Nikon D5300 Digital Field Guide

Introduction

Once again Nikon pulled a shocking move when they announced an update to the D5200, which was a little over a year old and, to be quite honest, a very capable little camera especially for the price point. But Nikon seems to use the mid-range 5000 series cameras to test out their newest features because just as the D5200 was upgraded with features that weren’t available on even the newest cameras, the D5300 is arriving hot on the heels of the brand new D610 and has some impressive features that aren’t included on the more advanced camera.

Of course the D5300 retains the real hallmark of the 5000 series cameras, which is the Vari-Angle articulated screen, but the screen has seen an increase in both size and resolution. The screen is 3.2 inches and an impressive 1,037,000 dots, which gives the Nikon D5300 unsurpassed clarity. The outside the camera remains relatively unchanged with the exception of the removal of the drive button that was added to the D5200. This is a shame because that was a handy feature which now has to be accessed through the menu system.

The real changes to the D5300 are on the inside. Most notably, the D5300 has inherited a feature from the more expensive D7100 — a 24MP CMOS sensor without an Anti-Aliasing blur filter, which promises sharper more detailed images. Another leap in technology is the brand new Expeed 4 imaging processor that expands the D5300’s native ISO all the way up to 12,800 and promises at least one stop better low-light performance ...