Nikon D5300 Review

Nikon has come up with the latest D5300 which will be replacing D5200. These cameras are touted as the entry level camera and the price range is also kept that way. With the body only you will get this camera at $799.95 but if you add lenses to it, then depending on the lens the price will vary but it will be around $1000. When we hear the name Nikon in the camera world we tend to expect certain things out of it even if it is as entry level range camera. Let’s see if Nikon has lived up to its name or have fumbled to deliver what was expected out of it.

  • The quality of the image – The image quality seems to be at par with the name. You will be getting a clear image, but one of the problems that has been witnessed is that broader tonal range is missing. Even in the dim light it has the capacity of clicking sharp images and color reproduction is also very good when compare to other cameras of this range. The image quality is better even at ISO sensitivities from its predecessor. Even if you find noises in the image you will still see an excellent sharp image and this is a big achievement. You will easily get good clicks up to ISO 1600 but after that it will show signs of degradation. Though the quality falls with increasing ISO but it is not that bad that you cannot print out the pictures. It is just that at ISO 800 or ISO 1600 the image quality that is present when we up the ISO the quality degrades. The camera default 1:4 Normal Compression which is just about ok. If you are using the default settings then the image quality will be good and you won’t be complaining about anything but here it seems that matrix metering is a bit of an issue with this model as it has tended of underexposing. If you are talking about video then it is really good for personal use. While recording in the dark you will come up with noise in the picture.

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  • Features – This model has introduced the Wi-Fi connectivity and some other features are there which takes it from the entry level and makes it sit with the likes of DX-format Nikon DSLR. It has 24.2 MP DX-format sensor and the CMOS sensor have a maximum pixel of 6000 X 4000 pixels, but the output seems to be the same though the proposition is said to be the same. It has the ability to record a sharper and clearer image. The sensitivity range is quite similar to Nikon’s very own D7100. The new model of Nikon shoots at 5 frames per second, which is the same as that of D5200 so no change in this section from its predecessor. Nikon D5300 is the first of its kind DSLR which comes with the new EXPEED 4 image processing engine. Naturally the expectation is that it will increase the frames per second count, but that didn’t happen with this model.

 

  • Metering – This one is nothing new as it uses 2016 pixel metering sensor. It automatically identifies the scene and does its own adjustment as it comes with Scene Recognition System. The screen technology is far way behind Canon therefore it will have to work on this a lot. With the features that is imbibed in it you can easily term it as an upper entry level DSLR camera and it has great features to support the filmmakers. It has an inbuilt microphone and has the place to fit in external microphone as well. The video captures at the rate of 50p and also have the ability to autofocus continuously.

 

  • Design – The body is not that curvaceous but the thumb rest at the back provides comfortable image capturing. Ergonomics is taken care of this time and screen is also larger than before.

Sensor

24MP APS-C CMOS sensor

Output Size

6000 x 4000

Focal Length Mag

1.5x

Lens Mount

Nikon DX

File Format

JPEG, Raw

Compression

Fine, Normal, Basic

ISO

100 – 12800 (extendable to ISO 25600)

Shutter Speeds

30 – 1/4000 Sec

Drive Mode

Up to 5fps

Viewfinder Type

Optical, 95% coverable

LCD

3.2in, 1,037k-dot vari-angle LCD

Live Mode

Yes

Movie Mode

1920 x 1080 @ 60, 50, 30, 25 and 24fps

Built-in Image Stabilization

No

Dust Reduction

Yes

Focusing Modes

Contrast detect; Phase detect; Multi-area; Center; Tracking; Face Detect; Single; Live view

Exposure Modes

Auto, P, A, S, M

Metering System

TTL metering using 2016-pixel RGB sensor

Exposure Comp

+/-5 at 1/3 and 1/2 EV steps

Color Space

sRGB, Adobe RGB

White Balance

Auto, Preset, Manual

White Balance Bracket

3 shots in 1/2 or 1/3 EV

Color Temp Control

Yes

DoF Preview

Yes

Built-in Flash

Yes

Max Flash Sync

1/200 sec

PC Socket

No

Cable Release

Yes

Memory Card

SD, SDHC, SDXC

Power

Lithium-Ion EN-EL14a

Connectivity

USB 2, HDMI, Wi-Fi, GPS

Dimensions

125 x 98 x 76mm

Weight

480g

AF Points

Max 39