I've had this camera for 6 weeks now. Initially there was a recall on the D5000 for a failing power chip but my camera was not part of the recall. There are several nice features of this camera but none more important than it takes beautiful pictures. Shots taken at full 12.3 Megapixel fine outdoor have incredible detail. I've made blowup up to 12 x 18 and the clarity is stunning. The camera fits nicely in the hand. It has 11 focal points and 16 presets for specific situations (i.e. sunset, indoor party, sport mode, photograph children, etc. ) This makes it a very easy camera to use in the automatic mode but yet, it has all the manual settings for those who want to venture out into creative photography. One very special feature is the articulating 2.7 inch LCD display on the back of the camera. This display folds out allowing me to get low shots of the grand children without me bending over (I got a bad back) or allows me to lift the camera high and shoot over a crowd (like at a parade). Do not underestimate the advantage of this moving display. For me, it clinched the deal. The camera will shoot 4 frames per second for action pictures and that's pretty fast. You can also capture pictures in RAW format for those who want to work with Photoshop in super fine detail. Another feature that is pretty neat is the outline feature. Within the camera, you can select a picture you've taken and it will create an outline picture with white background. I take pictures of the grandchildren and print them in outline on white paper and they can now have very personalized coloring pages of them! For an artist who like to paint, they can use the outline pictures to have a sketched "canvas" that they can paint with everything being in perfect proportion. For educators of small children, imagine the possibility of the children coloring themselves on pages just like a coloring book. These "coloring/painting" pages are created WITHOUT destroying the original picture! This is a very nice camera that exceeded my expectations. The camera in automatic is rarely fooled and every snapshot I take makes me glad I choose the D5000. I got the two lens kit which covers from 18mm to 200mm. The camera even has some photo editing features you can do right from the camera like spot removal. All in all, I could not be happier with this camera. Nikon does a nice job with their products and this unit has rekindled a love of photography that had gone dormant in me.Follow up after 5 months of ownership.
I continue to enjoy this camera very much. It is a solid performer. I recently bought rubber "armor" skin for the camera to protect it and that has worked out well. The camera does a very good job in Auto mode and you are tempted to just keep it there for all your pictures. However, I have branched out to the "program" mode which allows you to override the settings it chooses and play around with adjustments on aperture and shutter speed for "more creative" photography. I bought David Busch's book on the D5000 which gives you a lot of info not in the manual. The Vibration Reduction works very well on the camera and I'm getting good looking pictures on a regular basis. Our son got married and I gave the D5000 to my nephew and asked him to take pictures as he saw fit. From that I got a bunch of good family pictures that I will always cherish.
So, my rating remains the same with absolutely no regret. After moving to the D5000 from a point and shoot camera the difference has been night and day as to the quality of pictures I've been getting. I would encourage anyone who is thinking of a DSLR to consider this camera. It is fun to use and has a plethora of features that makes photography fun without breaking the bank.
ONE year ownership follow up:
After a year of ownership I am happy to report the camera continues to please me with it's great picture taking ability. There has never been any time in the last year that I regreted getting this camera. It has continued to perform flawlessly and I still have not used all the special features of this camera. The price has dropped (to be expected) and I think the D5000 is a great buy. One caution though. If you get this camera, be prepared to start loading up your hard drive with 12.3 megapixel pictures. With this great resolution, you never want to dial it back down, even though you can. Nice job Nikon!!!!
1. When using the 55-200 lens with AF and VR, sometimes the camera seems to get lost and simply do not take the picture at all, need to change subject or turn it off and back on to be able to shoot, and 2. When recording movies, the AF does not work, so you need to focus manually not a big deal if scene does not have big depth or subject does not move towards or away from the camera.I've been researching this camera for 6 months and I was kinda disappointed when I heard about the recall. I was not going to choose another camera because it seemed that Nikon would take care of the "bad" batch. I planned to get the camera in time for a trip I was taking early September. I delayed ordering it as much as I could and then one day I went ahead and ordered the camera with the 2 lens kit from Shutterbug. I spoke with Shutterbug over the phone and they reassured me that the camera I would receive was not part of the recall. Got the camera August 14 and I love it! I am not an SLR expert (this is my first) but I think I made the right choice. Many reputable companies issue recalls on their products. Nikon handled the issue the right way and I think it's not a reason to give bad reviews to a product based on a recall. This is a wonderful camera.
I decided to make the move to the D-SLR after using a prosumer/superzoom (Panasonic) for 5 years. I am still very happy with the superzoom but the poor ISO performance of the non-slrs was the deciding factor to get the D5000.
This camera has excellent performance at ISO 1600 and the kit lenses are pretty good considering you even get image stabilisation for the price. LiveView works pretty good if you can handle the ~ 2 sec focus delay. I recommend this camera for the amateur photographers crossing over to SLR.
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I haven't come close to utilizing all the features of the camera but I love it so far. I used to shoot a lot with my film SLR years ago and was initially excited about going digital, but found that the shutter delay on all my digital point and shoots was terrible. I ended up taking fewer pictures! Shutter delay is minimal in the D5000. Still not as fast as a film SLR but the lag is not so long as to be irritating.
Finally Nikon DSLR technology and quality are affordable. I paid $965 I think, for the body and two lens package, which I think is more than reasonable. There is no point in getting a higher resolution camera at this point in time because I don't think the technology is there unless you are spending many thousands of $$$$.
Yes, shooting with the Live View on is a joke. It takes up to five seconds to get a photo depending on the lighting/subject. The workaround is simple. Compose your photo with Live View if you like, turn off the live view and the touch of a button and THEN take your photo. Yes it would be nice if this were not a problem but for less than a grand with video capability I am willing to put up with it. Besides, i am old-school and actually prefer TTL composition anyway. YMMV.
Hope this helps in your decision making process!My prior DSLR was a 3 year old Canon Digital Rebel XT--it took OK pictures, but nothing to call home about. A recent visit by a family member yielded some phenomenal pictures of my son. Before my nephew left, I borrowed his Nikon to take some pictures and they came out well, too. Then I got to thinking...everyone I know that takes good pictures uses a Nikon and my decision was made.
What struck me about this kit is the completeness and the quality of it. I purchased the 2-lens kit from Costco--it came with a Nikon case, a DSLR book and two DVDs on DSLR photography. I think it's a wise decision on Nikon's part to market its equipment with DVDs on how to use it because people will be left with the impression that Nikon equipment is better based on the results they get from it...a little education goes a long way.
The camera has a solid feel despite having a plastic case. The adjustable LCD screen usually stays flat on the back of my camera, but I have used it when photographing in crowds. It's also nice for environmental pictures because you can see what's going on in the viewfinder without having to draw attention to yourself setting up a shot. The menu system is very good and allows you to get to the controls very quickly compared to the menu system on my older Canon Digital Rebel XT. What is really nice is the picture viewing system on the camera--you can quickly make your way through your pictures and delete the ones you don't want without having to press all sorts of buttons.
Neophytes will also appreciate the help system on the camera. With every camera I've previously owned, I had to carry the manual around in the bag in order to remember how to alter all the settings and what the sometimes cryptic icons mean. On the Nikon, you can just press the help button on any setting and it'll give you a quick explanation of what a particular setting does. It also gives you example pictures for the various ISO settings, which makes life a lot easier when trying to set your camera up for a shot.
The autofocus is fast for a prosumer camera, the lenses are sharp, and the focus settings are very easy to manipulate. If you're looking for a nice DSLR to get your feet wet with, this is a wonderful camera. The only downside is the autofocus motor is built into the Nikon lenses...you're married to AF-S lenses, so if you expect to take your photography to higher levels after this one, you risk the investment in your lenses. For me, this camera is perfect and has opened up a new world for me in terms of where I can take good pictures.
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