Yesterday Nikon announced their latest entry-level digital SLR, and the latest SLR to feature a HD movie mode. It seems to be aimed squarely at the likes of Canon’s EOS 500D/Rebel T1i, Olympus’ E450 and Panasonic’s GH1 cameras. Here’s a quick rundown of its specifications:

Nikon D5000 digital SLR
(Entry-level digital SLR camera)

• 12 megapixel CMOS sensor (1.5X crop factor)
• Dust reduction
• No screw drive; autofocus available with AF-S/AI-S lenses only
• 11 point AF
• 2.7 inch tilt down and rotate LCD
• Live view with contrast detect autofocus and face detection
• Quiet Release (silent) shutter mode
• Full manual controls
• Base ISO range 200 – 3200 (expandable to 100 – 6400)
• Auto Active D-Lighting and many playback editing features
• 4 FPS burst mode
• 720p (1280 x 720 at 24 FPS) movie mode with sound; no continuous autofocus
• Takes SD/SDHC memory cards
• Uses a lithium-ion battery
• Available in April for $730 (body only) or $850 (18-55 VR kit lens)

Nikon also announced a new AF-S lens, the ultra-wide angle 10 – 24 mm, f3.5 – f4.5 SWM lens. It will go for around $900 in May.

Related articles:

• Nikon unveils D300s and D3000 digital SLRs
• Pentax K-x digital SLR announced
• Nikon D3S professional digital SLR announced
• Canon Rebel T1i aka EOS 500D announced
• Canon PowerShot A480 released