Nikon® D5000 Digital Field Guide

Chapter 1. Exploring the Nikon D5000

In This Chapter

• Key components of the D5000

• Viewfinder display

• Information display

This chapter covers the key components of the Nikon D5000. These are the features that are most readily accessible because they are situated on the outside of the camera: the buttons, knobs, switches, and dials.

If you are upgrading from another dSLR, some of this will likely be a review, but there are some new features that you may or may not be aware of, so a quick read-through is a good idea even if you are an experienced Nikon dSLR user.

If you are new to the world of dSLRs, this chapter is a great way to get acquainted with some of the terms that are used in conjunction with your new camera.

So fasten your seatbelts, and get ready to explore the D5000!

Key Components of the D5000

If you have or are seriously looking at a camera of the Nikon D5000's caliber, you are probably pretty familiar with the basic buttons and switches that you need to work with the basic settings. In this section, you look at the camera from all sides and break down the layout so that you know what everything on the surface of the camera does.

This section doesn't cover the menus, only the exterior controls. Although there are many features you can access with just the push of a button, oftentimes you can change the same setting inside a menu option. Although the D5000 doesn't have the same number of buttons as some of its siblings in the Nikon line, it does have quite a few of them. Knowing ...