D5300 vs D5200 – What’s New in the D5300?

It is remarkable how far technology has advanced and at how fast of a pace it is doing so!  Hot of the press tonight is the announcement of Nikon’s newest entry level DSLR, the Nikon D5300.  After reading through the Nikon D5300 specs I must say, I am very impressed with the Nikon D5300 as it appears to be a truly amazing camera for any photography enthusiast.  For many of you though the question may be: what’s new in the D5300 vs the D5200?  Let’s find out!

What is so awesome about the camera?

Here are a handful of the Nikon D5300 specs I am most impressed with:

• New EXPEED 4 image processor – The D5200 with the previous processor was a solid performer with great color rendition and resolution so I can only assume the newest processor will have even greater improvements with white balance & tone processing.
• Wide ISO range: 100-12800, expandable to ISO 25600 equivalent – The Nikon D5300 should be an excellent low-light performing camera and show minimal noise in photos.
• Built-in Wi-Fi for easy sharing from camera to smart devices – This is the first Nikon DSLR to have this built-in Wi-Fi  capability.  Images can be transferred over a wireless connection to a phone, computer, blog or any social networking site & image size can be selected so you aren’t forced to sending the large 24mp files.  In addition to transferring of images, with the built-in Wi-Fi users can use their phone or tablet as a remote trigger as the camera’s live view shooting display is shown on the smart device.
• GPS – The Nikon D5300 has built in GPS allowing users to easily track routes, family vacation locations by using the built in logging feature which comes with the D5300.
• HD Movie Recording – Whether you feel like you “need” video recording capability or not, the truth is, the video quality from today’s DSLRs are pretty amazing and having a camera capable of excellent still images and video at the flip of a switch certainly comes in handy.

Other notable Nikon D5300 specs (for the full list of detailed tech specs go here)

• 24.2 megapixels giving detailed resolution
• 5 frames per second to capture quick action or sports
• Variable angle live view display allowing user to take photos easily from any extreme angle (overhead or from ground level looking up)
• 39 point auto-focus system for excellent auto-focus point coverage throughout the viewfinder.
• 3 color options – Black, Gray, Red

D5300 vs D5200 – What’s New with the D5300?

• EXPEED 4 processor vs EXPEED 3 in the D5200
• Wider ISO Range – D5300 has a base range of 100-12800 vs the D5200’s 100-6400
• Larger LCD screen – 3.2″ vs 3″
• Built-in WiFi & GPS – No more adapters or accessories needed.

Overall the Nikon D5300 seems like a feature rich camera that provides a tremendous amount of value to photographers at its $799 retail price tag.  The Nikon D5300 shares many of the same features as the D7100 but at $400 less.  So what should you do?  If looking to upgrade from a D3200, this is a great option as it has many upgraded featured compared to the D3200.  If you already have a D5200 though, I don’t feel it would be worth upgrading for because although the higher ISO range is a nice feature, the amount of time you’d be needing ISO above 6400 would/should be pretty rare anyways and if you really needed WiFi and GPS capability, you can do so cheaper by simply using the accessories with your D5200 rather than “upgrade” to a new camera.

There ya go – a quick peek at what’s new in the D5300!

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