New Vari-angle monitor
The innovative Vari-angle monitor swings down approximately 90° and rotates 180°, allowing users to easily shoot from interesting angles in Live View mode. Featuring a bright 2.7-in. 230,000-dot LCD, the new monitor provides a comfortable view from virtually any shooting perspective. The monitor can also be stowed with the LCD panel neatly tucked against the camera back to protect the screen when not in use.
Nikon DX-format 12.3-megapixel CMOS image sensor
At 12.3 effective megapixels, the D5000 produces high-resolution images with outstanding enlargement capability. The high signal-to-noise ratio results in images with extremely low noise even when shooting at high ISO settings. Normal ISO sensitivity is ISO 200 to 3200. For added shooting versatility, a Hi 1 setting increases sensitivity to ISO 6400 while a Lo 1 setting decreases it to ISO 100.
Specially designed EXPEED image processing system
The D5000 is equipped with Nikon's exclusive EXPEED image processing system. This leading-edge technology provides the power to process the large amount of data generated by the D5000's 12.3-megapixel CMOS sensor. EXPEED realizes excellent resolution, long tonal scale, and superb colour while also making possible fast processing of the D5000's advanced imaging functions such as Scene Recognition with Face Detection, Live View AF, and Active D-Lighting ", LookAt:=xlPart? all of which demand tremendous processing capability.
Live View shooting
Nikon's versatile Live View shooting, now enhanced by the D5000's Vari-angle monitor, can be accessed with one-touch ease by pressing the Live View button. Autofocus with Live View has been further improved by the addition of Subject tracking AF, which automatically locks onto a pre-selected subject and maintains focus on it even if it momentarily leaves the frame. This mode joins three other contrast-detect AF modes with which the D5000 is equipped: Face priority AF (automatically detects up to five faces in a scene then focuses on the closest face); Wide area AF (offers a large AF area for optimal handheld shooting) and; Normal area AF (provides pin-point focusing accuracy for excellent results when using a tripod).
Movie clips with D-Movie
In response to user demand for video shooting capability in digital SLRs, the D5000 includes Nikon's D-Movie function. First available on the Nikon D90, D-Movie gives users the flexibility to shoot Motion JPEG movie clips in different formats at a smooth 24 frames per second. For high-quality playback on HDTVs, the D5000 produces clips at 1,280 x 720 pixels. Users who want to view on standard computer monitors or upload to photo sharing websites can shoot at 640 x 424 pixels or 320 x 216 pixels, respectively. Because the D5000's sensor is much larger than that of a typical camcorder, movie clips display superior image quality and low noise even when shot at high ISO settings. Additionally, the D5000's compatibility with NIKKOR AF-S and AF-I lenses opens up a wide range of possibilities for dramatic expression, from fisheye and wide-angle shots to long telephoto scenes and extreme close-ups.
19 Scene Modes
Scene Modes empower users to obtain great looking shots in a variety of situations with point-and-shoot ease. These modes adjust exposure, white balance, Active D-lighting, and Picture Control settings depending on the selected mode. Six commonly used modes can be selected using the D5000's mode dial, while the remaining 13 are accessed by setting the mode dial to SCENE then simply turning the command dial to make the selection. To assist in determining the best mode, the D5000 displays a sample photo as each mode is selected. Newly added modes are Pet Portrait, Candlelight, Blossom, Autumn Colours, Food, Silhouette, High Key, and Low Key.
Scene Recognition System with Face Detection System
In order to accurately adjust exposure and white balance as well as assist autofocus, the D5000 utilizes a 420-pixel RGB sensor to analyze colour and illumination over the entire scene milliseconds prior to exposure. This allows the D5000 to better evaluate scene content, resulting in improved exposure for better image quality while also boosting autofocus performance. Additionally, the D5000 detects human faces using its Face Detection System.
Active D-Lighting
The D5000 incorporates Nikon's Active D-Lighting function to vastly improve details in the shadows and highlights of high-contrast scenes. Like the Scene Recognition System, Active D-Lighting utilizes the 420-pixel RGB sensor to analyze a scene then adjust exposure to achieve images that closely resemble what the human eye sees. During processing, this function also restores details in areas of the image that exhibit image loss. There are six Active D-Lighting settings ", LookAt:=xlPart? Auto, Extra High, High, Normal, Low, and Off ", LookAt:=xlPart? along with a bracket mode that allows users to shoot one image with Active D-Lighting and one without.
11-point AF system with Multi-CAM 1000 autofocus module
Employing 11-point autofocus driven by Nikon's Multi-CAM 1000 autofocus module, the D5000 delivers fast, precise focus over a wide area of the frame when shooting through the optical viewfinder. Four versatile AF modes are available: single-point AF for stationary subjects, especially ones that are off-centre; dynamic-area AF for moving subjects; auto-area AF when you want the D5000 to automatically determine the proper focus method and; 3D-tracking (11 points) AF for maintaining focus on subjects even if the composition changes.
