Nikon D5000 - good camera?
Is the Nikon D5000 a good DSLR camera? I have been looking at the D3000 but it has no live view, so I was disappointed.
What is the image quality like? And the battery life?
Would you consideer it value for money? What's the cheapest in GBP I can find it? Does it come in a bundle with a case or set anywhere?
Does anyone own this camera and can give me a review!
I take mostly landscape photography, but I'm an amateur and would like to improve my work, and I also enjoy taking macro images. Is this suitable?
Yes D5000 is a good camera albeit not latest and definitely not the best value for money proposition today.
A D3100 is upgraded version of the D3000 and D5000 both with liveview and FULLHD video.
Also it is as compact as D3000 too.
If you want to buy a PROSUMER (capable of pulling off professional grade work) camera the best beauty of a camera is the D90 (I find the versatile D90's large bright glass Pentaprism viewfinder better than cheaper pentamirror viewfinders). The D7000 is essentially a D90 with FullHD and supposedly better sensor). You could save price on a D90 as it is being phased out for D7000.
If you definitely want FullHD and want to do more videos too wait and go for the D7000 as prices plunge downwards.
If you want to experiment and go slow about learning the fine nuances of photography, save yourself money buying a D3100 and add extra faster prime and macro/telephoto lenses later.
Quality lenses for 1:1 macro arent cheap. Decent and fast 105mm f2.8 ones are approx. 380GBP onwards
see links -
D3100 -
http://www.amazon.co.uk/...00403MA4M/
D90 kit lens -
http://www.amazon.co.uk/...001EO6WAI/
Sigma 105 - f2.8 prime macro 1:1
http://www.amazon.co.uk/...0002P19XA/
It's good, but not great. Doesn't even compare well to the older D90. If you want video fine, the D5000 or D3100 are good options. Secondly I would concentrate on higher quality of glass than the camera body, though there are some things that are essential.
I would look at a D80 body which is an older version of the D90.It's a good solid DSLR with autofocus motor, wireless CLS, a pentaprism, onboard light meter and twin control wheels (none of which are on the D5000 and D3100). The lens you should be looking for with the lens is the 18-105mm VR lens.
Along with it have a look at the Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6 which is a good ultra-wide lens. Along with that I'd get either the Sigma or Nikon 105mm f2.8 Macro, which is a good mid telephoto lens as well as working to a 1:1 macro ratio.
Yes it is the best camera
Nikon D5000 Digital SLR Camera (18-55 mm VR Lens Kit)
Technical Details
12.3 Megapixel Nikon DX format CMOS
Vari-angle 2.7 inch LCD colour monitor
18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G lens
Video facility records 720p HD movie clips
11-point autofocus system with 3D focus tracking