Southern Cookie
Purchased as refurbished. Basically looks and functions as new. 1515 shutter clicks, barely used. The price difference from new makes this a huge bargain camera for the budget minded. I purchased this as a back up body. With limited use at this point, this is a wonderful camera. It has the major advantage of being very light weight and big enough to get a hand on it. If you are hauling around a DSLR all day this is an important consideration. Especially if you carry an extra lens or two. Really gets important if you are caring an additional body to eliminate lens changes in dirty environments or fast moving situations. I chose this body over its newer D5300 version because I have no need of GPS capabilities. If I need Wi Fi I can get that with an adaptor or a Wi Fi card. Both items cost far less than stepping up to the next model. Any other updates are not significant between the models (for my uses). The one thing I really find I use, and missed more than I would ever have guessed, is the articulated screen. High shots, low shots, shots using a smaller/lower/lightweight tripod, this adjustable screen is so incredibly convenient. Saves the back, keeps me out of the dirt for the most part, and helps visibility in bright lighting conditions. I really missed this when I upgraded to the D7100 from the D5100. The technical points of this camera are covered in multiple other reviews, so I will just say I am not disappointed in the images it captures, even when comparing to the D7100. I really wish the D5200 could use the older lenses, the ones that need the screw type AF system within the camera body (the D7100 can). This body uses only the AF-S lenses to auto focus. The older lenses will mount on this camera, but they will NOT autofocus. Nikon continues to develop nice AF-S lenses that work with this type camera, so this could be the only camera you will ever need. Edit: I would also like to add the list of accessories I always get to complete a camera purchase. If you are new to DSLR photography this is function and protection for your investment: 1.A good multicoated UV filter. It saves your lens glass from accidental bumps, that bit of grit you miss and rub around when cleaning a random fingerprint and other crud. It also helps reduce haze. They should be on the lens from day one to protect that front element from an unforgiving environment (and the Babys cake covered hands when you go in for the close-up first B-day!) I have twice been very thankful I took this advise myself. The lens survived, the filter did not. Was a cheap replacement (compared to a lost lens) and the photographic day was not ruined. 2. A good quality SD card. Or two. I like 32gb Sandisk Extreme 111. They are fast and I have not had one malfunction yet. 3.A spare battery. I have had good luck with fully decoded non-Nikon versions. 4. A case/bag for carrying and storage. 5. A screen saver for the LCD. 6. A proper lens cleaning kit. There are a million other things you can use for your new hobby, but these 6 are really important to the health and well-being of your fine camera.
