Nikon D5000 – HDvid, articulated screen

Nikon has announced a May 1st launch for a competitor to the Canon EOS 500D, in their D5000. This camera has the first articulated screen (only 230,000 pixels) to be designed by Nikon. See:
http://www.dphotoexpert.com/2009/04/14/nikon-d5000-live-view-hdv-articulated-screen/


The screen hinge is unusual, to say the least, and results in the screen being placed below the camera when facing forward as for self-portrait, self-timer group or self-video operation. This prevents the camera from being placed on a table or other suitable surface, and when mounted on a tripod, the screen is behind the tripod head. Go figure. The Sony Cybershot R-1 got it right, Olympus generally get it right, the Sony Alpha 350/300 is so limited in positions it’s not even really ‘articulated’ just tiltable for waist level or similar composition… but this one has all the twists and turns, it’s just that you can’t use them to put the screen in a sensible position!