Of course, the launch is vitally important for the success of any product. The camera market is particularly competitive at the moment and so Nikon will be hoping that their launch of the new D5200 will capture the imagination of potential customers and strike fear into the hearts of their rivals. If not, many of those potential customers will want have a good look at what else is out there that fits either similar spec requirements or similar price range. There is no room for complacency here as the entry-level D-SLR market is keenly fought for and highly competitive. If the D5200 gets the 24MP sensor of its sibling the D3200, then at least it will be amongst the largest in its class. And if it can claim to be a sports camera by pushing its current 4FPS along, then that is even better. But it also has to offer something to those photographers who value low light excellence and a more rigorous focussing system. And don’t forget the movie makers out there. The D5100 is a great starter for videographers, but things move on and the D5200 has to at least improve the frame rate. Even so, if the D5200 can deliver all this for a reasonable price, it faces stiff competition….
THE NIKON D5100 – When Nikon announced the D3200, they also confirmed that the D3100 would still be available and so it’s fair to assume that the D5100 will still be on offer for a while after the D5200 launch. It is also likely to be cheaper. The D5100 is a great camera, user friendly and with superb image quality, both stills and video. The articulated screen makes shooting at high or low angles so much easier and the external stereo Mic give good sound quality to add the HD video. The 16MP file, when combined with Nikon lenses, is really all most of us will need and the ISO span, which extends to 25,600 is splendid. It handles noise well and give tremendous image detail. 4FPS burst speed is a little slow, these days, but apart from that this camera is well worth the money.[I:http://www.grinwebbus.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/JeremyBayston2.jpg]
THE NIKON D3200 – Nikon have really astonished the photographic community with this ‘ entry-level’ camera that seems to want to compete with pro-level bodies. The 24 MegaPixel sensor is remarkable in a camera of this price and had put every other beginner-level camera in the shade. The external Mic (for stereo recording) and HD video make this a great starter for photographer and videographer alike. The solid ISO rating – up to 6400 – and shutter speed range make this flexible and versatile camera the current leader of it’s class. [I:http://www.grinwebbus.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/JeremyBayston3.jpg]
THE CANON EOS 650D/Rebel T4i – This is another recent launch and a very competent performer. The 650D/Rebel T4i gives the impression that it has come to dominate the field and leave no prisoners. The 18MP file is smaller than the D3200, but not significantly (the D3200’s file at 24MP is in fact only 16% larger as the size increase is not linear), and in most cases it would be impossible to differentiate between the two. Again Canon recognize that users may want to shoot stills and video and have given the 650D full HD video and good quality stereo sound. The D5100 has a useful articulated screen and the Rebel T4i goes a step further by supplying an articulated touch screen. Canon have obviously been studying what has succeeded in the CSC market and have included the innovative contrast auto-focus system for the 650D. Whilst many other functions are similar to the 600D, there is enough here to give the 650D/Rebel T4i serious consideration.
THE CANON EOS 600D/ Rebel T3i – Up until the arrival of the 650d/ Rebel T4i, this was canon’s flagship model in this market. It does offer a good range of features at a fair price. The 18 Megapixel file size was the largest around until matched by the the 650D and beaten by the D3200, and it is quite big enough for almost any requirement. The Canon lenses ensure that the image quality is superb. Like the D5100, it too has an articulated viewing screen, which is handy for shooting the HD video. The 9-point autofocus lets the camera down slightly and the 3.7 Frame Per Second burst speed seem quite pedestrian these days. All together though, this is a very competent camera from an excellent brand. [I:http://www.grinwebbus.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/JeremyBayston4.jpg]
THE CANON 1100D/ Rebel T3 – This is Canon’s basic beginner-level D-SLR. As a step up camera, it offers an easy transition from a compact or bridge camera, but these days much more is expected even at this level. The 12MP files are pretty good, however and stand up to scrutiny. The video is not HD quality, though good enough for internet use and the 9-point autofocus is competent. The on-screen feature guide is really useful for beginners feeling their way around. This shouldn’t pose much of a threat to the D5200, but might tempt someone moving up from, say, the Canon Powershot range.
THE PENTAX K-30 – This is a weather-proofed camera designed to survive tough handling. The image quality produced by the 16MP sensor is excellent and it has a number of autofocus options to track your subject. Viewfinder coverage is the full 100% and ISO can extend to 25,600. The impressive 6FPS can capture 30 images in one burst. An adapter will allow you to use AA batteries. It can shoot Hd video and has a choice of 24,25 or 34 Frames per second. Price with 18-55mm lens 650/$900 [I:http://www.grinwebbus.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/JeremyBayston5.jpg]
THE PENTAX K-r – Although smaller and lighter that the Pentax K-30, this is a robustly constructed camera with a good variety of functions. Low light specialists will be attracted by the 25,600 ISO top rate and action photographers will find the 1/6000 top shutter speed a real bonus. The restrictive letter-box 16:9 ratio it uses to shoot Hd video can be frustrating and it only records in Mono with an internal Mic. However the in-camera modes are very beginner friendly and it too will take AA batteries. Price with lens $760/ 400 [I:http://www.grinwebbus.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/JeremyBayston6.jpg]
THE SONY ALPHA 57 – The SLR has been around for so long that it is easy to think there is no better system out there and whilst the main manufacturers are herding D-SLR users steadily towards CSC functionality in the hope of removing the viewfinder completely eventually, Sony have chosen a different path. The Alpha 57 is an SLT – single-lens translucent. Instead of having a moveable mirror that bounces the light to the viewfinder and then moves to allow the camera to take the shot, Sony have produced a fixed semi- translucent mirror that bounces some light to the viewfinder and lets the rest through to the sensor. Sony have used this for a while now and it can produce some pretty good results. The A57 has a 16MP sensor that are good quality, though they do need some work if shot in low light. However the advantage is that you can see the shot continuously, even when the camera is shooting at 10FPS. The HD video is competent and has a choice of 25FPS or 50FPS. It also has an innovative digital zoom and a maximum ISO of 16,000. Altogether, this is a pretty good camera for the price. Price $700/ 500 [I:http://www.grinwebbus.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/JeremyBayston7.jpg]
THE SONY ALPHA 37 – This recent launch aims to put Sony back on the beginner level map again. It is fairly basic, but has some innovative functionality. It also is a SLT camera and has a maximum ISO of 16,000. Burst speed can get up to 7FPS, though for full size frames, is set to 5.5FPS. The in-camera zoom function can double your lens length with hardly any quality loss. It has a useful tiltable screen and HD video. Price $550/ 400 [I:http://www.grinwebbus.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/JeremyBayston8.jpg]
Jeremy Bayston has worked in the Photo industry for over twenty years and has written about cameras and photography on various photographic websites. Check out his site devoted to the Nikon D5200 for the latest news about this new D-SLR. Sign up for his newsletter about the D5200 here.