Nikon D5100 Review

Overall Score

68

Main Features

  • 16 MP APS-C CMOS Sensor
  • 100 - 6400 ISO
  • 3" Articulated Screen
  • Optical (pentamirror) Viewfinder
  • 4 fps continuous shooting
  • 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • Built-In Wireless
  • 128 x 97 x 79 mm, 560g.
  • Price Category:
  • Replaced: D5000
  • Replaced by: D5200

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Nikon D5100 Overview


First introduced in April, 2011, Nikon D5100 is a 16 MP DSLR with a APS-C (23.6 x 15.7 mm) sized CMOS sensor. Nikon replaced the older Nikon D5000 with D5100. Follow the link to read our detailed comparison of these models:

Compare Nikon D5100 with Nikon D5000

Nikon replaced D5100 with Nikon D5200. Follow the link to read our detailed comparison of these models:

Compare Nikon D5100 with Nikon D5200


Nikon D5100 comes with a 23.6 x 15.6 mm CMOS sensor, which has a diagonal of 28.29 mm (1.1").

- Full Frame
- Nikon D5100

Sensor resolution of Nikon D5100 ~ 4915 x 3255 pixels.

Nikon D5100 has Crop Factor: 1.53

The sensor has a surface area of 368.2 mm².

There are approximate 15,998,325 photosites (pixels) on this area.

Nikon D5100 Series History
Model Year $ Sensor ISO Weight Dimensions
Nikon D5600 Nikon D5600 2016 24MP 100 - 25600 465g 124 x 97 x 70mm
Nikon D5500 Nikon D5500 2015 24MP 100 - 25600 420g 124 x 97 x 70mm
Nikon D5300 Nikon D5300 2014 24MP 100 - 12800 480g 125 x 98 x 76mm
Nikon D5200 Nikon D5200 2013 24MP 100 - 6400 555g 129 x 98 x 78mm
Nikon D5100 Nikon D5100 2011 16MP 100 - 6400 560g 128 x 97 x 79mm

Proc and Cons of Nikon D5100


Get to know this camera closer. Let's look at the features and characteristics of this model. Compare Nikon D5100 with competitors in entry-level dslr cameras.

Pros
Built-in Wireless
External Flash
AF Face Detection
921k dots Screen Resolution
1/4000s Max Shutter Speed
Manual Exposure Mode
Microphone Port
11 Focus Points
±5 AE Bracketing Range
Selfie Friendly Screen
Articulating Screen
Optical Viewfinder
RAW Support
4.0 fps Continuous Shooting
Manual Focus
560g Light Body
Timelapse Recording
1 Cross Focus Points
Flash Sync Port
Focus Bracketing
Cons
No Bluetooth
No Touch Screen
No Environmental Sealing
Weight: 560g
No Articulating Screen
No Image Stabilization
Slow Continuous Shooting: 921 fps
Low Battery Life: 660 shots
Type Scores

Nikon D5100 has an Overall Score of 68/100 and ranked #73 out of 206 in DSLR cameras, and ranked #202 out of 1222 in all cameras.

Nikon D5100 Scores
Imaging score
57
Features score
68
Value for money score
84
Portability score
78
Overall score
68
Average Scores in Entry-Level DSLR
Imaging Score
52
Features Score
59
Value For Money Score
75
Portability Score
79
Overall score
61

Physical Dimensions of Nikon D5100


Nikon D5100 weighs 560g and has external dimensions of 128 x 97 x 79mm (5.04 x 3.82 x 3.11"). Considering that the average weight of Entry-Level DSLR cameras is 538g, Nikon D5100 is 22 grams more than the average weight of cameras in this category.

Weight Comparison
Entry-Level DSLR Cameras


Nikon D5100
560g
Average weight
538g
Min weight
365g
Max weight
690g

Thickness Comparison
Entry-Level DSLR Cameras


Nikon D5100
79mm
Average Thickness
73mm
Min Thickness
53mm
Max Thickness
86mm

Here is the front and top view image of Nikon D5100 with the dimensions:

Nikon D5100

Size Compared to Major Competitors


Model Weight D5100 Dimensions D5100
Nikon D5200 Nikon D5200 555 g 560 g 129 x 98 x 78 mm 128 x 97 x 79 mm
Nikon D3300 Nikon D3300 430 g 560 g 124 x 98 x 76 mm 128 x 97 x 79 mm
Nikon D3200 Nikon D3200 505 g 560 g 125 x 96 x 77 mm 128 x 97 x 79 mm
Nikon D5300 Nikon D5300 480 g 560 g 125 x 98 x 76 mm 128 x 97 x 79 mm
Nikon D3400 Nikon D3400 395 g 560 g 124 x 98 x 76 mm 128 x 97 x 79 mm
Nikon D5500 Nikon D5500 420 g 560 g 124 x 97 x 70 mm 128 x 97 x 79 mm
Nikon D5000 Nikon D5000 590 g 560 g 127 x 104 x 80 mm 128 x 97 x 79 mm
Canon EOS 700D Canon 700D 580 g 560 g 133 x 100 x 79 mm 128 x 97 x 79 mm

Specifications of Nikon D5100


General
Brand Nikon
Model D5100
Announced April, 2011
Body Type Compact SLR
Lens
Lens Mount Nikon F
Manual Focus
Focal Lens Multiplier 1.5
Number of Lenses 305
Macro Focus Range n/a
Screen
Screen Size 3"
Screen Type Articulated
Screen Resolution 921k pixels
Touch Screen
Live View
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Optical (pentamirror)
Viewfinder Resolution no electronic viewfinder
Viewfinder Coverage 95%
Viewfinder Magnification 0.52
Autofocus
AF Touch
AF Continuous
AF Single
AF Tracking
AF Selective
AF Center
AF Multi Area
AF Live View
AF Face Detection
AF Contrast Detection
AF Phase Detection
Number of Focus Points 11
Number of Cross Focus Points 1
Photography Features
RAW Support
Min Shutter Speed 1/30 sec
Max Shutter Speed 1/4000 sec
Continuous Shooting 4.0 fps
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Exposure Compensation
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization
Built-in Flash
Flash Range 12.00
Flash Modes Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Slow sync, Rear curtain
External Flash
AE Bracketing
AE Bracketing Range ±5 EV
WB Bracketing
Sensor
Sensor Size APS-C
Sensor Type CMOS
Sensor Dimensions 23.6 x 15.6 mm
Sensor Area 368.2 mm²
Sensor Resolution 16 MP
Max Image Resolution 4928 x 3264
Max Native ISO 6400
Min Native ISO 100
Max Boosted ISO 25600
Min Boosted ISO 0
Video Features
4K
Max Video Resolution 1920 x 1080
Video Formats MPEG-4
Timelapse Recording
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Exposure Modes
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
Connectivity
GPS Optional
Wireless Connectivity Built-In
Bluetooth
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
Battery
Battery Life 660 shots
Battery Type Battery Pack
Battery Model EN-EL14
Physical
Weight 560 g
Physical Dimensions 128 x 97 x 79 mm
Environmental Sealing
Water Proof
Dust Proof
Shock Proof
Crush Proof
Freeze Proof
Shock Proof
Storage
Storage Type SD/SDHC/SDXC
Storage Slots 1
Other Features
Self Timer
Selfie Friendly

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