MOV movie (H.264, MPEG-4 AVC compression format with Linear PCM sound; Stereo sound with external microphone) has a very typical viewfinder specification for its class of camera. It offers 0.78x magnification and a 95% field of view, which is pretty standard. As you can see from the illustration below, the D5100's viewfinder is pretty much the same size as the Canon EOS 600D/Rebel T3i and Canon's entry-level EOS 1100D/Rebel T3. Viewfinder size Furthermore, the D5100 also benefits from Nikon’s latest EXPEED 2 image processor, first seen in the D3100 last year and then in the D7000, but which was not present when the D5000 was launched in 2009. So on paper, it seems to offer pretty much everything the aspiring photographer could wish for, with plenty of opportunity to take creative images. Let's see. Features Nikon ML-L3 Wireless ( Infrared) and MC-DC2 wired remotes. [11] Third party remotes are also available. [12]

Automatic correction of lateral chromatic aberration for JPEGs. Correction-data is additionally stored in RAW-files and used by Nikon Capture NX, View NX and some other RAW tools. When you come across that perfect shot, there are instances where you know instinctively that one picture just won’t cut it. Use the camera’s High Speed Continuous Shooting mode to capture the whole series of events in high quality details. As has become standard for a Nikon at this price point, the D5100 offers a single control dial, pentamirror viewfinder and no built-in autofocus motor. However, it gains 1080p video capability (at 30, 25 or 24fps), saved using the efficient H.264/AVC codec, and a 920,000 dot fully articulated LCD panel to help shoot it. These are both significant gains over its predecessor the D5000, and the improvements extend to the D5100 having smaller, neater construction and a more conventional side-mounted hinge for that LCD.Likewise, the D5100 is wrapped in the same polycarbonate casing of cheaper Nikon models, rather than the magnesium alloy cage of the D7000 and above. This plastic outer shell is finished with a slight mottled effect to give it a metallic look. The Nikon Creative Lighting System: Wireless, Remote, Through-the-Lens Metered (iTTL) Flash! Imaging Resource Photography is all about creativity and self expression, which is a fact as seen by the images that get captured by passionate lensmen. The Nikon camera can also augment the pictures with a host of special effects that can be configured on it through the special effects mode. Some of these effects can be, Selective Color, Color Sketch and also the Miniature Effect.

The D5100 offers a sensitivity range that stretches from ISO 100-6400 in standard mode, stretching to a maximum extended setting of ISO 25,600. If that’s still not quite enough, you can also call upon a ‘Night Vision’ option that pushes the sensitivity up to ISO 102,400, although these images can only be recorded in monochrome and are, as you might expect, super grainy in appearance. A convenient lever is placed at the top of the DSLR which lets you switch to Live Mode with one easy move. The Video Record button is placed next to the shutter release for easy access to record those sudden yet fleeting moments. This SLR camera has a rechargeable Li-Ion EN-EL14 battery with which you can take 660 shots when completely charged. As for storage, you can use SD, SDHC or SDXC memory cards to store your photos and videos on the camera. While it may not have the 39 points of the D7000's AF system, the D5100's Multi-CAM 1000 AF module performed well in the D5000 and Nikon D90 (which has not been discontinued; read our Nikon D90 review). Customer needs to carry the product to the nearby Authorized Service Center to get the product repaired or inspected. Body The Nikon D5100 weighs 509 g, with dimensions of 129 x 97 x 79 mm. The camera is compact and has a rounded firm hand grip. The camera has an eye level pentamirror optical viewfinder with 0.78 x magnification and a 95 percent field of view.The D5100 has no in-body autofocus motor, and fully automatic autofocus requires one of the currently 162 lenses with an integrated autofocus motor. [5] With any other lenses the camera's electronic rangefinder (which indicates if the subject inside the selected focus point is in focus or not) can be used to manually adjust focus. [6] [7] Initially the battle was to produce affordable models, and once this was achieved manufacturers turned their attention to producing cameras with higher pixel counts. This was followed by a push in sensitivity levels and improved low-light performance.

The D5100 is without doubt one of the most compelling products in its class, and offers an excellent mixture of straightforward handling, a well-targeted feature set, and excellent video and still image quality. As we'd expect from a camera with such a solid lineage, the D5100 is responsive and reliable in operation, and produces excellent images with a minimum of fuss. It is only the second Nikon DSLR to feature an articulated LCD screen and we much prefer the more conventional side-hinged design to the D5000's more awkward bottom-hinged effort. The side-hinged screen is much more versatile, as well as being considerably easier to use with the camera mounted on a tripod. Most cameras at this level crop the frame slightly when you look through the viewfinder - in other words you get slightly more in the final picture than you see through the viewfinder. In common with most of its competitors the D5100 only shows 95% (vertically and horizontally) of the frame. What this actually means is that a small portion of the captured image doesn't show up in the viewfinder. The 'missing' 5% is illustrated below. Please note that the D5100 has been discontinued, and the newest model in this lineup is the D5600. Matrix :3D color matrix metering II (type G and D lenses); color matrix metering II (other CPU lenses)

The D5100 uses the same EN-EL14 battery as the D3100. It's a 7.6Wh battery that the D5100 manages to make last for 660 shots, according to CIPA standard tests (which compares favorably against the 550 achieved by the D3100). Viewfinder specs and view The most obvious difference between the D5100 and its predecessor is the addition of a side-hinged, fully articulated LCD screen. The D5000's LCD screen was articulated, but slightly awkwardly, via a hinge at the base of the camera's rear. This caused problems in some shooting positions, especially when the camera was mounted on a tripod. The D5100's screen is hinged in a more conventional way, along its side, which allows it to fold out from the left hand side of the camera. It is fully articulated, which means that the display can also be folded inwards, for protection. The Nikon D5100, is a member of the popular series meant for the entry level enthusiastic photographer. You can not only take great pictures with it, but you can also record videos in Full-HD mode at 1920 x 1080 p. While the camera is being used in live view mode it’s possible to record movies, and here too the new model has received a boost over its predecessor, with the ability to record at 1920 x 1080 pixels, at 24 or 25fps (plus 30fps for NTSC regions). The D5000 could only record at a maximum 720p. The D5100’s improved abilities put it, on paper at least, in the same league as the Canon EOS 600D and Sony A580, with the Pentax K-r trailing behind somewhat with a maximum setting of 1080 x 720p at 25fps. The D5100’s movie files are recorded in the H.264 format