The Nikon D5000 Has Arrived: Nikon Expands Its Entry-Level DSLR Line with its Nikon D5000
Nikon beefs up its below-$1000 DSLR list with its latest offering, the Nikon D5000. The D5000 is offered in two configurations: body only or you can get the package which includes the body as well as an 18-55mm VR Lens. Just like its more expensive counterpart, the D90, it has a 12.3-megapixel resolution as well as an 11-point AF system. The D5000 is made out of stainless steel with polycarbonate, giving it a not-so-cheap but really plasticky feel. The D5000’s body weighs in at 560 grams. It comes with an LCD that you can flip and swivel. The D5000 also has an enhanced Expeed image processor and instead of going for the usual CCD, it has a CMOS sensor.
Nikon decided to remove some of the direct-access buttons found on older models. You can now access these controls through the interactive display on its 2.7-inch, 230k-dot articulated LCD. Using the back dial as well as the multi selector, you can adjust the different settings available, such as aperture, shutter speed, ISO, AF Area, white balance, just to name a few. A programmable button is also available if you want to hotkey a function that you always use. This button falls directly under your left thumb, making it very easy to access. While the interactive display looks good, viewing the LCD on direct sunlight can be quite problematic. Images shown on the LCD looks too soft as well, making it hard to determine whether they look sharp or not. While the D5000 does come with a viewfinder, it is quite small and dim.
Performance-wise, the D5000 camera is one fast machine. It can power on within 0.2 seconds with very minimal lag in-between shots of 0.3 seconds in well-lit areas and 0.7 seconds in dim light. It is able to save your image on JPEG format within 0.5 seconds while it saves RAW images just as fast. Under Burst Mode, the D5000 clock s in at 4 frames per second. Still images produced by the D5000 were solid, with good exposure and very good color. You can go up to ISO 1600 before you have to start worrying about noise. The D5000 allows for shooting video, though there is no dedicated mode for it. Instead, you can start or stop recording by pressing the OK button while on Live View. Quality-wise, the videos taken were too slow and looked too noisy as well.
Nikon puts together a solid package with the Nikon D5000. Though it has a few flaws, it comes with great features as well. Whether these flaws will be a deal-breaker or if the nifty features outweigh them, will be up to you.
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