Nikon D5100 18-55mm VR Kit review
Takes beautiful photos and videos but at this price it needs more accessible controls. We'd stick to the cheaper D3100.
Specifications
23.6×15.6mm 16.0-megapixel sensor, 3.0x zoom (27-82.5mm equivalent), 775g
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Nikon’s latest mid-price consumer SLR is pitched to go head-to-head with the Canon EOS 600D The two cameras are uncannily similar, with very little to separate their dimensions, weights and prices. Both can record 1080p video at various frame rates and both have articulated, high-resolution LCD screens – a major asset particularly for video capture.
The Canon nominally has the edge for detail with its 18-megapixel sensor to the Nikon’s 16 megapixels. However, the Nikon compensates digitally for lens distortions and chromatic aberrations; the latter can make a big difference to sharpness towards the corners of frames.
The Nikon’s 11 autofocus points are two more than Canon offers, and it’s a tad faster in continuous mode at 4fps to the Canon’s 3.7fps. That advantage only lasted for 13 frames, though, after which it slowed to 1.9fps. The Canon was a little quicker to fire off shots in its Single drive mode, too. However, the Nikon has a dedicated autofocus-assist lamp, so it’s quicker to focus in low light when the flash isn’t raised. So far, it all adds up to a big fat draw.
In most other respects they’re both pretty similar to their entry-level siblings, the Canon EOS 1100D and Nikon D3100. There are 18-55mm stabilised kit lenses all round, along with similarly sized optical viewfinders, solitary command dials and other controls that mostly rely on the LCD screen to relay settings back to the user.
The D5100 is shorter than its predecessor, the D5000, partly because the screen is hinged at the side rather than the bottom. That makes more sense, as it can be flipped out to the side for self-portraits or when the camera is flush against a wall. It also means that the strip of buttons that appeared down the left side of the D5000’s screen have been scattered to other parts of the camera.
Basic Specifications | |
---|---|
Rating | **** |
CCD effective megapixels | 16.0 megapixels |
CCD size | 23.6×15.6mm |
Viewfinder | optical TTL |
Viewfinder magnification, coverage | 0.78x, 95% |
LCD screen size | 3.0in |
LCD screen resolution | 921,000 pixels |
Articulated screen | Yes |
Live view | Yes |
Optical zoom | 3.0x |
Zoom 35mm equivalent | 27-82.5mm |
Image stabilisation | optical, lens based |
Maximum image resolution | 4,928×3,264 |
Maximum movie resolution | 1920×1080 |
Movie frame rate at max quality | 30fps |
File formats | JPEG, RAW; QuickTime (AVC) |
Physical | |
Memory slot | SDXC |
Mermory supplied | none |
Battery type | Li-ion |
Battery Life (tested) | 660 shots |
Connectivity | USB, AV, mini HDMI, GPS input, mic input, IR wireless trigger |
HDMI output resolution | 1080i |
Body material | plastic |
Lens mount | Nikon F |
Focal length multiplier | 1.5x |
Kit lens model name | Nikon 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G AF-S VR DX Zoom-NIKKOR |
Accessories | USB and AV cables, neck strap |
Weight | 775g |
Size | 97x128x156mm |
Buying Information | |
Warranty | Two-year RTB |
Price | £780 |
Supplier | http://www.jessops.com |
Details | www.nikon.co.uk |
Camera Controls | |
Exposure modes | program, shutter priority, aperture priority, manual |
Shutter speed | 30 to 1/4,000 seconds |
Aperture range | f/3.5-22 (wide), f/5.6-36 (tele) |
ISO range (at full resolution) | 100 to 25600 |
Exposure compensation | +/-5 EV |
White balance | auto, 13 presets with fine tuning, manual |
Additional image controls | contrast, saturation, sharpness, brightness, hue, noise reduction, colour space |
Manual focus | Yes |
Closest macro focus | 28cm |
Auto-focus modes | 11-point (optical viewfinder); flexible spot, face detect, tracking (live view) |
Metering modes | multi, centre-weighted, spot AF point |
Flash | auto, forced, suppressed, slow synchro, rear curtain, red-eye reduction |
Drive modes | single, continuous, self-timer, interval, AE bracket, WB bracket, Active D-Lighting bracket, automatic HDR |