I was going to buy the Nikon D60, but got this one instead for about the same price It's really a great beginner's camera, with everything the D60 has, most of what the D90 has (including movie-shooting) and some things that neither one have, like the useful swiveling LCD. It's only 2.7 inches instead of three inches, but the ability to shoot from waist level or by holding the camera over my head is really useful. I even have shot a self portrait with it. If your more advanced, you'll probably want the D90, but if just starting out the D5000 is a great camera. I also recommend David Busch's Nikon D5000 Guide to Digital SLR Photography as a guide. It's much more complete than the manual that comes with the camera and will teach you about photography as well as the D5000.

• Buy D5000 Black SLR Digital Camera Kit w/ 18-55mm Lens now at STAPLES for $749.99
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Nikon D5000 12.3 MP DX Digital SLR Camera with 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR Lens and 2.7-inch Vari-angle LCDExcellent product with competitive pricing. Great transaction.

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I have been in the digital camera world since purchasing my first digital camera in 1991. The camera had a picture resolution of 640 x 480, and stored the images on a 3.5" floppy. Since then I have owned about 6 digital cameras.I have heard about how good the Nikon cameras are from my semi-pro shooting buddies. In November of 2008, I purchased some stocks hoping to make a quick two thousand so I could by the Nikon D90 by Christmas time.Well . . . it took me longer than I anticipated to make money on my stock picks. But now, low and behold, here comes the D5000, with the same sensor and engine, but at a much more moderate price than the D90.The D5000 would have cost many thousands just a few years ago. And today, for under $800 delivered? At this price, Nikon is going to sell a lot of these cameras.What does the D5000 offer me? 1. Fantastic pictures. 2. Awesome low-light capability. 3. Very fast operation. It is easy to hold and simple to navigate the menus. This is the BEST camera I have ever owned. I really couldn't ask for anything more from a camera within this price range. The bottom line is handling and picture quality. The D5000 excels in both of these areas. I am so glad I read the many on-line reviews. I finally purchased my first Nikon, and I'm loving it!

• Buy D5000 Black SLR Digital Camera Kit w/ 18-55mm Lens now at J&R for $749.95
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To set the tone, I am pretty much a novice when it comes to Photography. My last two digital cameras were point and shoot. It was only recently that I decided to upgrade to a DSLR.After thoroughly researching the currently available DSLR's I settled on the D5000. From what I read, it sounded like this was a camera that I could learn with and grow into as I gained more experience and knowledge of the camera and it's capabilities. Out of the box it was a breeze to use and I was amazed how nice the pictures were. I took the camera to a bike race to test the Sports mode and I was blown away at how quickly the camera took pictures (four pictures per second). At the end of two and a half hours, I had taken 507 pictures! Not one of them blurry!I am extremely happy with the D5000 and can't wait to take more pictures with it.

Nikon D5000 12.3 MP DX Digital SLR Camera with 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR Lens and 2.7-inch Vari-angle LCDDo not purchase if you want to use it. arrived with a dead screen. Nikon is too lazy to check its products.