Nikon D5100 Review

The Nikon D5100 is designed to bridge the gap in Nikon’s product range between the entry-level D3100 and the considerably more enthusiast-oriented D7000, combining the former’s user-friendliness with the latter’s image quality. Conceptually, the Nikon D5100 is a natural fit for this void.

To sweeten the bargain, it also includes a video-friendly articulated high-res screen, gains bracketing, and greater customization. Consequently, even though it has no focus motor, it only has one control dial. Although its body shell is plastic, it still offers the same super-wide ISO span of 100-25,600 (equivalent) and class-leading image quality as the D7000, particularly regarding how well it handles noise at high ISO settings.

Unfortunately, this idea does not perfectly reflect the world around us. For example, the Nikon D5100 does not have nearly the same user-friendly operation as the D3100, and it is missing so many of the more complex functions that the D7000 has that there is a possibility that it will not be the appropriate camera for anybody.

See: Best Lenses for Nikon D5100 | Best Gimbal for Nikon D5100 | Best Memory Cards for Nikon D5100

The total novice may be drawn to the slightly simpler D3100, while the enthusiast may hanker after too many of the capabilities that the D7000 gives. However, both groups may be interested in purchasing a digital camera (in terms of build quality, the sophistication of AF, the size of the viewfinder, or the built-in AF motor).

Overall, though, the D5100 is a gratifying camera on its merits. Regarding image quality, it is most definitely a wolf in sheep’s clothing despite its seemingly innocent appearance. Detail resolution and noise performance are up there with the best competition in still images and video. In addition, the high-resolution, articulated screen makes composition easy in both modes of operation.

Given the limitations inherent in shooting with the Effects modes, we are not entirely convinced by them; they are enjoyable enough to experiment with and may provide some users with creative inspiration.

Nikon D5100 Image Quality

The image quality of the D5100 is undeniably its most vital selling point. It provides practically the same image quality as the more advanced D7000 but at a reduced cost, and it is difficult to argue that this is not a positive thing. Because we are contrasting the D5100 and the D7000, it is essential to point out that in the thousands of frames we have taken with the D5100, we have not encountered the same overexposure problem that plagued us with the D7000 in specific scenarios. This is worth noting.

The image quality that the D5100 produces at higher ISO levels is some of the best we have ever seen from an APS-C camera, but at lower ISO settings, it is on par with the best of the competition. The noise levels are deficient, and the preset noise reduction does an excellent job of reducing chroma noise while retaining clarity in the image.

Because the D5100’s 16-megapixel sensor belongs to a new generation with a shallow noise floor, a significant quantity of information can be extracted from its JPEG or RAW files. JPEG shooters will love the ability to shoot with Active D-Lighting turned on with little penalty in noise levels (or continuous shooting performance). More advanced users will enjoy the malleability of its NEF files. JPEG shooters will love the ability to shoot with Active D-Lighting turned on with little penalty in noise levels (or continuous shooting performance).

Nikon D5100 Body & Handling

When it comes to its handling, the D5100 is a peculiar combination of things that are inspired and things that cannot be explained. The vast, high-resolution, articulating LCD screen is one of our favorite features, as is the hefty (for its class) hand grip that is coated in a thick layer of rubber.

Although the chassis of the D5100 is smaller and lighter than its predecessor, the D5100 nevertheless feels reassuringly robust in the palm despite being smaller and lighter than its “big brother,” the D7000. In addition, the manual selection of off-center focusing points is relatively straightforward because of Nikon’s daily devotion of the four-way joystick to AF point selection. This, in turn, makes it easy to get the most out of one of the most complex AF systems available in this class.

And finally, we get to that which defies explanation. The D5100, like the D3100, does not include an ISO button. This parameter that, we believe, should be easily adjusted with the camera to your eye is becoming increasingly crucial now that high ISOs are eminently more helpful than they were only a few years ago.

On the D5100, the only option to achieve this is by using the configurable ‘Fn’ button, which is located on the left side of the camera in a position that is a little uncomfortable and is often confused with the control that activates the flash that is close to it. Continuing with the topic of ISO, we are dissatisfied that its somewhat finicky auto ISO system has not been updated since the D3100/D7000. Again, it’s not entirely pointless, but there are probably more productive ways to utilize your time.

The D5100, when used in Live View mode, is often a lovely companion; nonetheless, the situation is not entirely problem free. Even though the D5100 has inherited the (relatively) fast contrast-detection AF of the D7000, which goes a long way toward making the mode more generally useful for everyday shooting, it is still nowhere near as quick and seamless as competitors like the Sony A55 and Panasonic G2, which are explicitly designed for compact-camera style live view usage. The D5100 also has inherited the D7000’s (relatively) fast autofocus tracking system.

In live view and movie mode, there are also a few weird behavioral anomalies, like aperture control, that can only be characterized as problematic. For example, when you hit the “record” button on the camera, the aperture displayed on the screen won’t necessarily be used to capture the video. However, it will be used when shooting still images.

When utilizing manual mode and live view, there is also no indication of the exposure level, which is a peculiar omission. Because of this, two of the D5100’s most important newly added features do not function as well as they should, and more importantly, they do not work as well on rival models. Our critiques of the D3100 are identical to those held by others, and it is disheartening to see that these issues have not been resolved.

Even more disheartening is that the D5100 lacks the integrated live view and movie control, which was one of the most significant features of the D3100, as well as the physical drive mode switch, which was another of the best features of the D3100.

The live view switch has been moved to the top plate of the camera, where it is no longer connected to the movie button, which is now located above the shutter release (and is entirely redundant except when the camera is put into live view mode). Not only is the placement of this switch on the D5100 more inconvenient than it was on the D3100, but it also takes the position of the drive mode switch, which we enjoy about the D3100.

Nikon D5100 Specs

Body color	Black
Sensor	• 23.6 x 15.6 mm CMOS sensor  • Nikon DX format (1.5x FOV crop)  • 16.2 million effective pixels  • RGB Color Filter Array  • 14-bit A/D converter
Anti-dust measures	• Image sensor cleaning system  • Airflow control system  • Image dust off from reference frame (using optional Capture NX software)
Image sizes	• 4928 x 3264 (L)  • 3696 x 2448 (M)  • 2464 x 1632 (S)
Image quality	• NEF (14-bit compressed RAW)  • JPEG fine (1:4)  • JPEG normal (1:8)  • JPEG basic (1:16)  • NEF (RAW) + Fine JPEG
Movie sizes	• 1920 x 1080 30, 25, 24 fps  • 1280 x 720 30, 25, 24 fps  • 640 x 424 30, 25 fps
Movie Format	• MOV (H.264/MPEG-4), mono sound recording (PCM) with internal mic, stereo mic option.
Color space	• sRGB  • Adobe RGB
Lens mount	Nikon F mount (with AF contacts)
Lens compatibility	• AF-S, AF-I • Other Type G or D AF Nikkor • Other AF Nikkor/AI-P Nikkor• Type D PC Nikkor• Non-CPU• IX Nikkor/AF Nikkor for F3AF • AI-P NIKKOR- All functions supported – All functions supported except autofocus – All functions supported except autofocus and 3D Color Matrix Metering II – All functions supported except some shooting modes – Can be used in mode M, but exposure meter does not function; electronic range finder can be used if maximum aperture is f/5.6 or faster – Cannot be used – All functions supported except 3D color matrix metering II
Autofocus	• 11 focus points (1 cross-type sensor)  • Multi-CAM 1000  • AF working range: -1 to +19 EV (ISO 100, average temperature)  • Contrast Detect in Live View mode  • Manual focus [M], Electronic range finding supported
Lens servo	• Single-servo AF (AF-S)  • Continuous-servo AF (AF-C)  • Automatic AF-S/AF-C (AF-A)  • Manual focus (MF)
AF Area mode	• Single Point AF  • Dynamic Area AF  • Auto Area AF  • 3D Tracking (11 points)
Focus tracking	Predictive focus tracking automatically activated according to subject status in continuous-servo AF
Focus area	Can be selected from 11 focus points
Focus lock	Focus can be locked by pressing the shutter-release button halfway (single-servo AF) or by pressing the AE-L/AF-L button
AF Assist	White light lamp
Exposure mode	• Auto     – Auto     – Flash off  • Scene Modes  • Special effects  • Programmed auto (P) with a flexible program  • Shutter-priority auto (S)  • Aperture-priority auto (A)  • Manual (M)
Metering	• TTL exposure metering using a 420-pixel RGB sensor  • Matrix:3D color matrix metering II (type G and D lenses); color matrix metering II  (other CPU lenses)  • Center-weighted: Weight of 75% given to an 8-mm circle in the center of the frame  • Spot: Meters 3.5 mm circle (about 2.5% of frame) centered on the active focus area
Metering range	• EV 0 to 20 (3D color matrix or center-weighted metering)  • EV 2 to 20 (spot metering)
Meter coupling	CPU coupling
Exposure comp.	• +/- 5.0 EV  • 1/3 EV steps
AE Lock	Exposure locked at detected value with AE-L/AF-L button
AE Bracketing	3 frames up to +/–2EV
Sensitivity	• Auto  • ISO 100  • ISO 200  • ISO 400  • ISO 800  • ISO 1600  • ISO 3200  • ISO 6400  • ISO 12800 (Hi1)  • ISO 25600 (Hi2)
Shutter	• Electronically-controlled vertical-travel focal-plane shutter  • 30 to 1/4000 sec (1/3/ or 1/2 EV steps)  • Flash X-Sync: up to 1/200 sec  • Bulb
Cont. shooting	• Up to 4fps
White balance	• Auto  • Incandescent  • Fluorescent  • Direct sunlight  • Flash  • Cloudy  • Shade  • Preset white balance (immediate or from photo)
WB fine-tuning	Yes, (except preset manual)
Viewfinder	• Eye-level pentamirror single-lens reflex viewfinder  • Frame coverage Approx. 95% horizontal and 95% vertical  • Magnification Approx. 0.78x (50mm f/1.4 lens at infinity, –1.0 m-1)  • Eyepoint 17.9 mm (–1.0 m-1) • Diopter adjustment –1.7 to+1 m-1
LCD monitor	• 3.0″ Vari-Angle TFT LCD  • 921,000 dots  • 100% frame coverage  • 170° viewing angle  • Brightness adjustment
Built-in flash	• Auto, Portrait, Child, Close-up, Night portrait, Party/indoor,  • Auto flash with auto pop-up,  • Manual pop-up in P, S, A, or M modes  • Guide number approx. 12/39 at ISO 100 (am/ft)  • Guide number approx. 13/43 at ISO 100 (m/ft) in manual mode
Sync contact	X-contact only; flash synchronization at shutter speeds of up to 1/200 sec
Flash control	• TTL flash control by 420-segment RGB sensor.  • i-TTL balanced fill-flash for digital SLR and standard i-TTL fill-flash for digital SLR available when CPU lens is used with built-in flash, SB-400, SB-800, SB-900, and SB-600  • Auto aperture with SB-800/SB-900 and CPU lenses  • Non-TTL auto with SB-900, SB-800, 80DX, 28DX, 28, 27 and 22s  • Range-priority manual with SB-900, SB-800 and SB-700
Flash mode	Auto, Fill-flash, rear-curtain with slow sync, slow sync, slow sync with red-eye reduction, red-eye reduction
Flash compensation	• -3 to +1 EV  • 1/3 steps
Nikon Creative Lighting system	Advanced Wireless Lighting when using SB-900, SB-800, SB-700, or SU-800 as commander and SB-900, SB-800, SB-700, SB-600, or SB-R200 as remotes; Flash Color Information Communication and FV lock supported with all CLS-compatible flash units
Shooting modes	• Single frame shooting (S) mode  • Continuous shooting: 4.0 frames per second  • Self-timer  • Quick-Response Remote  • Delayed Remote  • Quiet shutter release
Self-timer	• 2, 5, 10, or 20 sec
Playback functions	• Full frame  • Thumbnail (4, 9, or 72 images or calendar)  • Playback with Playback zoom  • Movie Playback  • Slide Show  • Histogram Display  • Highlights  • Auto Image Rotation  • Image Comment (up to 36 characters)
Orientation sensor	Yes
Storage	• SD / SD HC / SDXC
Video output	NTSC or PAL selectable
Connectivity	• USB 2.0 (Hi-Speed)  • A/V out  • HDMI out  • DC-IN (optional AC adapter and adapter connector)
Languages	Arabic, Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), Danish, Dutch, E nglish, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Thai, Turkish
Power	Rechargeable Li-ion Battery EN-EL14
Working environment	• 0 to 40°C (32 to 104°F)  • Less than 85% humidity
Dimensions	128 x 97 x 79 mm (5.0 x 3.8 x 3.1 in.)
Weight (no batt)	510g (1 lb 2 oz)
Weight (inc. batt)	560g (1 lb 4 oz)

Nikon D5100 Final Verdict

The D5100 is undoubtedly one of the most engaging goods in its class. It delivers a fantastic combination of intuitive handling, a well-targeted feature set, and excellent video and still picture quality. This makes it one of the most intriguing items in its class. The D5100 is both quick and dependable in its operation. It generates high-quality photographs with minimum bother, just as we would anticipate from a camera with such a distinguished pedigree.

We vastly prefer the more traditional side-hinged design to the awkward bottom-hinged attempt that the D5000 made. This is just the second Nikon DSLR to offer an articulating LCD screen, and it is only the second Nikon DSLR overall. The screen that folds out from the side of the camera is significantly more flexible and substantially more straightforward to operate when the camera is placed on a tripod.

However, we have a few issues, most related to the configuration of the D5100’s second-tier controls. Except for the articulated LCD screen, we are not convinced that Nikon’s operational and ergonomic changes compared to the D3100 add any value to the camera. Some control points appear to have been positioned almost randomly, and we are not convinced that Nikon’s changes add value to the camera.

The opposite may be true, particularly concerning the revamped live view switch. However, when evaluated only based on its capabilities, the D5100 is an outstanding performer. A feature set accessible to beginners and an asking price that is (relatively) easy on the budget belies an intelligent sensor and autofocus technology.

However, we cannot shake the nagging feeling that the D5100’s entry-level ergonomics might not be nearly as flexible to the ever-changing requirements of a first-time purchase of a DSLR camera as the ergonomics of a camera like the Canon EOS 600D or the Rebel T3.

Nikon D5100 FAQs