Nikon D5300 review: the new D5300 offers a 24-megapixel sensor, with the optical low-pass filter removed to deliver finer image quality. Is this the ultimate beginner DSLR? Find out in our Nikon D5300 review video.
Given that Nikon still leads the way for SLR pixel count it is perhaps no surprise that it should stick with a 24-milion pixel sensor for the D5300. However, despite remaining at 24.2 million pixels this is a new devise without an optical low-pass filter.
Our head of testing Angela Nicholson takes a look at what the D5300 has to offer in her Nikon D5300 review video.
SEE MORE: Nikon D5300 vs D5100 vs D5200 – 13 key differences you need to know about
Nikon D5300 Review Video Transcript
Hi, I'm Angela Nicholson and this is the Nikon D5300, the update to the D5200.
Although the D5300 has the same pixel count as the D5200 and D7100, we are told that it uses a new sensor. What's more, like the D7100, there's no optical low-pass filter over the 24.2-million-pixel device to enable the camera to record more detail.
This sensor is coupled with Nikon's latest processing engine, the EXPEED 4 and according to Nikon UK, this enables the camera to produce better quality images.
Our tests seem to confirm this because although the Nikon D5300 has a slightly lower signal to noise ratio than the D5200, the noise is fine-grained and uniformly distributed with none of the banding that we saw in the D5200's images.
This probably explains why Nikon felt confident enough to push the native sensitivity range up to ISO 12,800, 1EV more than the D5200.
Luminance noise is visible in images captured at ISO 400 and above when they're viewed at 100%, but it's well controlled and the results at ISO 12,800 are good – albeit with greater noise and slightly softer details.
SEE MORE: Nikon D610 review
Another area that Nikon claims to have made improvements is with the automatic white balance and colour rendering. Our tests reveal that the Nikon D5300 has one of the most accurate colour profiles that we've ever seen and the automatic white balance system does a good job in a wide range of conditions – often managing to capture the atmosphere of the scene without over correcting.
On the back of the D5300 is a 3.2-inch LCD screen with 1.037-million dots. This provides a clear view with plenty of detail and because it's mounted on an articulating hinge, it can be viewed from a wide range of angles.
It really encourages you to shoot using live view, which is why it's such a shame that Nikon hasn't done anything significant to improve the live view autofocus system. It's OK in good light, but it's some way off the AF systems in the likes of the Panasonic G6 or Olympus E-P5 and it slows down significantly and misses subjects in low light.
It's also a pity that the screen's not touch-sensitive because there are relatively few direct controls on the camera and it would allow feature selections and settings adjustments to be made quickly.
Pressing this ‘I’ button on the back of the camera brings up the information screen, which displays all the key features for adjustment. You simply navigate to the one you want, press OK and then select the desired option. It’s a simple approach, but it could be made faster by making the screen touch-sensitive.
This could also speed selecting the AF point, there are 39 in total, but this is still fairly quick via the navigation control.
The Nikon D5300 is the first Nikon SLR to have Wi-Fi connectivity and GPS technology built-in. Both are easy to use, but the Wi-Fi system is particularly well implemented allowing the camera to be connected to a smartphone via Nikon's free Wireless Mobility App.
The AF point to be set by a touch on the phone screen and then the shutter triggered with another tap. Images can also be transferred quickly to the phone for sharing on your favourite social media sites.
I found the app especially helpful when I wanted to use the self-timer because it's marginally less painful to set it on the phone for every shot than on the camera. It would be a lot easier if it were possible to activate the self-timer for as long as you want to use it and then deactivated it.
Although there are a few handling niggles the Nikon D5300 impresses where it really counts, with image quality. The matrix metering system does a superb job in most situations, the AF system is reliable and colours are generally accurate and pleasant.
However, I can't help feeling that while enthusiasts may be frustrated the lack of direct controls, while novices expect a more responsive live view system.
PAGE 1: Nikon D5300 Review Video & Transcript
PAGE 2: Our original Nikon D5300 launch story
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