Nikon D5000 DSLR Review

Consumer DSLRs with HD video capabilities are becoming more and more prevalent these days. As a result, manufacturers are constantly battling to find ways to differentiate themselves and their products from the others. Nikon's D5000 offers a few features that help set it apart from other options in the company's line as well as from the models offered by other manufacturers.


Like many DSLRs today, the D5000 offers Live View mode. It also has HD movie recording capabilities with the ability to capture up to 720p HD video at 24fps. While some cameras such as the Canon EOS Rebel T1i focus on a large, high-resolution display on the back of the camera, Nikon has gone a slightly different route and has opted to feature an articulating screen on the back of the D5000. This screen may not offer quite the size or resolution of some of its competitors' models, but it does give you a lot of flexibility when you're shooting in Live View mode or filming videos.

The D5000 resembles some of its predecessors in terms of looks, but it actually inherits many higher-end features such as those found in the Nikon D90. For starters, the D5000 uses the same 12.3 megapixel CMOS sensor that's found in the D90. As a result, you'll also get the same sensitivity range of ISO 200-3200 with Lo-1 (ISO 100) and Hi-1 (ISO 6400) options. To help combat dust and keep your images clean, the D5000 incorporates a vibrating low pass filter as well as Nikon's Airflow system.


Although the D5000's burst rate of 4fps is slightly slower than that of the D90's 4.5fps burst speed, it's important to remember that many DSLRs in the D5000's class offer burst speeds in the 3fps to 3.5fps range. This includes one of the D5000's biggest competitors, the Canon EOS Rebel T1i, with a burst of 3.4fps.

With a few good (and somewhat reasonably priced) DSLRs on the market today that can capture HD video, it can be tough for new users to decide which camera to choose. For users who are considering an upgrade from their current DSLR and who already own accessories or lenses, switching manufacturers may not be a good option. But just because you may be locked into a certain brand doesn't mean you're ready to pick up the company's latest and greatest. So is the D5000 the next greatest camera from one of the top DSLR manufacturers?

Read on as we take a closer look at the Nikon D5000 to see how it stacks up to the competition as well as whether it's worth the upgrade for current Nikon DSLR owners who want to use their current accessories and lenses.