Nikon D5200 review – Dynamic range
Images: In HDR mode, there is a choice between auto and four levels of strength. Auto HDR in this scene is closest to HDR medium, which subtly brightens shadow areas
It is clear from tricky high-contrast scenes that the Nikon D5200 is able to capture a lot of tonal detail.
Where a scene pushes the dynamic range of the camera, like an overcast landscape or reflections of sunlight, there is more detail in the blacks and whites than one would expect from some other cameras.
For the scenes that do surpass the dynamic range an HDR mode is available, which extends the range by a further 3EV, while the auto-lighting optimiser ‘corrects’ shadow and highlight detail to make it more obvious to the eye.
In both modes, images can actually become a little too ‘flat’ because the shadow areas are sometimes brightened too much.
Usually, however, the auto modes work well enough to not need the manual options.
