Nikon D5300 at a glance:
- 24.2-million-pixel, DX-format CMOS sensor
- New Expeed 4 image-processing engine
- ISO 100-12,800 (expandable to ISO 25,600)
- 39-point Multi-CAM 4800DX AF sensor with nine cross-type points
- No anti-aliasing filter
- New EN-EL14a battery with 20% power increase over the EN-EL14
- Street price around £749 with 18-55mm kit lens
- See Nikon D5300 product shots
- See Nikon D5300 sample images
Nikon D5300 review – Introduction
When the Nikon D5300 was launched in October, Nikon was keen to stress that it was not a replacement for the Nikon D5200 or D5100. Rather, it was a continuation of the D5000 series, so neither the D5200 nor the D5100 would be discontinued.
This new camera therefore expands Nikon’s range of ‘entry-level’ DSLRs, sitting at the top of the line-up as a ‘high-end’ model. With a variety of special effects modes, it ticks all the right boxes for the creative enthusiast photographer and boasts some impressive specifications. Also, thanks to the fact there’s no anti-aliasing filter, and that it has similarly high-resolution DX-format sensor as the D5200, the D5300 has the potential to produce fantastically detailed images. In addition, the D5300 has built-in Wi-Fi, GPS and features a new Expeed 4 processor.
Nikon D5300 review – Features
The Nikon D5300 has a 15.6×23.5mm, DX-format sensor with a resolution of 24.2 million pixels, which is fractionally higher than the 24.1 million pixels of the D5200. Thanks to the removal of the micro-blurring optical low-pass (anti-aliasing) filter, the D5300 should be able to resolve a higher level of detail than the previous Nikon D5000-series models. The lack of an anti-aliasing filter does mean, though, that there is a risk of moiré patterning on images. This usually occurs when photographing recurring patterns, such as the ones found on textiles, but it can be largely removed in post-production. Nikon was keen to stress that removing the anti-aliasing filter is a worthwhile trade-off to improve the overall image resolution.
Every new D5000-series camera so far has come with an upgraded processor, and the D5300 has the new Expeed 4 image-processing engine. This allows the same 5fps shooting speed as that offered by the D5200 but the new processor should allow quicker and more accurate calculations from the 2016-pixel RGB sensor. In turn, this should achieve better colour rendition. Also, the Expeed 4 processor should improve the noise performance throughout the ISO sensitivity range.
The Nikon D5200 saw the introduction of Wi-Fi compatibility via two additional extras – a WU-1a Wi-Fi module and a GP-1 GPS module, which cost around £250 combined. Thankfully, the D5300 has both Wi-Fi and GPS built in, so users can geotag images, send pictures to a smartphone/tablet and even wirelessly control the camera from a smart device via the free Nikon WMU app.
As well as the night vision, colour sketch, miniature, selective colour, silhouette, high key and low key effects, the Nikon D5300 includes two further special effects modes in the form of toy camera and HDR painting.
