The D5200: Nikon’s most unnecessary launch ever.

On November 5, 2012, Nikon officially announced the D5200 mid-entry-level camera or “Baby-Nikon” in Europe, Asia and Australia, with a launch price of € 899 (body alone); approximately 1.150 dollars.
Even if the MSRP of the camera in the USA – where it is rumored to come to market as late as January 2013 – is likely going to be below the euro equivalent, this would still bring it into the D90 and D7000 price bracket: from 900 to 1200 dollars.

The D5200 features a 24,1 Mp. CMOS sensor, an articulated, 3", 910K dot monitor and a 39/11-point Multi-CAM 4800DX focus module, a slightly less sophisticated implementation of the one found in the D7000.
However, it lacks some key features that make the D7000 or D90 worth their money. The D5200 has:
• No built-in focusing motor. Motorized AF-S or AF-I lenses must be used for full AF and 3D Color Matrix II metering compatibility.
• No metering with non-CPU lenses (D90 neither).
• No commander mode to remotely control external flashes.
• No Auto FP high-speed sync.

Supposing that the D5200 would end up costing in the order of 900-950 dollars in the USA, more demanding users and/or owners of AF lenses without a built-in motor would be far better off with the D90 for more or less the same amount of money, and owners of AI, AI-S lenses with the D7000 at a premium of ± 30%.
Someone with less sophisticated demands, on the other hand, would be perfectly served with the D3200 ($ 700, incl. 18-55 mm lens), because the difference in price is substantial, while the relevant technical differences really marginal:

In virtually all other aspects these cameras are identical: no built-in focusing motor, same resolution (24 Mp.), same maximum shutter speed (1/4.000 s.) same flash sync speed (1/200), same maximum frame rate (4 fps), they both support instantaneous geo-tagging and Eye-Fi wifi SD cards, use the same battery (EN-EL14) and even practically weigh the same (505 vs. 455 g).
There may be a few other minor differences, but frankly, I consider those to be so irrelevant for the casual, entry-level user that I will not even bother to dig for them.
The Nikon Scene and Program modes are working fine ever since the D40 and many a user will probably spend the camera’s lifetime shooting JPG in one of the auto modes.

Summing up: for the casual user the D5200 is over-spec and over-priced, while for the more advanced user under-spec and over-priced.
I’m not quite sure where Nikon think they are going with this one.

For more information and specs, click here. (Nikon UK website)

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