Is The Nikon D5200 A Good Camera

The D5200 ($799.95 direct, body merely) is Nikon's mid-level consumer D-SLR camera, offer more features and control than the entry-level D3200, merely not quite rivaling the more expensive D7100. It's an impressive performer, shooting continuously at iv frames per second and delivering clean 24-megapixel images through ISO 3200. It'southward not the without its drawbacks—the viewfinder isn't equally big or vivid equally in another SLRs, and it doesn't offering total compatibility with older Nikon lenses. But it'south certainly good plenty to readapt its predecessor, the D5100($698.00 at Amazon)(Opens in a new window) every bit our Editors' Choice for digital SLRs priced less than $1,000.

Pattern and Features
The D5200($698.00 at Amazon)(Opens in a new window) is rather compact for a D-SLR, but manages to squeeze quite a few controls into its small-scale body. Information technology measures three.ix past 5.one by iii.1 inches and weighs 1.one pounds without a lens. The Pentax Grand-thirty($698.00 at Amazon)(Opens in a new window) is simply about the same size, varying by a tenth of an inch at nearly, simply is heavier at 1.four pounds. The extra weight is due to the K-30'southward weather sealing and solid glass pentaprism viewfinder. The D5200 uses a pentamirror finder, which is lighter but not as big or bright. If you're moving upward from a betoken-and-shoot it will exist a revelation when you compare it to using an LCD for framing your shots, simply photographers who cut their teeth on 35mm SLRs will likely take to suit to the smaller size. Nikon has put one characteristic into the viewfinder to set it apart from other cameras—you tin can fix it to display a rule of thirds grid overlay to help you amend compose your photos.

If y'all opt not to enable that filigree, the viewfinder displays a cross shaped overlay that displays the active autofocus area. You can tell the D5200 to automatically select the autofocus points from the 39 available, or select 1 manually using the directional pad on the rear of the camera. The active point will appear as a black foursquare, but it does alter to carmine as you move it for better visibility. Other rear controls include the "i" push, which gives you quick access to adjust shooting settings via the rear LCD, a standard control wheel, and an Auto Exposure Lock/Autofocus Lock button. At that place'due south no front control wheel, as dual wheels are a rare detect on entry-level cameras. The conditions-sealed Pentax K-thirty has them, but other contempo models are limited to one.

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That control can exist programmed to work in a number of ways, simply past default information technology locks both the current focus and exposure settings for equally long every bit you hold it down. You lot do have the option of making it act every bit only an Machine Exposure Lock button, which is helpful for those times when you lot're dealing with tricky lighting, but yet want the autofocus arrangement to engage as normal when grabbing a shot. Other bachelor functions include Autofocus Lock simply, or AF-ON. This last setting disables the autofocus system when pressing the shutter, engaging it but when AE-L/AF-L is held down. Photographers who shoot with pro bodies with a dedicated rear AF button will appreciate that functionality.

Top controls include the standard mode dial, which has a switch that enables Live View integrated in its pattern. There's too a dedicated record button that merely works when Live View is enabled, an Info button that toggles what is shown on the rare brandish, a push to control exposure compensation, and some other to control the drive mode. Like on other Nikon cameras, the power switch is integrated with the shutter release. This is a departure from almost Catechism bodies, including the EOS Rebel T4i($698.00 at Amazon)(Opens in a new window) , that identify it around the mode dial.

The 3-inch rear LCD is mounted on a swivel. The vari-angle design rotates so it can exist viewed from above, below, from the rear, or from the front, at whatever angle. It tin also fold flat confronting the body facing inward our outward—the former is nifty for those times when you want to use the viewfinder exclusively without reviewing images. The screen is sharp at 921k dots, which lets you review images for critical focus and manually focus in Live View with precision. When you're shooting, information technology displays an information screen that shows the current focus indicate, shutter speed, aperture, and ISO, as well every bit how many photos can exist recorded on the retentivity card. Pressing the "i" button allows you to alter the recorded file format, enable bracketing and HDR capture, adjust agile lighting, white rest, and JPG output settings, and adjust the ISO. Information technology likewise gives you more control over metering, the focus mode, the flash output, and the exposure settings. The directional pad is used to navigate these settings, with the center OK push at that place to accommodate and confirm settings. A contextual accompanies each setting in case you're not sure what is advisable for your scene—for example, a surfer is shown to indicate the office of AF-C, which continuously focuses on a moving object until y'all press the shutter, an ideal method for capturing action and sports scenes.

You won't detect a lot of bells and whistles on the D5200. There's no GPS like there is on the Sony Alpha 65($698.00 at Amazon)(Opens in a new window) , nor do y'all become born Wi-Fi. Nikon does sell accessories to add these functions, though. The tiny $60 WU-1a Wireless Mobile Adapter plugs into the camera to add Wi-Fi connectivity, and the $300 GP-1A GPS Unit automatically adds location information to your photos. Serious geotaggers may want to consider the Blastoff 65 as an alternative, since adding this feature to the D5200 isn't cheap. Only exist aware that the Sony photographic camera uses an OLED electronic viewfinder rather than a traditional optical ane. It's an excellent EVF that's large, sharp, and brilliant; but some shooters may non be willing to give up tried and truthful optical through-the-lens viewing.

Performance and Conclusions

Operation and Conclusions
The D5200 is quick to start and shoot, requiring only 0.7-second to exercise so, and it records a mere 0.2-second shutter lag in good light. Focusing in dim light takes a bit longer, about i.2 seconds on boilerplate. Live View focus is slower than using the viewfinder—it takes nearly 1.9 seconds in adept light and 3.6 seconds in dim light to lock on and fire.

Continuous shooting is possible at upwardly to 4 frames per second. If you shoot in Raw+JPG you lot'll exist express to 6 shots at this footstep, with about 4.1 seconds required to completely clear the shooting buffer. Switching to Raw-only mode extends shooting to ten shots, with 3.eight seconds required to clear the buffer. If yous shoot in JPG just y'all can hold down the shutter push and fire off photos at 4fps until the cows come habitation. All tests were performed using a SanDisk 95MBps memory card. The D5200 is speedy, but it'due south not quite as fast as the Sony Blastoff 65, which can showtime and shoot in 0.8-second, records a 0.1-2nd shutter lag, and is capable of burst shooting at up to seven.7 frames per second, merely its buffer is limited to xiv shots.

Nosotros are reviewing the D5200 equally a body only, but information technology'southward besides available in a kit with the AF-Due south DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.v-five.6G VR($698.00 at Amazon)(Opens in a new window) lens for $899.95. We used Imatest(Opens in a new window) to check the sharpness of that lens when paired with the D5200. The lens managed a very impressive ii,362 lines per motion picture height at 18mm f/3.5 using our center-weighted testing method, with edge sharpness hovering around i,600 lines. We declare an image with an 1,800-line center-weighted score to be acceptably precipitous. Stopping downwards to f/five.vi improves the overall score merely marginally to 2,410 lines, just edges sharpen up to 1,850 lines. There is noticeable barrel distortion at 18mm, about 3.iii percent. This will make straight lines noticeably bend outward, and is typical for an 18-55mm design. It tin can be corrected with software if it distracts from your photos.

Zooming to 35mm narrows the maximum aperture to f/5 and reduces the distortion to a negligible 0.iv percent. The lens scores 2,410 lines here, over again with edges around 1,600 lines. Stopping downwards to f/eight improves overall sharpness to 2,683 lines, with border sharpness at 2,111 lines. Zoom all the way in to 55mm and the maximum discontinuity is f/5.half-dozen, with an irrelevant 0.2-percent distortion figure. You lot'll get sharp photos at that setting as well, the lens manages 2,474 lines overall, simply is once more a little soft at the edges. Stopping down to f/eight improves edge performance to just under ane,800 lines, so your photos will be acceptably sharp from edge to border.

Imatest also checks for noise, which tin damage image detail and make photos appear grainy as you increase the photographic camera's sensitivity to light. When shooting JPGs at default settings, the D5200 keeps racket below ane.5 percent through ISO 3200, and manages to do so while capturing an impressive amount of detail. Noise increases to only i.7 percent at ISO 6400, and detail is quite skillful at that setting as well. Information technology's not until you push the photographic camera all the way to ISO 12800 that images become really noisy and detail starts to endure noticeably. Shooting in Raw will requite you images that don't have racket reduction applied. At very high ISO settings, 3200 and higher up, Raw photos are very grainy, merely are noticeably sharper than the JPG counterparts with noise reduction practical. Yous tin can employ software to employ just the correct amount of noise reduction for each shot, which will permit you to go the almost out of the camera when shooting in difficult lighting. The D5200 does a better job with noise than its competition on the Catechism side of the fence, the T4i, which controls dissonance through ISO 1600, recording 1.6 percentage at ISO 3200.

Video is recorded at upwards to 1080p30 quality in QuickTime format. The footage looks fantabulous, with accurate colors and smooth motion. Even though the Live View focusing is a bit slow to lock on at starting time, information technology refocuses quite quickly during recording. The sound of the lens changing focus is audible, but you can add a standard external microphone if you'd like better sound quality from movies. If you're really serious about D-SLR video and are trying to piece of work inside a budget, consider the Sony Alpha 65. Its fixed-mirror design allows for full-time Live View focusing with fast phase find autofocus, and information technology records 1080p60 video in the AVCHD format.

In addition to the mic input, in that location are two proprietary connectors on the photographic camera—i works with the included USB cable and as well allows you to plug in the WU-1a Wireless Adapter; the other is for the addition GPS radio. Owners of older autofocus Nikkor lenses that require a spiral-drive for autofocus should notation that there's none on the lens mountain—if you have a stable of these lenses, you'll want to move up to the D7100 for autofocus support. The D5200 supports SD, SDHC, and SDXC memory cards.

The D5200 is another solid D-SLR offering from Nikon. Information technology improves on its predecessor with a college resolution image sensor and overall speedier focus and performance. Its command layout is intuitive, with most shooting controls placed on the correct side. The photographic camera offers up helpful hints for photographers who are still learning the ins and outs of shooting, and you can always fix the camera to automatic or a scene mode if you'd like it to have the control of settings. There is some room for improvement; the Pentax K-30 features a better viewfinder, dual control wheels, and weather sealing, simply information technology lags behind the D5200 in video performance. Low-lite performance is a stiff betoken, as the 24-megapixel camera manages to better the eighteen-megapixel Canon EOS Rebel T4i at high ISO settings. The D5200 is a well-rounded camera, and its overall functioning and reasonable asking cost combine to brand it our Editors' Choice for entry-level D-SLRs.

The Bottom Line

The under-$one,000 Nikon D5200 is a capable D-SLR that delivers impressive image quality and continuous shooting at iv frames per 2nd, earning it our Editors' Choice.

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