With the new 12.3 megapixel D5000 DSLR camera, Nikon hopes to launch a less expensive DSLR that produces HD, connecting the simpler compacts models in the sub-$400 with the ones in the above-$1,000 price point. The users that go from fixed-lens cameras to SLR can find everything included in this new package, the Quick Start Guide keeping you informed at a blink of an eye. The Software Suite DVD has image browsers, Raw converters, Nikon Transfer and a lot of other utilities to view and edit photos, a Nikon strap, an EN-EL9a Li-Ion battery with a charger, an AV cable to connect to HDMI input on TVs and an USB cable to connect to computer or printer. The model uses SD and SDHC memory cards and stores images as JPEG, NEF RAW or these two combined.
The design is quite impressive considering how many features Nikon has managed to put in the package; the 2.7†panel is turned around in order to provide protection from scratches or other damages. A sub-command dial near the shutter button is missing but it is replaced with other controls that are now performing a double duty, for instance the exposure compensation button performs also the changing of aperture while turning the rear command dial. The top of the camera presents a mode dial that presents all the modes for exposure that a Nikon user is familiar with.
nikon-d5000-dslrThe image quality ranges in normal ISO standard from 200 to 800 offering an excellent quality related to the image sensor that is the same as in D90 model. The burst rate is also impressive since the D5000 is able to cut through 63 large JPEGs at a rate of 4 frames per second, it can shoot 11 RAW files at the same frame rate. The kit lens 18-55mm uses a plastic mount and a VR (vibration reduction) function which enables taking shots in lower light with as less shake as possible to be visible in the image. The viewfinder of the camera is built of a penta-mirror instead of a penta-prism the one available in the higher priced DSLR cameras.
The Live View feature in an important one and D5000 excels in that it can compose without looking into the eyepiece, enabling you to manipulate the LCD in order to get a head-on view at most common angles. The 720p shooting mode functions at a 24 frames per second using a rolling shutter technique to enclose the clips, and this thing makes an unusual “waving†if the camera is in motion instead of being fixed in the sync. The model is presented with only one microphone having no external plug-in, and its video size is limited to five minutes segments.
Conclusive, Nikon D5000 is a useful way for the former amateurs to get familiarized with the DSLR market, having a slightly shrunken design; it is offering also limitations regarding the high speeds of the shooting or the clean shots in capturing. However, if we consider the Nikon’s highest feature in mastering still images, we can recommend D5000 model above others, but be aware of the experience you have and what you expect to get at the price you pay for this new entry of Nikon D5000 DSLR camera.