Well, finally we can stop pretending that the Nikon D600 might be coming out in time for Photokina. The worst kept secret in the camera world is now officially out. Cheaper than the Pro D800, the D600 is a full-frame enthusiast camera that is priced to compete with the Canon EOS 5D and fill the gap between the D7000 and the D800. The main talking point, of course is the file size. The D800 offers a whopping 36MP, but Nikon seem to have decided that 24MP is sufficient for all their DSLRs below the Pro-level. But what are the other changes and what clues do they give to what the new D5200 will offer?
Whilst camera manufacturers offer a large variety of products to entice buyers, they are forced to work to the economies of scale. They all minimize their spread of components where ever possible and so we should be able to make some educated guesses about the D5200 from what Nikon have put into the D600. As already mentioned, the file size for the D5200 is probably going to be 24MP and this will be the Nikon default size in their entry-level DSLR range. It is big enough for almost any purpose and a significant increase on the d5100's 16 Mp file.
The D600 can offer both FX and DX functionality which offers extra flexibility and the ability to use the different lenses as intended. However, I don't think that the D5200 will extend into FX territory. Whilst FX was once seen as the best way to shoot, most enthusiasts are quite happy shooting DX and would prefer to take the extended lens length against the full frame crop. Offering FX for the D5200 would just increase cost for little benefit.
The shutter speed on the D600 is no faster than many of it's stablemates - 1/4000. This is disappointing as it suggests that the d5200 won't go faster than its current 1/4000. The burst rate on the D600 is also slower than I would have expected at 5FPS. I was hoping that the D5200 would have at least 6FPS, but that now looks unlikely, making it hard to justify as an action camera. An entry-level camera like the D5200 should offer the photographer the chance to test his skills and push boundaries and I don't think either the shutter speed or the burst rate on the d5200 are going to be very impressive.
The good news is that the AF system should be greatly improved.I would be surprised if the current 11 point system on the D5100 isn't pushed up to the 39 point system that is on the D600. This will be splendid news for the landscape photographers in particular. The 51 point system will probably be the preserve of the top range DSLRs. I think the pentamirror, which is in the D5100 will stay for the D5200. The D600 has a pentaprism, which offers greater clarity and wider vision, but the cost ids prohibitive for the D5200.
The D5200 will undoubtedly have two memory card slots. One simply isn't enough these days, particularly if the photographer is shooting video or even RAW files. Two slots will enable the user to save in different formats at the same time, or double the amount that can be shot/recorded during a shoot.
The articulated monitor on the D5100 has been a great selling point and is very useful for shooting at difficult angles. Whilst Nikon haven't rolled this out to other cameras, I expect the D5200 to retain this function. In fact I hope that they will also include the D600's auto brightness function and perhaps take an idea from the compact system cameras and have touch screen functionality as well.
The HD video function was a huge selling point for the D5100 and Nikon need to maintain their momentum in this area on the D5200. Offering a 60 FPS rate on full HD would be really useful, but I think they could take a neat trick from the D600 with it's auto time lapse movie creation function. It seems a practical way to take the hard work out of time lapse photography and encourage the beginner to try something new. Also, with sound being so important, Nikon might add a headphone jack to the D5200.
I had hoped that Nikon would launch the D5200 for Photokina this year. It seems that we shall have to wait a little longer. However, when it does arrive, the evidence suggests that it will have significantly upgraded its functionality. My guess is that it will have 24MP files,1/4000 shutter speed, 5FPS frame rate, 39 point Auto Focus and some new options on the menu side. i think it wll be worth waiting for....
Whilst camera manufacturers offer a large variety of products to entice buyers, they are forced to work to the economies of scale. They all minimize their spread of components where ever possible and so we should be able to make some educated guesses about the D5200 from what Nikon have put into the D600. As already mentioned, the file size for the D5200 is probably going to be 24MP and this will be the Nikon default size in their entry-level DSLR range. It is big enough for almost any purpose and a significant increase on the d5100's 16 Mp file.
The D600 can offer both FX and DX functionality which offers extra flexibility and the ability to use the different lenses as intended. However, I don't think that the D5200 will extend into FX territory. Whilst FX was once seen as the best way to shoot, most enthusiasts are quite happy shooting DX and would prefer to take the extended lens length against the full frame crop. Offering FX for the D5200 would just increase cost for little benefit.
The shutter speed on the D600 is no faster than many of it's stablemates - 1/4000. This is disappointing as it suggests that the d5200 won't go faster than its current 1/4000. The burst rate on the D600 is also slower than I would have expected at 5FPS. I was hoping that the D5200 would have at least 6FPS, but that now looks unlikely, making it hard to justify as an action camera. An entry-level camera like the D5200 should offer the photographer the chance to test his skills and push boundaries and I don't think either the shutter speed or the burst rate on the d5200 are going to be very impressive.
The good news is that the AF system should be greatly improved.I would be surprised if the current 11 point system on the D5100 isn't pushed up to the 39 point system that is on the D600. This will be splendid news for the landscape photographers in particular. The 51 point system will probably be the preserve of the top range DSLRs. I think the pentamirror, which is in the D5100 will stay for the D5200. The D600 has a pentaprism, which offers greater clarity and wider vision, but the cost ids prohibitive for the D5200.
The D5200 will undoubtedly have two memory card slots. One simply isn't enough these days, particularly if the photographer is shooting video or even RAW files. Two slots will enable the user to save in different formats at the same time, or double the amount that can be shot/recorded during a shoot.
The articulated monitor on the D5100 has been a great selling point and is very useful for shooting at difficult angles. Whilst Nikon haven't rolled this out to other cameras, I expect the D5200 to retain this function. In fact I hope that they will also include the D600's auto brightness function and perhaps take an idea from the compact system cameras and have touch screen functionality as well.
The HD video function was a huge selling point for the D5100 and Nikon need to maintain their momentum in this area on the D5200. Offering a 60 FPS rate on full HD would be really useful, but I think they could take a neat trick from the D600 with it's auto time lapse movie creation function. It seems a practical way to take the hard work out of time lapse photography and encourage the beginner to try something new. Also, with sound being so important, Nikon might add a headphone jack to the D5200.
I had hoped that Nikon would launch the D5200 for Photokina this year. It seems that we shall have to wait a little longer. However, when it does arrive, the evidence suggests that it will have significantly upgraded its functionality. My guess is that it will have 24MP files,1/4000 shutter speed, 5FPS frame rate, 39 point Auto Focus and some new options on the menu side. i think it wll be worth waiting for....
About the Author:
Jeremy Bayston has worked in the photographic industry for more than two decades. He has a particular interest in digital imagery. Go to his website to discover more about the new Nikon D5200 and its launch date. Alternatively visit his general digital camera site to read up to date reviews about consumer products.
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