The Nikon D5100 and its included AF-S 18-55mm VR lens offer a host of new photographic and video tools including a 16.2 MP DX-format CMOS sensor, 4 fps continuous shooting and breathtaking Full 1080p HD Movies with full time autofocus.
Creativity from any point of view
Stimulate your creativity. The NIKON D5100 offers a host of new photographic and video tools that deliver superior performance and exceptional image quality with surprising versatility. With 16.2 megapixels, a swivel Vari-Angle LCD monitor, full HD movie capabilities, new EFFECTS Mode and new HDR setting, you hold the power and performance to capture beautiful moments and the freedom to get creative.
Vari-angle LCD Monitor
Take pictures or record movies from a unique viewpoint, the D5100's 3.0 inch, super sharp, 921,000-dot Vari-angle LCD monitor allows for versatile high quality viewing and playback. Explore every angle, with overhead shots, waist level candids, ground level and fun self portraits; you will never miss a shot. This Vari-angle monitor allows you to be creative from any point of view.
Effects mode
The D5100 incorporates an amazing array of special effects for use when taking still pictures or recording D-Movie Full HD movies. Selective Color isolates any color within the scene; capture details in places too dark for your own eyes using Night Vision; create bright, glowing images filled with atmosphere with High Key; emphasize the mood of a scene using Low Key; Miniature Effect makes a scene look like a miniature scale model; and Color Sketch creates color outlines of the subject that are played back as a series of stills in a slide show.
Tell better stories
The D5100 delivers exceptionally high-quality movie performance due to its full HD capability while the latest in Full-time autofocus takes the guess work out of tracking your subjects while in motion. Effortless moviemaking is at your fingertip thanks to D5100's ergonomically placed Live View and Movie start button. Your D-Movies will come to life thanks to D5100's sound recording capability - get stereo sound with Nikon's optional ME-1 Stereo Microphone.
HDR (High Dynamic Range)
In scenes with extreme contrasts, such as bright, sunlit clouds and a foreground deep in shadow, it was once quite difficult to render the textures of both equally. Not any more. D5100 combines two exposures to create an image revealing an extremely wide dynamic range, but with less noise and richer color gradation than ever before.
Stunning image quality
Incorporating the latest Nikon D-SLR technologies such as the 16.2MP DX-format CMOS sensor and EXPEED 2 image processing engine, the D5100 delivers outstanding image quality. Its CMOS sensor offers a remarkably wide ISO range (ISO 100 to 6400) with reduced noise which enables you to shoot at faster shutter speeds and capture scenes and subjects with less blur. Handheld shooting and full HD movies come out looking great even in low light.
Speed and performance that delivers
With high-speed continuous shooting at approx. 4 frames per second, you'll never miss a moment and with D5100's large optical viewfinder providing accurate and realistic composition, you'll get a precise view and focus in every situation.
Capture your subjects precisely
D5100's 11-point AF system provides flexibility to compose the shot you want ensuring your subject is captured sharply wherever it's located in the frame. Working together with the Scene Recognition System, the camera can keep your main subject in focus even if the composition changes using Nikon's exclusive 3D-tracking.
Brilliance whenever needed
Vital for dark or backlit subjects, the D5100's built-in pop-up flash automatically brightens your subject even when shooting outdoors in bright sunlight. Expect natural looking results thanks to intelligent flash control.
NIKKOR lenses expand your vision
From wide angle to telephoto, from prime to Micro, the NIKKOR interchangeable lens lineup offers more choices to see and capture still images and D-Movies of the world from your perspective.
Price (when new)
849.95
Year Introduced
2011
Lens Mount
Nikon F bayonet mount
Picture Angle
Effective picture angle 1.5x (Approx.) conversion factor (Nikon DX format)
Effective Pixels
16.2 million
Total Pixels
16.9 million
Sensor Size
23.6 x 15.6mm
Sensor Type
CMOS
Sensor Format
DX
Dust-Off Reference Photo
Yes
Image Area
DX-format
(L) 4,928 x 3,264
(M) 3,696 x 2448
(S) 2,464 x 1,632
(L) 4,928 x 3,264
(M) 3,696 x 2448
(S) 2,464 x 1,632
File Format
Compressed 12/14-bit NEF (RAW, Lossless compressed): approx. 60-80 percent, JPEG (Baseline Compliant)
Picture Control
Standard, Neutral, Vivid, Monochrome, Portrait, Landscape, Nine User-customizable Settings
Storage Media
SD, SDHC, SDXC
Card Slot
1 Secure Digital (SD)
File System
Compliant with DCF (Design Rule for Camera File System) 2.0, DPOF (Digital Print Order Format), EXIF 2.3 (Exchangeable Image File Format for Digital Still Cameras)
Viewfinder
Eye-level pentamirror single-lens reflex viewfinder
Viewfinder Frame Coverage
95 % Approx.
Viewfinder Magnification
0.78x Approx.
Viewfinder Eyepoint
17.9mm
Viewfinder Diopter Adjustment
-1.7 to +0.7 m¯¹
Focusing Screen
BriteView Clear Matte Mark VII screen - Type B
Interchangeable Focusing Screens
No
Reflex Mirror
Quick-return type
Compatible Lenses
AF-S, AF-I: All Functions Supported
AI-P NIKKOR: All Functions Supported Except 3D Color Matrix Metering II
IX NIKKOR Lenses Cannot be Used
Non-CPU: Can be used in mode M, but Exposure Meter does not Function; Electronic Rangefinder can be used if Maximum Aperture is f/5.6 or Faster
Other AF NIKKOR (Excluding lenses for F3AF): All Functions Supported Except 3D Color Matrix Metering II
Type G or D AF NIKKOR: All Functions Supported Except Autofocus
Type D PC NIKKOR: All Functions Supported Except Autofocus and some Shooting Modes
AI-P NIKKOR: All Functions Supported Except 3D Color Matrix Metering II
IX NIKKOR Lenses Cannot be Used
Non-CPU: Can be used in mode M, but Exposure Meter does not Function; Electronic Rangefinder can be used if Maximum Aperture is f/5.6 or Faster
Other AF NIKKOR (Excluding lenses for F3AF): All Functions Supported Except 3D Color Matrix Metering II
Type G or D AF NIKKOR: All Functions Supported Except Autofocus
Type D PC NIKKOR: All Functions Supported Except Autofocus and some Shooting Modes
Shutter Type
Electronically controlled vertical-travel focal-plane
Fastest Shutter Speed
1/4000 sec.
Slowest Shutter Speed
30 sec.
Flash Sync Speed
Up to 1/200 sec.
Bulb Shutter Setting
Yes
Shutter Release (Shooting) Modes
Single-frame [S] mode, Continuous Frame Shooting, Self-timer mode, Delayed remote, Quick response remote mode, Quiet shutter-release
Top Continuous Shooting Speed (FPS)
4
Self-timer
2, 5, 10, 20 sec. Timer duration electronically controlled
Exposure Metering System
TTL exposure metering using 420-pixel RGB sensor
Metering Range
0 to 20 EV (3D color matrix or center-weighted metering)
2 to 20 EV (spot metering)
2 to 20 EV (spot metering)
Exposure Meter Coupling
CPU
Exposure Modes
Programmed Auto with flexible Program (P), Shutter-Priority Auto (S), Aperture-Priority Auto (A), Manual (M), Auto, Auto (flash off), Advanced Scene Modes, Special Effects Mode
Exposure Compensation
±5 EV in increments of 1/3 or 1/2 EV
Exposure Bracketing
Yes
Exposure Lock
Yes
Mirror Lock Up
Yes
Lowest Standard ISO Sensitivity
100
Highest Standard ISO Sensitivity
6400
Highest Expanded ISO Sensitivity
HI-2 (ISO 25,600 equivalent)
Long Exposure Noise Reduction
Yes
High ISO Noise Reduction
Low, Normal, High, Off
Single-point AF Mode
Yes
Dynamic AF Mode
Yes
Number of AF points
11 (3D-tracking)
Auto-area AF Mode
Yes
Autofocus System
Nikon Multi-CAM 1000 autofocus sensor module with TTL phase detection
Focus Lock
Focus can be locked by pressing shutter-release button halfway (single-servo AF)
Focus Modes
Auto AF-S/AF-C selection (AF-A)
Continuous-servo (AF-C)
Face-Priority AF available in Live View only and D-Movie only
Full-time Servo (AF-A) available in Live View only
Normal area
Single-servo AF (AF-S)
Wide area
Manual focus (M): Electronic rangefinder can be used
Continuous-servo (AF-C)
Face-Priority AF available in Live View only and D-Movie only
Full-time Servo (AF-A) available in Live View only
Normal area
Single-servo AF (AF-S)
Wide area
Manual focus (M): Electronic rangefinder can be used
Maximum Autofocus Areas/Points
11
Autofocus Fine Tune
No
Built-in Flash
Yes
Flash Control
Auto aperture: Available with SB-910/SB-900/SB-800 and CPU lens
Distance priority manual: Available with SB-910, SB-900 and SB-700
i-TTL Balanced fill-flash, standard i-TTL flash for digital SLR
Non-TTL auto: Supported flash units include SB-910, SB-900, SB-800, SB-80DX, SB-28DX, SB-28, SB-27, and SB-22S
Distance priority manual: Available with SB-910, SB-900 and SB-700
i-TTL Balanced fill-flash, standard i-TTL flash for digital SLR
Non-TTL auto: Supported flash units include SB-910, SB-900, SB-800, SB-80DX, SB-28DX, SB-28, SB-27, and SB-22S
Flash Sync Modes
Front-curtain sync (normal)
Rear-curtain sync
Red-eye reduction
Red-eye reduction with slow sync
Slow sync
Rear-curtain sync
Red-eye reduction
Red-eye reduction with slow sync
Slow sync
Flash Compensation
-3 to +1 EV in increments of 1/3 or 1/2 EV
Accessory Shoe
Yes
White Balance
Auto, Incandescent, Fluorescent, Flash, Sun, Shade, Preset, Cloudy
White Balance Bracketing
3 exposures
Live View Shooting
Yes
Movie
Movie with sound, HD 1,920x1,080 / 30 fps, HD 1,920×1,080 / 24 fps, HD 1,280×720 / 30 fps, HD 1,280x720 / 24 fps, VGA 640×424 / 30 fps
Movie Audio
Built-in microphone, monaural, Optional external stereo mini-pin jack (3.5mm diameter)
Movie Metering
TTL exposure metering using main image sensor
Movie Maximum recording time
20 min.
Movie File Format
MOV
Movie Video Compression
H.264/MPEG-4 Advanced Video Coding
Movie Audio recording format
Linear PCM
Live View Lens servo
Autofocus (AF), Single-servo AF (AF-S), full-time-servo AF (AF-F)
Live View AF-area mode
Face-priority AF, Wide-area AF, Normal-area AF, Subject-tracking AF
Monitor Size (inch diagonal)
3.0
Monitor Resolution (dots)
921,000
Monitor Type
TFT-LCD Vari-angle
Monitor Viewing Angle
170 degrees
Playback Functions
Full frame, Calendar, Thumbnail (4, 9, 16 or 72 segments), Zoom, Movie Playback, Slideshow, Histogram display, Auto image rotation, Shooting data, Highlight point display, Sound playback
Virtual Horizon Camera Indicator
No
In-Camera Image Editing
Trim, D-Lighting, Color Balance, Image Overlay, Side-by-Side Comparison, Filter Effects, Distortion Control, Monochrome, Red-eye Correction, NEF (RAW) Processing, Quick retouch, Straighten, Fisheye, Miniature Effect, Perspective Control, Color Outline, Color Sketch, Edit Movie, Resize
Image Comment
Yes
Voice Memo Function
No
Interface
Audio/Video Out, Hi-speed USB, NTSC, HDMI, Stereo Microphone Input
WiFi Functionality
No, Eye-Fi Compatible
GPS
GP-1 GPS unit
Save/Load Camera settings
Yes
Total custom Settings
20
My Menu
Yes, with customization
Recent Settings
Yes
Daylight Savings Time Settings
Yes
World Time Setting
Yes
Battery Type
Rechargeable
Batteries
EN-EL14 Rechargeable Li-ion Battery
Battery Life (shots per charge)
660
Battery Charger
MH-24 Quick Charger
AC Adapter
EH-5a
Tripod Socket
¼ in. (ISO1222)
Dimensions (mm)
127 x 96.5 x 78.7
Dimensions (inch)
5 x 3.8 x 3.1
Weight (grams)
560
Weight (lbs)
19.7
Supplied Accessories
EN-EL14 Rechargeable Li-ion Battery
MH-24 Quick Charger
DK-20 Rubber Eyecup;
UC-E6 USB Cable
EG-CP14 Audio Video Cable
AN-DC3 Camera Strap
DK-5 Eyepiece Cap
BF-1B Body Cap
BS-1 Accessory Shoe Cover
Nikon ViewNX 2 CD-ROM
MH-24 Quick Charger
DK-20 Rubber Eyecup;
UC-E6 USB Cable
EG-CP14 Audio Video Cable
AN-DC3 Camera Strap
DK-5 Eyepiece Cap
BF-1B Body Cap
BS-1 Accessory Shoe Cover
Nikon ViewNX 2 CD-ROM
