Nikon D5000

	Playback Summary
• Wide variety of picture information displays, with number shown customizable • Extensive array of in-camera editing features, many genuinely useful • Perspective and distortion controls sophisticated and effective
	Sample Photos	Page 8 of 21	Hardware

Playback Mode (10.00)

Pressing up and down on the four-way controller during playback cycles through the available displays. By default, there are only two, File Information and Overview Data, but this can be expanded up to eight screens via the playback mode menu.

Playback Displays
File Information Lists folder and file name, data and time taken, image size and format.	RGB Histogram Displays a small view of the photo, luminance and RGB histograms, and white balance setting information.	Highlights Overexposed areas of the photo blink.
Shooting Data 1 Information on metering, shutter speed and aperture, exposure mode, ISO, exposure compensation, focal length, lens, focus mode, image stabilization and flash mode.	Shooting Data 2 Lists white balance, color space and Picture Control information.	Shooting Data 3 Noise reduction, Active D-Lighting and in-camera retouch information.
GPS Data Shows latitude, longitude, altitude and time.	Overview Data Same as the File Information screen at the bottom, with added info on metering mode, exposure mode, shutter speed and aperture, ISO, focal length, exposure compensation, white balance, color space, Picture Control and Active D-Lighting.

Images can be magnified up to in eight steps by repeatedly pressing the zoom key, With both data displays and magnification, turning the control dial scrolls through images in the same view, making comparisons simple.

Pressing the zoom out button while in full-screen view brings up screens with first four, then nine, then 72 thumbnails. One step further takes you to calendar view, with all photos on the memory card organized by date taken.

During movie playback, you can pause, fast forward or reverse, watch frame by frame, and adjust volume. There's no option to jump immediately back to the beginning of a clip. The same information displays used for still photos are available when browsing your movie files.

We rarely mention image deletion as a feature, but we do like the way Nikon handles this chore. Most cameras make you press an Erase button, then confirm the deletion by moving a cursor with the four-way controller and pressing another button. With the Nikon system, you press Erase, the confirmation message appears, you press the same key again (no cursor manipulation required) and ugliness has been banished from your camera. Fast, effective, satisfying.

The slideshow capability is very rudimentary. You can choose how long each picture will appear, and that's about it — all photos are included, and there is no audio or between-photo transitions.

In-Camera Editing (13.00)

Nikon consistently provides a wealth of image editing options in its consumer-level cameras, and the D5000 is no exception.

The Color Outline effect created a coloring-book version of this waterfront scene.

Software (5.00)

The Nikon D5000 software CD includes two programs, Nikon Transfer and ViewNX, in both Windows and Macintosh formats.

Software
	Nikon Transfer Ordinarily we ignore the image transfer programs camera manufacturers provide in favor of good old drag-and-drop, but Nikon Transfer has a few features that make it genuinely useful. You get a nice thumbnail display, with the option to organize by date shot, extension or folder. You can rename files during transfer, embed copyright or other text, automatically save a backup in addition to the original, and transfer photos directly to Nikon’s My Picturetown online service.
	ViewNX ViewNX is most valuable as a way to read the Nikon-specific embedded file information that won’t show up using standard photo browsing software, along with displaying the focal point used when a photo was taken, but it brings a few additional tricks to the party. Available quick adjustments include  sharpness, contrast, brightness, highlight and shadow control, chromatic aberration correction and saturation adjustment, plus exposure compensation, white balance, tint and picture control for RAW files. You can tag files with labels (0-9) or star ratings for sorting purposes. And while the slide show utility doesn’t support music, it has lots of transition effects.

Direct Print Options (3.50)

The Nikon D5000, as expected, supports both PictBridge printing directly to a USB-connected compatible printer and the creation of a DPOF file for output from a memory card at a service bureau.

Sample Photos	Page 8 of 21		Hardware
Nikon D5000 Digital Camera Review Navigation
Intro	Product Tour	Color	Noise
Resolution	White Balance	Sample Photos	Playback
Hardware	Controls	Design & Handling	Video Color & Noise
Video Motion & Sharpness	Video Low Light	Video Features	Canon T1i Comparison
Canon XS Comparison	Nikon D90 Comparison	Pentax K2000 Comparison	Conclusion
Specs & Ratings