Nikon D7200 vs D5200

The Nikon D7200 and the Nikon D5200 are two digital cameras that were revealed to the public, respectively, in March 2015 and November 2012. Both are DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) cameras that are equipped with an APS-C sensor. Both cameras offer a resolution of 24 megapixels.

Below is an overview of the main specs of the two cameras as a starting point for the comparison.

Headline Specifications

Nikon D7200		Nikon D5200
Digital single lens reflex		Digital single lens reflex
Nikon F mount lenses		Nikon F mount lenses
24 MP – APS-C sensor		24 MP – APS-C sensor
1080/60p Video		1080/60i Video
ISO 100-25,600 (100 - 102,400)		ISO 100-6,400 (100 - 25,600)
Optical viewfinder		Optical viewfinder
3.2" LCD – 1229k dots		3.0" LCD – 921k dots
Fixed screen (not touch-sensitive)		Swivel screen (not touch-sensitive)
6 shutter flaps per second		5 shutter flaps per second
Weathersealed body		not weather sealed
1110 shots per battery charge		500 shots per battery charge
136 x 107 x 76 mm, 765 g		129 x 98 x 78 mm, 555 g

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Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Nikon D7200 and the Nikon D5200? Which one should you buy? Read on to find out how these two cameras compare with respect to their body size, their imaging sensors, their shooting features, their input-output connections, and their reception by expert reviewers.

Body comparison

The side-by-side display below illustrates the physical size and weight of the Nikon D7200 and the Nikon D5200. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three successive views from the front, the top, and the rear are shown. All width, height and depth measures are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

The D5200 can be obtained in two different colors (black, red), while the D7200 is only available in black.

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Nikon D5200 is notably smaller (13 percent) than the Nikon D7200. Moreover, the D5200 is markedly lighter (27 percent) than the D7200. It is worth mentioning in this context that the D7200 is splash and dust resistant, while the D5200 does not feature any corresponding weather-sealing.

The above size and weight comparisons are to some extent incomplete since they do not consider the interchangeable lenses that both of these cameras require. In this particular case, both cameras feature the same lens mount, so that they can use the same lenses. You can compare the optics available in the Nikon Lens Catalog.

Concerning battery life, the D7200 gets 1110 shots out of its Nikon EN-EL15 battery, while the D5200 can take 500 images on a single charge of its Nikon EN-EL14 power pack.

The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the two cameras alongside a broader set of comparators. If you would like to visualize and compare a different camera combination, you can navigate to the CAM-parator app and make your selection from a broad list of cameras there.

Body Specifications

#		Camera Model	Camera Width	Camera Height	Camera Depth	Camera Weight	Battery Life	Weather Sealing	Camera Launch	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price
1.		Nikon D7200	136 mm	107 mm	76 mm	765 g	1110	Y	Mar 2015	1,199	ebay.com
2.		Nikon D5200	129 mm	98 mm	78 mm	555 g	500	n	Nov 2012	749	ebay.com
3.		Canon 80D	139 mm	105 mm	79 mm	730 g	960	Y	Feb 2016	1,199	ebay.com
4.		Nikon D7500	136 mm	104 mm	73 mm	720 g	950	Y	Apr 2017	1,299	amazon.com
5.		Nikon D5600	124 mm	97 mm	70 mm	465 g	970	n	Nov 2016	699	ebay.com
6.		Nikon D500	147 mm	115 mm	81 mm	860 g	1240	Y	Jan 2016	1,999	ebay.com
7.		Nikon D750	141 mm	113 mm	78 mm	750 g	1230	Y	Sep 2014	2,299	ebay.com
8.		Nikon D3300	124 mm	98 mm	76 mm	430 g	700	n	Jan 2014	499	ebay.com
9.		Nikon D7100	136 mm	107 mm	76 mm	765 g	950	Y	Feb 2013	1,199	ebay.com
10.		Nikon D5300	125 mm	98 mm	76 mm	480 g	600	n	Oct 2013	799	ebay.com
11.		Nikon D3200	125 mm	96 mm	77 mm	505 g	540	n	Apr 2012	599	ebay.com
12.		Nikon D5100	128 mm	97 mm	79 mm	560 g	660	n	Apr 2011	749	ebay.com
13.		Nikon D7000	132 mm	105 mm	77 mm	780 g	1050	Y	Sep 2010	1,499	ebay.com
14.		Nikon D90	132 mm	103 mm	77 mm	703 g	850	n	Aug 2008	1,299	ebay.com
15.		Pentax K-3 II	131 mm	100 mm	77 mm	800 g	720	Y	Apr 2015	1,099	ebay.com
16.		Sony A6300	120 mm	67 mm	49 mm	404 g	400	Y	Feb 2016	999	ebay.com
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.
Convert to Imperial

The price is, of course, an important factor in any camera decision. The retail prices at the time of the camera’s release place the model in the market relative to other models in the producer’s line-up and the competition. The D5200 was launched at a markedly lower price (by 38 percent) than the D7200, which puts it into a different market segment. Normally, street prices remain initially close to the MSRP, but after a couple of months, the first discounts appear. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down.

Sensor comparison

The size of the sensor inside a digital camera is one of the key determinants of image quality. A large sensor will generally have larger individual pixels that offer better low-light sensitivity, provide wider dynamic range, and have richer color-depth than smaller pixels in a sensor of the same technological generation. Furthermore, a large sensor camera will give the photographer more possibilities to use shallow depth-of-field in order to isolate a subject from the background. On the downside, larger sensors tend to be more expensive and lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.

Both cameras under consideration feature an APS-C sensor and have a format factor (sometimes also referred to as "crop factor") of 1.5. Within the spectrum of camera sensors, this places the review cameras among the medium-sized sensor cameras that aim to strike a balance between image quality and portability. Both cameras have a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 3:2.

In terms of chip-set technology, the D7200 uses a more advanced image processing engine (EXPEED 4) than the D5200 (EXPEED 3), with benefits for noise reduction, color accuracy, and processing speed.

The two cameras under review do not only share the same sensor size, but also offer an identical resolution of 24 megapixels. This similarity in sensor specs implies that both the D7200 and the D5200 have the same pixel density, as well as the same pixel size. It should, however, be noted that the D7200 is much more recent (by 2 years and 3 months) than the D5200, and its sensor will have benefitted from technological advances during this time. Coming back to sensor resolution, it should be mentioned that the D7200 has no anti-alias filter installed, so that it can capture all the detail its sensor resolves.

The Nikon D7200 has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 25600, which can be extended to ISO 100-102400. The corresponding ISO settings for the Nikon D5200 are ISO 100 to ISO 6400, with the possibility to increase the ISO range to 100-25600.

Technology-wise, both cameras are equipped with CMOS (Complementary Metal–Oxide–Semiconductor) sensors. Both cameras use a Bayer filter for capturing RGB colors on a square grid of photosensors. This arrangement is found in most digital cameras.

Since 2007, DXO Mark has published sensor performance measurements that have been derived using a consistent methodology. This service assesses and scores the color depth ("DXO Portrait"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports") of camera sensors, and also publishes an overall camera score. The Overall DXO ratings for the two cameras under consideration are close, suggesting that they provide similar imaging performance. The adjacent table reports on the physical sensor characteristics and the outcomes of the DXO sensor quality tests for a sample of comparator-cameras.

Sensor Characteristics

#		Camera Model	Sensor Class	Resolution (MP)	Horiz. Pixels	Vert. Pixels	Video Format	DXO Portrait	DXO Landscape	DXO Sports	DXO Overall
1.		Nikon D7200	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.5	14.6	1333	87
2.		Nikon D5200	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60i	24.2	13.9	1284	84
3.		Canon 80D	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.6	13.2	1135	79
4.		Nikon D7500	APS-C	20.7	5568	3712	4K/30p	24.3	14.0	1483	86
5.		Nikon D5600	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.1	14.0	1306	84
6.		Nikon D500	APS-C	20.7	5568	3712	4K/30p	24.0	14.0	1324	83
7.		Nikon D750	Full Frame	24.2	6016	4016	1080/60p	24.8	14.5	2956	93
8.		Nikon D3300	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.3	12.8	1385	82
9.		Nikon D7100	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.2	13.7	1256	83
10.		Nikon D5300	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.0	13.9	1338	83
11.		Nikon D3200	APS-C	24.1	6016	4000	1080/30p	24.1	13.2	1131	81
12.		Nikon D5100	APS-C	16.1	4928	3264	1080/30p	23.5	13.6	1183	80
13.		Nikon D7000	APS-C	16.1	4928	3264	1080/24p	23.5	13.9	1167	80
14.		Nikon D90	APS-C	12.2	4288	2848	720/24p	22.7	12.5	977	73
15.		Pentax K-3 II	APS-C	24.1	6016	4000	1080/60i	23.6	13.6	1106	80
16.		Sony A6300	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/30p	24.4	13.7	1437	85

Many modern cameras cannot only take still pictures, but also record videos. Both cameras under consideration have a sensor with sufficiently fast read-out times for moving pictures, but the D7200 provides a higher frame rate than the D5200. It can shoot video footage at 1080/60p, while the D5200 is limited to 1080/60i.

Feature comparison

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. The D7200 and the D5200 are similar in the sense that both have an optical viewfinder. The latter is useful for getting a clear image for framing even in brightly lit environments. The viewfinder in the D7200 offers a wider field of view (100%) than the one in the D5200 (95%), so that a larger proportion of the captured image is visible in the finder. In addition, the viewfinder of the D7200 has a higher magnification (0.63x vs 0.51x), so that the size of the image transmitted appears closer to the size seen with the naked human eye. The table below summarizes some of the other core capabilities of the Nikon D7200 and Nikon D5200 in connection with corresponding information for a sample of similar cameras.

Core Features

#		Camera Model	Viewfinder (Type or 000 dots)	Control Panel (yes/no)	LCD Specifications (inch/000 dots)	LCD Attach- ment	Touch Screen (yes/no)	Max Shutter Speed *	Max Shutter Flaps *	Built-in Flash (yes/no)	Built-in Image Stab
1.		Nikon D7200	optical	Y	3.2 / 1229	fixed	n	1/8000s	6.0/s	Y	n
2.		Nikon D5200	optical	n	3.0 / 921	swivel	n	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
3.		Canon 80D	optical	Y	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/8000s	7.0/s	Y	n
4.		Nikon D7500	optical	Y	3.2 / 922	tilting	Y	1/8000s	8.0/s	Y	n
5.		Nikon D5600	optical	n	3.2 / 1037	swivel	Y	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
6.		Nikon D500	optical	Y	3.2 / 2359	tilting	Y	1/8000s	10.0/s	n	n
7.		Nikon D750	optical	Y	3.2 / 1229	tilting	n	1/4000s	6.0/s	Y	n
8.		Nikon D3300	optical	n	3.0 / 921	fixed	n	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
9.		Nikon D7100	optical	Y	3.2 / 1229	fixed	n	1/8000s	6.0/s	Y	n
10.		Nikon D5300	optical	n	3.2 / 1037	swivel	n	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
11.		Nikon D3200	optical	n	3.0 / 921	fixed	n	1/4000s	4.0/s	Y	n
12.		Nikon D5100	optical	n	3.0 / 921	swivel	n	1/4000s	4.0/s	Y	n
13.		Nikon D7000	optical	Y	3.0 / 921	fixed	n	1/8000s	6.0/s	Y	n
14.		Nikon D90	optical	Y	3.0 / 920	fixed	n	1/4000s	4.5/s	Y	n
15.		Pentax K-3 II	optical	Y	3.2 / 1037	fixed	n	1/8000s	8.3/s	n	Y
16.		Sony A6300	2359	n	3.0 / 922	tilting	n	1/4000s	11.0/s	Y	n
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.

One feature that is present on the D7200, but is missing on the D5200 is a top-level LCD. While being, of course, smaller than the rear screen, the control panel conveys some of the essential shooting information and can be convenient for quick and easy settings verification.

The Nikon D7200 and the Nikon D5200 both have an intervalometer built-in. This enables the photographer to capture time lapse sequences, such as flower blooming, a sunset or moon rise, without purchasing an external camera trigger and related software.

Concerning the storage of imaging data, both the D7200 and the D5200 write their files to SDXC cards. The D7200 features dual card slots, which can be very useful in case a memory card fails. In contrast, the D5200 only has one slot. Both cameras can use UHS-I cards, which provide for Ultra High Speed data transfer of up to 104 MB/s.

Connectivity comparison

For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Nikon D7200 and Nikon D5200 and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

Input-Output Connections

#		Camera Model	Hotshoe Port	Internal Mic / Speaker	Microphone Port	Headphone Port	HDMI Port	USB Port	WiFi Support	NFC Support	Bluetooth Support
1.		Nikon D7200	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-
2.		Nikon D5200	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
3.		Canon 80D	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-
4.		Nikon D7500	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	mini	2.0	Y	-	Y
5.		Nikon D5600	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	Y
6.		Nikon D500	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	mini	3.0	Y	Y	Y
7.		Nikon D750	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	mini	2.0	Y	-	-
8.		Nikon D3300	Y	mono / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
9.		Nikon D7100	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	mini	2.0	-	-	-
10.		Nikon D5300	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	-	-
11.		Nikon D3200	Y	mono / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
12.		Nikon D5100	Y	mono / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
13.		Nikon D7000	Y	mono / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
14.		Nikon D90	Y	mono / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
15.		Pentax K-3 II	Y	mono / mono	Y	Y	mini	3.0	-	-	-
16.		Sony A6300	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-

It is notable that the D7200 has a headphone jack, which is not present on the D5200 This port makes it possible to attach external headphones and monitor the quality of sound during the recording process.

Both the D7200 and the D5200 have been discontinued, but can regularly be found used on ebay. The D5200 was replaced by the Nikon D5300, while the D7200 was followed by the Nikon D7500. Further information on the features and operation of the D7200 and D5200 can be found, respectively, in the Nikon D7200 Manual (free pdf) or the online Nikon D5200 Manual.

Review summary

So what conclusions can be drawn? Is the Nikon D7200 better than the Nikon D5200 or vice versa? Below is a summary of the relative strengths of each of the two contestants.

Reasons to prefer the Nikon D7200:

• Maximized detail: Lacks an anti-alias filter to exploit the sensor's full resolution potential.
• More dynamic range: Captures a larger spectrum of light and dark details (0.7 EV of extra DR).
• Better jpgs: Has a more modern image processing engine (EXPEED 4 vs EXPEED 3).
• Better video: Provides higher movie framerates (1080/60p versus 1080/60i).
• Better sound control: Has a headphone port that enables audio monitoring while recording.
• More complete view: Has a viewfinder with a larger field of view (100% vs 95%).
• Larger viewfinder image: Features a viewfinder with a higher magnification (0.63x vs 0.51x).
• Easier setting verification: Features an LCD display on top to control shooting parameters.
• Larger screen: Has a bigger rear LCD (3.2" vs 3.0") for image review and settings control.
• More detailed LCD: Has a higher resolution rear screen (1229k vs 921k dots).
• Faster shutter: Has higher mechanical shutter speed (1/8000s vs 1/4000s) to freeze action.
• Faster burst: Shoots at higher frequency (6 vs 5 flaps/sec) to capture the decisive moment.
• Longer lasting: Can take more shots (1110 versus 500) on a single battery charge.
• Better sealing: Is weather sealed to enable shooting in dusty or wet environments.
• Easier file upload: Has wifi built in for automatic backup or image transfer to the web.
• Easier device pairing: Supports NFC for fast wireless image transfer over short distances.
• Greater peace of mind: Features a second card slot as a backup in case of memory card failure.
• More modern: Reflects 2 years and 3 months of technical progress since the D5200 launch.

Advantages of the Nikon D5200:

• Better moiré control: Has an anti-alias filter to avoid artificial patterns to appear in images.
• More flexible LCD: Has a swivel screen for odd-angle shots in portrait or landscape orientation.
• More selfie-friendly: Has an articulated screen that can be turned to be front-facing.
• More compact: Is smaller (129x98mm vs 136x107mm) and will fit more readily into a bag.
• Less heavy: Has a lower weight (by 210g or 27 percent) and is thus easier to take along.
• More affordable: Was introduced into a lower priced category (38 percent cheaper at launch).
• More heavily discounted: Has been around for much longer (launched in November 2012).

If the count of individual advantages (bullet points above) is taken as a guide, the D7200 is the clear winner of the match-up (18 : 7 points). However, the pertinence of the various camera strengths will differ across photographers, so that you might want to weigh individual camera traits according to their importance for your own imaging needs before making a camera decision. A professional wildlife photographer will view the differences between cameras in a way that diverges from the perspective of a family photog, and a person interested in architecture has distinct needs from a sports shooter. Hence, the decision which camera is best and worth buying is often a very personal one.

How about other alternatives? Do the specifications of the Nikon D7200 and the Nikon D5200 place the cameras among the top in their class? Find out in the latest Best DSLR Camera listing whether the two cameras rank among the cream of the crop.

In any case, while the comparison of the spec-sheets of cameras can offer a general idea of their imaging potential, it remains partial and cannot reveal, for example, the shooting experience and imaging performance when actually working with the D7200 or the D5200. At times, user reviews, such as those published at amazon, address these issues in a useful manner, but such feedback is on many occasions incomplete, inconsistent, and unreliable.

Expert reviews

This is why hands-on reviews by experts are important. The table below provides a synthesis of the camera assessments of some of the best known photo-gear review sites (amateurphotographer [AP], cameralabs [CL], digitalcameraworld [DCW], dpreview [DPR], ephotozine [EPZ], photographyblog [PB]). As can be seen, the professional reviewers agree in many cases on the quality of different cameras, but sometimes their assessments diverge, reinforcing the earlier point that a camera decision is often a very personal choice.

Expert Camera Reviews

#		Camera   Model	AP   score	CL   score	DCW   score	DPR   score	EPZ   score	PB   score	Camera Launch	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price
1.		Nikon D7200	4/5	+ +	..	84/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Mar 2015	1,199	ebay.com
2.		Nikon D5200	4/5	+ +	..	79/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Nov 2012	749	ebay.com
3.		Canon 80D	4/5	+ +	4.5/5	84/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2016	1,199	ebay.com
4.		Nikon D7500	4.5/5	+ +	4.5/5	86/100	5/5	4.5/5	Apr 2017	1,299	amazon.com
5.		Nikon D5600	4/5	..	4/5	79/100	4.5/5	4/5	Nov 2016	699	ebay.com
6.		Nikon D500	5/5	+ +	4.7/5	91/100	4.5/5	5/5	Jan 2016	1,999	ebay.com
7.		Nikon D750	5/5	+ +	4/5	90/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Sep 2014	2,299	ebay.com
8.		Nikon D3300	3/5	+	..	77/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jan 2014	499	ebay.com
9.		Nikon D7100	5/5	+ +	..	85/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2013	1,199	ebay.com
10.		Nikon D5300	4/5	+ +	..	79/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Oct 2013	799	ebay.com
11.		Nikon D3200	5/5	+ +	..	73/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Apr 2012	599	ebay.com
12.		Nikon D5100	5/5	+ +	..	76/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Apr 2011	749	ebay.com
13.		Nikon D7000	4/5	..	..	80/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Sep 2010	1,499	ebay.com
14.		Nikon D90	..	+ +	..	+ +	4/5	4.5/5	Aug 2008	1,299	ebay.com
15.		Pentax K-3 II	4.5/5	..	..	..	5/5	5/5	Apr 2015	1,099	ebay.com
16.		Sony A6300	4.5/5	+	..	85/100	5/5	5/5	Feb 2016	999	ebay.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

The above review scores should be interpreted with care, though. The assessments were made in relation to similar cameras of the same technological generation. Thus, a score needs to be put into the context of the launch date and the launch price of the camera, and rating-comparisons among cameras that span long time periods or concern very differently equipped models make little sense. It should also be noted that some of the review sites have over time altered the way they render their verdicts.

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Other camera comparisons

Did this review help to inform your camera decision process? If you would like to see a different side-by-side camera review, just make a corresponding selection in the search boxes below. As an alternative, you can also directly jump to any one of the listed comparisons that were previously generated by the CAM-parator tool.

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