Rebel XS
• Nikon D3000

The Nikon D3000 has just been announced and here is what videos can be found on the Internet to present it. 4 videos in English.

In English

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Nikon D3000

The Nikon D3000 is a new entry-level 10.2 Megapixel DX-Format DSLR, the Nikon D300s is a bit higher located, replacing the current D300, and bringing video to the enthusiast SLR photo camera.

Nikon D3000 feature set:

• 10.2 Megapixel DX-format (APS-C) sensor
• Ultrasonic dust reduction system on the sensor
• Sensitivity: 100-1600 ISO + Hi (ISO 3200 equivalent)
• Shutter speeds: 30s – 1/4000s (and B mode)
• Continuous shooting: 3 fps
• Auto focus: 11-point AF
• Metering: 420-pixel 3D Color Matrix Metering II
• Active D-Lighting Image enhancement, for good low light and high light rendition
• Nikon Guide mode: provides in-body user assistance
• In-camera image editing (Trim, D-Lighting, Color Balance, Filter Effects, Monochrome, Stop Motion, Color Balance, NEF (RAW) processing, Quick retouch, Small picture, Red-eye correction, Color Outline, Miniature Effect, Before and After)
• Viewfinder: 95% coverage, with 0.8x magnification (Eye-level pentamirror single-lens reflex)
• Built-in Flash: GN 12 (@ ISO 100)
• Flash sync speed: 1/200s
• 3.0″ LCD screen (230,000-dot VGA)
• Memory card slot: for SD/SDHC
• 485g

The Nikon D3000 is going to be the smallest DSLR made by Nikon. Small is beautiful, small is strong selling argument for entry-level.

See also the Nikon D3000 slideshow.

Nikon D300s

Nikon D300s feature set:

• 12.3 Megapixel DX-format (APS-C) sensor
• Ultrasonic dust reduction system on the sensor
• Sensitivity: 200-3200 ISO + Lo-1 (ISO 100 equivalent) + Hi-1 (ISO 6400 equivalent)
• Shutter speeds: 30s – 1/8000s (and B mode)
• Continuous shooting: 7 fps
• Movie modes: HD 1280 x 720/24 fps VGA 640 x 424/24 fps QVGA 320 x 216/24 fps (sound with built-in microphone & optional external stereo mini-pin jack (3.5mm diameter))
• Auto focus: 51-point AF (&5 cross-type zones)
• Metering: 1005-pixel 3D Color Matrix Metering II
• Active D-Lighting Image enhancement, for good low light and high light rendition
• In-camera image editing (Trim, D-Lighting, Color Balance, Image Overlay, Filter Effects, Monochrome, NEF (RAW) processing, Red-eye correction, Resize, Edit Movie)
• Viewfinder: 100% coverage, with 0.94x magnification
• LiveView, with specific modes for hand-held and tripod
• Built-in Flash
• Flash sync speed: 1/250s
• 3.0″ LCD screen (920,000-dot VGA)
• Memory card slot: for SD/SDHC and for Compact Flash I (no type II, no MicroDrive)
• HDMI output, USB Hi-speed
• 840g

You will notice the arrival of dual card memory slot capacity (SD + CF), but this comes with the loss of thick CompactFlash (type II) compatibility. You can now forget about MicroDrives (but they are quite old now).

Of course, nobody can miss the presence of HD video capture, with contrast detection AF. This has the potential to make this camera able to really do some video in a usable way even though this is still a promise to be confirmed by facts.

All my informers repeat it now: the Nikon D300s and Nikon D3000 will be officially launched next week.

NikonRumors has shaken our little world of Internet digital photography by presenting what could well be Nikon’s marching order for the coming year (and a little more). Hold on! There are a lot of details for a single post on a Czech forum:

August 4, 2009

• Nikon D3000
• Nikon D300s with Full-HD movie 24 fps, improved AF, self timer + mirror-up, cf + sd-slot
• AF-S DX 17-65/3.2-4 G VR with 72(!) mm filter

October 15, 2009:

• Nikon D700x with 24.5 MP, Full-HD movie 24 fps, improved AF and self timer + mirror-up
• AF-S Nikkor 24-135mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR (The FX-dream-walk-around-lens?)
• AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II (What everybody waited for! 82 mm filter, 1530 g)
• AF-S Nikkor 35mm f/1.4G
• AF-S Nikkor 85mm f/1.4G (No VR?)

Q1/2010:

• AF-S Nikkor 14-28mm f/3.5-4.5G ED
• AF-S Nikkor 120-450mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR II (Replacement for 80-400? 82 mm, 1480 g)

Q2/2010:

• Nikon D4 with 15.7 MP, improved 1 EV, Full HD-movie 30fps
• Nikon D400 with 13.8 MP, improved 1 EV, Full HD-movie 24fps

Q3/2010:

• AF-S Nikkor 300mm f/4G VR (On the waiting list for many!)
• AF-S Nikkor 400mm f/5.6G VR (Have been missing a long time!)
• AF-S Nikkor 70-240mm f/3.5-4.5G VR (The missing medium size telezoom!)
• AF-S Nikkor 105mm f/2G DC (A small surprise. No VR?)
• AF-S Nikkor 24-85mm f/4G VR
• AF-S DX Nikkor 60-95mm f/2G VR (The DX dream-telezoom!)
• AF-S DX Nikkor 17-60mm f/2.8G VR (Replacing 17-55 with addition of VR)
• Nikon Coolpix P1DX with DX 12.3 MP stabilized sensor, 28-85/3.5-5.6 zoom (comparable to FX, actually 18-56), 2.9 inch 920k-display, movable upwards for macro.

Q4/2010:

• Nikon D4X with 30.2 MP with 1 EV improved sensitivity

So, is it for real? Is it a leak? Or is it merely a tediously built list of relatively good expectations/wishes? Hard to say. I would just remind you that this is clearly classified as a rumor.

As always, I recommend not to make your purchase decisions based upon rumors, but based upon the existing cameras and lenses. The best equipment is always the one you use (compared to the one you dream about). Your dream does not produce photos, but your camera will.

Thanks to Mash.

According to LensTip, Nikon is going to simplify its entry-level photo cameras (like other manufacturers): The Nikon D3000 would be a Nikon D5000 without the orientable screen, nor video capture (2009 would not only be the year of the SLR cameras with video?)

Via Le journal du Geek (Thanks to Mash).

Update: The original article disappeared. Why? But here is a comparison of the Nikon D3000 and Nikon D5000:

Nouveau Nikon D3000 vs. vieux Nikon D5000

Brought by Nikon Rumors.