I should have listened to all this good advice in the first place...live and learn.
I was trying very hard to reduce the size and weight of my camera kit for our frequent city walking trips. I was really tired of carrying around the D200 "beast" as I called it. The D5100-5200 were very appealing to me because of their reduced size/weight, and enhanced features. I was resisting the D7000 since it seemed very close to the D200 size-wise.
I got a great deal on a D5100 and went for it...about a year ago. Did two trips with it. Liked the IQ and the results I got, but was never very happy with the feel or functionality. I bailed on the D5100 a couple of months ago. Got a good deal on a D7000 and have never looked back. It's got a great feel; great IQ (granted the insides are virtually identical to the D5100); great features which I like a lot. It's a bit heavier but not as bad as I thought it would be...and certainly nothing like the D200 kit.
Good decision to switch...finally...live and learn.
Originally Posted by
anrkitec
IMO it depends entirely on your financial situation. The D5200 will likely be in the ~$800 range initially. With the various rebates out there the D5100 can be had for ~$450.
The sensor in the D5200 is supposed to be a new part and an improvement over the sensor in the D3200 - which was itself a significant upgrade. Even though you may not want or need the extra MPs of the D5200's 24MP sensor, there are still enough additional IQ improvements [ISO performance, increased dynamic range, etc.] to make it a significant upgrade.
How critical is the work you are going to be doing? Is it going to be mostly social media uploads, 3x5 prints from Walgreen's, or meticulously Photoshopped and enlarged prints for framing or display?
The D5100 is still a very capable camera with very good IQ and will handle all of the situations above, but if you can afford the extra bucks then IMO there isn't any good reason to not get the D5200*. Consider also that you will get a good bit of that difference back when you go to upgrade next time. Two, three, four years from now the D5100 won't be worth very much.
*One significant caveat to this is if the additional cost of the D5200 forces you into choosing a significantly lower quality lens.