Nikon Unveils D5000 Specs and Details

Although we had some rumors about the Nikon D5000 and its specs, release date and overall general swiveliness, we were done with the milk. We're ready for the meat. Nikon has really good timing because they just announced yesterday the full details on the camera that, from the looks of the specs and Nikon's press release, seems to be somewhat of a contradiction.



Nikon is marketing the D5000 DSLR as both an entry-level, easy-to-use device and a camera perfect for experienced users to take advantage of the more difficult to understand controls. Personally, we don't think the two-in-one aspect can really jive with DSLRs. True, the D5000 does have the live-view swivel lens that can come out and up and around and be tilted to just about any angle for easy shooting. That's one of the features we thought was key for those making the transition from compact cameras to DSLR. Just imagine the possibilities: no more lying on the grass to get that perfect angle, hold it up high over that tall guy with the abnormally large head and still know you're not getting a shot of the sky, or you could even adjust the screen so you can take sneak attack pictures from around the corner. It is pretty amazing.

But the D5000 doesn't have an in-body automatic focus. It doesn't have autofocus in movies, but it does record HD at 720p and it has 19 freaking automatic shooting modes. We didn't realize that was even possible! Nikon, in their press release, said the D5000 will be available in late April at around $850 - significantly less expensive than the original MSRP we heard about.

For more on DSLR cameras and what to look for, check out our comparison of both entry-level DSLR cameras and the more advanced models. Or, if you're not ready to make the move yet, you can check out our Top 10 compact digital cameras. As an added bonus, if you act right now, you can receive these other tech news blog posts, free of charge:

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