Nikon D5600 Review
Introduction
The Nikon D5600 is a new 24.2 megapixel DX-format DSLR camera with no optical low-pass filter (OLPF). The D5600 replaces the 18-month-old D5500 and offers several new features. SnapBridge compatibility utilises Bluetooth low energy technology to let the D5600 maintain a constant, low-power link with a smartphone or tablet. The frame advance bar, inherited from Nikon’s professional D5 and D500 cameras, makes it possible to quickly scroll through images in playback mode. For movie shooters, the Time-Lapse Movie function transforms slow-moving scenes into high-speed sequences, and the D5600 now lets you operate the Auto Sensitivity control via the touchscreen interface.
In the UK/Europe, the Nikon D5600 is priced at £799.99 / €949 in a kit with the AF-P 18-55mm VR standard zoom, or £989.99 / €1,179 with the AF-S 18-140mm VR lens. In the US the D5600 camera will go on sale later in January 2017 at the suggested retail price of $799.95 with the AF-P DX NIKKOR 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR lens. It will also be available in a two-lens kit option, including the AF-P DX NIKKOR 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR and AF-P DX NIKKOR 70-300mm f/4.5-6.3G ED lenses, for $1,149.95. Additionally, the Nikon D5600 will be sold as a body only for $699.95 or with a AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-140mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR lens for $1,199.95.
Ease of Use
The Nikon D5600 replaces 2015's D5500 as the new mid-range model in Nikon's extensive DSLR line-up, slotting in between the existing D3400 and D7200 models, not only in terms of feature set and functionality, but also in terms of size and weight. It isn't quite as compact and lightweight as the D3400, but neither is it as bulky and heavy as the D7200. In comparison to its predecessor, the D5600 is slightly lighter than the D5400, sporting a monocoque design that makes the camera one of Nikon’s lightest DSLRs. The right-hand grip is very deep given the overall size of the camera, even deeper than the D5500, and therefore comfortable for photographers with large hands and/or longish fingers, and there's also a handy rubberised thumb rest on the back of the body.
The D5600 uses the same 24.2 megapixel CMOS sensor with no optical low-pass filter as its predecessor. The sensor can clean itself by way of high-frequency vibrations that will, at least in theory, shake off any non-adhesive dust particles that may have settled on the low-pass filter during a lens change. You can specify, via an option in the Setup menu, whether you want sensor cleaning to take place at shutdown, startup, both or neither, with the default being 'both'. The cleaning process pleasingly has no practical impact on startup times, which were near instant. The image sensor is complemented by the same EXPEED 4 processing engine and a large buffer as well.
The new AF-P DX NIKKOR 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR kit lens that now ships with the D5600 is one of the main talking points of the new camera. Nikon have once again implemented a retractable design to make the lens more portable when it's not in use, something that quite a lot of compact system cameras have in their lens ranges. As a result the 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 VR II is very compact when retracted to the L position, although of course you still have to extend it outwards to start shooting. It's also equipped with Nikon’s Stepping Motor technology for quick, smooth and very quiet autofocus, especially during live view shooting and video recording, and offers up to four stops of image stabilization. If the D5600 is your first venture into the world of Nikon DSLRs, we strongly advise opting for the kit with the AF-P DX NIKKOR 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR lens.
The other main addition is Snapbridge, previously only available on the flagship D500 and entry level D3400 DSLRs. The Nikon D5600 has Bluetooth connectivity, which means you can send your images across to a smartphone using Nikon's Snapbridge app. This app is now available for both iOS and Android devices. Using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), SnapBridge creates a connection between the D5600 and a compatible smart device. Once paired, the D5600 will remain connected to the smart device and transfer photos automatically, without the need to re-connect the devices each time. You can choose to either set all images to automatically download as they are captured, or tag individual images for transfer in-camera. Images tthat are synced while you shoot are automatically resized for easier sharing, and the D5600 can even sync with your smart device while it’s in sleep mode. Nikon SnapBridge users can also access Nikon Image Space, a free online image sharing and storage service. Note that because the D3400 does not support Wi-Fi, not all SnapBridge features are available, most notably remote control of the D5600 via a smart device, still image transfer in the original 24 megapizel size, and movie transfer.
Front of the Nikon D5600 |
The D5600 is the latest Nikon DSLR to offer built-in wi-fi, but it no longer offers GPS connectivity, which is instead provided via a smartphone. The wi-fi function essentially pairs the D5600 with an iOS or Android smartphone or other smart device, and allows you to edit and share images directly to social networking sites like Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. It also makes it possible to control the D5600 remotely via a smart device using the free Wireless Mobile Utility app, and set the focus point using the smart device's touchscreen.
The shutter release action on the Nikon D5600 is notably loud, emitting a rather mechanical sound. There is still a Quiet Shutter Release mode, though, in which the mirror is raised fairly slowly to further reduce the sound it makes. This does, however, introduce some unwanted shutter lag.
The Nikon D5600 follows conventional DSLR design in having a shooting mode dial on the top of the camera, which allows you to select either one of the advanced modes like Program, Manual, Aperture- or Shutter-priority, the green Auto mode for beginners, the No Flash mode, the various scene modes., and the Effects mode.
The Effects shooting mode provides 10 different filters that can be applied to both still images and movies. The Night Vision effect is particularly worth of mention, pushing the camera's sensitivity to a whopping ISO 102,400, although a monochrome rather than colour image is recorded. For stills, you can enter Live View mode to preview the effect or simply use the optical viewfinder. For movies, the recording is slowed down (dependent upon the chosen effect) as the camera uses a lot of processing power to apply the effect, leading to footage that can have a rather staccato feel. Note also that the camera sets virtually everything in the Effects mode - exposure, shutter speed, white balance, ISO, file type and quality - so its only creative in terms of the arty effect that's applied. Several of the same effects can be applied to an image or movie that you've taken, though, so you can have the best of both worlds (albeit without the luxury of a preview).
Rear of the Nikon D5600 |
The Exposure Compensation button is thoughtfully positioned next to the shutter release, alongside the the dedicated one-touch Movie Record button. Hold down the Exposure Compensation button with your right forefinger and spin the control wheel on the top-rear of the camera with your thumb to adjust its settings - simple and intuitive.
The D5600's Live View continues to be accessed in a different and arguably less intuitive way than on the D3300/D74200. Instead of a combined switch / button, the D5600 has a fore-finger operated spring-loaded switch on top of the body that is pushed downwards and toggles between turning Live View on and off. Positioned next to the Shooting Mode dial, it allows you to enable Live View whilst holding the camera at arms length with one hand, or to turn it off as you hold the camera up to your eye. We'd prefer it to be on the rear of the camera and also to incorporate the Movie record button, in keeping with the D3400/D7200 models.
Press the Lv switch and the mirror flips up, the shutter opens and the rear screen displays the scene as seen through the lens. There is a red rectangle in the middle, which you can move practically anywhere in the frame. When in manual focus (MF) mode, you can magnify into this rectangle in a number of steps by repeatedly pressing the button marked with a loupe icon, but this magnification seems to be at least partially interpolated. This means that you cannot see detail down to the pixel level, unlike some competing cameras.
Fortunately, MF is not the only focusing option in Live View, at least as long as you are taking stills. Single-servo AF (AF-S) and Full-time-servo AF (AF-F) modes are also available and, while slow, they tend to be accurate. Both modes can also be used in connection with face detection. 'Face-priority AF' had no problem finding and keeping track of human faces as long as they were facing the camera, but acquiring focus was another story - very slow.
Top of the Nikon D5600 |
Live View must also be entered to shoot movies. After pressing the Lv button and optionally presetting the aperture and focus, you can start recording video by pressing the dedicated Movie Record button on top of the camera next to the shutter release. The camera records full high-definition, wide-screen video in 1920x1080 pixel resolution, at a frame rate of 60p/50p/30p/25p/24p, in AVI format using the motion JPEG codec. As with Live View, contrast-detect AF is possible whilst shooting movies, although as with still images there's an audible whine as the camera refocuses and it's still too slow to focus on any fast-moving subject, so much so that we suspect most serious users will use manual focusing instead. Although the D5600 can automatically focus during video recording, it's just not fast enough to warrant regular use.
You can set both the aperture and the shutter speed during movie recording, although the slowest shutter speed is limited to 1/30th second, plus exposure compensation and AE-Lock can also be set. Out of the box the D5600 can record stereo sound via its built-in microphone with three different levels of sensitivity on offer, and improved sound can also be recorded using an optional external microphone. The maximum size of a single video clip is 2 gigabytes which, given that movies occupy about 100 megabytes of storage space per minute, would theoretically translate into about 20 minutes of continuous recording.
The D5600 has a proper through-the-lens optical viewfinder with a magnification of 0.82x and scene coverage of 95%, on par with most of its rivals. The Nikon D5600's 39 auto-focus points are permanently marked on the focusing screen, whereas the compositional grid lines can be called up via a menu option. Two warning signs - telling you that the battery is running low or you have forgotten to insert a memory card - may also appear in the form of overlaid icons when appropriate. Below the finder is a traditional monochromatic status bar showing practically all relevant shooting information (including the ISO sensitivity, if so specified in the menu).
As stated above, the Nikon D5600 has 39 auto-focus sensors, out of which 9 are cross type. The other thirty are of the line variety, consequently being only sensitive to either vertical or horizontal detail, but not both. In practice, this did not turn out to be a real problem, with the camera typically locking focus on the subject quickly and easily, no matter which AF point was selected. In the viewfinder, the active AF point appears in red, which is easy to see. Selecting the active AF point is done by way of the four-way pad - except if you choose Auto Area AF - again a simple and intuitive solution. In low light, the AF sensors are helped by an AF assist lamp located on the front plate of the camera.
Tilting LCD Screen |
The 2,016-pixel RGB metering sensor used by the D5600 is again identical to the system used by the D5400 model. This provides precise data to the camera’s Scene Recognition System, which optimises exposure, autofocus and white balance immediately before the shutter is released.
The rear articulated LCD screen is hinged at the side rather than the bottom. This fully articulated design is a much more flexible solution, allowing the screen to be folded out from the left side of the camera and folded inwards to protect it when not in use. The screen is 3.2 inches in size and has 1,037k dots, so there's nothing to complain about in this department. The screen also has an anti-glare coating, so that it's usable most of the time outdoors in strong daylight, although it still struggled a little with reflections.
The D5600's touchscreen allows you to choose the focus point via Touch AF, pinch in to check focus, and activate the shutter with the touch of a fingertip. You can also change the aperture and shutter speed, access the info panel, use the main menu system and other sub menus via the touchscreen. It's a genuinely useful addition to the D5600 which will suit the camera's core target audience, and it's something that we'd expect to see on future Nikon DSLRs.
The Nikon D5600 only has one control wheel and there are no dedicated buttons for controlling ISO sensitivity, white balance, metering or AF mode. Instead you can use the Fn button, which can be reprogrammed to perform ISO selection or white balance adjustment (or one of a few other functions such as file quality specification), but the others still have to be set through the main info screen, called up by pressing the [ i ] button to the right of the rear display. With practice, performing adjustments via this screen becomes fairly quick and easy, but it's not as efficient as having dedicated controls.
The Nikon D5600 In-hand |
The important 'info' button joins the cluster of controls on the rear of the D5600. This button is arguably at the heart of the Nikon D5600's ease-of-use, as like its predecessor the camera lacks the monochromatic status LCD of the older D90, so Nikon had to provide a different way to check vital shooting information without having to look into the viewfinder. Enter the info button - pressing it displays virtually all of the camera's main settings on the large rear screen. Pressing the "i" button on the rear of the D5600 allows you to interact with and set the onscreen options, with 14 available in total.
Most of the camera's rear controls are scattered, seemingly almost randomly, to the right of the D5600's large folding screen. While we can understand the need to locate them to accommodate the 3.2 inch LCD, the positioning of the Zoom In and Zoom Out buttons in particular isn't very intuitive, being operated with your right-hand thumb, and right next to the Delete button. As the D5600 isn't a very complex camera in terms of the number of external controls, it thankfully doesn't get too confusing, but is something to consider from an ergonomic point of view.
For the images that you've already already captured, the Nikon D5600 offers a broad range of retouching tools, including post-capture D-lighting (useful if you forgot to turn on Active D-lighting before capture), red-eye correction, trimming, monochrome conversion, different filter effects, colour adjustments, image resizing, image overlay, in-camera raw processing, quick auto retouching, straightening of crooked pictures, lens distortion correction, fisheye, colour outline, colour sketch, selective colour, miniature effect, and perspective control. Many of these functions make it unnecessary to buy specialised computer programs or plug-ins and spend hours in front of a computer to achieve a desired/popular effect.
The Nikon D5600 is powered by a proprietary EN-EL14a Lithium-ion battery, good for 600 shots, and records videos and image files on SD/SDHC/SDXC cards. As we noted in our D5500 review, we would really have liked to see Nikon add a second card slot for Compact Flash cards, so that owners of higher-specified Nikon DSLRs who buy a D5600 as a second body can use their existing memory cards. It also lacks the dual-SD slots of the D7200. As far as connectivity goes, there are USB/VideoOut and Mini HDMI ports as well as an accessory terminal for the connection of a wired remote or a GPS unit, all sheltered behind a door on the left side of the camera, when viewed from the back., and an HDMI connection on the right flank of the camera.
That concludes our look at the D5600's interface and feature-set. Now let's take a look at the D5600's image quality...
Image Quality
All of the sample images in this review were taken using the 24 megapixel Fine JPEG setting, which gives an average image size of around 8Mb.
The Nikon D5600 produced images of excellent quality during the review period. The D5600 produces noise-free JPEG images at ISO 100-1600, with ISO 3200 also looking pretty good. ISO 6400 only shows a little noise, while the fastest settings of ISO 12800 and 25600 are quite a lot noisier and suffer from softening of fine detail and a loss of saturation, but the images are still perfectly usable for small prints and resizing for web use.
The images were a little soft straight out of the D5600 at the default sharpening setting and ideally require some further sharpening in an application like Adobe Photoshop, or you can change the in-camera setting for JPEG files. The night photograph was excellent, with the maximum shutter speed of 30 seconds and bulb mode allowing you to capture plenty of light. Red-eye was not a common occurrence with the built-in flash, and when we did encounter it, it was very moderate and easily cured by setting the flash to red-eye reduction mode.
Active D-lighting managed to squeeze most of the dynamic range captured by the sensor into the JPEGs the camera produced, while the HDR mode greatly expands the dynamic range by combining two shots taken at different exposures. The Picture Controls and creative Effects help to get more out of your JPEG images.
Noise
There are 9 ISO settings available on the Nikon D5600 and the ISO speed can be adjusted in 1/3 EV increments. Here are some 100% crops which show the noise levels for each ISO setting, with JPEG on the left and RAW on the right.
The Nikon D5600 also has ISO Sensitivity Auto Control, activated from the shooting menu. If set to On, the camera will automatically adjust the sensitivity if proper exposure cannot be achieved at the value chosen by the photographer. The user can put a limit on the maximum sensitivity selectable by the camera.
JPEG |
RAW |
ISO 100 (100% Crop) |
ISO 100 (100% Crop) |
ISO 200 (100% Crop) |
ISO 200 (100% Crop) |
ISO 400 (100% Crop) |
ISO 400 (100% Crop) |
ISO 800 (100% Crop) |
ISO 800 (100% Crop) |
ISO 1600 (100% Crop) |
ISO 1600 (100% Crop) |
ISO 3200 (100% Crop) |
ISO 3200 (100% Crop) |
ISO 6400 (100% Crop) |
ISO 6400 (100% Crop) |
ISO 12800 (100% Crop) |
ISO 12800 (100% Crop) |
ISO 25600 (100% Crop) |
ISO 25600 (100% Crop) |
File Quality
The file quality settings available on the D5600 include Basic, Normal and Fine for JPEGs, plus you can also store your photos in Nikon's proprietary raw format (NEF). Here are some 100% crops which show the quality of the various options, with the file size shown in brackets.
Fine (11.8Mb) (100% Crop) |
Normal (6.45Mb) (100% Crop) |
Basic (2.38Mb) (100% Crop) |
RAW (24.8Mb) (100% Crop) |
Flash
The pop-up flash on the D5600 has several settings including Auto, Fill-in flash, Red-eye Reduction, SlowSync, Red-eye Reduction with Slow Sync, Rear-curtain Sync and Off. These snaps of a white wall were taken at a distance of 1.5m.
Flash Off - Wide Angle (27mm) |
Flash On - Wide Angle (27mm) |
Flash Off - Telephoto (82.5mm) |
Flash On - Telephoto (82.5mm) |
And here are a couple of portrait shots. The built-in speedlight caused no red-eye effect in this test.
Flash On |
Flash On (100% Crop) |
Red-eye Reduction |
Red-eye Reduction (100% Crop) |
Night
The Nikon D5600 lets you dial in shutter speeds of up to 30 seconds and has a Bulb mode as well for exposure times of practically any length, which is very good news if you are seriously interested in night photography. There is an optional long-exposure noise reduction function that can be activated to filter out any hot pixels that may appear when extremely slow shutter speeds are used. Do note that this works by way of dark frame subtraction, which effectively doubles the exposure time. The shot below was taken using a shutter speed of 30 seconds, aperture of f/8 at the ISO 100 sensitivity setting.
Night |
Night (100% Crop) |
D-lighting
D-lighting is Nikon's dynamic range optimisation tool that attempts to squeeze the full dynamic range of the sensor into JPEGs. The available settings are Off, Low, Medium, High, Extra High and Auto. The following examples demonstrate the differences between the various settings.
D-lighting - Off |
D-lighting - Low |
D-lighting - Normal |
D-lighting - High |
D-lighting - Extra High |
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HDR
The Nikon D5600 has a HDR mode with four levels of manual exposure and an Auto setting. The camera only combines two shots, one under and one over exposed, to produce the final image, and it's only available when shooting JPEGs.
HDR - Off |
HDR - Low |
HDR - Normal |
HDR - High |
HDR - Extra High |
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Picture Controls
Nikon's Picture Controls are akin to Canon's Picture Styles in being preset combinations of sharpening, contrast, brightness, saturation and hue. The available choices are Standard, Neutral, Vivid, Monochrome, Portrait, Landscape and Flat. The following examples demonstrate the differences across these options.
Standard |
Neutral |
Vivid |
Monochrome |
Portrait |
Landscape |
Flat |
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Effects
The Effects shooting mode provides 10 different creative filters that can be applied to both still images and movies.
Night Vision |
Super Vivid |
Pop |
Photo Illustration |
Toy Camera |
Miniature |
Selective Colour |
Silhouette |
High Key |
Low Key |
Sample Images
This is a selection of sample images from the Nikon D5600 camera, which were all taken using the 24 megapixel Fine JPEG setting. The thumbnails below link to the full-sized versions, which have not been altered in any way.
1/100s · f/8 · ISO 140
82mm
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1/100s · f/5.6 · ISO 100
82mm
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1/200s · f/5.6 · ISO 100
52mm
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1/100s · f/5.6 · ISO 500
82mm
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1/80s · f/5.6 · ISO 100
27mm
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1/1000s · f/5.6 · ISO 100
82mm
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1/500s · f/5.6 · ISO 100
33mm
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1/100s · f/11 · ISO 125
82mm
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1/30s · f/5.6 · ISO 100
27mm
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1/500s · f/8 · ISO 100
45mm
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1/100s · f/8 · ISO 720
82mm
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1/60s · f/5.6 · ISO 250
57mm
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1/640s · f/8 · ISO 100
82mm
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1/640s · f/8 · ISO 100
82mm
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1/400s · f/3.5 · ISO 100
27mm
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1/1000s · f/3.5 · ISO 100
27mm
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1/160s · f/5.6 · ISO 100
82mm
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1/100s · f/5.6 · ISO 100
45mm
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1/125s · f/8 · ISO 100
27mm
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1/250s · f/3.5 · ISO 100
27mm
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1/400s · f/5.6 · ISO 100
82mm
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1/100s · f/5.6 · ISO 140
82mm
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1/125s · f/4.5 · ISO 100
51mm
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1/640s · f/5 · ISO 100
63mm
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1/400s · f/8 · ISO 100
63mm
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1/125s · f/5.6 · ISO 100
51mm
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1/40s · f/5.6 · ISO 100
27mm
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1/5s · f/5.6 · ISO 100
27mm
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1/10s · f/5.6 · ISO 200
27mm
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1/20s · f/5.6 · ISO 400
27mm
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1/40s · f/5.6 · ISO 800
27mm
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1/80s · f/5.6 · ISO 1600
27mm
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1/80s · f/5.6 · ISO 1600
27mm
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1/160s · f/5.6 · ISO 3200
27mm
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1/320s · f/5.6 · ISO 6400
27mm
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1/640s · f/5.6 · ISO 12800
27mm
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1/1250s · f/5.6 · ISO 25600
27mm
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Sample RAW Images
The Nikon D5600 enables users to capture RAW and JPEG format files. We've provided some Nikon RAW (NEF) samples for you to download (thumbnail images shown below are not 100% representative).
1/100s · f/8 · ISO 140
82mm
Download original
1/100s · f/5.6 · ISO 100
82mm
Download original
1/200s · f/5.6 · ISO 100
52mm
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1/100s · f/5.6 · ISO 500
82mm
Download original
1/80s · f/5.6 · ISO 100
27mm
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1/1000s · f/5.6 · ISO 100
82mm
Download original
1/500s · f/5.6 · ISO 100
33mm
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1/100s · f/11 · ISO 125
82mm
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1/30s · f/5.6 · ISO 100
27mm
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1/500s · f/8 · ISO 100
45mm
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1/100s · f/8 · ISO 720
82mm
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1/60s · f/5.6 · ISO 250
57mm
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1/640s · f/8 · ISO 100
82mm
Download original
1/640s · f/8 · ISO 100
82mm
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1/400s · f/3.5 · ISO 100
27mm
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1/1000s · f/3.5 · ISO 100
27mm
Download original
1/160s · f/5.6 · ISO 100
82mm
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1/100s · f/5.6 · ISO 100
45mm
Download original
1/125s · f/8 · ISO 100
27mm
Download original
1/250s · f/3.5 · ISO 100
27mm
Download original
1/400s · f/5.6 · ISO 100
82mm
Download original
1/100s · f/5.6 · ISO 140
82mm
Download original
1/125s · f/4.5 · ISO 100
51mm
Download original
1/640s · f/5 · ISO 100
63mm
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1/400s · f/8 · ISO 100
63mm
Download original
1/125s · f/5.6 · ISO 100
51mm
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1/40s · f/5.6 · ISO 100
27mm
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1/5s · f/5.6 · ISO 100
27mm
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1/10s · f/5.6 · ISO 200
27mm
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1/20s · f/5.6 · ISO 400
27mm
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1/40s · f/5.6 · ISO 800
27mm
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1/80s · f/5.6 · ISO 1600
27mm
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1/80s · f/5.6 · ISO 1600
27mm
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1/160s · f/5.6 · ISO 3200
27mm
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1/320s · f/5.6 · ISO 6400
27mm
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1/640s · f/5.6 · ISO 12800
27mm
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1/1250s · f/5.6 · ISO 25600
27mm
Download original
Sample Movie & Video
This is a sample movie at the highest quality setting of 1920x1080 pixels at 60 frames per second. Please note that this 17 second movie is 47.5Mb in size.
Product Images
Front of the Nikon D5600 |
Front of the Nikon D5600 |
Front of the Nikon D5600 / Pop-up Flash |
Side of the Nikon D5600 |
Side of the Nikon D5600 |
Side of the Nikon D5600 |
Side of the Nikon D5600 |
Rear of the Nikon D5600 |
Rear of the Nikon D5600 |
|
Rear of the Nikon D5600 / Image Displayed |
Rear of the Nikon D5600 / Info Displayed |
Rear of the Nikon D5600 / Main Menu |
Rear of the Nikon D5600 / Info Screen |
Rear of the Nikon D5600 / Info Screen |
Rear of the Nikon D5600 / Live View |
Rear of the Nikon D5600 / Tilting LCD Screen |
Rear of the Nikon D5600 / Tilting LCD Screen |
Rear of the Nikon D5600 / Tilting LCD Screen |
Top of the Nikon D5600 |
Bottom of the Nikon D5600 |
Side of the Nikon D5600 |
Side of the Nikon D5600 |
Front of the Nikon D5600 |
Front of the Nikon D5600 |
Memory Card Slot |
Battery Compartment |
Conclusion
The Nikon D5600 is an incredibly modest update of the 18-month-old D5500, essentially adding Snapbridge connectivity, a deeper handgrip and a handful of other non-essential features that collectively hardly set the world on fire. While the D5600 remains a decent enough mid-range DSLR, there are lots more exciting cameras in the same price range.
Just like its predecessor, the D5600 offers excellent image quality, straight-forward handling and quick performance, in a light and compact body. We particularly like the kit option with the excellent AF-P DX NIKKOR 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR retractable lens, which really speeds up Live View and movie shooting as well as offering built-in vibration reduction.
Ultimately, though, we can't really get too excited by the lack of new features that the D5600, something that's not helped by modest price rises in the UK/Europe. If Snapbridge and time-lapses aren't on your wish-list, we'd suggest tracking down the heavily discounted D5500 instead...
Ratings (out of 5) | |
---|---|
Design | 4.5 |
Features | 4.5 |
Ease-of-use | 4 |
Image quality | 4.5 |
Value for money | 4 |
Main Rivals
Listed below are some of the rivals of the Nikon D5600.
Canon EOS 760D
The Canon EOS 760D (called the Canon EOS Rebel T6s in North America) is a new DSLR camera that boasts 24 megapixels, top panel LCD and rear panel control wheel, a 19-point autofocus system, Wi-Fi connectivity with NFC pairing and a touch-screen interface. Other key features of the 760D / T6s include burst shooting at 5fps, a vari-angle 3-inch LCD screen with 1,040k dot resolution, ISO range of 100-25,600, 14-bit image processing and Canon's latest Digic 6 processor. Is the Canon EOS 760D / T6i the best mid-range digital SLR camera on the market? Read our expert review to find out...
Fujifilm X-T10
The Fujifilm X-T10 is a new mid-range compact system camera that inherits most of the key features of the flagship X-T1 model. Does the X-T10 cut too many corners to hit its aggressive £499 / $799 price-tag, or does it offer a compelling blend of features, performance and price? Read our in-depth Fujifilm X-T10 review to find out...
Nikon D7200
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Olympus E-PL8
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Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II
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Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX80
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Pentax K-70
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Sony A6000
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Specifications
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Type
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Single-lens reflex digital camera
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Lens mount
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Nikon F mount (with AF contacts)
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Effective angle of view
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Nikon DX format; focal length equivalent to approx. 1.5x that of lenses with FX format angle of view
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Image sensor
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DX, CMOS, 23.5 mm x 15.6 mm
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Total pixels
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24.78 million
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Dust-reduction system
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Image sensor cleaning, Image Dust Off reference data (Capture NX-D software required)
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Effective pixels
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24.2 million
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Image size (pixels)
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(L) 6000 x 4000, (M) 4496 x 3000, (S) 2992 x 2000
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Storage file formats
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NEF (RAW): 12- or 14 bit, compressed, JPEG: JPEG-Baseline compliant with fine (approx. 1 : 4), normal (approx. 1 : 8), or basic (approx. 1 : 16) compression, NEF (RAW)+JPEG: Single photograph recorded in both NEF (RAW) and JPEG formats
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Picture Control System
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Standard, Neutral, Vivid, Monochrome, Portrait, Landscape, Flat; selected Picture Control can be modified; storage for custom Picture Controls
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Storage media
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SD, SDHC (UHS-I compliant), SDXC (UHS-I compliant)
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Card slot
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1 Secure Digital (SD) card
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File system
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DCF 2.0, Exif 2.3, PictBridge
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Viewfinder
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Eye-level pentamirror single-lens reflex viewfinder
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Frame coverage
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Approx. 95% horizontal and 95% vertical
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Magnification
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Approx. 0.82x (50 mm f/1.4 lens at infinity, –1.0 m-1)
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Eyepoint
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17 mm (–1.0 m-1; from center surface of viewfinder eyepiece lens)
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Diopter adjustment
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-1.7 to +0.5 m-1
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Focusing screen
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Type B BriteView Clear Matte Mark VII screen
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Reflex mirror
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Quick return
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Lens aperture
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Instant return, electronically controlled
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Shutter type
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Electronically-controlled vertical-travel focal-plane shutter
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Shutter speed
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1/4000 to 30 s, in steps of 1/3 or 1/2 EV; Bulb; Time
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Flash sync speed
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X = 1/200 s; synchronizes with shutter at 1/200 s or slower
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Release mode
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S (single frame), CL (continuous low speed), CH (continuous high speed), Q (quiet shutter-release), Self-timer; interval timer photography supported
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Frame advance rate
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Up to 5 fps, CL: Up to 3 fps CH: Up to 5 fps (JPEG and 12-bit NEF/RAW) or 4 fps (14-bit NEF/RAW). Note: Frame rates assume continuous-servo AF, manual or shutter-priority auto exposure, a shutter speed of 1/250 s or faster, Release selected for Custom Setting a1 (AF-C priority selection), and other settings at default values.
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Self-timer
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2 s, 5 s, 10 s, 20 s; 1 to 9 exposures
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Exposure metering
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TTL exposure metering using 2016-pixel RGB sensor
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Metering method
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Matrix metering: 3D color matrix metering II (type G, E, and D lenses); color matrix metering II (other CPU lenses). Center-weighted metering: Weight of 75% given to 8-mm circle in center of frame. Spot metering: Meters 3.5-mm circle (about 2.5% of frame) centered on selected focus point
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Metering range (ISO 100, f/1.4 lens, 20 °C/68 °F)
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Matrix or center-weighted metering: 0–20 EV. Spot metering: 2–20 EV
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Exposure meter coupling
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CPU
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Mode
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Auto modes (auto; auto, flash off); programmed auto with flexible program (P); shutter-priority auto (S); aperture-priority auto (A); manual (M); scene modes (portrait; landscape; child; sports; close up; night portrait; night landscape; party/indoor; beach/snow; sunset; dusk/dawn; pet portrait; candlelight; blossom; autumn colors; food); special effects modes (night vision; super vivid; pop; photo illustration; toy camera effect; miniature effect; selective color; silhouette; high key; low key)
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Exposure compensation
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Can be adjusted by –5 to +5EV, in steps of 1/3 or 1/2 EV, in P, S, A, M, SCENE, and night vision modes
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Exposure lock
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Luminosity locked at detected value with AE-L/AF-L button
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ISO sensitivity
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ISO 100 to 25600, in steps of 1/3 EV, Auto ISO sensitivity control available
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Active D-Lighting
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Auto, Extra high, High, Normal, Low, Off
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Autofocus
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Nikon Multi-CAM 4800DX autofocus sensor module with TTL phase detection, 39 focus points (including 9 cross-type sensors), and AF-assist illuminator (range approx. 0.5 to 3 m/1 ft 8 in. to 9 ft 10 in.). Autofocus is available with AF-S, AF-P, and AF-I lenses.
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Detection range
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–1 to +19 EV (ISO 100, 20 °C/68 °F)
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Lens servo
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Single-servo AF (AF-S), Continuous-servo AF (AF-C), Auto AF-S/AF-C selection (AF-A); predictive focus tracking activated automatically according to subject status, Manual focus (MF): Electronic rangefinder can be used
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Focus points
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39, can be selected from 39 or 11 focus points
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AF-area mode
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Single-point AF, 9-, 21-, or 39- point dynamic-area AF, 3D-tracking, auto-area AF
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Focus lock
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Focus can be locked by pressing shutter-release button halfway (single-servo AF) or by pressing AE-L/AF-L button
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Built-in flash
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Auto, portrait, child, close up, night portrait, party/indoor, pet portrait, super vivid, pop, photo illustration, toy camera effect: Auto flash with auto pop-up P, S, A, M, food: Manual pop-up with button release
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Guide Number
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Approx. 12/39, 12/39 with manual flash (m/ft, ISO 100, 20 °C/68 °F)
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Flash control
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TTL: i-TTL flash control using 2016-pixel RGB sensor is available with built-in flash; i-TTL balanced fill-flash for digital SLR is used with matrix and center-weighted metering, standard i-TTL flash for digital SLR with spot metering
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Flash modes
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Auto, auto with red-eye reduction, auto slow sync, auto slow sync with red-eye reduction, fill-flash, red-eye reduction, slow sync, slow sync with red-eye reduction, rear-curtain with slow sync, rear-curtain sync, off
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Flash compensation
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-3 to +1 EV in steps of 1/3 or 1/2 EV, in P, S, A, M, and SCENE modes
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Flash-ready indicator
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Lights when built-in flash or optional flash unit is fully charged; blinks after flash is fired at full output
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Accessory shoe
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ISO 518 hot-shoe with sync and data contacts and safety lock
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Nikon Creative Lighting System
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Nikon CLS supported
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Sync terminal
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AS-15 sync terminal adapter (available separately)
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White balance
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Auto, incandescent, fluorescent (7 types), direct sunlight, flash, cloudy, shade, preset manual, all except preset manual with fine-tuning.
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Bracketing types
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Exposure, White balance, ADL
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Live view - lens servo
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Autofocus (AF): Single-servo AF (AF-S), full-time-servo AF (AF-F); Manual focus (MF)
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Live view - AF-area mode
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Face-priority AF, Wide-area AF, Normal-area AF, Subject-tracking AF
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Live view - autofocus
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Contrast-detect AF anywhere in frame (camera selects focus point automatically when face-priority AF or subject-tracking AF is selected)
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Live View - automatic scene selection
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Available in auto and auto flash off modes
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Movie - metering
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TTL exposure metering using main image sensor
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Movie - metering method
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Matrix
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Movie - frame size (pixels) and frame rate
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1920 x 1080; 60p (progressive), 50p, 30p, 25p, 24p; 1280 x 720; 60p, 50p, actual frame rates for 60p, 50p, 30p, 25p, and 24p are 59.94, 50, 29.97, 25, and 23.976 fps respectively; options support both high and normal image quality
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Movie - file format
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MOV
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Movie - video compression
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H.264/MPEG-4 Advanced Video Coding
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Movie - audio recording format
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Linear PCM
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Movie - audio recording device
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Built-in or external stereo microphone; sensitivity adjustable
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Movie - ISO sensitivity
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ISO 100 to 25600
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Other options
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Time-lapse movies
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Monitor
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8.1 cm (3.2–in.) diagonal; TFT vari-angle LCD touch screen with 170 ° viewing angle, approx. 100% frame coverage, brightness adjustment, and eye-sensor controlled on/off; Approx. 1037k-dot (720 x 480 x 3 = 1,036,800 dots)
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Playback
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Full-frame and thumbnail (4, 12, or 80 images or calendar) playback with playback zoom, playback zoom cropping, playback face zoom, movie playback, photo and/or movie slide shows, histogram display, highlights, photo information, location data display, auto image rotation, picture rating, and image comment (up to 36 characters)
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USB
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Hi-Speed USB, with Micro-USB connector; connection to built-in USB port is recommended
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HDMI output
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Type C HDMI connector
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Audio input
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Stereo mini-pin jack (3.5 mm diameter); supports optional ME-1 stereo microphones
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Accessory terminal(s)
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Wireless remote controllers: WR-1, WR-R10 (available separately). Remote cords: MC-DC2 (available separately). GPS units: GP-1/GP-1A (available separately)
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Wi-Fi (Wireless LAN) standards
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IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g
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Wi-Fi (Wireless LAN) operating frequency
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2412 to 2462 MHz (channels 1 to 11)
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Wi-Fi (Wireless LAN) security
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Authentication: Open system, WPA2-PSK
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Wi-Fi (Wireless LAN) range (line of sight)
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Approximately 10 m (32 ft) without interference; range may vary with signal strength and presence or absence of obstacles
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NFC - Operation
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NFC Forum Type 3 Tag
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Bluetooth standards
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Bluetooth Specification Version 4.1
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Supported languages
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Arabic, Bengali, Bulgarian, Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hindi, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Marathi, Norwegian, Persian, Polish, Portuguese (Portugal and Brazil), Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Spanish, Swedish, Tamil, Telugu, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian, Vietnamese
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Battery
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One EN-EL14a rechargeable Li-ion battery
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AC adapter
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EH-5b AC adapter; requires EP-5A power connector (available separately)
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Tripod socket
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1/4–in. (ISO 1222)
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Dimensions (W x H x D)
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Approx. 124 x 97 x 70 mm (4.9 x 3.9 x 2.8 in.)
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Weight
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Approx. 465 g (1 lb 0.4 oz), with battery and memory card but without body cap; approx. 415 g/14.7 oz (camera body only)
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Operating environment - temperature
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Temperature: 0 °C to 40 °C (+32 °F to 104 °F)
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Operating environment - humidity
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Humidity: 85% or less (no condensation)
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Supplied accessories
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DK-25 rubber eyecup, BF-1B body cap, EN-EL14a rechargeable Li-ion battery (with terminal cover), AN-DC3 strap, MH-24 battery charger (plug adapter supplied in countries or regions where required; shape depends on country of sale)
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Unless otherwise stated, all measurements are performed in conformity with Camera and Imaging Products Association (CIPA) standards or guidelines.
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All figures are for a camera with a fully-charged battery.
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Nikon reserves the right to change the appearance and specifications of the hardware and software described in these specifications at any time and without prior notice. Nikon will not be held liable for damages that may result from any mistakes that these specifications may contain.
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