I’ve been a huge Nikon fan for several years now. When my hubby and I were in Okinawa during his last tour of duty with the Marine Corps, we had been scared of the SLR type of cameras, but wanted something that was going to last us a very long time. We bought a camera that we thought we would be able to use for just about everything, but soon found out that the lack of an interchangeable lens was going to be a hinderance on taking those special photos that we really wanted to get, but it was going to work for now. Well, during a move, someone broke into our van and stole that camera. I was  devastated. My dad, who just happens to be a professional photographer, turned me on to the Nikon D50, saying it would do everything we needed it to. Mind you, this was back in 2006. I loved my D50, and loved learning how to take photos using all of the cool settings and features that a DSLR camera has to offer. I am a shutterbug, and love to take pictures of just about anything… especially my girls. Photography is also a very important part of writing a review blog too. When possible, I like to include actual photos and/or videos of the review product in use. Typically, I’ll have my still photo camera and my video camera at hand and hope that they are both charged  and ready to go. Sometimes they are. Sometimes they’re not. Oh how nice it would be to have one really good camera that would do it all.

Enter the Nikon D5000- an entry level DSLR that covers all the bases.

Nikon gave me the opportunity to try out the D5000 and after 60 days of using it, I did NOT want to  send it back! I mean, 60 days was not enough time for me to actually use all of the awesome functions and settings on this camera. Even for an amateur, this camera makes taking quality photos pretty easy. There are several pre-set options to help take the guesswork out of capturing some awesome moments. While the auto setting is good for taking quick photos outdoors, settings for beach, snoww, indoors and even candlelight and food take great photos of the subjects, making their true colors stand out! I’ve actually been getting braver and have stopped using some of the automatic settings now and have been able to some truly amazing photos! One example of these settings is the photo gallery full of photos I took at sunset from my front yard. The camera didn’t move. I set it up on a tripod and just went through the basic settings to see how they would turn out. The photos are amazing.

Another great feature of this camera is its ability to also take video! The video is 720p HD, and at 30 FPS, it’s pretty smooth! I love that I was able to switch from photo to video capture with the push of a single button. The large 2.5 inch LCD screen makes it easy to see what I’m capturing on video or in pictures. The screen even flips down and out for when you need to hold the camera up high to catch photos over people’s heads, or take a photo from up high.

I’ve taken all kinds of photos, using so many of the settings, and I’m still learning how to truly use this camera to it’s fullest potential. I’ve taken nature photos, candids, portraits, and photos of food, and I can’t get over how amazing the quality of the photos are!

Nikon also sent me a VR 55-300mm lens to try out for those farther away photos. I love it. I can stand on my deck and take photos of the girls across the yard like they were right in front of me.

Take a look through my Picasa Gallery, and just about every photo in there from February on is taken with the Nikon D5000. Some of my absolute favorite shots are in this photo portfolio.

All in all, I would totally recommend the Nikon D5000 to anyone looking for an entry level DSLR camera with a bunch of bells & whistles, that aren’t too hard to figure out! The photos are amazing, and the added ability to take video on the spot makes this camera a must have for me.

** I was loaned a camera & lenses for this review, which I was later given the option to purchase at a discounted rate.