Nikon D5300 Digital SLR Camera (24.2 MP, 18-140 mm VR Lens, 3.2 inch LCD) - 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

Do go check out my video review of this camera. I've added a list below to sum up the good and bad bits of the camera. I have also added some sample images I've taken from the camera. Pros -Flip out display -Excellent photo/video quality -Fun photography modes/features -Wifi and GPS -Huge range of lenses to work with -Compact design Cons -Mic jack broke -Expensive to repair -Nikon software is useless -GPS feature difficult to use -Nikon lenses expensive

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.

This is more a Supplier review and what was advertised vs what I was supplied. I ordered a Nikon D5300 VR II lens kit, first I opened the box supplied via Amazon - the box inside the large box was damaged ripped at side, looks like it's been opened and closed multiple times. the first thing you see if a photo copied instruction book, them on closer inspection there is a CD and another leaflet but No warranty card. For a product, they are selling £489.00 - as new! Not acceptable. Also, to revert to the Camera and lens itself, I have no idea if it's new it looks ok but the lens was not what I ordered, it was the VR lens only. Small difference but still you cannot advertise as VR II lens! Camera is being returned in full, not acceptable for the money they are charging. Disappointed!

I bought this camera in time for a holiday to New Zealand, however did not have time to test it properly before travelling. I particularly wanted the GPS feature so that I could geocode photographs and the wifi feature for posting photos on social media. The 18-140mm kit lens is pretty good, though suffers from a significant degree of barrel distortion (not unexpected). I am used to a 18-105mm lens on a D90 and often have to change that to my zoom lens when taking photos. The 140mm lens was however never removed from my camera on the trip - it had sufficient range to prevent me needing to change to my zoom lens, which was very welcome. The omission of a lens hood (costing a few pence) is however rather an insult having spent so much money. The wifi feature seems to work better with Android phones/tablets since setup and security of wifi is much better than with Apple's iOS. It works with iOS, but is over an open connection and a bit slower to set-up. Taking pictures on the camera remotely using the iPhone app was a bit slow and seemed to drain both devices' batteries very quickly. Downloading pictures was however easy and relatively quick. The rotating LCD screen is very handy and seemed robust - it could however benefit from touchscreen controls since, unlike my D90, some settings for manual use have to be applied via the screen menu and this can be slow and frustrating at times. Given that the main reason I bought the camera was for the GPS feature, it is a shame that this hardly ever worked. The camera got a fix on a satellite for about 1% of my photos in 3 weeks of use. I tried updating the GPS firmware but that had no effect, the camera stubbornly refused to record location on any of my photos. Nikon made a half-hearted attempt at troubleshooting after I emailed them but then declared that the camera was likely faulty and I should talk to the retailer; rather unhelpful when I was on holiday on the other side of the world. To Amazon's credit, they have taken the camera back and refunded me the cost as I luckily returned home just before the return period expired. I felt uncomfortable doing so, having used the camera on a holiday, however the camera was faulty and, in my view, execution of the camera's two key selling points is underwhelming for the price. I will wait until Nikon or Canon have ironed out some of the problems before looking again at a similar upgrade. In the meantime, I now have a spare battery I don't need! In future, I will download the manual before committing to a purchase - you get a better idea then of how well the features you want will work for you.

This is my first DSLR, my entry level, and I am not disappointed. Being a Nikon on its own is a major plus. High quality build and results, lots of lenses to choose from, great features, etc. The Wi-Fi feature might not be what you find on your usual smartphone or table but it does what says on the tin - connects to smartphone or table, although via wi-fi only (setting connection needed) and enables you to browse camera gallery, download photos and even use your smartphone or tablet as a viewfinder! That is simply awesome! You can't adjust camera settings with the tablet but it is still very cool and useful for long distance photos, just like a live view remote. I use iPad and iPhone and it works wonderfully. I don't really use the GPS, so I cannot comment on it. I purchased the standard kit, 18mm-55mm, and I have been playing with it on all sorts of conditions, but still getting used to the DSLR manual settings to get the best of this great camera. I have been visiting the Nikon site for more info and tips, and many forums and blogs - there is so much stuff out there you can learn from. Taking tips meant for a D5200 or even D3200 is good enough. The user interface on these is the same and so are most features. I wish I could tell you more about this little monster but I am just a beginner as I said before. I have recently purchased the 35mm DX lenses for portraits and the extra background blur, and I'm loving it. Next I'll go for the zoom lenses to have a nice full kit around. I just need the time and the money to fund this little investment. I wanted to purchase the red D5300 but the price put me off. In the end, I am actually happier with the classic black, as it looks so much smarter and it does not stand out. I don't really want to be waving this bad boy around when outside in the street, so I will also be using a regular messenger bad, with padding, to carry the necessary kit. I have bought the extra EN-EL14a battery to carry around. I know from experience that this is probably your most valuable accessory to carry all the time - an extra fully charged battery. I strongly advise this to be your first purchase. If you are purchasing one of these, I hope you will be as happy as I am. If you are not sure, do it like I did. Visit the shops, have a go in there, and study the various review websites and forums for real user experience sharing and reviews. Enjoy!

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.