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, it hasn’t used the same sensor as is in the D5200 (which still continues in the company line-up), as the D5300 uses a new 24.2-milion pixel device without an optical low-pass filter.
We’re increasingly seeing a move towards sensors without low-pass or anti-aliasing filters because they offer the potential to capture more detail – albeit at the risk of moiré patterning.
Features
The majority of the D5300’s specification is the same as the D5200, but in addition to the new sensor there are a few key changes.
Perhaps the most significant change from the D5200 is the switch to the new EXPEED 4 processing engine. This has given Nikon greater power to improve image quality and we are told that has most impact with noise control at the highest sensitivity settings.
Although it uses the same dedicated 2016-pixel RGB sensor to inform the Scene Recognition System for light metering and white balance assessment, according to Simon Iddon, Senior Product Manager at Nikon UK the automatic white balance performance is be improved and colour processing is claimed to be better.
When we tested the D5200 we found that the automatic white balance system can make images shot in shade look a bit lifeless and under-saturated. We also found that the Landscape Picture Control mode over-enhances blues and greens so they look unnatural. It will be interesting to see if these points have addressed by the changes.
While the D5200’s native sensitivity range is ISO 100-6400, the D5300’s has been pushed a stop further to ISO 100-12,800. This suggests that the EXPEED 4 engine enables a 1EV improvement in noise control. Interestingly, maximum expansion setting is the same at ISO 25,600.
Nikon is aiming the D5300 at photographers who want to be creative and to support this it has added two new Creative Effect modes – HDR Painting and Toy Camera. This brings the total number of Effects modes to 9, there are also 16 scene modes and the usual collection of Picture Control options.
In addition, Nikon has encouraged shooting from creative angles by boosting the size of the vari-angle LCD screen to 3.2-inches and increasing its dot-count to 1,037,000.
Another key change for the D5300 is the addition of built-in Wi-Fi and GPS technology. The Wi-Fi connectivity allows the camera to tranfer images wirelessly to a smartphone or tablet via Nikon’s free Wireless Mobile Utility app (iOS and Android). From there images can be shared on any of the usual social networking sites. The same app can also be used to trigger the shutter remotely.
Meanwhile the GPS system allows images to be tagged with the longitude, latitude and altitude of the shooting location. Nikon’s ViewNX 2 software can be used to create travel maps which can be displayed on NIKON IMAGE SPACE, or any other social networking or photo-sharing website that support GPS, such as Flickr.
The addition of Wi-Fi and GPS technology may have been the motivation for another change made with the D5300, a new battery, the EN-EL14a. Under CIPA testing conditions this battery has a 600-shot life, 100 more than the EN-EL14. Further good news is that the EN-EL14a is backwards compatible so it can be used in the D5200 and it will be phased in across Nikon cameras.
Nikon’s dynamic range expanding D-Lighting mode has been around for a while now, but the D5300 debuts a new option in Retouch mode – Portrait Subject mode. When this is applied to a portrait image the skin tones are brightened but the background ambience is retained.
As usual, the D5300 is capable of shooting Full HD (1920×1080) movies, but the available frame rates has been expanded to include 60 and 50p as well as 30, 25 and 24p.
Build and handling
Although the D5300 looks almost identical to the D5200, there are a few changes. It is the first Nikon SLR to be built using a monocoque construction, which means its shell is made from one single piece of material. This should make the camera stronger and because Nikon has used ‘new materials’ for its construction it is also lighter than the D5200 at 480g.
Though it doesn’t exactly have a tank-like feel, the D5300 certainly feels well-made and solid enough in your hand.
Apart from a few extra holes for the stereo mic above the viewfinder and the GPS and Wi-Fi icons, the top plate of the D5300 looks just the same as the D5200’s. There’s still a large mode dial with all the usual PASM options and automatic options along with the scene Effects modes.
On the back of the camera the screen is noticeably bigger on the D5300 than it is on the D5200 and there’s a bigger rubberised area for the thumb-rest. But that’s it for changes aside from the slight relocation of a couple of green dots and a change in font for the I of information button.
In short, D5200 users will feel right at home with the D5300’s control layout. The menu is also the same with the obvious additions of options for new features such as the Wi-Fi and GPS technology.
There are relatively few buttons on the D5300 and most settings adjustments are made via on-screen controls.
Pressing the ‘I’ button on the back of the camera brings up the information screen, which displays all the key features for adjustment.
Settings changes are made simply by navigating to the desired feature, pressing the OK button and then selecting the desired option. It’s a simple approach which is reasonably fast to use, but could be made faster still be making the screen touch-sensitive.
We’ve only been able to use a pre-production sample of the D5300 indoors so we can’t say for certain how the new screen copes in bright light. However, we held it next to a large window and it didn’t seem to suffer excessively from reflections. It also gives a nice, clear view with plenty of detail.
Performance
As we have yet to use a full production sample of the D5300 we can’t pass final judgement on the quality of the images that it produces.
When we tested the D5200 we found that there was an issue with slight banding in the darker midtones and lighter shadows of images taken at ISO 3200 or higher. Naturally we will scrutinise the images from the D5300 for this when we get a production sample in. We haven’t seen the problem in more recent cameras such as the D7100 so we’re hopeful that the D5300 will get a clean bill of health in this respect.
In the past we have found Nikon’s 39-point AF system (with 9 cross-type points) to be fast and accurate and our time with a pre-production D5300 brings no reason to doubt this.
Compared with a compact system camera such as the Panasonic G6 or Olympus E-P5, however, the D5300’s live view contrast detection focusing system is slow. Naturally we will test this further when we get a review sample in.
As we mentioned earlier, we are hoping that the D5300’s automatic white balance system and colour rendering will offer a little improvement on the D5200’s.
We had no complaints about the D5200’s metering system however, and we hope it will be the same with the D5300.
Verdict
It would be easy to dismiss the changes made with the D5300 as minor, but there is much more to a camera than its pixel count. And a processing engine is just as important as a sensor when it comes to images quality.
We anticipate that the new sensor design and the removal of the low-pass filter will enable the D5300 to record a little more detail sharp detail than the D5200 and that noise is better controlled.
We also hope that the banding seen in some shadow areas of high sensitivity images from the D5200, and which limits the size at which they can be used, is banished for good.
We liked
A pixel count of 24 million is more than enough for most photographers and we’re happy that Nikon has stuck with this for the D5300, but taken steps to improve the quality of the sensor’s output.
The addition of W-Fi connectivity is also good news because users are increasingly keen to share images quickly.
We disliked
While GPS is a nice-to-have feature it tends to be power-hungry and as a result few photographers tend to use it that often. It will be very interesting to see what impact using it has upon the battery life of the D5300.
The D5300 is aimed at those upgrading from a compact camera or who want to be more creative with their images. Nikon regards it as an ‘upper-entry-level’ camera. Lots of buttons and dials can be intimidating to relative newcomers to photography and Nikon uses an attractive Graphic User Interface (GUI) and menu system for most setting selections and adjustments. While this may suit some, it’s not as quick to use as direct controls. We’d like to see a few more on the D5300 to make it faster for enthusiasts to use.
Initial verdict
While the upgrades made to the D5200 by the D5300 are solid, they are unlikely to attract D5200 users to upgrade. They do however, make the camera more attractive to photographers without a brand commitment.
A 24-million-pixel SLR with a 3.2-inch articulating screen, 39-point AF system and built-in Wi-Fi connectivity is an attractive proposition for someone looking to take their photography more seriously.
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