Nikon P5000 Camera

The P5000 is an old model. We have pro reviews for both the P5100 and the P6000 and neither one got a great review:

Nikon P6000 Pro Review >>
Nikon P5100 Pro Review >>

The reason that niether one got a really good review was that they didn't really fulfill the promise of being much better than a standard point-and-shoot. If you own a Nikon DSLR system and have a Nikon flash you can mount on the shot shoe, then they look better. But otherwise, the high-end compacts to beat right now are the Canon PowerShot G10 and G11, and the Panasonic Lumix LX3.

What to look for in a camera like this? That's a good question. Take a good look at Larry's reviews for the P5100 and P6000 to see why he didn't like them - that will tell you a lot. For me, personally, I'd rather just step up to a DSLR. I either want a camera that fits in my pocket or I'll just deal with the extra size and weight of the digital SLR for the better control and image quality. Canon and Panasonic both went out of their way to deliver better image quality than the average compact camera and that's why they're on top right now. I honestly have a hard time with the high-end compacts because I don't think they really offer enough to make them worth the investment. I would encourage you to take a look at the Olympus and Panasonic Micro Four Thirds cameras. The Panasonic G1 and the Olympus E-P1 both have changeable lenses and much better image quality than the best compact cameras and they're still relatively small compared to a digital SLR. Here are articles on both of those cameras as well as the Micro Four Thirds format announcement:

Olympus E-P1 Intro >>
Panasonic Lumix G1 Intro >>
Micro Four Thirds Format Announcement >>

Right now, I am inclide to recommend Micro Four Thirds cameras to anyone who is looking at high end compact cameras. Like I said, I either want it to fit in my pocket or I will commit to something bigger and better. And the Micro Four Thirds cameras aren't that much bigger than the Canon G10 or the Nikon P6000. They do cost more, but it's a better long-term investment.