Movie mode

The D5300 is strong in terms of video recording features, offering a maximum resolution/frame rate of 1080/60p (the D5200 was capable of 1080/60i but) and uncompressed HDMI output. Its built-in stereo microphone allows for level adjustments, and the camera provides a port for external microphone input. Here's how its various resolution/framerate options break downwardly:

MPEG-4
  • 1920x1080 (60/50p): 38.8 Mbps Avg
  • 1920x1080 (30p):
  • 1920x1080 (24/25p):
  • 1280x720 (60/50p):
  • 640x424 (30p)
  • 640x424 (25p)
Sound Linear PCM

Video Features

The D5300 assembles a prepare of quite serious video features for its entry-level class bearing. Videographers volition capeesh the D5300'southward flip-out LCD for movie recording, an reward over models with a fixed LCD. Video footage uses compression of the H.264/MPEG-4 video codec.

Like all of Nikon'due south recently released higher-cease DSLRs, the D5300 offers the ability to record uncompressed video over its HDMI port. For video professionals, the benefits of shooting uncompressed video lie in avoiding compression artifacts that can hinder grading options in mail service-production. Whether using HDMI-enabled output to record the highest possible quality footage or to simply use an external monitor equally viewfinder, this is a feature that is becoming more than common, though in the case of Canon and Sony, it is reserved for incomparably college-end models like the EOS 5D Marking III and SLT-A99.

Uncompressed video tin can only be sent to an external recorder that's connected to the D5300's HDMI port. This footage is enormous, and then it makes sense that you lot're prevented from recording it straight to your SD card. Unfortunately though, you cannot record 1080p video to the SD bill of fare as a 'prophylactic' backup while recording to the external HDMI device simultaneously. Whenever video is recorded to the carte du jour, the HDMI output drops to 720p. We'd similar to see the choice to record full Hard disk drive alongside the uncompressed footage.

Autofocus can be 'pulled' by moving the AF point effectually the frame from a near subject to i in the distance, and vice versa. The transition is relatively smooth, though there's a little bit of hunting just before it's locked on to a new target. A affect screen would also come up in handy for this kind of video work, something that the D5300 is defective.

Handling

The camera'due south articulated LCD gives it an edge in terms of handling as a video tool, making information technology easier to concur the camera steady at waist or chest-level and frame a shot. All live view displays are in 3:two format, and though nearly of them have grey bars or small white hashmarks noting the 16:9 ingather used for video, in the field both are hard to encounter on the screen.

Recording video on the D5300 first requires you to appoint live view via a lever that sits aslope the camera's fashion dial. You lot can then initiate a recording by pressing the red movie tape push sitting just behind the shutter release. To prevent accidental operation, the record button is disabled when alive view is turned off.

There's too a confusing bit of overlap between D5300 the Video Camera and D5300 the Stills Camera when using manual exposure mode in live view. Like other Nikon APS-C cameras, aperture can't be adjusted in live view shooting. You can change the aperture value displayed on the screen, just the aperture itself won't move until you lot've fired the shutter. This gets confusing when you start recording video in manual mode, since although you can alter the aperture number that appears on the screen, you'll really be using whatever aperture was set when y'all entered alive view.

For this, Nikon engineers nowadays 'Manual Motion-picture show Mode' every bit a workaround. Picking this option from the shooting menu imposes a minimum shutter speed of 1/60sec, and prevents the aperture value from changing - thus, the aperture it says you're using in live view is the ane you're actually using when you hitting 'record.' It's possible to change the discontinuity in a roundabout way - switching to aperture priority mode or leaving alive view, adjusting and taking a still. Manual movie mode too enables live exposure preview in live view manual shooting.

Video Quality

The D5300's video clips are much like the D7100's, which is to say, very good. It fifty-fifty outpaces the D7100'south maximum framerate of 1080/60i, which is simply bachelor in a one.3x crop mode. We didn't notice the D5300 to be prone to rolling shutter more than any other camera of its course. Moving subjects with vertical lines similar cars volition nowadays a bit of the issue, but information technology'due south non pregnant.

Sample 1

The sample beneath uses full-time-servo AF and subject tracking focus, locked on the front border of the streetcar as information technology moves through the frame. There's some moiré noticeable in the buildings in the background.

1920x1080 60p, xi sec, 57.3 MB Click here to download original file

Sample ii

Though the D5300'south sensor readout is fast enough to avert dramatic instances of rolling shutter, a little fleck creeps into the end of the clip beneath as cars speed out of the frame. Otherwise, movement in the clip is fluid and detail is pleasantly precipitous.

1920x1080 60p, 19 sec, 97.9 MB Click here to download original file

Sample 3

In this handheld clip, the water in the foreground looks natural but toward the altitude begins to await a little distorted and 'shimmery' as we noted in our D7100 review. The sample below used the 18-140mm'southward VR stabilization, correcting for slight movement on the ten and y axis of the sensor aeroplane, but not the slight rolling move of the unsteady mitt of yours truly. This wobbling is noticeable toward the edges of the frame - non a error of the camera's, and if anything information technology's doing a adept job correcting shake.

1920x1080 60p, 12 sec, 59.7 MB Click here to download original file

Sample iv

This clip demonstrates the D5300's depression lite video capabilities. As expected there's some dissonance in the scene, made more obvious when machine exposure brightens equally the bus moves through the frame. Overall though, information technology'southward a good result straight out of the camera.

1920x1080 60p, 15 sec, 77.iii MB Click here to download original file