DemystifyingDigital.com EXCLUSIVE: Hands-On Video with the Nikon D5000
Dan Havlik
Nikon D5000 Video Review
In many ways, the new Nikon D5000 combo cam is a hybrid of a hybrid; blending entry-level and advanced digital SLR features while offering the ability to capture high-resolution photos and HD (720p) video at 24 frames per second.
I used the D5000 to shoot this video of young bike-riders struggling to get up a steep hill. During a press briefing I had with Nikon at the PMA show, a Nikon rep described flipping and twisting down the D5000's vari-angle screen as putting it "on the sight line" and that's a fairly accurate description. I only wish there was a better way to keep the camera steady when trying to do a tracking shot – the built-in Vibration Reduction (VR) in the 18-55mm helped but only a bit – since HD video makes even a subtle shake seem dramatic.
I also wish the D5000's monaural microphone had some way to screen out wind sounds. Yesterday was quite gusty and in most of my outdoor clips the dull roar of the wind is distracting. Otherwise though, shooting HD with this camera is a snap.
Read more about the new Nikon D5000 in our comprehensive review and see exclusive photos.