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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #948 in Consumer Electronics
• Brand: Nikon
• Model: D5000
• Released on: 2009-05-01
• Dimensions: 4.09" h x 5.00" w x 3.15" l, 1.23 pounds

Manufacturer's Description
NIKON D5000 - VIEW LIVE FROM ANY ANGLE

Meet the D5000, a new breed of Nikon digital SLR camera. A wonderful blend of fun, simplicity, and beautiful image quality, the D5000 features an innovative Vari-angle monitor for an exciting new take on photography.

Combined with Live View shooting, this monitor gives you the ability to shoot from almost any angle. And your creativity is not limited to still images - Nikon's D-Movie function lets you record richly detailed HD movie clips too.

There's also a dazzling array of shooting features to help you get great shots. Add to this a superb 12.3 megapixel CMOS sensor working in tandem with Nikon's EXPEED image processing system and watch your photos and movie clips come alive with all the stunning beauty for which Nikon is famous.

New 2.7-inch Vari-angle monitor

New 2.7-inch Vari-angle monitor

This crisp 230,000-dot monitor with 100% scene coverage gives you the freedom to hold the camera in a variety of positions, making it simple to shoot from dramatic and interesting new angles. Raise the D5000 high to shoot over crowds, or hold it close to the ground for a little creature's view of the world. Whatever perspective you choose, the Vari-angle monitor adjusts easily to accommodate your creative needs. And when you're finished shooting the LCD monitor can be closed on to the camera's back for added protection.

12.3M Nikon DX format CMOS

A proven performer, Nikon's DX-format CMOS sensor with 12.3 effective megapixels records all the details of the original scene for lifelike photos and stunning movie clips using D-movie. Shadows and highlights reveal exceptional details while a remarkably high signal-to-noise ratio vastly reduces noise - especially important when shooting at high ISO settings. The sensor also consumes less power to help conserve battery life.

D-Movie records beautiful videos with sound, eliminating the need for a separate video camera.

D-Movie HD Video

Make your memories come to life in all the breathtaking splendor of HD movie clips. D-Movie records beautiful videos with sound, eliminating the need for a separate video camera. It also lets you take advantage of the large selection of NIKKOR lenses to obtain a variety of cinematic effects. After shooting, you can watch movie clips on the D5000, or connect to an HDTV via the built-in HDMI connector to share memories with family and friends.
NB. Autofocus cannot be used with D-Movie.
A tripod is recommended when shooting movie clips.

Active D Lighting

High contrast settings - such as sunny beach and snow scenes - can be problematic for photographers. Without additional lighting and close attention to exposure, shadows and highlights can appear washed out, eliminating subtle nuances of tone and detail. Active D-Lighting prevents this, automatically adjusting exposure in shadows and highlights for well-balanced images that closely resemble what your eyes see. Active D-Lighting can also be applied to images after shooting.

19 Scene Modes automatically adjust settings for just the right look.

19 Scene Modes

Take the guesswork out of tricky photo situations with Scene Modes. Simply turn the mode dial to SCENE and choose the mode that matches the mood. The D5000 does the rest, automatically adjusting exposure, image processing, Active D-Lighting and other settings for just the right look. Sample photos appear on the display to help you select modes - a nice touch for less-experienced photographers.

Expeed System

The result of Nikon's relentless pursuit of excellence and years of know-how, EXPEED delivers stunning images while maximising camera performance. This new version of EXPEED - especially developed for the D5000 - works in tandem with the 12.3 megapixel CMOS sensor to produce finely detailed images that exhibit superb colour reproduction and rich tonal gradation with minimal noise. Moreover, EXPEED processes data at remarkable speeds to effortlessly handle processor-hungry tasks like Live View, Face Detection, and high-speed continuous shooting at up to 4 fps.

Live View

The D5000's Live View is enhanced with a range of different display views to suit your needs. Minimise camera settings when you want an uncluttered view of the scene, or show vital information at a glance for situations requiring a comprehensive readout. There is also a convenient grid display to aid composition, and an edit display that allows you to quickly change settings without taking your eye off the shot.

Enhanced Live View including intelligent autofocus modes

Intelligent Live View autofocus modes

There is a focus mode for every subject in Live View. Whether it's a particular face, dynamic action, or a small object in a big composition, the four easily selectable modes assure you of sharp results no matter what the subject.

Stunning image quality and creativity with NIKKOR lenses

Each shot reflects the innovation and advanced engineering that makes Nikon synonymus with superlative photography. Nikon's fast EXPEED image processing system and world renowned NIKKOR lenses work together to make an unbeatable combination that will satisfy your creative needs.

Fast, precise 11-point autofocus system

Autofocus is key to any digital camera. The D5000 uses a fast, accurate autofocus system that maintains focus even on fast moving subjects. Strategically positioned for outstanding coverage of both vertical and horizontal compositions, the diamond-shaped array of 11 autofocus points - with the most sensitive AF point in the centre of the frame - handles nearly any shooting situation.

Box Contains

Nikon D5000 Digital SLR Camera

18-55mm Nikkor Lens

Battery EN-EL9A

MH-23 battery charger

USB cable

AV cable

Body cap

Eye-piece cap DK-5

Accessory shoe cover BS-1

Camera Strap AN-DC3

Software CD Rom

Quick start guide

Manual

Warranty

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Customer Reviews

Simply Stunning !
With a holiday to southern Ireland coming up that'll probably be the last family holiday before my eldest wants to start going away with friends instead, I wanted to be sure I come back with some great photos. My 8 year old Nikon Coolpix & much older still F601 just don't cut it anymore and I've fancied getting back into photography with a decent digital SLR for some time now.

Many evenings of trawling through reviews, spec sheets and sample photos, and I settled on the D5000. I chose it over the D60 because of some significantly better features (such as the 11 area Auto Focus and more flexible D-Lighting), and in preference to the D90 because I wanted some spare cash for accessories like a graduated ND filter kit. Other makes such as the Canon 500D just didn't match the Nikon for picture quality and that's the prime criteria for me.

I'm absolutely over the moon with my choice. Although the almost absurd array of features and settings was daunting when I first switched it on, after reading the manual (all 200 pages of it, I made a rare exception in this instance and it proved to be time well worth spending) I very soon found the D5000 to be surprisingly quick and easy to use. Changing any setting such as the ISO, metering, exposure compensation or AF area etc takes a split second. All of the key settings are displayed on the LCD during normal operation and a quick press of the "i" button lets you tab through them and make adjustments (it even remembers the last one you accessed which is really handy if, say, you want to change to spot metering for 1 photo then back to centre weighted afterwards) so it's rarely necessary to go into the menu itself.

I've always found Nikons to be solidly built, my Coolpix was dropped onto a solid floor on a couple of occasions with not even the barest hint of a scratch let alone significant damage, and the D5000 feels equally robust (not that I'm intending on doing a drop-test on it !)

Power up is instantaneous and there's no noticeable shutter lag, it's just as quick as my old non-digital F601 when it comes to grabbing it off the table and taking a quick snap (in fact the AF is vastly quicker and more reliable on the D5000 with the 18-55 VR lens than my old F601 was), and with a SanDisk 20MB/s SDHC memory card it rattles off continuous RAW shots at a rate faster than I'll probably ever need it to

Picture quality is fantastic, razor sharp detail and bright vivid colours. I just wish computer monitors came in 4288 x 2848 native resolutions because the camera produces way more detail than even my 27" 1920 x 1200 monitor can display and I have to zoom out to 44% to fit a whole photo on screen !

At it's default setting exposure was a tad dark for my liking, but a quick adjustment to the exposure compensation sorted that, in fact there's more than enough scope to tweak just about anything to suit your own individual taste. After going through all of the menus to familiarise myself with what was available I was staggered at the range of features crammed in to this camera. To give just 1 example - I used to have an 8 point star filter for an old camera, you don't need one for the D5000, it's available as one of the in-built filter effects called "cross screen", not only that but you can choose from 4,6 or 8 points, 3 different filtering amounts, 3 different angle settings, and 3 different point lengths. It produces a very effective result too.

Only very slight downside I have found is a bit of blooming creeping in to shots that are fairly over-exposed, but I doubt it would have been noticeable printed at A4 size and I'm sure a bit more care with exposures would eliminate that.

I've read that pictures are even sharper and more detailed still with the Nikon 50mm F1.4 prime lens, that's something I just have to see so it's been added to my future shopping list

I can't comment on its video capability because I haven't tried it and don't intend to (it doesn't auto focus in video mode for starters which makes it pretty much pointless in my view). That's my only real gripe actually - I have a Camcorder that takes excellent HD video with the added ability to take photos that are ok but not fantastic (so I don't take photos with it), and now a camera that takes excellent photos with limited video facilities bolted on. I really wish manufacturers would leave these pointless gimics off because no doubt we're paying extra for it. Please just concentrate on the specific area that the thing's designed for !!

All in all, I'd recommend the D5000 to anyone looking for a decent dSLR for under a grand, if it proves as reliable as my Coolpix has been then I'll be getting plenty of enjoyment out of it for many years to come.

The middle child has a few tricks up its sleeve...
The Nikon D5000 seems to be everything I wanted. Although having the same size 12.3MP sensor as in the D90 and D300, the APS-C CMOS upgrade with 1.5x focal magnification seems an ample improvement over its predecessors. As with all the Nikons I have used, the D5000 presents to the user a robust, compact and light-weight feel, whilst still offering some features you would expect to find in professional level cameras.

The D5000 has many great features with its high ISO range (100 to 6400), 11 area auto focus system and good tonal range. The anti dust system offers three stages of protection: CCD shake, 'airflow' (which pushes air out of the mirror box) and anti dust software for post editing. The camera also has live view as well as a tilting screen, however I question the practical applications of the screen as I have taken some 500 images with the camera so far and have yet to use the tilt function (admittedly I prefer the optical view finder over alternative means). All said and done, the crown jewel of the D5000 is without a doubt the HD movie capture feature, allowing not only for 24fps capturing but interval shooting which produces stop-motion action. However the AF system is disabled during filming, resulting in the need to use the focus wheel manually which the clumsy-handed like myself find quite tricky!

One of the things I have always loved about Nikons is their ability to perform excellently in low light conditions. Although not a criticism, my Sony Alpha A350 has always given me a fair bit of grief when taking evening shots at ISO 400 or above, resulting in the need for an extra pass of colour noise reduction after uploading. The dynamic range optimiser as ever is very effective in bringing out detail in the lower tones.

I feel that the D5000 is in a tight spot being that it is the 'middle child', making it harder to favour over similar models. Moreover it is difficult to say where it excels and falls short compared to the D90 and the D300. I should say however that, overall, the camera comes trumps in all areas except the price, which is slightly higher than I would have bargained for. Ultimately though I am very fond of this camera and would give it my highest of recommendations. Well worth buying!

Fantastic camera and investment
I upgraded to the D5000 from a Nikon D40, and I am very glad I did so! The design appealed to me, with its swivel screen (I must admit, I really liked that idea and it swayed it for me) and just the look of it is nice. It's solid feeling, whilst not too heavy (although it is heavier than the D40), sturdy, and easy to hold whilst taking photos. I bought it with the 18-55mm lens kit, and I also had the 55-200mm lens from my old camera, which works on it.

The photos are of fantastic quality, and I haven't even read the manual yet, I'm just going on my knowledge from the D40 (it is very similar but has more features), so I am certain once I have read that, I will be getting even more fantastic results. The video is also a nice feature, a bonus in DSLR's, and I was told not to expect much when I bought it. However I am pleased with it. You do really need to have it on a tripod, and if you are taking a video of something moving, it can go a bit blurry if the object comes any closer, but that is to be expected. The sound on is is good quality.

Overall, I would recommend this to anyone. It's just a shame it is so expensive, however, I did feel it was worth it. Also, when buying a NIkon DSLR, remember to have a memory card when you get the camera, as they have no internal memory at all.