The Nikon D5100 is a new 16.2 megapixel DSLR camera that can record Full HD movies at 1920x1280 pixels / 25fps with stereo sound. A high-resolution 3-inch vari-angle LCD monitor makes it easier to compose your shots from difficult angles, while the extensive ISO range of 100-25600 should cope with virtually all lighting conditions. A 4fps burst shooting mode, 11-point autofocus system with 3D Focus Tracking, High Dynamic Range mode, Active D-Lighting and seven different special effects for stills and movies complete the Nikon D5100’s headline specs. The Nikon D5100 costs £669.99 / $799.95 / €777 body only, or £779.99 / $899.95 / €904 with the 18-55mm VR kit lens.
The new Nikon D5100 slots in between the existing D3100 and D7000 models, not only in terms of feature set and functionality, but also in terms of size and weight. It isn't quite as compact and lightweight as the D3100 but neither is it as bulky and heavy as the D7000. In comparison to its predecessor, the D5100 is about 10% smaller and lighter than the D5000. The right-hand grip slightly deeper and therefore slightly more comfortable for photographers with large hands and/or longish fingers than on the D5000. There's also a handy rubberised thumb rest on the back of the body.
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The D5000's 12 megapixel CMOS sensor has been superseded by a 16.2 megapixel CMOS chip (the same sensor as used in the Sony A55), capable of providing a Live View feed, recording Full HD video and capturing full-resolution stills at 4 frames per second for around 100 highest quality JPEGs or 20 RAW images.
The sensor can clean itself by way of high-frequency vibrations that will, at least in theory, shake off any non-adhesive dust particles that may have settled on the low-pass filter during a lens change. You can specify, via an option in the Setup menu, whether you want sensor cleaning to take place at shutdown, startup, both or neither, with the default being 'both'. The cleaning process pleasingly has no practical impact on startup times, which were near instant. The new image sensor is complemented by the more powerful EXPEED 2 processing engine and a larger buffer as well.
The 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 VR kit lens that Nikon supplied feels fairly well-balanced on the Nikon D5100 and it fits into place with a reassuring mechanical click. It also adds the very important advantage of Vibration Reduction. Nikon bodies don't offer any form of in-camera image stabilisation, unlike similar models from Sony, Pentax and Olympus, so the affordable 18-55mm VR lens is a good starting point if you don't already have any Nikon lenses.
The shutter release action on the Nikon D5100 is surprisingly quiet, with a dampened mirror slap that makes this DSLR actually quieter than some rangefinder cameras. Furthermore, there is a Quiet Shutter Release mode, in which the mirror is raised fairly slowly to further reduce the sound it makes. This does, however, introduce some shutter lag, which usually isn't worth the few decibels of difference versus what is already an impressively quiet shutter.
The Nikon D5100 follows conventional DSLR design in having a shooting mode dial on the top of the camera, which allows you to select either one of the advanced modes like Manual, Aperture- or Shutter-priority, or a number of scene modes. The Exposure Compensation button is thoughtfully positioned next to the shutter release. Hold down this button with your right forefinger and spin the control wheel on the top-rear of the camera with your thumb to adjust its settings - simple and intuitive.
New to the Nikon DSLR range is the Effects shooting mode. This provides 7 different filters that can be applied to both still images and movies, following the trend first set by Olympus and their Art Filter range. The Night Vision effect is particularly worth of mention, pushing the camera's sensitivity to a whopping ISO 102,400, although a monochrome rather than colour image is recorded.
For stills, you can enter Live View mode to preview the effect or simply use the optical viewfinder. For movies, the recording is slowed down (dependant upon the chosen effect) as the camera uses a lot of processing power to apply the effect, leading to footage that can have a rather staccato feel. Note also that the camera sets virtually everything in the Effects mode - exposure, shutter speed, white balance, ISO, file type and quality - so its only creative in terms of the arty effect that's applied. Five of the same effects can be applied to an image or movie that you've taken, though, so you can have the best of both worlds (albeit without the luxury of a preview).
The second button sitting next to the shutter release is labeled 'info'. This button is arguably at the heart of the Nikon D5100's ease-of-use, as like its predecessor the camera lacks the monochromatic status LCD of the D90, so Nikon had to provide a different way to check vital shooting information without having to look into the viewfinder. Enter the info button - pressing it displays virtually all of the camera's main settings on the large rear screen. Pressing the button on the rear of the D5100 then allows you to interact with and set the onscreen options, with 14 available in total.
The articulated screen has been greatly improved over the previous D5000, now being hinged at the side rather than the bottom. This fully articulated design is a much more flexible solution, allowing the screen to be folded out from the left side of the camera and folded inwards to protect it when not in use. The screen is also bigger at 3 inches and higher resolution too, with 920k dots, so there's nothing to complain about in this department. The anti-glare coating has also been improved, so that the screen is now usable most of the time outdoors in strong daylight, although it still struggled a little with reflections.
