Pixiq

So after the worst-kept secret in the photography world so far this year was revealed on 5 April, what have the reviewers had to say about its Expeed 2 processor, its 16.2 megapixels, its 100-25,600 ISO range, its video mode, and its articulated screen? Mostly, it seems to be a well-respected camera, and a likely competitor to the Canon Eos 600D. But you can take a look for yourself.

CNET Asia says ‘Colors in the default standard picture style seem to have the saturation pushed just a little, which produces attractive, relatively accurate results. We prefer the neutral picture style; the others are too contrasty, which results in loss of shadow and dark midtone detail. (You can always increase the contrast later, but getting that detail back is hard.) However, the standard doesn’t shift the colors excessively as on some consumer dSLRs.’ – Read the full review at CNET Asia

DPReview says ‘Although the D5100 is listed as having an Expeed 2 processor, it’s worth remembering that Nikon doesn’t use this naming system to denote any specific components, so the actual chunks of silicon and capabilities aren’t necessarily the same as those in the D3100 or D7000. However, in addition to a similarly specced 16.2MP sensor, the D5100 offers the same ISO settings as its big brother – extending up to an equivalent of ISO 25,600.’ – Read the full review at DPReview

ePHOTOzine says ‘A full array of connections on the side provide HDMI, external microphone, USB, GPS connections. Very easy to access the live view mode thanks to the new auto-returning lever, much more intuitive than trying to locate a specific button in a sea of identical buttons. As you would expect the DSLR has a metal tripod mount, and there are a number of dedicated buttons on the camera including: Flash, Function (default timer button, can be customised to: self-timer, release mode, image quality, ISO, white balance, active d-lighting, HDR mode, +RAW, auto-bracketing)’ – Read the full review at ePHOTOzine

Imaging Resource says,”The Nikon D5100 uses 14-bit analog/digital conversion, and output from the CMOS sensor is handled by an EXPEED 2 image processor, as featured previously in the D3100 and D7000. Compared to the previous generation EXPEED, the latest generation EXPEED 2 offers improvements in processing speed, image quality, and power consumption. (Note that Nikon repeatedly tells us that EXPEED 2 isn’t necessarily the same processor in each camera; it’s a processing set that’s applied via various configurations of processors, which varies by camera.)” – Read the full review at Imaging Resource

PhotoRadar says ‘Having a high resolution articulated screen is also a bonus because it actively encourages shooting from unusual angles which makes for more interesting pictures. Those who rubbish the idea of such a device on a SLR should try using one for a few hours while taking macro or still life images.’ – Read the full review at PhotoRadar

PhotographyBLOG says, ‘Fortunately, MF is not the only focusing option in Live View, at least as long as you are taking stills. Contrast-detect auto-focus (CDAF) is also available and, while slow, it tends to be accurate. As with the D5000, CDAF can also be used in connection with face detection. ‘Face-Priority AF’ had no problem finding and keeping track of human faces as long as they were facing the camera, but acquiring focus was another story – very, very slow.’ – Read the full review at PhotographyBLOG

Pocket-lint says ‘We can’t help feeling that some newcomers will miss some features entirely, whilst more experienced photographers might feel the D5100 has been pitched too low, not giving them all the controls they want quickly and easily. As such the D5100 sort of falls into the middle, literally, offering a blend of entry- and higher-specs that aren’t always immediately cohesive.’ – Read the full review on Pocket-lint

TechRadar says ‘With its 16.2 million pixels, articulated 3in LCD screen, Special Effects and Scene modes, along with the more advanced PSAM exposure modes, on paper, at least, the Nikon D5100 seems to offer everything the aspiring photographer could wish for.’ – Read the full review at TechRadar

Trusted Reviews says ‘Another notable improvement the D5100 enjoys over the D3100, and the now-discontinued D5000, is an expanded sensitivity range that stretches from ISO 100-6400 in standard mode, expandable to a maximum of ISO 25,600 using the Hi1 and Hi2 settings. Quite how usable that top setting will be remains to be seen, though as a last resort in near-dark situations where the use of flash isn’t an option it’s certainly a useful tool to have on board.’ – Read the full review at Trusted Reviews