Nikon D5100

The Nikon D5100 is an APS-C DSLR from 2011, built around a 16.2 megapixel CMOS sensor. It uses the Nikon F DX mount, so F-mount lenses fit directly.

The body weighs 560 g and measures 128 x 97 x 79 mm. Those figures describe a DSLR built for a camera bag rather than a pocket.

You compose through an optical pentamirror viewfinder, while the flip-out screen and live view handle overhead, waist-level and tripod work. That mix keeps classic DSLR framing available with screen-based options when a shot demands them.

The APS-C CMOS sensor feeds the Expeed 2 processor. Its resolution leaves room to crop while keeping detail for prints, and the APS-C format pairs with the camera's DX lens mount.

Sensitivity runs from ISO 100 to 6400. The ISO 100 base suits bright outdoor work, while ISO 6400 stands as the ceiling for dimmer scenes. The fastest shutter speed is 1/4000 second.

Autofocus uses 11 points, and the optical pentamirror finder shows the scene directly through the lens. Burst shooting reaches up to 4 fps, a maximum that favours unhurried subjects over fast action.

There is no in-body stabilisation, so preventing blur from camera shake falls to shutter speed, a steady hold or a tripod. The Optics score of 52 is modest: the sensor format and processor earn most of their points, while the maximum ISO, burst rate and stabilisation earn fewer, a position around the middle of cameras in our database for Optics.

The D5100 records Full HD video. Its maximum video frame rate is 30 fps. Footage saves as MPEG-4, MOV or H.264. Those are the camera's separate ceilings for resolution, motion and file type.

The flip-out screen earns its keep for movies. It lets you frame from ground level or over a crowd, and live view gives an on-screen preview for composing the shot.

A built-in timelapse function rounds out the video features. Set the camera on a tripod and it can condense a sunset or drifting clouds into a short sequence.

The Video score of 57 is modest. Full HD resolution and the 30 fps maximum each earn partial points, while the built-in timelapse earns full marks. With the frame-rate ceiling at 30 fps, slow-motion recording is not on the menu.

Framing and review run through a 3-inch LCD with 921,000 dots. It flips out for overhead and waist-level angles, but there is no touch input, so settings change through the physical controls.

Lighting options are straightforward. The built-in flash handles fill light indoors, and the camera also supports an external flash when you want more power or a different position.

Protection and connectivity are thin. There is no weather sealing, so the D5100 needs shelter from rain and dust. Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS are all absent, so wireless transfer, phone remote control and automatic location tagging are not built in.

The Features score of 41 is modest: live view and the screen earn most of their points, while weather sealing, touch input and Bluetooth earn none.

Files record to a single SD, SDHC or SDXC card. With one slot there is no second card for backup, so pack a spare for long days.

Power comes from an EN-EL14 battery rated at 2200 shots per charge. That is a strong rating on paper, and it suggests lengthy shooting before a recharge is needed.

Charging takes place in an external charger, since the camera lacks USB charging. If you shoot long sessions away from power, a second EN-EL14 is a sensible precaution. The Storage & Battery score of 51 is modest, held down by the single slot and the missing USB option; the battery itself earns most of its points.