Should you get the Nikon D5200?

The Watchful Eye of the Forest (Nikon 1 J1, 1 Nikkor VR 10-30mm f/3.5-5.6, ISO 100, f/7.1, 1/250).
While taking this shot I had the distinct feeling I wasn’t alone. It was only in post that I noticed why: the forest was watching closely … See more like this at Sorin Vacaru Photography

So, the cat is out of the bag. We know what sensor we are getting with the new Nikon D5200: a brand new 24.1MP DX format sensor made by Toshiba. When I say “brand new”, I mean it: it is the first sensor made by Toshiba for DSLRs (as far as I know).

We also found out, courtesy of dxomark.com, how good the sensor is: very good. Good enough to narrowly beat the Pentax K IIs for the top DX/APS-C format sensor based camera on the market. So, is it good enough for you to upgrade? Well, it depends where you are coming from and where you want to go.

If you are a D5000, D3000 or D3100 user, it may be time. In fact, you are in for a surprise: not only are you more or less doubling the resolution, but you are getting a lot more dynamic range, colour and tonal depth, as well as low light performance. Even more, the D5200 inherits the AF and metering sensors of the higher end D7000. You also get the Expeed 3A processor and 5fps continuous shooting.

Otherwise, the D5200 is pretty darn similar to the D5100, which in my book is generally a good thing. There is no mirror lockup (but there is mirror release delay), no top side display, no front control wheel, no dedicated controls for ISO, WB, etc. and no weather sealing.

The decision becomes a little more complicated if you own a D5100, still a very competent and competitive entry level DSLR. If you are looking for better AF and metering, the D5200 can deliver. However, so can the D7000. Other than 24 vs 16MP, the D7000 is a great value, especially if you expose your camera to the Great Outdoors. IMHO, the sensor alone does not justify upgrading your D5100 or D7000. You would have to move up to FX (D600) to see significant improvement in sensor performance. However, you would have to prepare to pay the DX-to-FX transition penalty.

A word of caution: if you are planning to take advantage of your shiny new pixels, do yourself a favour and stay away from the 18-55mm kit lens. While it is good value for the price, the lens is not a good match for the very high resolution and pixel density of the D5200. The 18-105mm Nikon zoom is a better alternative, although I wouldn’t make it my first choice, unless you add a few sharp prime lenses (14mm, 20 mm, 35mm, 85mm, 105mm).

If you have a sizeable budget for lenses, go for high performance zoom lenses (14-24mm, 24-70mm or 24-85mm and 70-200mm) from Nikon or other vendors. You will still need a few key prime lenses to bring out the best in your sensor.

For those looking to enter the DSLR world or buy a second/backup body, the D5200 can be a fantastic choice that will keep you shooting happily for many years to come.

Nikon D5200 Introduced in North America

Sun Rising Over the Mesquite Flats Dunes, Death Valley National Park
(Nikon D5000, Nikkor AF-S VR 18-105mm, ISO 200, f/8, 1/160s).
It is all about composition: I have never been happy with the original image. Something was off. The other day I decided to spend the time and look at the composition more closely. One crop later …… and voila!
See more like this at Sorin Vacaru Photography

No surprise here: as expected, Nikon made the D5200 available in North America. The big surprise came when it transpired that the 24MP sensor is made not by Nikon, not by Sony, but by Toshiba.

IMHO, this is big. Over the last few years, Nikon has held a clear advantage in image quality over its main rival Canon due to the very good Sony/Nikon sensors paired with the Nikon processing pipeline and Expeed processors. One of the few notable exceptions was the 10MP sensor used in the Nikon 1 series, manufactured by Aptina.

With a new player in the sensor manufacturing field, all bets are off. We will have to wait and see how well it performs in lab tests and in the field. This is critical for Nikon since the successor to the excellent D5100 has to be quite good to duplicate its success.

Nikon D5200 Announcement – UPDATED

(Nikon D5000, Nikkor AF-S DX VR 18-105mm, ISO 200,HDR Efex Pro 2.0).
Early morning fog on a beautiful October morning in Romania’s countryside.
See more like this at Sorin Vacaru Photography

(Nikon D5000, Nikkor AF-S DX VR 18-105mm, ISO 200, panorama)
There are occasions when no (existing) camera will do. The dynamic range of a sunrise is generally much higher than any sensor can cover. Sometimes HDR can come to the rescue. The size of the Monument Valley panorama is 45MP, large enough to print 50 inches wide at exceptional quality. The only digital camera that I know of which could take this in one shot is the Phase One IQ180 digital back ($43,000 just the back; add body and lens, please …)
See more like this at Sorin Vacaru Photography

UPDATE (November 7, 2012): Some sources contend that the 24.1MP is in fact DIFFERENT than the one found in the D3200. If this proves to be the case, we have one more possible improvement over the D5100 – image quality. We will have to wait and see…. Another concern I have and forgot to mention is the availability of affordable DX lenses capable of fully exploiting a 24MP DX crop sensor. As far as I can see, with very few exceptions, budget and even mid level lenses will be out-resolved by the sensor. In fact, they barely hold their own on the 16MP D7000.

Nikon announced today the new iteration of their mid range consumer DSLR: the D5200.

It features the 24.1MP sensor that we got with the D3200. As expected, the body is very similar to the D5100, as are many of the other specs. Going through the rumoured specs prior to the official announcement one thought weighed heavily on my mind: what could entice a D5100 or D5000 user to upgrade to the D5200? Frankly, I saw very little reason these users should upgrade. Even the D5000 is close enough in terms of image quality and handling that it makes the upgrade questionable (unless one needs to print really big and owns very good lenses or has the budget to buy them).

./rant on/ Those of you who are reading my posts know that I place little weight on video features. Sure, it is nice to have great video capabilities in our DSLRs or mirror less systems, but if you want to shoot video, buy a real camera./rant off/

Back to the question at hand: what does the D5200 bring to the table over the D5100?  Well, Nikon pulled a rabbit out of the hat and managed to find something we might really need/want. Actually, two things:

1. The D5200 has the same 39 point AF system as the D7000, a great improvement over the D5100;

2. The D5200 has the same 2,016-pixel RGB metering sensor as the D7000 and D600

In addition to these surprises, we also get another great improvement: the Expeed-3 processor found in all new Nikon interchangeable lens cameras, from the Nikon 1 to the D4.

Even with these upgrades, I am not sure the D5200 is a must for the D5x00 user. IMHO we are firmly planted in diminishing returns territory when it comes to DX DSLRs. There is still some room to improve on the FX side of the equation, but we have basically everything we need in DX, with the exception of a weather sealed, full featured body with an updated sensor. Once the D400 upgrade to the D300s is released, Nikon or anyone else for that matter will be hard pressed to iterate DX cameras based on higher specs alone. They will need new and innovative ways to grow. In the meantime, some fast, sharp and reasonably priced DX primes are long overdue.

Don’t get me wrong: I think the D5200 will be a spectacular camera. If I didn’t already own a D5000 it would be my DSLR of choice for many of my shoots.