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How can Nikon improve on the D5100, when it is such a good Camera?
by LongmanSex on Saturday, August 18, 2012
I don't envy the technical guys at Nikon. Improving on the D5100 is a tough call. The multi-award winning camera boasts an impressive array of features, each of which would put it in the top flight of camera bodies. For example, the 16.2 MP sensor graces Nikon's more expensive, professional spec D7000 and the ISO is extendable right up to 25600 for color and up to 102,400 in BW.
Whilst the D5100 doesn't have an inbuilt motor for AF-S lenses, autofocus is really very good and videographers have been very happy with the Tracking Mode.
Nikon's in-house contrast control - Active D-lighting has been a real boon in the D5100. It measures the contrast in the frame to ensure that details is kept in the brightest and darkest parts of the image.
The D5100 has plenty of power and is able to shoot 4 FPS almost continuously - you would have to shoot around 100 frames before you filled the buffer.
Nikon, like most still camera manufactureres have seen the potential of video. The tiltable screen makes shooting from novel angles so much easier and the stereo Mic socket ensures that the sound is crisp and clean.
It also has some great effect modes including night vision, (which can shoot a bw image right up to 102,400 iso) to color sketch which gives the image a naive cartoonish quality.
Whilst no photographer would want to rely on a built in flash, the D5100's is certainly good enough for fill in and is able to hold flesh tones pretty well.
The feel of the camera in hand has always been important and the buttons are well placed for intuitive operation. The menus are also fairly straightforward, certainly easy for a beginner to find their way around.
As with all Nikon cameras, image quality is paramount, and the D5100 is superb in this area. In fact, it is only the build quality which differentiates the D5100 from the top spec professional Nikons like the D7000s and the D3s. Having whetted our appetites with a greatly improved D3200, we can only guess what they will do with the D5200.
Whilst the D5100 doesn't have an inbuilt motor for AF-S lenses, autofocus is really very good and videographers have been very happy with the Tracking Mode.
Nikon's in-house contrast control - Active D-lighting has been a real boon in the D5100. It measures the contrast in the frame to ensure that details is kept in the brightest and darkest parts of the image.
The D5100 has plenty of power and is able to shoot 4 FPS almost continuously - you would have to shoot around 100 frames before you filled the buffer.
Nikon, like most still camera manufactureres have seen the potential of video. The tiltable screen makes shooting from novel angles so much easier and the stereo Mic socket ensures that the sound is crisp and clean.
It also has some great effect modes including night vision, (which can shoot a bw image right up to 102,400 iso) to color sketch which gives the image a naive cartoonish quality.
Whilst no photographer would want to rely on a built in flash, the D5100's is certainly good enough for fill in and is able to hold flesh tones pretty well.
The feel of the camera in hand has always been important and the buttons are well placed for intuitive operation. The menus are also fairly straightforward, certainly easy for a beginner to find their way around.
As with all Nikon cameras, image quality is paramount, and the D5100 is superb in this area. In fact, it is only the build quality which differentiates the D5100 from the top spec professional Nikons like the D7000s and the D3s. Having whetted our appetites with a greatly improved D3200, we can only guess what they will do with the D5200.
About the Author:
Learn more about The Nikon D5200. Check out Jeremy Bayston's site where you can find out all about Nikon's D5200 D-SLR and when it will be launched.
