Nikon D5000 - first thoughts

As expected Nikon introduced the new D5000 DSLR on April 14. Here are some of my thoughts. The most prominent feature - the tilt/swivel LCD - is a huge plus for video shooting. That is probably the reason Nikon added this, and we will probably see it on all future video capable DSLRs from Nikon. Video filming with the fixed LCDs of Nikon D90, Canon 5DII and Canon 500D is very unergonomic, and it is hard to keep the cameras still. Which in turn increases the dreaded “jello”-effect, caused by the CMOS shutters.

Overall it seems like a solid product, probably with excellent IQ (same 12 mp CMOS sensor as in D300/D90, maybe with improved electronics/processing). You can read full specs on DPReview here.
However, my personal reaction was that this was not really what I had hoped for. When the specs leaked out - 4 fps, large prism in the style of D90/D300, I thought this would be the perfect travel camera, a high end compact, fast, with a large viewfinder. I was hoping for a D40/60 on steroids. But it turns out that the dimensions are very close to D90 - considerably larger than the D40/60 form factor. Will Nikon now abandon the small DSLR-class? To make things worse - the viewfinder is (a little) smaller than on D40/60. The viewfinder is such an important part of the DSLR experience. For instance, I thought the Olympus E-420 was rather interesting (smallest DSLR on the market) - until I looked through the tiny viewfinder. I had my D90 with me, and the huge difference could not be overseen.
Another puzzling part is the pricing. On many markets the D5000 has about the same price as the D90, which clearly is a notch above in most areas. Probably caused by Nikons intention to raise prices all around, while cameras still in inventory are not affected yet. So my guess is that the order will be restored, but not in a positive way for consumers… If this is correct the current D40/60 prices are more bargains than ever, and maybe even the last chance for a long time to buy a really small Nikon DSLR.