Nikon has announced their new DSLR - the Nikon D5100 DSLR.
Take Great Quality Shots In Bright or Low Light
This camera has a 16.2 Megapixel DX-format CMOS sensor and is coupled with Nikon's EXPEED 2 image processing engine. Nikon has long been known for cameras that function well in low-light and we don't expect this camera to behave any differently with an ISO range of 100 to 6400 (extendable to 25,600 with "boost").
The D5100 also has 11 autofocus points, a "Scene Recognition System," and Nikon's 3D-tracking to help you keep your subject in sharp focus whether they are moving or standing still.
Of course, one of the main differences between a professional and an amateur is the use of a tripod, so check out our free guide if you are looking for the best tripod for DSLR video or photography.
Take Your Photos from Any Angle or Position
The 3 inch, 921,000 dot vari-angle LCD monitor will allow you to take photos that would difficult to take if you had to look through the viewfinder to frame your subject. For example, you can hold the camera above your head or hold it down on the ground and tilt the LCD monitor so you can see what you are about to photograph.
This can allow you to get some very unique perspectives that would require a lot of trial and error with a fixed LCD monitor.
By comparison, the D3100 LCD is fixed in place and only has 230,000 dots on the same size screen, which means lower resolution when you are comparing the same image on the two different LCD screens. Higher resolution LCD screens are a plus because they help you figure out if your images are in sharp focus or not.
Who Needs Photoshop? Get Creative With Built-In Special Effects
If you like to add a little artistic flare to your photographs or your movies, Nikon has built in seven special effects features that you can for your photos or your HD movies.
"Night Vision" allows you to capture details that are too dark for your eyes to pick up on their own. Selective Color recognizes and isolates a particular color. Low Key allows you to give a moody effect. High Key makes it easy to give a bright, glowing feel to your photos and videos.
Miniature makes it look like your subject is a miniature model and Color Sketch makes your subject look more like a color drawing.
HDR Helps You Capture More Realistic High Contrast Images
HDR or High Dynamic Range is a feature that tackles one of the big challenges with digital photography - capturing both very light and very dark aspects of your subject as accurately as possible.
If you haven't read through your free copy of our Best Digital SLR Buyer's Guide, download it now - we cover Dynamic Range in more detail with several great examples.
You can shoot 14-bit Raw images which is a feature of the D5100's big brother, the more expensive D7000. This is one of the reasons why the D5100 can capture a wide dynamic range. Thanks Nikon.
The D5100, unlike the D3100, also has bracketing so you can get a little insurance if you aren't exactly sure about the settings for the subject you are photographing.
AutoFocus + Improved Sound = Better 1080p HD Movies
This DSLR has two features we really like - full-time autofocus in both Live View and D-Movie mode and the option to get better sound quality.
The ability to have the camera autofocus is a big plus if you or your subject are going to be moving while you are filming in the three different 1080p modes (30, 25 or 24 frames per second), 720p or WVGA. By comparison, the less expensive D3100 can't film in 1080p at 30 or 25 frames per second - just 24 frames per second.
Unless you plan on replacing the sound in your videos with music, great sound is really a must if you want people to watch your videos. Until now, that's meant expensive microphones and a lot of "post-production" work to clean up the audio.
Nikon's done something pretty innovative here by offering an optional hot-shoe mounted SLR microphone. The ME-1 Stereo Microphone sits on a rubber mount to reduce vibrations.
Video is saved using the H.264/AVC codec, which is an efficient codec.
Who Is the D5100 Designed For?
The D5100 is aimed at digital SLR photographers who are intermediate or upper-entry level. This SLR will shoot at about 4 frames per second, which you should find fast enough unless you are shooting very fast action or models.
Where Does the D5100 Fall in the Nikon DSLR Line-Up?
This camera is positioned between the D3100 and the D7000.
Summary
The D5100 is a promising DSLR camera. If you are a mid to entry-level SLR photographer or if you are getting into DLSR video, then we think you'll enjoy the D5100, but be aware that this camera does not have manual exposure control in video mode (not great for solid white backgrounds).
Key Points
- 16.2 Megapixel
- 1080p HD video
- Vari-angle LCD
- Autofocus Video
- Entry-Mid Level
