Expert’s Rating
Pros
Cons
Our Verdict
The latest addition to Nikon ’s talkative DSLR bank line , the 16 megapixel D5100 , gibe neatly between the entree - level D3100 ( $ 700 with outfit lens ) and the more sophisticated D7000 ( $ 1200 physical structure only ) . An update to the 12 megapixel D5000 , this new $ 800 model offers some feature that may lure current D5000 owners to kick upstairs , include full 1080p HD video recording , a cock-a-hoop and right articulating LCD screen , larger burst modal value electrical capacity , expound ISO , full - time autofocus in video and springy View , and special effects for still and video capture .
Basic features
As expected , the D5100 employs manual , semi - manual , and motorcar exposure modes , along with 16 tantrum modes . Nikon ’s Picture Control , presets for Landscape , Monochrome , Neutral , Portrait , Standard , and Vivid , with adjustable raciness , contrast , brightness level , chroma , and hue can be used in conjunctive with program motorcar , semi - manual , and manual mode for fine - tune image gaining control . robotlike distortion control , Active D - Lighting ( which help conserve detail in dark and highlights ) , Long Exposure , High ISO Noise Reduction , Multiple Exposure , Interval Shooting , and a new HDR ( High Dynamic Range ) modality are among the admit standard options .
The D5100 is somewhat small and lighter than its precursor , measuring 5 - by-3.8 - by-3.1 - inch and weighing 19.7 ounce ( consistency only ) , and its trunk is well - balanced and comfortable to hold . As always , it ’s recommended that you budget for the highest quality lens you could give for the best results . However , the D5100 does n’t have an AF motor , so you ’ll postulate an AF - S lense with a built - in motor to use autofocus .
The D5100 is , for the most part , easy to operate . Most — but not all — control are clearly labeled and make sense for anyone who has used a DSLR . Unfortunately , there ’s no dedicated ISO release , so it might make sense to program the Function button for ISO fitting — it ’s more effective than using the synergistic LCD menu to make alteration . Nikon has add a convenient Live View lever adjacent to the modal value telephone dial , and has put the blood-red lineal video platter clit within easy reach near the shutter release . Be thrifty around the 4 - mode multi - selector launching pad on the rear jury ; it ’s heavy for manually selecting focusing points but accidentally depressing the picker will move the focus point when you ’re not looking .
Auto mode
What’s new and notable
Built around the same , in high spirits - resolution detector utilized by the D7000 ( which means the D5100 can also take advantage of the ultra eminent speedSanDisk Extreme Pro SDHC UHS - Icard ) , the D5100 is obviously a solid footprint - up from its predecessor . But there are a routine of specific betterment that bring to the D5100 ’s appealingness . Here are some of the most compelling unexampled features :
Adjustable LCD blind : The new , 3 - inch , high - resolution ( 921,000 dots ) vari - slant LCD screen is a huge improvement over the D5000 ’s monitor . Size and resolution have increase and the LCD is now side - hinged ( versus bottom hinge ) , bring home the bacon more flexibility for video and Live View shoot . The LCD can also be folded into the tv camera body to protect the screen .
down light shot : Like the D7000 , the D5100 ’s aboriginal ISO order from 100 to 6400 and is expansile to 25,600 , versus the D5000 ’s aboriginal 200 - 3200 that was expandable to 100 and up to 6400 . Despite the D5100 ’s additional megapixels and increase ISO options , the tv camera treat prototype noise very well when shooting as eminent as ISO 1600 — with and without the ramp up - in stochasticity reduction . As with the D7000 , scoot in in the buff mode and processing the image in Adobe Camera Raw delivers the best answer .
Nikon has sum up some young particular effects to the D5100 , including a Night Vision mode that , appropriate to its name , boosts the ISO to 102,400 . It ’s sinister and white only and , of course , there ’s substantial noise , but it ’s useable if there ’s a slight illumination and you demand a stealth mode .
particular effects : The inclusion of special effects in the D5100 is not a innovative addition but adds some fun and creativity to the camera . In gain to Night Vision , there ’s a Miniature effect that simulates a tilt - duty period lens and can make objects take care like pocket-sized exemplar and scenes like panorama . Color Sketch is ego - explanatory and Selective Color convert an image to black and white-hot but continue up to three user - selectable colors . lively purview must be enable to set up the special effects but once options are choose , images can be shot using the viewfinder .
limited effect can be activated during video seizure as well . And , except for Night Vision , the new impression can be employ to still images in playback ( retouch carte du jour ) , along with others such as Fisheye and Color Outline . A copy of the familiarized double can be saved so the original is unaffected .
Video mode and Live View : The D5100 now offers full HD video , with multiple option : 1920 by 1080 at 30fps or 24fps ( frames per second ) , with two quality ( high and normal ) options for each . The same four fps and caliber options are available for 1280 by 720 video seizure . A lower firmness picture of 640 by 424 at 30fps can be shot at high or normal quality as well .
Full - time autofocus is available in both telecasting and Live View style , and while both are broadly speaking more responsive than other competitive DSLRs , neither is lightning fast .
Image quality
The D5100 create excellent still images , specially when manual controls are used and the appropriate Picture Control configurations are selected and tweaked . Natural - looking but well - saturated semblance are the norm , and exposure , even under challenging conditions , are almost always precise with good dynamic range . The latter is often made even advantageously by implementing Nikon ’s D - Lighting .
Even with the bump in megapixels from 12 to 16 , the D5100 can easily handle the new , expanded ISO range without much strain , all the elbow room up to ISO 1600 . When in doubt , raw capture and processing will help keep look-alike haphazardness to a minimum and details intact .
The AF - S 18 - 55 mm VR lens system roll up with the camera ( $ 900 for the kit ) is capable of producing amazingly crispy images for a kit lens . Chromatic aberration was often seeable , however , along mellow dividing line edges .
Auto mode
In our lab ’s immanent image tests , the D5100 earned a word score of Very expert for vulnerability , salutary for both color and sharpness , and Superior for deformation . flick on any of our laboratory ’s test figure of speech to consider them at full size .
automobile modeManual fashion
Video quality did n’t disappoint either , producing footage that equal or exceed that of other DSLRs in its class . In our immanent lab test , the D5100 earned a word mark of Good for video lineament and Fair for audio quality .
Manual mode
Colors were pleasing and video were loosely sharp — once the D5100 ’s autofocus lock up in . Shutter roll may pass off when panning quick but that ’s not unequaled to the D5100 and , overall , the camera produced some satisfying television . Audio quality is unspoiled and although we did n’t have one to test , theME-1 stereo microphone($180 ) should be good if you ’re serious about fascinate live sound .
In addition to our run , correspond outthis month ’s D5100 commercialstaring who else but Ashton Kutcher . The commercial message , which you may have ascertain on TV , was filmed with the D5100 in full HD . Sure , it ’s a merchandising thing , they used a full , professional trailer truck along and the Director of Photography was Matthew Libatique , ASC ( Black Swan , Iron Man ) , so we may not be able to reproduce this eccentric of quality . But it ’s certainly a keen exemplar of what this camera can do .
Macworld buying advice
The Nikon D5100 is a upstanding option for photographers looking for a highly - capable yet ( fair ) user - friendly sub-$1,000 DSLR . Although it does n’t have all the buzzer , whistles , and pep pill of the D7000 , the D5100 deport an first-class feature of speech coif and trope quality that equal or transcend the competition . Current D5000 users may very well want to pace - up to the new model thanks to a numeral of notable improvements . The D5100 is available consistence only for $ 800 , or packaged with a kit 18 - 55 millimetre genus Lens for $ 900 .
