The Nikon D5100 - Inspiration from any angle

Thanks to high-resolution (approx. 921k-dot) and a wide viewing angle, the vari-angle LCD monitor lets you check your composition comfortably while using Live View or full HD movie.
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The Nikon D5100, with its horizontal swingout, vari-angle LCD monitor, makes it exciting to capture the world from a unique viewpoint. Taking pictures and recording full HD movies will never be the same again. Explore your creative side with the special effects mode that is now available in a Nikon D-SLR for the first time. Get ready for incredibly unique pictures and full HD movies. Demand the quality that you deserve. The Nikon D5100 captures your subjects with rich colours and fine detail, delivering incredible levels of resolution and image quality for both stills and full HD movies.

"I lowered the camera from my
usual eye level and realised how
different things can appear."

Vari-angle LCD monitor lets you take pictures from unique viewpoints

The new high resolution (approx. 921k-dot), large 7.5-cm (3-in.) vari-angle LCD monitor opens horizontally up to 180º and flips up and down from +180º to -90º. Now you're ready to view, shoot and record your subjects from unique perspectives. Try a high angle for overhead shots, waist level for candid Live View and movie shooting, or a low vantage point for a look from ground level. You can also place the Nikon D5100 on a tripod or other stable surface and still see yourself while composing self-portraits.

Create incredible movies — full HD (1,920 × 1,080 at 24/25/30 fps) movies and the D-SLR advantage

The Nikon D5100 delivers exceptional D-Movie performance with its full HD capability, full-time-servo AF (AF-F) and precise exposure control. In-camera movie editing and sound recording capability (stereo with optional microphone) are also provided. Together with D-SLR advantages like beautiful background blur, high ISO sensitivity performance and extensive NIKKOR lens compatibility, movie-making potential reaches impressive new levels.

Make your pictures and movies more fun and artistic — special effects mode

Your images should always have the look and feel you desire. One way to accomplish this is to set the mode dial to EFFECTS and choose from 7 different creative options such as Selective colour (Select up to three colours to show in the image, and the rest will remain in black and white), colour sketch and Miniature effect. You can take advantage of these stunning effects while you shoot.

Captures your subject precisely with wide area coverage — 11-point AF system

The Nikon D5100's 11 focus points, including a crosstype sensor, widely cover the frame and capture the subject sharply. When using 3D-tracking (11 points) mode, the camera works together with the Scene Recognition System to keep your main subject in focus even if the composition changes.

Autofocus for sharper subjects during Live View and full HD movie shooting

The Nikon D5100 helps you focus by offering a choice of focus modes to match your subject matter — even when using Live View or shooting full HD movies. Simply use AF-F mode to keep the camera focusing automatically while recording.

Selective colour - Select up to three colours to show in the image, and the
rest will remain in black and white.
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Image quality in a class of its own — image sensor with 16.2 effective megapixels and EXPEED 2 image processing engine

Incorporating the latest Nikon D-SLR technologies such as the DX-format CMOS sensor and EXPEED 2 image processing engine, the Nikon D5100 delivers outstanding image quality.

Clean and clear images, even in low light

The Nikon D5100 provides all the technologies you need to achieve excellent results even when available light is scarce. Its CMOS sensor offers a remarkably wide ISO range from 100 to 6400 (extendable to 25600 in Hi2 setting) with reduced noise. This enables you to shoot at faster shutter speeds and capture scenes and subjects with less blur. Even handheld shots and full HD movies come out looking great in low light.

Exquisite detail in both highlights and shadows — HDR (High Dynamic Range)

When shooting extreme contrasts such as sunlit clouds and a foreground deep in shadow, it was once quite difficult to render both textures equally. Not any more. With the HDR setting, the Nikon D5100 takes two shots within a single shutter release: one overexposed and one underexposed. The camera then combines the two images to reveal an extremely wide dynamic range, but with less noise and richer colour gradation than ever before (Recommended to use a tripod).

If the contrast in your shooting
scenario is extremely high and you
want detail throughout the entire
range, HDR is the right choice.
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Balancing light and shade beautifully — Active D-Lighting

Useful in a variety of situations, Active D-Lighting automatically renders the highlights and shadows of high-contrast scenes so that they appear more like how they are perceived by the human eye. Leave Active D-Lighting on Auto for effortless adjustment, or select the strength level according to your shooting conditions.

Optimised camera settings at your fingertips — 16 Scene Modes

The Nikon D5100 has Scene Modes that match a diverse range of scenes. The five most popular modes can be found on the mode dial, while others can be selected by setting the dial to SCENE and rotating the command dial. Once you've decided, the camera automatically chooses the camera settings that will provide the best results. With Nikon's Scene Modes, you will never have to worry about complicated camera settings.

Let the camera select the best mode to match the scene — Scene Auto Selector

If you are shooting still pictures using Live View with Auto or Auto (flash off), Scene Auto Selector (when using AF) will automatically select the most appropriate Scene Mode, choosing from Portrait, Landscape, Close up, and Night portrait. Leave it up to the Nikon D5100 to deliver optimum results, leaving you more time to concentrate on the shot.

Customise the look and feel of your photos to suit your taste with Picture Control.
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Create your own style — Picture Control

Customise the look and feel of your photos to suit your taste with Picture Control. Choose from six settings: Standard, Neutral, Vivid, Monochrome, Portrait and Landscape. You can adjust the settings and save them for future use.

Your in-camera assistant — Scene Recognition System

With the 420-pixel RGB sensor and CMOS image sensor working together, the Nikon D5100 is able to recognise your subject matter and optimise the auto exposure, autofocus, auto white balance and i-TTL flash control. The face-priority AF feature originates in this technology.

Silence when you need it — quiet shutter-release mode

Sometimes the sound of the shutter release may disturb your subject. Quiet shutter-release mode reduces the sound of the Nikon D5100's internal mechanisms, by slowing the mirror movement speed at the moment the image is captured.

Along with Quick retouch
and Edit movie, there are additional features such as Distortion control and Fisheye.
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View your images on an HDTV — HDMI output interface

Enjoy pictures and movies on your television, and use the TV remote control unit to operate playback. (HDMI CEC-compatible TV only).

Instant, in-camera post-production — image and movie editing functions

The Nikon D5100's numerous editing functions include Resize, NEF (RAW) processing and Filter effects, such as Skylight, Warm filter and Cross screen. Along with Quick retouch and Edit movie, there are additional features such as Distortion control and Fisheye.

Brilliance made easy — Speedlights

The Nikon D5100 comes equipped with a convenient built-in pop-up flash, but with optional Speedlights, inspired flash photography becomes even easier and more creative with every use. The compact and lightweight SB-400 flash unit ensures superior portability, and delivers i-TTL flash control and bounce flash capability, while the multifunctional SB-700 is compatible with various functions of the Nikon Creative Lighting System.

Expand your vision — NIKKOR lenses

Digital SLR cameras enhance the enjoyment of shooting with a variety of interchangeable lenses. NIKKOR lenses, highly praised by photographers around the world, cover a wide range of focal lengths and provide an extensive lineup of fixed focal length, zoom, fisheye, micro and PC-E models.