Nikon has announced the 12.3 megapixel D5000 digital SLR camera with geotagging support this morning. Designed for beginning and experienced photographers alike, the Nikon D5000 has a 2.7-inch LCD swivel display that rotates and tilts opening up the opportunity to experiment with various viewing angles. When not in use the display hugs the camera’s side to protect it from scratches.
This functionality is further enhanced by four Live View autofocus shooting modes with one-button activation. Subject tracking autofocus automatically locks on moving subjects, easing the task of photographing children, etc. The Face Priority mode detects up to five faces in a single scene, the Wide Area autofocus enlarges the viewing area for handheld shooting, while the Normal Area autofocus is designed for accuracy when using a tripod.
Nineteen automatic scene settings eliminate the need to manually adjust the camera for quick scene switches. Included are scene setting such as Sport, Portrait and Candlelight. Also making it easier for beginners is on-camera editing features which allow photographic touchups without a computer.
The Nikon D5000 also has a D-movie mode enabling it to capture 720p video in 24 frames per second. Both photographs and video can be geotagged with latitude and longitude coordinates, altitude, and time information using the compatible Nikon GP-1 GPS unit.
Available near the end of April, the Nikon D5000 package will include the AF-S NIKKOR 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR lens and will sell for an estimated retail price of $849.95. It will be available camera-only for $729.95.