J. Dennis Thomas - Nikon D5200 Digital Field Guide

Nikon D5200 Digital Field Guide

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Copyright 2013 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana

Published simultaneously in Canada

ISBN: 978-1-118-53436-6

Manufactured in the United States of America

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Credits

Acquisitions Editor

Carol Kessel

Project Editor

Amanda Gambill

Technical Editor

George Maginnis

Senior Copy Editor

Kim Heusel

Editorial Director

Robyn Siesky

Business Manager

Amy Knies

Senior Marketing Manager

Sandy Smith

Vice President and Executive Group Publisher

Richard Swadley

Vice President and Executive Publisher

Barry Pruett

Project Coordinator

Sheree Montgomery

Graphics and Production Specialists

Jennifer Goldsmith
Joyce Haughey

Quality Control Technician

Lauren Mandelbaum

Proofreading and Indexing

Christine Sabooni
BIM Indexing & Proofreading Services

About the Author

J. Dennis Thomas is a freelance photographer and author based out of Austin, Texas. He has nearly 25 years of experience working with Nikon cameras. His work has been published in many regional and national publications, including Rolling Stone, SPIN, Elle, EBONY, W, Country Weekly, Us Weekly, Thrasher Magazine, and many more.

He has written 20 highly successful Nikon Digital Field Guides, a comprehensive book about concert and live music photography, and a book about urban and rural decay photography. Dennis also writes articles for Digital Photo magazine and http://masteringphoto.com/ , and maintains a blog about Nikon cameras and Nikon Digital Field Guides at http://nikondfg.com .

Dedication

As always, to my girls, Henrietta and Maddie.

Acknowledgments

Id like to thank everyone at Wiley who works so hard to get these books out, especially my favorite woman at Wiley, Courtney Allen, for always lending an ear and an objective opinion (even when not on the clock), and generally being an all-around great gal. Id also like to thank Amanda Gambill, Kim Heusel, and Carol Kessel for all the hard work that they do behind the scenes, Kathleen Jeffers for getting out all the paperwork, Robyn Siesky for crackin the whip on the production team, and Barry Pruett for giving the go-ahead and signing the checks!

Id also like to thank the folks at Precision Camera and Video in Austin, Texas, Jack and Monica Puryear at Puryear Photography, Cricket Krengel, and everyone else who lent a helping hand along the way.

Introduction

The D5200 wasnt 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 Nikons 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 dont 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.