Nikon D5000 turns all other cameras into a pumpkin!

Nikon has released a new camera today, the Nikon D5000.  I take it as a truism of life in the digital age, that anything I buy today will be obsolete* within a year or two.  So it goes with the Nikon D5000, which replaces the Nikon D60 that was released only 15 months ago, and utilizes many of the components of the more expensive D90, released last fall.  Here's a picture:



This is not to be confused with the Pontiac 5000, which has actually been obsolete since about 1991:



You can find all the specs for this new camera at the link above, but in a nutshell, the D5000 is a D90 shoved into the smaller body of a D60, with a couple of extra zeros tacked on to the name for good measure.  It has the same 12.3mp sensor as the D90, live view and video functions, but lacks the drive motor in the body for using older Nikon lenses.  The one completely new addition is the articulating screen on the back.  Olympus uses a much more functional screen on their DSLRs, where the screen swivels out to the side, and then up and down.  This Nikon version only pops down, meaning you have to be careful when putting the camera on the ground.  To me, this looks like an accident waiting to happen.

* I'm speaking in terms of marketing, obviously.  Yes, your D60 can still take photos.  It will not turn into a pumpkin at the stroke of midnight.