Making shooting simple, initial review of Nikon’s entry-level SLR D3000

"IT168 Product Review

If the release of Nikon D5000 this spring is a bit sudden, then the Nikon D3000 was just released and launched not long ago

Nikon D3000

It seems to be expected. Nikon has been silent in the entry-level SLR field for more than a year, and it is time for the D60 to have a successor. From the naming point of view,

D3000

It seems to be a downgraded version of the D5000, but judging from the configuration of the D3000, it would be more appropriate to position it as an upgraded version of the entry-level SLR D60.

Nikon D3000

As an upgrade to the D60, the biggest improvement of the Nikon D3000 is the adoption of an 11-point focusing system, which means it has the same focusing capabilities as the D5000 and the mid-range D90. Looking at the current entry-level SLR camp, it adopts an 11-point focusing system. Only Nikon is the only one, and the 7-point focus of Canon 1000D and the 9-point focus of 450D and 500D are not its rivals. Therefore, the D3000 is worthy of being the leader among entry-level SLRs in terms of focusing performance.

The 11-point focus is no match. System

In addition, the Nikon D3000

adopts a guided shooting mode that is more helpful for entry-level users. Using this mode, users can follow the prompts step by step according to the subject they want to shoot. The operation is simple and easy to learn.

As an entry-level SLR, the Nikon D3000

still maintains the DX format and 10-megapixel CCD sensor on the D60, but increases the display screen to 3.0 inches. , the pixels are still 230,000. The author will take you to learn more about it

Nikon D3000

" Overall appearance

In terms of appearance, Nikon D3000

< p>It maintains Nikon's consistent rigorous and professional style of workmanship. Although it is only an upgrade from the entry-level D60, in terms of workmanship,

D3000

has not shrunk compared to D5000 and D90. , solid and tough workmanship.

Nikon D3000

In order to differentiate itself from the D5000, the D3000

cancels the flip-up LCD screen and replaces it with a 3-inch 230,000-pixel screen. Compared with D60 has improved. The back of

D3000

is also as clean and tidy as D60. Due to the boot mode,

D3000

has reduced.

Since it has the same 3-inch screen as the D5000, the size of the D3000

is almost the same as the D5000. The thumb position on the right side of the screen is just right and does not appear cramped due to the increase in screen size compared to the D60. However, the handle does not seem to be big enough. When holding it, the fingers always feel longer and the knuckles touch the lens, which reduces the comfort to a certain extent.

AF-S 18-55mm/F3.5-5.6 VR

Compared with the AF-S 18-55mm/F3.5-5.6 lens in the D60 kit, the D3000< /p>

This time, the set is equipped with AF-S 18-55mm/F3.5-5.6 VR, which is a practical wide-angle lens and supports VR anti-shake. It is suitable for poor lighting conditions or shooting moving subjects. Play a certain degree of correction.

" Body details: simplified operation, easy to use

Nikon D3000

As an entry-level SLR, the body design takes into account the needs of entry-level users, and is specially designed to meet the needs of entry-level users. A guide mode has been added to the mode dial. No matter what the subject is, you can turn the dial to this position and follow the prompts under any conditions to finally achieve the settings required for the shooting purpose.

GUIDE guide mode.

The Nikon D3000

does not have too many buttons on the body. All buttons are necessary. This is also to simplify the body for the purpose of simplicity and ease of use. For For beginners, it undoubtedly reduces the difficulty of operation and makes it easy to start shooting.

The flash opening height is relatively high

It still uses SD storage

The battery capacity is 1080 mm. Anshi

USB and TV-OUT interfaces

Compared with the D5000, the D3000

cancels the timely viewfinding and high-definition video shooting functions, so there are also There is no LIVE button. In terms of data interface,

Nikon D3000

retains the most basic USB interface and V-OUT interface, and there is no need for the HDMI interface.

" Boot Menu: Simple Operation and Smart Shooting

At that time, we could see the same thing from the D300S and D3000 released by Nikon this time.

, that is to pay more attention to details, segment market positioning, and try to take care of the needs of users at different levels.

Considering that

Nikon D3000

is targeted at entry-level users, Nikon has added a GUIDE shooting mode on the

D3000

mode dial. Beginner users only need to move the dial to this position at the beginning, and then follow the prompts according to their shooting needs to achieve their goals.

After turning on the D3000

, the items displayed on the LCD screen are very vivid and concise. In the upper left corner of the screen, you can see the currently set photo mode, and the circular one at the bottom is similar to an aperture blade. The pattern can vividly expand or contract the aperture as the aperture size changes. On the periphery, a progress bar similar to a bicycle speed instrument panel can reflect changes in shutter speed, and the digital representation of shutter and aperture is displayed next to it. Moreover, when the mode dial on the top of the body is turned, the circular pattern becomes a simulated mode dial, displaying mode changes in a timely manner. In this way, when you need to switch modes during the photo taking process, you only need to move your eyes 10 cm away from the screen. You can see the set mode without having to put the camera to your chest and look down at the mode dial, which makes the setting faster and reduces the regret of making wonderful pictures.

1/100s, pattern display at F13

1/200, pattern display at F6.3

Turn the mode dial to display the pattern in time< /p>

The row of parameters on the right side of the screen displays the currently set photo format and quality, white balance, ISO, continuous shooting status, manual/auto focus, AF area mode and dynamic D-Lighting from top to bottom. . The bottom right corner of the screen displays the number of photos that can be stored on the memory card.

The MENU menu of Nikon D3000

is similar to that of D5000. In addition to the common white balance, ISO and other settings, there is also dynamic D-Linghting, and a more practical function is Wetting menu, in which you can perform post-processing on the photos taken, which is simple and easy to use.

The moistening menu is rich in functions and easy to use

Turn the mode dial to the guide mode, and all camera-related settings are divided into three categories: shooting, view/delete, and settings. For users who are new to SLRs, they may use them more for shooting and settings. Let’s talk about the settings here first. It is actually a simplified MENU menu, which collects the most basic and common setting items together. Generally, there are fewer opportunities to change them again after setting them.

The main interface in GUIDE boot mode

View

Settings

The shooting settings in boot mode are divided into basic and advanced operations . In basic operation, almost all modes in the mode dial are integrated, but here the camera will guide the user to make some effective settings, including aperture, shutter and lens focal length selection, to ultimately achieve the effect the user wants. The advanced operations include settings related to photography techniques such as softening the background and freezing people and vehicles.

Shooting settings

Basic operation shooting mode types

Close-up mode

Advanced operation mode

Softening Background

As the price of entry-level SLRs becomes more affordable, many junior consumers will consider entry-level SLRs when choosing digital cameras, especially high-end consumer DCs. However, the operation complexity of SLR cameras This is another issue that some users are hesitant about. Nikon D3000

The function of simplifying camera settings through the boot menu undoubtedly makes SLR cameras more acceptable to entry-level users.

" Sensitivity test: ISO1600 available

Nikon D3000

The sensitivity range is from ISO100 to ISO3200. For SLR cameras, more attention is paid to the high Image quality performance under sensitivity, the following sample starts from ISO400 (click here to view the larger image

)

ISO400, 1/40s, F5. .0, 100% screenshot

ISO800, 1/60s, F5.3, 100% screenshot

ISO1600, 1/125s, F5.3, 100% screenshot

ISO3200, 1/160s, F5.3, 100% screenshot

As you can see from the sample, Nikon D3000

The image quality is still very good at ISO800, and the noise is controlled It's quite good. When ISO1600, only a small amount of noise appears. Overall, the noise is obvious. For an entry-level SLR, this ISO performance is quite good, thanks to Nikon's. The role of the EXPEED image processor. When the lighting conditions are not very good, you can set the ISO to 1600 for shooting.

" The smart macro effect is excellent

Although the Nikon D3000< /p>

It is only equipped with a wide-angle lens, but for users, there is still a need to shoot macro. In order to reflect the macro effect of

D3000

, the author I didn’t deliberately use a macro lens, I just used a kit lens to shoot at the 55mm telephoto end.

According to past habits, set the mode dial to M or aperture priority A mode, and shoot at the maximum aperture.

(Click here to view the larger image

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However, considering that entry-level users may use the macro mode in the camera mode dial to take photos, the author also tried I tried the macro effect in this mode, and the result was a surprising result in the sample photos taken.

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(Click here to view the larger image

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( Click here to view the larger image

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The photos taken by Nikon D3000

are very sharp. The flash automatically turns on to illuminate the subject, and the dark background instantly illuminates the subject. To illustrate, although the magnification is not very high, it should be gratifying for entry-level users to be able to easily take such photos.

" Outdoor proofs

Digital cameras are very sensitive to lighting conditions. No matter how good a SLR is, the photos taken in dark weather are difficult to stand out. The author just got a Nikon The first day of test shooting with D3000

unfortunately happened to be rainy weather. The gray tones in the photos made people uncomfortable, but it can be seen that the image sharpness is still very good.

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18mm (Click here to view a larger image

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18mm

55mm (Click here to view a larger image

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55mm (Click here to view a larger image

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< p>In order to show the true strength of Nikon D3000

under the lens, the author took another set of photos on a sunny morning. It can be seen that the pictures are very colorful. The image sharpness is very high

18mm

18mm, manual focus (click here to view the larger image

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18mm, manual focus. (Click here to view the larger image

)

For a cheap wide-angle lens like 18-55mm, this kind of image quality is already very good.

" Indoors. Sample photos

Unfortunately, the first day of shooting was cloudy, and it started to rain while we were shooting. So I moved indoors to take a few photos.

The detailed texture of the clothes is relatively clear (click here to view a larger image

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p>

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Good layering (Click here to view a larger image

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It can be seen that the resolution of the Nikon D3000

lens is still very high in indoor areas with poor lighting, and the texture of clothes and hair can be clearly seen.

" Dynamic D-Linghting

Nikon D3000

Like the D5000, it has the dynamic D-Linghting function. This function can be effective for scenes with high contrast between light and dark. Reduce the contrast and make the details in the dark areas richer

Dynamic D-Linghting (click here to view a larger image

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Dynamic D-Linghting ON (click here). This is a large picture

)

From the sample, we can see that this function is still very effective.

" Evaluation summary:

Nikon D3000

The Nikon D3000 maintains a certain gap with its counterpart D5000 by canceling the 720p high-definition video recording, flippable LCD screen and timely framing function. At the same time, the adoption of the new 11-point focusing system and guided shooting mode not only The D60 has been successfully upgraded. Compared with other entry-level SLRs at the same price, the advantages of the D60 are also very obvious. In addition, the photo wetting function and friendly human-machine interface make the Nikon D3000

More practical and easier to accept. Today, as entry-level SLRs become more and more popular, Nikon's improvements in product details and segmentation of user groups undoubtedly make the D3000 more accessible to the majority of entry-level users.

Nikon D3000

After two days of shooting, the author is very satisfied with Nikon D3000

in terms of usage experience and product ease of use. In addition, judging from the photos,

D3000

performs very well in terms of sensitivity control, sharpness and color. As an entry-level SLR, I believe the Nikon D3000 will have good market performance due to its comprehensive performance and low price.