Digital cameras

Nikon D5000

Price range:

$549.00 - $599.95

Summary: A 12-megapixel basic SLR from Nikon with a 2.7-inch swiveling liveview LCD, 4 fps continuous shooting, and a 1.5x 35mm equivalent magnification factor.

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Type: Basic

Specs
Weight (oz.) Total weight of the camera body only, including the battery and memory card(s). Weight (oz.)	21.6
Battery life (shots) This indicates the number of high-resolution shots the camera takes with the batteries supplied. Battery life (shots)	510
Body exterior The main material that the camera's exterior is composed of. Body exterior	Plastic
35mm equivalent multiplier Many SLRs have sensors that are smaller than the actual size of one frame of 35mm film, which changes a lens's effective focal length. To determine the equivalent focal length, you multiply the lens's focal length by the appropriate multiplication factor. Most Nikon SLRs have a 1.5x factor, which changes the effective focal length of a 50mm lens to 75mm. An Olympus SLR's 2x factor would change a 50mm lens to 100mm. 35mm equivalent multiplier	1.5
Shutter speed range Shutter speed controls the length of time that the camera lets in light to expose the camera's sensor. This specification shows the range of selectable shutter speeds by defining the minimum and maximum shutter speeds. Shutter speed range	30-1/4000
Max. continuous speed (fps) Maximum number of stills or frames the camera can shoot in one second in continuous shooting mode. Measured in frames per second, this burst mode allows you to shoot images quickly, one right after the other. Max. continuous speed (fps)	4
Max. buffer size JPEG/RAW This number essentially calculates the number of images (either JPEG or RAW files) that can be stored in a buffer (where files are stored temporarily) before the camera slows down. Max. buffer size JPEG/RAW	100/11
Flash sync This is the maximum shutter speed you can use in order to sync the flash with the camera. It allows the camera to properly coordinate the amount of time the shutter admits light into the camera with the burst of light produced by the flash. Flash sync	1/200
Flash recycling (sec.) The amount of time the flash needs to recharge itself to full power. Flash recycling (sec.)	4
Still image formats The type of image file (or image file combinations) the camera uses to record and store digital images. Examples include JPEG and RAW file formats. Still image formats	JPEG, RAW, RAW+JPEG
LCD size (in.) Diagonal measurement of the LCD monitor screen. LCD size (in.)	2.7
LCD pixel count Total number of pixels of the LCD monitor. In general, the higher the number of pixels, the clearer and sharper the image will be. LCD pixel count	230000
Memory card slots/type The number of slots and the type of memory card format the SLR uses for storing images. Memory card slots/type	1, SD card
Width (in.) The width of the camera body is measured in inches and rounded to the nearest tenth of an inch. Width (in.)	5
Height (in.) The height of the camera body is measured in inches and rounded to the nearest tenth of an inch. Height (in.)	4.1
Depth (in.) The depth of the camera body is measured in inches and rounded to the nearest tenth of an inch. Depth (in.)	3.1
Flash power guide number (m.) This number measures the output of the camera's flash by calculating the maximum distance the flash can reach at 100 ISO. Lower numbers indicate a weaker flash. Higher numbers indicate a stronger flash. Flash power guide number (m.)	13
Max. ISO This is the SLR's highest sensor sensitivity at full resolution. Max. ISO	6400

Features
Image stabilizer This feature shows which type of image stabilization a camera uses, lens-based (L) or body-based (B). When the stabilizer is turned on, it can minimize the effects of camera shake, which can lead to blurry shots. Image stabilizer	L
Live view This feature lets you compose directly on the camera's LCD, as you would on a point-and-shoot camera. Live view	Yes
Spot meter Indicates if the SLR has the ability to measure light at a very small spot in the middle of the framed image. This small spot is usually around three percent of the size of the framed image. Spot meter	Yes
Autofocus motor Indicates whether or not the SLR has a motor to power autofocusing of a lens when that lens doesn't have an AF motor built into it. Autofocus motor	No
Second curtain flash sync This is a specialized flash mode that fires the flash just before the shutter closes. When used with a long exposure, you can create an effect where the motion blur seems to trail the subject your shooting. Second curtain flash sync	Yes
Color space This refers to computerized models of color ranges that a camera can reproduce. The two most common are sRGB and Adobe RGB. In terms of size, Adobe RGB has a larger color range than sRGB. Another model, ProPhoto RGB, has one of the largest ranges. Color spaces can generally be set via your SLR's menus. Color space	sRGB, adobeRGB
Top LCD panel Indicates whether or not the SLR has an additional panel for camera settings and exposure information. It's generally positioned near the shutter button. Top LCD panel	No
Live histogram A histogram provides you with a visual representation or chart of the shadows, middle tones and highlights--or the range of values--that appear in the scene you're shooting. Along the horizontal axis, you'll find the darkest tones at the far left and the highlights at the far right, with the middle tones in the middle. The vertical axis reveals how much of a particular value or tone is represented. If there are a lot of highlights, the right side will have very tall columns. If there are lots of shadows, there will be very tall columns on the left side. SLRs have had the ability to incorporate this feature in playback mode. But if an SLR has a live-view feature, it will most likely have a live histogram, meaning that it can respond to the scene your pointing at and show up right on your LCD. This also means that the histogram will change as you point it at different lighting scenes. Live histogram	No
Exposure modes These modes or settings refer to those available directly on the main mode dial and often include the main exposure modes, such as program auto, shutter priority, aperture priority and manual. Select scene modes, such as portrait, sports, close-up and landscape modes as well as additional settings can be found on this dial as well. Exposure modes	13
Creative modes These modes allow you to change several parameters at once--such as color saturation, image sharpness, and contrast. The names vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, but common ones include standard, monochrome, and neutral. Although the number listed here refers to the preprogrammed modes, you can save out additional customized or user-defined settings. Creative modes	6
Wireless remote The remote control included with the camera. Wireless remote	No
Post-editing modes Refers to image-correction modes available after image capture, including red-eye correction, image cropping and RAW-to-JPEG conversion. Post-editing modes	13
PC flash sync jack Although the hot shoe is the most common method, you can also use this terminal to connect your flash to your SLR body. PC flash sync jack	No
HDMI jack This new interface (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) allows you to connect your SLR to an HDTV or to a monitor. HDMI jack	Yes
Lens included Model comes with a lens. For models that don't come bundled with a lens, expect to pay $150 to $300 extra for the equivalent of a kit lens. Lens included	Yes

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