Cameras-n- Stuff

As I expected, the Nikon D3000 has received a “Highly Recommended” rating.

There is no doubt that the D3000 is an evolutionary, rather than revolutionary update, but the few features that have been added to the D3000 compared to the D60 are of real value, and the 11-point AF system alone makes the D3000 a bargain at its current asking price. It’s a shame that the bundled 18-55mm kit lens doesn’t show off the AF capabilities of the camera to a better extent, but the same is true of most kit lenses. A greater frustration – at least to anyone with a collection of older Nikon lenses – is that AF is unavailable with non AF-S optics. Fortunately, the D3000 does offer an effective (and very accurate) manual focusing rangefinder indicator in the viewfinder, but it’s of little help when you’re faced with a moving subject.

Conclusion – Pros

• Excellent detail and resolution at low ISO settings (especially in raw mode)
• Very capable AF system, including 3D AF tracking, on a par with much more expensive DSLRs
• Versatile and fun retouch options including in-camera raw processing
• Effectively unlimited shooting in JPEG mode (with ADL turned off)
• User-friendly ergonomics, without sacrificing control
• Good build quality for the price – no creaks
• Active D-Lighting helps recover the maximum tonal detail from tricky scenes
• Reliable exposures, with and without flash (albeit a little bright)
• Excellent exposure compensation range of -+5EV
• Good battery life for its class
• Refreshingly conservative approach to high ISO noise reduction (at default settings)
• View NX software hugely improved over Picture Project (Not as good as Capture NX2 though)
• Built-in AF assist lamp
• Competitive pricing

Conclusion – Cons

• Unreliable white balance under artificial lighting
• Slight tendency to overexpose in contrasty conditions
• No Live View
• Screen resolution slightly too low for checking accurate focus
• Very little control over high ISO noise reduction
• No front control dial
• No depth-of-field preview button
• No exposure bracketing
• No in-body stabilization (although VR is included in many of Nikon’s current entry-level lenses)
• Luminance noise becomes a problem above ISO 800
• Slightly soft JPEG output at default settings (but this is far from unusual)
• Screen-centric interface won’t appeal to everyone
• No AF support for non AF-S (or third-party equivalent) lenses
• No GPS (via Nikon’s GP-1 accessory) support

You can see the full review at http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikond3000/
What about you? Are you convinced that the Nikon D3000 is the right entry level DSLR for you? You can see a comparison between the Canon XSi and D3000 here. This is really a great time to be buying a camera in this category. They have never been more affordable.
Happy Shooting!