More comparison between Canon EOS500D vs Nikon D5000

While pitched a little higher, Canon’s latest entry-level DSLR, the EOS 500D / Rebel T1i is likely to be one of the D5000’s biggest rivals. Both cameras tick many of the latest feature boxes today’s buyers look for including Live View, HD movie recording and HDMI output, and both come with 18-55mm kit lenses, but there are many differences to weigh-up.

In its favour, the Canon EOS 500D / Rebel T1i features higher resolution (15.1 Megapixels compared to 12.3), twice the maximum sensitivity (12800 ISO compared to 6400 ISO), 14-bit processing (compared to 12-bit on the D5000), a larger viewfinder magnification (0.87x compared to 0.78x), HD movie recording at 720p or 1080p (although the 1080p mode is restricted to 20fps), longer movie recording clips (18 minutes of 720p compared to five on the D5000), a larger and higher resolution 3in / 920k screen (compared to 2.7in / 230k) and in-camera correction of lens vignetting; you also get PC / Mac remote control and decent RAW conversion software included. Some may also prefer Canon’s adoption of H.264 and 30fps for encoding movies, although there are advantages to Nikon’s strategy, see below.

In its favour, the D5000 features an articulated screen that allows greater compositional flexibility in Live View and movie recording, slightly faster continuous shooting (4fps versus 3.4fps), more sophisticated AF (11-points versus nine), in-camera correction of chromatic aberrations and more scene presets which beginners may find more useful. Some may also prefer Nikon’s movie encoding at 24fps and its use of Motion JPEG that’s easier to edit than Canon’s H.264.

Depending on which features you most value, the Canon EOS 500D / T1i could certainly be perceived as a slightly higher-end product, but there are equally advantages to the D5000. It’s also important to remember the Canon’s higher resolution doesn’t necessarily make its image quality superior, and while it does boast Full 1080p HD recording, the lower frame rate of 20fps rules it out for serious use. As such it’s fairer to ignore this mode and consider the Canon as only offering 720p capabilities, just like the Nikon.