Nikon D5300 Digital SLR Camera (Part 1)

THE NIKON D5300 follows the Nikon D5200 and there is an important difference between the two. The D5300 has a new image sensor without a low-pass filter, which contributed to an excellent performance in our resolution tests.

The D5300 uses a display with a 3:2 aspect ratio, which shows the whole sensor image without black borders or frames. Compared to the Nikon D5200, the LCD screen is also larger, at 3.2”, and has a very high resolution of 1.04 million RGB dots. The monitor is fully articulated and makes for very comfortable shooting.

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The Nikon D5300 is the follower of the D5200. It offers 24MP resolution without a low-pass filter, integrated GPS and Wi-Fi system, plus Full HD video recording and more.

The camera has an optical viewfinder with 95 percent field of view, typical for this SLR class, but nevertheless irritating when taking images that show more content than the photographer sees in the viewfinder. The LCD screen, however, shows 100 percent field of view. A switch next to the mode dial on the top of the camera toggles between the optical viewfinder and the live preview on the screen.

The camera offers numerous function buttons and setup wheels for fast and efficient control of each parameter. The “i” button on the back shows the most important image parameters on the LCD screen, which is very helpful when changing the settings. It is very easy to control focus mode, ISO speed setting, and more with this “shortcut” menu. The camera offers only one setup dial on the back to change image parameters, which is fine for entry-level systems but is disappointing for a mid-range SLR camera.

There are some very handy features, such as a digital “tilt” control, shown as an overlay on the LCD screen. It shows the deviation from horizontal lines plus a moving rectangular shape that indicates tilting to the front or back of the camera. The built-in flash system helps with backlit scenes. The small flash can also be used as a master for Nikon’s Advanced Wireless Lighting with Nikon flash systems like the SB-900 Speedlight.

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There is no status display on the top. A large switch near the mode dial allows the user to toggle between optical viewfinder and electronic viewfinder on the LCD screen very fast and comfortably.

The camera is Nikon’s first SLR with an integrated WLAN system. Until now, Nikon offered optional WLAN adapters for professional SLRs, while many Nikon compact cameras already have built-in Wi-Fi functions. Nikon also offers a free app to use smartphones and tablet computers as a remote control for the D5300, available for both Android and for Apple iOS. Unfortunately, this app isn’t as easy to use or as powerful as apps for Canon or Panasonic cameras. For example, the Nikon app shows a live preview on the remote device and allows the user to use a virtual shutter release—that’s it. Canon and Panasonic apps and WLAN cameras allow users to change image parameters like shutter speed or aperture, and in some instances they are able to set up the active focus area and more. Hopefully Nikon will change this in upcoming app versions.

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The swivel monitor is fully articulated and can be flipped up- and downward and rotated to the back or the front. Shooting videos is very comfortable with this LCD.

The AF system of the Nikon D5300 is very fast. It uses 39 AF sensors (nine cross-type sensors in the center of the AF area) and even keeps fast-moving objects in focus while shooting images or videos. Combined with the Expeed 4 image processor, the camera worked fast and can be used for sports photography. The camera can take up to 5 images per second, which is a pleasing result for a mid-range SLR

Nikon D3500 Digital SLR Camera (Part 2)