So you think you know how to use your Nikon D5000? Like many of us, you may have a DSLR or compact system camera but tend to use only a handful of your its features.

In our ongoing review of some of the more popular current and ‘out of date’ Nikon cameras, we want to help you better harness the creative potential of your camera.

Call them camera tips, or call it a user’s guide to your favourite Nikon camera. The advice below comes from experts who have used the Nikon D5000 and know this DSLR inside and out.

If you have your own Nikon D5000 tips you’d like to share, post them in the comments below. What we want to build is an ever-growing user’s guide for the Nikon D5000 that comes not from a press release or a lab test, but from the photographers who shoot with this DSLR (read more DSLR tips or read about another Nikon DSLR).

We want to inspire you to twist the mode dial and move beyond your favourite settings and functions and get more out of your Nikon D5000 starting today!

Nikon D5000 tip no. 1
Because the rear screen pivots from the bottom, it’s often impossible to reposition it when mounted on a tripod; remember to get the screen positioned the way you want it first.

Nikon D5000 tip no. 2
The D5000 has 19 Scene modes – most of them not accessible via the Mode Dial. In exploring what they can do, think laterally: e.g. try Food mode for close-ups without flash.

Nikon D5000 tip no. 3
If the camera’s beeps (e.g. when it acquires focus) annoy you, or you’re trying to be unobtrusive, you can turn them off using item d1 in the Custom settings menu.

Nikon D5000 tip no. 4
Live View mode is ideal for really precise focusing (as long as you’re not in a hurry), and the focus point can be placed absolutely anywhere on the screen.

Nikon D5000 tip no. 5
The D5000 can accept an EyeFi card. Loaded in the usual slot, it acts like a normal memory card, but also contains an antenna which allows images to be uploaded to a WiFi network.

READ MORE

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Here’s a Nikon DSLR tip you perhaps didn’t know… All Nikon DSLRs will show what aperture you’re using (‘F11’ or f/11 in the example above).

However, the Nikon D3000, Nikon D3100, D5000 and D5100 can also give you a graphical depiction of the aperture on their information displays.

If you’d like to see this, go to the Setup menu, select ‘Info display format’ and check Graphic. The diagram then shows roughly how wide the aperture is set and is a reminder that bigger numbers relate to small apertures.

For a more detailed explanation of what this Graphic reminder is showing you about your aperture, our infographic below explains some of the finer points of your lens. Simply drag and drop this graphic on to your desktop and save it for a handy reference!

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