This is, as far as I know, Nikon’s last camera with CCD sensor, and it was introduced in July 2009, apparently the successor to the D60. I inherited it from my wife when we upgraded her to the D3100.
There’s nothing remarkable about this camera, perhaps apart from Ken Rockwell calling it “the worst DSLR Nikon has ever made.” He has his reasons, I guess, but I happen to think this is a really nice, small camera. That it also has a CCD sensor makes it all the more appealing.
And it’s cheap, probably because it is nothing that special to most people (few will bother about it being CCD). In Sweden, you can get it from about SEK 500 on online auction sites. That’s a bargain.
I’ve gone through quite a few of Nikon’s CCD cameras — D40x, D50, D70s, and D80 — and they all produce great photos. But I’m selling them off and have settled in for the D3000 being my second body to the D5500.
Here’s a brochure for the D3000.
Some specs:
- 11 points autofocus
- 3 frames per second top speed
- 30s – 1/4,000 shutter speed
- 10 MP DX CCD sensor (Sony ICX-493-AQA, same as in D40x, D60, D80)
- 3,872 × 2,592 pixels
- 100–1,600 ISO (boost to 3,200)
- 1.5 crop factor
- AF-A, AF-C, AF-S
- 420 pixel metering
- Three kinds of JPEG, NEF RAW
- 3-inch LCD, 230,000 dots
- 126 x 97 x 64mm
- 485g (stripped)
- EN-EL9a battery
- MH-23 charger
One interesting thing about this camera is that it has a “Guide mode.” The camera asks you what type of photographs you’d like to take, and it recommends a mode and settings. For beginners, probably something helpful. I just shoot in A-mode (and single point AF, RAW.)
As a side note, I really wish Nikon would have made a G pancake lens for their DX cameras. That would have been a great partner for the likes of the D3000. The 35mm G is a lovely lens, but it’s not exactly small.
But what about photos? I’d say it is every bit as good as many other, more recent cameras. Cheap, takes great photos, get it!
And does it have that “CCD look”? I don’t know, but it sure can produce some nice photos.
