Nikon D5300 Digital SLR Camera Body Only (24.2 MP, 3.2 inch LCD with Wi-Fi and GPS) - Black

Buying my new DSRL, has been one of the biggest decisions I have had to make so far this year. I have been after a "good" camera for almost a decade and when my husband finally said "Buy it for your Birthday" I was very happy to start my search. Like a child with a free pass in a toy store I began to search and compare many of the cameras available in the market, trying to decide where to spend my money, which model would be the right choice… At the end of the day one does not spend £500 on themselves every day (or at least me). So I needed to make sure I did not make a mistake. My search turned out confusing, gave me many headaches and at one point I almost even gave up. There's many articles on the web to help, "Which is the best camera for you?", "Best 2016 cameras"… the list is endless. But even though I learned bits and pieces along the way, the more I read, the more confused I was. After a lot of research and I mean reading article after article, product reviews, cameras specs… I made my choice: D5300. This review is not technical, nor intended to help all those professional or enthusiast that could most surely teach me more than a few things. This review is focused on all those customers who are after a good camera and do not know which one to choose. Maybe my weeks search, and own experience, can help others make their choices a bit less daunting. STEP 1 - Any brand or preference? I looked at Fujifilm, Canon, Nikon and ended up searching for Nikon due to its track record of delivering solid cameras and lenses. STEP 2 -What do you want your camera for? Any must haves? From the start I knew I wanted a camera to take portraits of my children, beautiful pictures on our days out and that as a must have, it needed to have Wi-Fi. So my 1st advice would be for you to think what do you want the camera for and what minimum specs or requirements you wish your camera to have. That will help narrow the search down. STEP 3 and the most confusing: Compact / Bridge / DSRL If you are looking for a basic camera which you can slip in your pocket or bag, take on a night out or take with the family on holiday, Nikon has an incredibly diverse array of simple-to-use compacts as all the Coolpix Range. Prices can start from the £70 with a L30, and rise up to the £300 mark for a Nikon 1 J5, finding waterproof models on the way as Coolpix AW130. The Nikon 1 J5 was my favourite compact camera, besides of the specs because it was on sale and seemed a good offer not to miss: Nikon 1 J5 Compact System Camera - White (20.8 MP, 10 - 30 mm PD-Zoom Lens Kit, 4K Movie Shooting) I have had compact cameras all my life, so I knew I was after something "more". Besides I thought that for the price difference it was worth to carry on looking. So I started looking at the Bridge cameras. Bridge Cameras help you to get closer to the action, or in some cases, take manual control of your images without the need of changing lenses. At first sounded like my ideal camera. I had a look at Coolpix L340, Coolpix P610 and even new releases yet to be released as B500. Why did I not go for a Bridge camera? Two main reasons. Firstly because the 16MP was present and almost all the range, making me think that for once I was spending big money on a "good" camera I wanted more MP (although it would be very wrong to think that MP is everything) And secondly because I learned the difference between RAW and JPEG format. Raw format is the raw image, meaning more quality, more information in one image as the image does not get "compressed" into a JPEG format. With a Raw image, you can work more with it, edit it more, giving you a wide angle of new possibilities. I don’t edit all my pictures, but I wanted the quality of a raw format as well as the possibility to expand, learn more and do more with my pictures. Once I knew I was after a DSRL model, that was the most simple choice for me. I wanted to spend £500 to £600, including lenses, so the D5500 stopped me straight away and cameras as D7200 were out of my league. As main options I had D3300, D5200 and my final choice D5300. Neither the D3300 or the D5200 had Wi-Fi, so I made my final choice and started my D5300 journey. Why do I like this camera and why do I think a beginner would benefit from having one too. The D5300 is an DSRL entry level camera, it has many functions that I have discovered and many more I still have to learn. 1st thing I did was to buy the D5300 for Dummies (in case it helps, this is the link) Nikon D5300 For Dummies And my two lenses, one for portraits, 55-200 mm VR II on sale just over £100 mark Nikon 20050 AF-S DX NIKKOR 55-200 mm VR II Lens for Camera and one for what I call, general photography, 18-55 mm VR II on sale for under £100 Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-55 mm f/3.5-5.6G VR II Lens I also must mention I bought the camera body and then the two lenses separately, because the lenses included in the kit are not VR (do not have vibration reduction). We must all remember that Nikon bodies don't offer any form of in-camera image stabilisation. The Nikon VR II range is a perfectly respectable introductory lens that will get out the door and snapping good photos in no time. Compared to the previous versions, included in the camera with lens kit, the VR II is sharper and lighter. VRII lenses have the vibration reduction technology which helps stabilise all images. Just make sure you turn the image stabilisation off if you are shooting with a tripod as image stabilisation with tripod is not required and can affect the quality of the final picture. The VR button is situated on the left side of the camera by the lens. So, with camera and lens, I had more or less kept my budget, without all accessories ;) Main points that me, a beginner likes about D5300 -D5300 can be set to auto mode So I can experience the camera, play with it, learn with it, take shots with it and the camera adjust to the picture. Handling and main settings are fairly easy once you simply navigate yourself through the menu. The book I bought has also helped me set quite a few things up and understand my camera functions better. At this point I must mention that the camera will auto-focus but you will need to "adjust/set" the lens mm manually. Basically you manually set the "frame" of the picture, closer or further away by rotating the lens. Once you have done that, the camera will auto-focus (at least on auto mode, it does) -Size It's large but compact at the same time. I like how comfortable it is. For me it seems a good quality camera without the bulkiness of the more professional/expensive cameras. -Raw and JPEG I have set my camera to take pictures on both Raw and Jpeg format. I have the raw format available on my SD card in case I ever want to edit, touch up or work with those pictures but I have the jpeg format so I can transfer those pictures straight to my Android phone. -Wi-Fi I have taken "photo-shoot" sessions of my girls on their Birthdays. On the same day, without having to turn my laptop or my All in One on, and without removing the SD card form my camera, I have transferred all pictures from the camera onto my phone. Sharing instantly with friends and family, through apps as Whats…. The Nikon app is very easy to set up and work with and I love this instant access to my shots. As I was buying my first DSRL the choice between Wi-Fi and not Wi-Fi was fairly easy. Buying a better camera, with more functions (even if only a few) a newer model with Wi-Fi, for just over £100 was well worth the shot. -Articulated LCD with a high resolution I can move the screen to my picture needs, even been able to take family selfies easily with the help of a remote and tripod. Now one of us is not missing while taking the picture and we can preview the shot on the screen before cutting someone's head off. You can also take shots through your phone app without the need of a remote. Of course the D5300 offers great video (which I have still not tried), GPS, and many more features which I have not mentioned. But that is simply because I have not got to them as yet. So far I have only been enjoying my new D5300 for two month's. Must knows; -Camera body is mainly made of high quality, shiny plastic. I love the look, my camera feels tough but "light". -It arrived with an UK plug and a worldwide guarantee card. You can call the number on the card (0800) or activate the Nikon guarantee online, which I recommend as you will receive a 2 year manufacturer guarantee instead of one. If you the decide to take out an insurance plan for your camera (mechanical and accidental damage) the insurance will cost less. What you must buy ASAP (in my opinion) -A quality SD card You must buy the SD card as it does not come with one. I personally recommend ScanDisk, which at the moment is also on offer. SanDisk Extreme Pro SDXC UHS-U3 Memory Card -A spare battery I can shoot around 500 pictures, before I need to change my rechargeable battery. Regardless of how long it lasts, I would recommend you all buy a spare battery. The model required is: EN-EL14a There are many batteries available, but in my opinion the original is always the best bet. At the end of the day you have already spend a good amount of £… a few more will not make that much difference. In case it helps, here's the original Nikon Nikon EN-EL14a Lithium Ion Rechargeable Battery for Camera -A lens cleaner I bought this lenspens and it honestly works a treat if used with a blower Lens are spotless with no effort whatsoever. Lenspen New DSLR Pro Cleaning Kit for Camera The blowers on sale seemed pricey, so I bought this kit: K&F Concept® Professional Camera Lens Cleaning Kit for DSLR Cameras Canon Rebel EOS, Nikon, Olympus, Sony Alpha NEX, iPad,Samsung NX & Fuji DSLR 11 in 1 including Double Sided Lens Cleaning Pen /Empty Reusable Spray Bottle / Lens Brush / Air Blower /Cleaning Wipe/ Premium Microfibre Cleaning Cloths I bought Option 1. I use the blower to make sure my lens is spotless, the spray bottle to spray the room before I replace my lens and before I clean it. The cloths I use to clean my daughter's glasses ;) I have just kept one just in case. -A filter or a hood to protect your lens The lens hood I bought the original Nikon HB-34 Bayonet Lens Hood Nikon HB-34 Bayonet Lens Hood for AF-S DX NIKKOR 55-200mm f/4-5.6G ED And the UV filter I have bought this one, which is quite decent, but I have still not used it; Polaroid Optics 52mm HD Multi Coated Glass 4 Piece Filter Set (UV, CPL, FLD, WARMING) -A camera bag I am not going to get started on those, as I actually bought around 5 camera bags before I chose the one that was best for my needs. The camera bag is a very personal choice down to each of our tastes and preferences. I personally bought this model, and my camera , my 2 lenses and my basic cleaning kit fit just fine; Kattee Waterproof Vintage Retro PU Leather DSLR SLR Camera Case Bag Satchel (Small, Coffee) As an overall I know I made the right choice with my D5300 and now I have a good camera which I can learn and progress with, without feeling stuck with the "that's it" feeling again that I have suffered with many compact cameras through the years. I have mentioned over and over again the word "good" camera. The word good is in between brackets because I believe there are no bad cameras. There is a camera for each one of us... the hard bit is to find the right one for our needs. I love the photography world, and with my very much loved D5300, I know I have made the correct choice. I hope that makes sense ;) If you have any questions, please feel free to ask just remember I'm an amateur. I hope my review has been helpful to you, thanks for reading.

First the good points; takes lovely pictures compact and light for a DSLR fast and responsive excellent movable LCD screen works well in P mode takes excellent video The bad horrible in A or Manual modes - G lenses without aperture rings are a pain to use have to use menus to change ISO have to use menus to change many things that should be on a button no internal focusing motor so much of my best lenses are manual focus only All in I'd recommend it for a beginner, or someone who uses mostly it in P Mode. Ergonomically it's worse than my old D70 and it will have to be replaced with something more usable Just got a new D500 body - it's three times the price of the D5300 but does all the things I need

Clearly this is a good camera. The myriad of good reviews proves this, the lack of bad ones speaks volumes. So many people have done extensive reviews that I would only be mirroring, so I will stick to the basics and tell you why I like this camera. The camera is a godsend where size and weight is concerned. My older D70 was a lot heavier and larger and was a pain to carry around all day. The D5300 is much easier to cart around with a larger lens attached. GPS is an excellent addition. I use iPhoto on my Mac which instantly labels each photo with precise locations, this removes the need for my notebook and pencil. Stick with Nikon optics and it's practically silent in use. Articulated screen that can be hidden in use when needed. Battery life excellent when used without the screen. As an entry level camera, this is a bit above the norm. The improvements over the D3300 are worth having and the resolution is as much as you are ever likely to need.

I've been looking online for a long time here on Amazon and also on the high street for this Camera. Had a few issues with the other sellers as they were selling Grey Imports of this camera. I had no choice but to buy it legit from Amazon and I'm glad that I did. The camera came with all the items, brand new and had the Nikon warranty and English manual and UK charge plug. I was able to register the camera on the Nikon website. The Camera is perfect for all your photography needs and has Professional features.

Plenty of positive reviews here so I will not dwell on the good but I do feel the need to point out the bad so as to pass on my pain before unsuspecting people make the same errors I did............ First off WiFi.........What use is it and what is it used for ?....Frankly, no use at all...You cannot use it to connect to your home WiFi for example, all you can do with it is pair it to a phone or ipad and use the app to browse the photos or use it to press the shutter but it will not autofocus if you do so best to do this while you are holding the camera....USELESS and just a sales gimmick.........Then we have the expensive ML-03 remote which according to the menus, you can use to shutter release, OK there and start taking video ??? NOPE......guess again, only shutter release.....To start video, you will need the super expensive WR R10 reciever and just as ludicrously expensive WR A10 remote which cost just south of £170 at the time of writing..........Dont fall for these gimmicks because that is all they are. Now...to top it off, the lenses !!...What can I say, aside form the obvious very poor build of these, mainly plastic, the lenses are half the size they were on my D70 from years ago. Cheap, and they feel cheap too, the 55-200 that I just bought feels like something you would get with a toy camera, the camera cannot be used untit you part rotate the lens to start with and then if you zoom or try to zoom smoothly when shooting video, it is rough and suddenly stops part way...........Gone is the nicely weighted and oil damped movement...............Cheap crap, good mind to send the lot back and get the Canon.....Nikon, the latest in camera manufacturers to drop the quality in the pursuit of profit !!!! Be warned, these cameras and lenses are NO WHERE NEAR THE NIKON QUALITY THEIR REPUTATION EARNED THEM........

I went from the d90 to the d5300, while the d90 has a larger viewfinder and lcd settings screen that I always found handy I'm very pleased with the d5300. It's got plenty of megapixels and is very sharp. the small size and weight makes it suited to travelling and it has lots of features such as time lapse, wi-fi, gps, very good full hd 50fps video with a decent amount of manual control, mic input, remote trigger input. Recommended

Do not buy this camera!!! I bought the Nikon D5200 3,5 years ago. It worked really good, but just after the warranty was gone (half year because I bought the extension of warranty) the shotter was broken. A chip of the plastic piece went to the sensor and scratched it. As result the cost to replace the shutter was 300 pounds, and to replace the sensor and the shutter 400 pounds. It is a joke that a so priced camera (I bought it on 2013) last only the warranty.

As other reviews have said, The camera itself is fantastic as a device for taking photographs, however if you buy this for the GPS functionality as I did you may be sorely disappointed. From power on, it can take 2 mins plus to get a gps lock, turn the camera off and it can take another 45 seconds or more. Unless you are shooting in a stationary position you may find very few of your photos are tagged with the geolocation. I raised a support call with Nikon and got back the usual stock response, update the A-gps files etc all of which I had already done. To give you an example, I stood in a large open field behind my house with clear line of site of the sky for miles around, and from turning the camera on it took 1 minute 50 seconds to lock. This may not seem long but imagine walking around sightseeing then this suddenly seems like an age to wait every time you turn the camera on. In summary the Camera is fantastic and so quick with wonderful image quality, but if you specifically want GPS I wouldn't set your sights too high.