The Nikon D5000 is aimed at people who are looking to step up from a compact digital camera to a Digital SLR. The main features include 12 megapixels, a 2.7 inch LCD screen, live view and High Definition movies. The Nikon D5000 can be bought in kit form so that you can buy a starter lens as part of the package.

The LCD screen will fillip out and twist round. This can be a big advantage if you are shooting at awkward angles. With the introduction of live view scenes can now be viewed on the LCD screen prior to a shot being taken.

High Definition movie shooting is a relatively new addition to Digital SLR cameras. Their introduction has proved popular to hobby photographers who were used to a movie feature on any compact digital camera they used.

Another feature that has been transferred from compact digital camera is scene modes. These help the camera to understand the type of scene you are about to photograph. This gives it a better chance of using the optimum setting for the shot, although you may wish to override the settings suggested by the D5000 through the manual exposure settings available to you. The list of scenes includes Sports, Portrait, Candlelight, Silhouette and Autumn Colors.