DSLRs are notoriously difficult to use, often making it impossible for lowly photographers to take the pictures they see adorned all over Flickr, fear not the Nikon D5100 is a versatile step-up DSLR for novices and enthusiasts
Although DSLRs are becoming increasingly complex and feature-rich, manufacturers are trying to make them easier to use. Nikon has been at the forefront of this development, over the last six months we've seen the Nikon D3100 and now it's bigger brother the Nikon D5100. Nikon D5100 specs include a 16.2Mp Nikon D5100, which replaces the D5000, has straight-forward handling, easy to use Special Effects modes (Night Vision, Color Sketch, Miniature, Selective Color, Silhouette, High Key and Low Key), an image-merging HDR option, a host of scene modes and an articulated 3in LCD screen to help when shooting from unusual angles.
In many ways the D5100 seems to offer everything the aspiring photographer could wish for as the more advanced Program, Aperturee Priority, Shutter Priority and Manual exposure modes are also on hand.
| Specifications |
| Lens Mount |
Nikon F bayonet mount |
| Picture Angle |
Effective picture angle 1.5x (Approx.) conversion factor (Nikon DX format) |
| Effective Pixels |
16.2 million |
| Sensor Size |
23.6mm x 15.6mm |
| Image Sensor Format |
DX |
| Image Sensor Type |
CMOS |
| Total Pixels |
16.9 million |
| Dust-reduction system |
Image sensor cleaning |
| Shutter type |
Electronically controlled vertical-travel focal-plane |
| Shutter Speed |
1/4000 to 30 sec. in steps of 1/3 EV |
| Fastest Shutter Speed |
1/4000 sec. |
| Slowest Shutter Speed |
30 sec. |
| Flash Sync Speed |
Up to 1/200 sec. |
| Lowest Standard ISO Sensitivity |
100 |
| Highest Standard ISO Sensitivity |
6400 |
| Highest Expanded ISO Sensitivity |
HI-2 (ISO 25,600 equivalent) |
| Long Exposure Noise Reduction |
Yes |
| Monitor Size |
3.0 in. diagonal |
| Monitor Resolution |
921,000 Dots |
| Monitor Type |
Wide Viewing Angle
Vari-angle TFT-LCD |
| Monitor Angle of View |
170-degree wide-viewing angle |
| Monitor Adjustments |
Brightness, 7 levels |
| Battery / Batteries |
EN-EL14 Rechargeable Li-ion Battery |
| Battery Life (shots per charge) |
660 shots (CIPA) |
| AC Adapter |
EH-5a AC Adapter |
| Battery Charger |
MH-24 Quick Charger |
Nikon D5100 Controls
There isn’t much room for buttons on the rear of the D5100 so live view and movie recording (1080p) are activated by controls on the top-plate. This may seem odd given that using live view and shooting movies means looking at the screen, but as the D5100’s screen folds in and out users may view the camera from above more often than usual.
Small niggles aside, the D5100 is easy to get to grips with, and while there might not be direct control for aspects such as sensitivity, white balance and metering, these and more can be accessed quickly via the on-screen Information Edit Display.
Nikon D5100 Screen
With 920,000 dots the D5100’s 3in LCD shows plenty of detail, but reflections are an issue in bright sunlight and it may be necessary to shade it with a hand. However, the articulated joint on the screen’s left is a real bonus when shooting from unusual angles.
Although the LCD image is clear and movement is usually smooth, when the Color Sketch or Miniature Special Effects modes are activated the live view image becomes very jerky, presumably because of the demand on the D5100’s processing power.
Nikon D5100 Speed and performance
All the controls on the D5100 are responsive and it starts up quickly. When a class 6 SD card like a SanDisk Extreme III is installed, the D5100 can shoot continuously at a maximum rate of 4fps for around 100 highest quality JPEGs, or 20 raw images, or 12 simultaneous raw and JPEG files.
Nikon D5100 Picture and video quality
The D5100 features the same 16.2 million pixel CMOS sensor and EXPEED 2 processor as the Nikon D7000. These prove to be very capable and noise is controlled well throughout the D5100’s sensitivity range (ISO 100-6400 expandable to ISO 25,600). At low sensitivity settings the level of detail visible in images and video also impresses.
We have seen the D5100’s white balance, metering and (11-point) AF systems before in the D5000 and they don’t disappoint. Grass can look a little too yellow in sunlight when the auto white balance setting is used though. This isn’t an issue for Raw shooters, but those wanting to get JPEGs right in-camera may wish to switch to the Direct Sunlight option or the Landscape Picture Control mode.
The Special Effects are easy to use and generally work well, although a grainy monochrome mode might be more popular than the Color Sketch mode. It would also be nice to have control over exposure compensation when these modes are selected. Although there is some subtle haloing, the image combining HDR mode proves very useful for capturing high contrast scenes such as landscapes with deep shadows.
I recommend that you read the below my points before making any decision the D5100
- On the whole the D5100's movies are look great, with smooth motion and impressively low noise in dim light.
- Its body design is smaller and neater than its predecessor's and key controls fall easily to hand.
- Image quality is definitely the D5100's trump card. It offers effectively the same image quality as the higher-end D7000, at a lower cost.
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