Introduction

The D5200 wasn’t due for an upgrade, so when Nikon announced it, people were a little surprised. The Nikon 5000 series of dSLR cameras are the only models that feature the Nikon Vari-angle articulated LCD Monitor, so from a marketing standpoint, it made sense to upgrade this camera, rather than another model that shares more features with other cameras. On the exterior, the D5200 looks almost exactly like its predecessor with a few minor changes, such as the addition of a Drive mode button and an integrated stereo microphone, which is a first on any Nikon dSLR.

Inside is where the D5200 receives most of its upgrades, some of which are inherited from both the pro-level D800 and the semi-pro D600. These include an increased resolution of 24MP (which puts it on par with Nikon’s flagship high-resolution camera, the D3X), a new EXPEED 3 image processor, the Multi-CAM 4800DX 39-point autofocusing system, and the 2016-pixel Color Matrix Metering II metering system.

This compact camera offers most of the key features of more professional models, but with a smaller footprint. It also offers a plethora of scene modes that allow you to capture creative images in any shooting situation, no matter your level of experience.

In-camera editing is also a feature of the D5200, so you don’t necessarily need to be computer savvy to add effects to your images. It also allows you to edit RAW files.

The D5200 will appeal to videographers, as well, due to the full high definition 1080p video, and the ability to control exposure settings manually and record stereo sound. The fully articulated Vari-angle LCD Monitor is a real plus over any of the other Nikon HDSLRs because it allows you to shoot at awkward angles.

With the D5200, Nikon has truly created an amazing, full-featured, DX-format camera that is also very affordable and easy to handle.

About the Digital Field Guide

The Nikon Digital Field Guide book series is intended to act as an adjunct to the manual that comes with your camera. While the manual gives you a great overview of the camera, a photographer didn’t write it. The Nikon D5200 Digital Field Guide gives you all the information you need about the camera from a working photographer’s perspective.

The goal of this guide is to help photographers — from novices to advanced amateurs — grasp all of the features of their new camera. It includes tips learned from working with the camera in the field, as well as some basic information to help newer photographers get up to speed quickly.

This full-color guide walks you through setting up your camera, offers insight about which settings to use, and tells you why each setting is useful in particular situations. Full-color images demonstrate different photography concepts and show you some of the things the D5200 is able to accomplish.

The Nikon D5200 Digital Field Guide will help you familiarize yourself with your camera more quickly, so that you can not only navigate and handle it better, but also more easily achieve your photographic vision.