Nikon D5100

Salam.

Its been a while since I've posted something about photography. This time is quite significant as the Nikon D5100 just came out.

It's the evolution of the ol-Nikon D5000. Well, its quite difficult to tell whether its an upgrade or downgrade version from the D5000. Here I will laid out some key features of the D5100.

NIKON D5100 - Key Features
- 16.2 megapixel DX-format CMOS sensor
- Side-articulated 3.0" LCD monitor (920,000 dots)
- 11 AF points (with 3D tracking)
- ISO 100-6400 range (Up to 25,600 equivalent when expanded)
- HD movies (1080p, 720p or WVGA)
- 4 fps continuous shooting
- In-camera effects filters in both stills and video modes

Here are some obvious differences between the D5100 and D5000
- Higher resolution sensor (16.2MP vs. 14MP)
- 1080p video mode
- Wider ISO range (100-25,600 equivalent)
- Full-time AF mode (AF-F in live view)
- Dual IR receivers (front and rear)
- Side-articulated LCD screen (as opposed to bottom-articulated)
- 921k dot LCD screen
- 14-bit NEF (Raw) mode
- Effects modes
- No wireless control mode over the D5000
- No magnesium alloy build
- 11-point AF system vs. 39-point AF system

I am more particular about the features it holds rather than the picture quality because they uses the same EXPEED 2 sensor which only differs in pixels it holds.

Nikon manage to keep a balance upgrade from on the D5100 however the missing magnesium alloy body is quite depressing. Guess Nikon are also using Canon's strategy of removing the magnesium alloy build in their later upgrade (e.g. Canon EOS 60D).

Hope they'll use their head next time before trying out new stuff.

For more in-depth review of the Nikon D5100, click here.

Source

Thanks for reading.

Salam.