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Utility Line Protection Plans: Questions to Ask Before You Sign Up
For a printer-friendly version, please see our Fast Facts guide.
If you have received a letter or postcard promoting a service plan or type of "warranty" to cover utility line repairs on your property, you're not alone.
A growing number of companies - including utilities and third-party vendors - offer "line protection programs." For a monthly fee, these programs may act as a warranty of sorts to help cover the costs of repairing underground supply lines, utility lines within your home, or both.
A supply line brings water from a utility's main - or electricity or gas from a utility's distribution lines - to an individual home or business. Typically, any lines on the customer's side of the meter are the customer's responsibility.
In addition to these programs for electric, natural gas and water utilities, telephone companies have offered "inside-wiring maintenance plans" for a number of years.
Line protection plans are voluntary. Consumers are not required to purchase or keep them as a condition of utility service. Also, these plans are not regulated by the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission (IURC).
If you consider enrolling in such a program, you should make a careful and informed decision. This includes:
- Reading the fine print,
- Making sure you understand what you are purchasing, and
- Considering the following:
What is the likelihood that your utility lines will have problems and need repairs?
If your home is more than 40 years old, if it still has the original utility lines, and if your neighbors have needed repairs, then you are at greater risk.
Does your homeowners insurance cover utility line replacements?
The only way to know is to read your policy, talk with your insurance agent, or both. If your insurance covers replacements, a line protection plan probably isn't necessary.
Do you live in an apartment or other rental unit?
If you do, talk to your landlord and review your lease. Landlords are typically responsible for utility lines on rental property.
Does the policy cover pre-existing conditions?
In many cases, the programs will not. There can also be many different definitions for "pre-existing conditions." If you consider signing up, make sure you understand exactly how the company defines a pre-existing condition.
Are there any hidden fees?
In addition to monthly or annual charges, a line protection plan may include a fee for signing up and/or an early termination penalty if you withdraw. Reading the fine print is crucial. So is questioning the company about anything you don't understand.
Do you know exactly what is and what is not covered?
Is there a deductible? Are there maximum limits on how much a plan will pay for repairs? Are there any exceptions or instances in which the company is not responsible? Again, reading the fine print is crucial.
If you need repairs, who does the work?
Does the company have its own service employees? Does it have contractors? How much flexibility will it give you in choosing a contractor?
Is the vendor reputable?
Checking with your local Better Business Bureau, Angie's List, and other resources is always a good idea.
The decision on whether to enroll in a voluntary utility line warranty plan is entirely up to the consumer based on his or her unique circumstances. This fact sheet is intended as a general overview of items for a consumer to consider when making such a decision. It is not intended to serve as legal advice or as a specific recommendation on whether a consumer should or should not enroll.
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Women's high-waisted t-shirt
Made of 100% combed and ring-spun cotton, this t-shirt is ultra soft and smooth against the skin. With its flattering, longline fit and crew neck, this tee will look best paired with high-waisted bottoms.
• 100% combed and ring-spun cotton
• Fabric weight: 4.3 oz/yd² (145.79 g/m²)
• Yarn thickness: 30 singles
• Longline fit with a crew neck
• Blind stitch on sleeves and hem
• Tightly knit and side-seamed
• Ultra soft hand feel
• Tear-away label
• Blank product sourced from Bangladesh
This product is made especially for you as soon as you place an order, which is why it takes us a bit longer to deliver it to you. Making products on demand instead of in bulk helps reduce overproduction, so thank you for making thoughtful purchasing decisions!
User Reviews
Il n'y a pas encore d'avis.


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Server Memory Options
Use the two server memory options, min server memory and max server memory, to reconfigure the amount of memory (in megabytes) in the buffer pool used by an instance of Microsoft SQL Server.
By default, SQL Server can change its memory requirements dynamically based on available system resources. The default setting for min server memory is 0, and the default setting for max server memory is 2147483647. The minimum amount of memory you can specify for max server memory is 16 megabytes (MB).
Setting max server memory to the minimum value can severely reduce SQL Server performance and even prevent it from starting. If you cannot start SQL Server after changing this option, start it using the –f startup option and reset max server memory to its previous value. For more information, see Using the SQL Server Service Startup Options.
When SQL Server is using memory dynamically, it queries the system periodically to determine the amount of free physical memory. SQL Server uses the memory notification API QueryMemoryResourceNotification to determine when the buffer pool may allocate memory and release memory.
Allowing SQL Server to use memory dynamically is recommended; however, you can set the memory options manually and restrict the amount of memory that SQL Server can access. Before you set the amount of memory for SQL Server, determine the appropriate memory setting by subtracting, from the total physical memory, the memory required for the operating system, and any other instances of SQL Server (and other system uses, if the computer is not wholly dedicated to SQL Server). This difference is the maximum amount of memory you can assign to SQL Server.
Setting the Memory Options Manually
Set min server memory and max server memory to span a range of memory values. This method is useful where system or database administrators want to configure an instance of SQL Server in conjunction with the memory requirements of other applications that run on the same computer.
Use min server memory to guarantee a minimum amount of memory available to the buffer pool of an instance of SQL Server. SQL Server will not immediately allocate the amount of memory specified in min server memory on startup. However, after memory usage has reached this value due to client load, SQL Server cannot free memory from the allocated buffer pool unless the value of min server memory is reduced.
SQL Server is not guaranteed to allocate the amount of memory specified in min server memory. If the load on the server never requires allocating the amount of memory specified in min server memory, SQL Server will run with less memory.
Use max server memory to prevent the SQL Server buffer pool from using more than the specified amount of memory, thus leaving remaining memory available to start other applications quickly. SQL Server does not immediately allocate the memory specified in max server memory on startup. Memory usage is increased as needed by SQL Server until reaching the value specified in max server memory. SQL Server cannot exceed this memory usage unless the value of max server memory is raised.
Before reducing the max server memory value, use Performance Monitor to examine the SQLServer:Buffer Manager performance object while under a load, and note the current values of the Stolen pages and Reserved pages counters. These counters report memory as the number of 8K pages. max server memory should be set above the sum of these two values to avoid out-of-memory errors. An approximate value for the lowest reasonable max server memory setting (in MB) is ([Stolen pages] + [Reserved pages])/ 100. To reduce the max server memory you may need to restart SQL Server to release the memory. For information about how to set memory options, see How to: Set a Fixed Amount of Memory (SQL Server Management Studio).
Maximize Data Throughput for Network Applications
To optimize system memory use for SQL Server, you should limit the amount of memory that is used by the system for file caching. To limit the file system cache, make sure that Maximize data throughput for file sharing is not selected. You can specify the smallest file system cache by selecting Minimize memory used or Balance.
To check the current setting on your operating system
Click Start, then click Control Panel, double-click Network Connections, and then double-click Local Area Connection.
On the General tab, click Properties, select File and Printer Sharing Microsoft Networks, and then click Properties.
If Maximize data throughput for network applications is selected, choose any other option, click OK, and then close the rest of the dialog boxes.
AWE Memory Under Windows Server 2003
Under Windows Server 2003, SQL Server can use Address Windowing Extensions (AWE) memory to further assist in load balancing its own memory requirements with those of the operating system. This balancing between SQL Server and the operating system is subject to the constraints of the min server memory and max server memory options. If the server hardware supports Hot-Add Memory, additional physical memory can be added to the server as necessary without requiring a restart. For more information about the awe enabled configuration option, see awe enabled Option. For more information, see Hot Add Memory.
Dynamic AWE memory is supported on servers with less physical memory than the configured virtual memory limit.
Ideally, allocate as much memory as possible to SQL Server without causing the system to swap pages to disk. The threshold varies depending on your system. For example, on a 32-gigabyte (GB) system exclusively dedicated to SQL Server, 30-31 GB might be an appropriate maximum threshold for SQL Server; on a 64-GB system, 60-62 GB might be an appropriate threshold.
As you increase the amount of SQL Server memory, ensure that there is sufficient disk space to expand the operating system's virtual memory support file (Pagefile.sys) to accommodate additional memory. For more information about the virtual memory support file, see the Windows documentation.
Use statistics from the Windows System Monitor to help you adjust the memory value if necessary. Change this value only when you add or remove memory, or when you change how you use your system.
Virtual Memory Manager
The 32-bit operating systems provide access to 4-gigabyte (GB) of virtual address space. 2 GB of virtual memory is private per process and available for application use. 2 GB is reserved for operating system use. All operating system editions include a switch that can provide applications with access up to 3 GB of virtual memory, limiting the operating system to 1 GB. For more information about how to use the switch memory configuration, see the Windows documentation about 4-gigabyte tuning (4GT). When the 32-bit SQL Server is running on 64-bit operating system its user available virtual address space is the full 4 GB.
PAE is automatically enabled only if the server is using hot-add memory devices. In this case, you do not have to use the /PAE switch on a system that is configured to use hot-add memory devices. In all other cases, you must use the /PAE switch in the Boot.ini file to take advantage of memory over 4GB.
The 4-GB address space is mapped to the available physical memory by the Windows Virtual Memory Manager (VMM). The physical memory accessible by AWE therefore depends on which operating system you are using. For more information on the amount of physical memory supported by different operating systems, see the Windows documentation "Memory Limits for Windows Releases".
Virtual address systems allow the over-commitment of physical memory, so that the ratio of virtual to physical memory can exceed 1:1. As a result, larger programs can run on computers with a variety of physical memory configurations. However, using significantly more virtual memory than the combined average working sets of all the processes can cause poor performance.
The min server memory and max server memory options are advanced options. If you are using the sp_configure system stored procedure to change these settings, you can change them only when show advanced options is set to 1. These settings take effect immediately without a server restart.
Running Multiple Instances of SQL Server
When you are running multiple instances of the Database Engine, there are three approaches you can use to manage memory:
Use max server memory to control memory usage. Establish maximum settings for each instance, being careful that the total allowance is not more than the total physical memory on your machine. You might want to give each instance memory proportional to its expected workload or database size. This approach has the advantage that when new processes or instances start up, free memory will be available to them immediately. The drawback is that if you are not running all of the instances, none of the running instances will be able to utilize the remaining free memory.
Use min server memory to control memory usage. Establish minimum settings for each instance, so that the sum of these minimums is 1-2 GB less than the total physical memory on your machine. Again, you may establish these minimums proportionately to the expected load of that instance. This approach has the advantage that if not all instances are running at the same time, the ones that are running can use the remaining free memory. This approach is also useful when there is another memory-intensive process on the computer, since it would insure that SQL Server would at least get a reasonable amount of memory. The drawback is that when a new instance (or any other process) starts, it may take some time for the running instances to release memory, especially if they must write modified pages back to their databases to do so. You may also need to increase the size of your paging file significantly.
Do nothing (not recommended). The first instances presented with a workload will tend to allocate all of memory. Idle instances or instances started later may end up running with only a minimal amount of memory available. SQL Server makes no attempt to balance memory usage across instances. All instances will, however, respond to Windows Memory Notification signals to adjust the size of their buffer pools. Windows does not balance memory across applications with the Memory Notification API. It merely provides global feedback as to the availability of memory on the system.
You can change these settings without restarting the instances, so you can easily experiment to find the best settings for your usage pattern.
The following example sets the max server memory option to 4 GB:
sp_configure 'show advanced options', 1;
sp_configure 'max server memory', 4096;
See Also


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SAS® Analytics fights fraud across industries
SAS joins the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) in promoting International Fraud Awareness Week
It's a crime without borders that can emanate from anywhere in the world. Its many faces cost organizations a mind-blowing $3.7 trillion annually, and no industry is immune. We're talking about fraud, of course, and the dawn of digital has only made it easier for fraudsters to hatch new schemes – but it's also serving to unravel them. Armed with advanced analytics from SAS, organizations across the spectrum are using their growing data volumes to thwart would-be schemers.
"Organizations that lack anti-fraud controls suffer greater median losses – twice as much, in fact – proving the old adage that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure," said Greg Henderson, Senior Director of Fraud and Security Intelligence at SAS. "As a long-recognized leader in fraud analytics software, SAS helps organizations take a proactive approach to fraud prevention, so they can catch fraud sooner and minimize their losses."
As a sponsor of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners' (ACFE) International Fraud Awareness Week, Nov. 12-18, SAS spotlights the global plague that is fraud and calls on businesses to educate and protect themselves from the evolving plots that threaten their bottom lines.
Global banks face down double trouble
When fraud hits a financial institution, fraud-related losses often come with hefty regulatory fines. In a 2016 SAS survey of 121 European and North American banks, one in five indicated they had been fined by regulators or law enforcement agencies in the past three years. Among those banks, 22 percent paid fines in excess of $1 billion. Facing losses on two fronts, 99 of the top 100 global banks are using SAS® to ramp up their analytics arsenals.
"Advanced analytics and machine learning techniques need to be core components of an end-to-end fraud management program," said Nikhil Aggarwal, a longtime analytics executive in banking, now fintech entrepreneur-in-residence at iValley Innovation Center. "Models help discover and predict previously unknown suspicious and fraudulent threats, minimize false positives, and help investigators zero in on the most risky fraudulent behaviors and activity early on. The benefits are both significant and tangible: Reduced fraud losses translate into positive P&L impact."
Beyond the big banks
Smaller financial institutions face many of the same threats as big banks but are challenged to develop equivalent fraud-fighting capabilities. SAS and Jack Henry & Associates recently announced a collaboration that aims to change that, delivering the power of SAS Visual Investigator without the costly on-site deployment.
"Cloud-based JHA Enterprise Risk Mitigation Solutions™ empowers midtier banks and credit unions with industry-leading predictive analytics they once considered out of reach, merging anti-money laundering and fraud analysis into one collaborative interface," said Ron Moses, General Manager of Consumer and Commercial Solutions at Jack Henry & Associates. "Early adopters like Boston-based Brookline Bancorp have already identified instances of fraud and abuse that might otherwise have gone undetected."
Amica tackles fraud, takes care of customers
Insurers face a median $107,000 lost per fraud case, according to the ACFE. Amica, the oldest US mutual insurer of automobiles, relies on SAS to quickly surface suspected fraudulent activity and keep its customers happy.
"Ours is an industry where customer satisfaction is measured by the expediency of claims processing, and Amica prides itself on exceptional service," said Ray Zientara, Business Intelligence Manager in Amica's Claims Executive Department. "Our fraud analytics framework helps us direct investigative resources effectively and, importantly, without impeding the processing of legitimate claims."
Getting government benefits to the people who need them most
The Government Accountability Office estimated the amount of improper payments in fiscal 2015 across 121 government programs was $136.7 billion, up $12 billion from the previous year. Federal and state government benefit agencies are challenged with dispersing benefits quickly while maintaining program integrity.
The Georgia Department of Public Health is using SAS fraud software to promote integrity in its Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Supplemental Nutrition Program and ensure benefits go to those who need them most. Georgia WIC is using analytics to help the agency uncover patterns indicative of potential fraud and improve referrals to its investigative partners. For instance, bordering states are sharing data with Georgia WIC, in the cloud, to identify people claiming benefits in multiple states.
Tackling fraud in health care
This summer saw America's largest ever health care fraud takedown as federal authorities charged 412 people – more than a quarter of them licensed medical professionals – in schemes totaling $1.3 billion in fraudulent transactions spread out over 20 states. And that's barely a drop in the bucket. Estimates of the true cost of health care fraud range from around $70 billion to more than $230 billion each year.
SAS is among the sponsors of this week's NHCAA Institute for Health Care Fraud Prevention's annual training conference, where Ben Wright, a Senior Solutions Architect in the Security Intelligence Practice at SAS, will present Using Analytics to Drive Payment Integrity and Reduce Fraud. The session will explore how government agencies and private insurers can use advanced analytics to spot errors, abuse and waste throughout the entire claims process and stop losses before they occur.
Follow the tag #fraudweek throughout the week to learn more about how SAS delivers proactive protection through advanced analytics, AI and machine learning.
About SAS
SAS is a global leader in data and AI. With SAS software and industry-specific solutions, organizations transform data into trusted decisions. SAS gives you THE POWER TO KNOW®.
Editorial contacts:
- SAS Italy
Valeria Ravani
Regional Marketing
Communication Manager
Tel. +39 02 8313 4322
Mob. +39 345 1024 378


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In case you're not familiar with it, Audiobus allows you to connect your favorite music production apps and recording between them. This technology is extremely helpful when producing music on an iOS device with multiple apps. As of today, two more apps from IK Multimedia have joined the Audiobus family.
Press release below:
May, 2013 — IK Multimedia, the leader in mobile music-creation apps and accessories for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch — is pleased to announce that iGrand Piano for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, and iLectric Piano for iPad is now Audiobus compatible, allowing players to use these apps with their other Audiobus-compatible music apps like AmpliTube and GarageBand.
Audiobus is a music utility app that lets mobile musicians route audio between their favorite music apps. It connects the output of compatible apps together, allowing mobile music apps to be used much like plug-ins for DAWs, thus greatly expanding their usefulness and creative potential. For instance, musicians can now use the amazing lush sounds of iLectric Piano and ultra realistic sounds of iGrand Piano with GarageBand or the multi-track recorder in AmpliTube by simply launching Audiobus and connecting the apps together. And they can use their favorite effects processing app, like AmpliTube, to get even more creative with sound design. Connecting apps in Audiobus is much like using cables to connect various pieces of gear together. It's simple to use, and fun.
iLectric Piano for iPad puts the world's most revered electric pianos right at players' fingertips. It features 20 authentic, rich and warm-sounding instruments, complimented by a vast array of effects to custom tailor and perfect the sound for the mood. It also features an in-app purchase expansion pack that adds another 20 classic models to the mix. iLectric Piano is Core MIDI compatible, so any device that supports Core MIDI on the iPad, like IK Multimedia's iRig KEYS controller and the iRig MIDI interface, will provide the ultimate plug-and-play experience.
Instruments in iLectric Piano include Suitcase EP 1 Chorus, Suitcase EP 1 Phase, Stage EP Hard, Stage EP Phase, Dyno EP 1, Wurly Stage, Wurly Stage Soft, Wurly Suitcase, FM EP 1, FM EP 1 Smooth, FM EP 2 Dark, Vintage EP, Clavinet 1, Clavinet 1 Filter, Clavinet 1 Wah, Pianet 1, Cembalet 1 — and E Grand 2 (after registration).
iGrand Piano for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch puts a gallery of world class pianos on your mobile device, providing concert quality piano tones from 18 classic piano styles. iGrand Piano also features full MIDI controllable effects parameters to truly customize the sound and ambience of the instrument. iGrand Piano also features a built-in recorder to capture ideas or performances when not being used with Audiobus. When the composition calls for great piano tone, iGrand Piano delivers in grand style.
Instruments available in iGrand Piano include Grand Piano 1, Classical Piano 1, Jazz Piano 1, Rock Piano 1, Octave Piano, Rich Upright, Rock Upright, Soft Upright, Baby Grand, Bright Baby Grand, Pop Baby Grand, Classical Baby Grand, Grand Piano 2, Mellow Grand 2, Rock Piano 2, Saloon Piano, Grammophone Upright, and Jazz Upright.
There are currently over 150 apps supporting Audiobus from premium music app developers like Korg®, Steinberg®, Moog®, Propellerhead®, and many others, covering the widest range of music apps including synths and instruments, multi-track recorders and studios, real-time effects, loopers and more. For a complete list, please visit: http://audiob.us/apps
iLectric Piano and iGrand Piano with Audiobus compatibility are available now, and are free updates for existing users. iLectric Piano for iPad is available on the App Store for $19.99/€17.99. iGrand Piano for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch is available on the App Storesm for $19.99/€17.99. Free versions of both apps are also available. Audiobus sells separately on the App Store for only $9.99/€8.99.
For more information on iLectric Piano for iPad, please visit: http://www.ilectricpiano.com
For more information on iGrand Piano for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, please visit:http://www.igrandpiano.com


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Nikon D5300 review
Written by Ken McMahon
The Nikon D5300 is an upper entry-level DSLR aimed at photographers looking for a step-up from a budget model without the expense, size and complexity of a higher-end model. Announced in October 2013, it comes just less than a year after the D5200, but makes some important upgrades including becoming the first Nikon DSLR with built-in wireless.
The headline feature is a 24 Megapixel DX format sensor, the same resolution as the D5200, but now with the optical low pass filter removed. This matches the specification of the D7100 sensor, proving Nikon firmly believes this approach is now in the mainstream.
The screen remains fully-articulated, making it unique in the Nikon DSLR range, but the panel is now bigger and 3:2 proportioned to match the native shape of images without cropping, rather than the 4:3 screen of the D5200 and indeed most other Nikon DSLRs. Continuous shooting remains at 5fps, the AF system is unchanged with 39 points / 9 cross-type sensors, there's still no AF motor to drive non AF-S lenses, but the viewfinder magnification has been boosted a little. Movies can now be recorded at 1080p60/50, and as mentioned earlier, the D5300 becomes the first Nikon DSLR to feature built-in Wifi and GPS – a very welcome but long overdue inclusion.
While there's nothing like embedded phase detect AF or even a touch-screen, the D5300 still compares well against its natural rival from Canon, the EOS T5i / 700D, with higher resolution OLPF-free sensor and built-in Wifi, albeit again lacking the Canon's touch-capabilities. In my review I've compared both models, to discover which is the best buy for those looking for a step up from a basic entry-level DSLR.
Nikon D5300 design and controls
While I wouldn't go so far as to call it a major design update, the D5300 does feature a number of significant changes which taken together amount to an evolution in its appearance and handling. The body shape has changed a little and is more square-shouldered, giving it a less curvy more conservative look which doesn't in itself change the way the camera feels in your hand, though.
As before, the AF illuminator is positioned high on the right side of the front panel between the lens mount and the grip in a gap that's significantly narrower than on the D5200 but still just big enough to accommodate my skinny fingers – it might be uncomfortable for those with bigger hands though. On the other side above the lens mount lock there's the same button arrangement as before – the top one activates the pop-up flash with a programmable Fn button underneath. Below the lock button there's a new addition, the drive mode button has been moved here, evicted from the top panel to make room for the GPS and wi-fi antennas. This is actually a much better spot for it, as there's no mistaking it for co-located buttons and it's conveniently positioned for your left thumb.
On top, the proportions also look squared-up and slimmed down. In all, the redesigned body shape trims 5mm of the width and is 2mm shorter than the D5200, measuring 125 x 98 x 76mm; it's also lost a little weight at 530g compared with 555g. Side-by-side with the Canon EOS T5i 700D with the kit lens fitted, it's difficult to separate them just by looking and lifting, you have to resort to cold hard measurements to discover that at 133 x 100 x 79 and weighing 580g including card and battery, the Canon is a little bigger all round and a tad heavier.
Though you have to resort to measuring to differentiate them on size, one thing you can tell at a glance is that Canon and Nikon have quite different ideas about finishes. Nikon is sticking with its shiny body lacquered plastic for the D5300 which is available in black, silver and red, the latter the colour of our review model and not a choice for those who like to remain unobtrusive. This is obviously down to personal taste and I don't dislike the shiny Nikon finish, but you have to wonder how well it'll stand up to knocks and scratches. Apart from the buttons, the only surfaces that aren't glossy are the grip and thumb pad, which are covered with a very comfortable rubber-like material which is reassuringly grippy, for want of a better word. By contrast the Canon T5i 700D is about fifty percent matt black plastic with the other half covered in a textured, slightly softer grip material. It looks more professional and has to be more durable than the D5300's gloss finish.
To get back to the control layout, aside from the absence of the drive mode button the top panel has much the same control layout as before. The large mode dial extends from the front and rear of the top panel with the spring-loaded live view lever extending from the right. To the right of that is the vacant space previously occupied by the drive mode button and though it's now buttonless, there's a square-shaped extrusion with satellite and wi-fi icons indicating the location of the respective aerials. It makes it look like they've been shoe-horned in, it certainly isn't very elegant and makes the D5300's top panel look even busier than it was before. There's certainly a lot more going on here than on the top of the T5i 700D which looks cleaner and simpler.
Round the back, the D5300's control layout also bears quite a close resemblance to its predecessor. One of two infra-red sensors is located on the top left corner (the other is on the front of the grip) next to the menu button just to the left of the viewfinder. The controls on the right side are as before – info and AE-L/AF-L buttons at the top, multi-selector controller surrounded by playback, magnify and delete buttons to the right of the screen. If fact, the most significant change is that all the buttons are closer together with less shiny plastic to separate them. It's not just the reduced dimensions that are responsible, the D5300 has a slightly larger screen, at 3.2 inches measured diagonally, compared with the 3 inch screen of its predecessor. When you think about it, fitting a larger screen into a smaller body is quite a feat and the fact that the controls don't feel at all cramped is testament to the skill and ingenuity of Nikon's designers. They've even managed to make room for a bigger and more sculpted thumb rest.
On the right side of the body you'll find an SD memory card slot that's compatible with SDXC standard in addition to SD and SDHC. Cards rated as Class 6 or faster are recommended for movie recording.
On the left side of the body are four ports behind a large flap. Like its predecessor you'll find a combined USB and analogue AV output, a Mini HDMI port, a 3.5mm jack to connect an external microphone and the proprietary accessory terminal compatible with, according to the manual, the W1-R and less expensive WR-R10 radio frequency wireless remote transceivers, the MC-DC2 remote cord and the GP1 and GP1a GPS units. The last of these is of course redundant on the D5300 which has built-in wi-fi and GPS capabilities.
In a compartment underneath the body you'll find the rechargeable EN-EL14a Lithium Ion battery pack. This is a more powerful version of the EN-EL14 battery used in earlier models and is rated at 1230mAh. It's good for around 600 shots under CIPA conditions, that's well up on the 500 shot capacity of the D5200, but still not approaching the 660 shots that owners of the even earlier D5100. It's also well ahead of the Canon EOS T5i 700D which manages 440 shots on a full charge from its battery. You can of course fit the 700D with the BG-E8 battery grip, which takes two batteries, effectively doubling the capacity to 880 shots; there's no battery grip accessory currently available for the D5300 so if you want to carry extra power with you the options are limited to popping a spare in your camera bag. Battery life is shown on-screen using a three segment indicator, but unlike higher-end models in the range, there's no menu showing a precise percentage of remaining charge.
Like its predecessor, the Nikon D5300 is equipped with both a popup flash with a Guide number of 12 and a hot shoe for external flashguns; the maximum sync speed is 1/200. Flash compensation and power level is adjustable, and you can also choose from red-eye, slow-sync and rear-curtain options. The built-in flash Guide number increases to 13 with manual control, which matches that of the Canon EOS T5i 700D. The D5300's built-in flash can either popup automatically or by pressing a button on the side of the head, and once you're finished with it, you can just push it back into place. If you mount a compatible flashgun like the SB-400, SB-600, SB-700, SB-800 or SB-900, the D5100 can support the Nikon Creative Lighting System (CLS) which offers iTTL and wireless control.
Nikon D5300 screen and viewfinder
The D5300 has a new LCD screen which is physically larger, wider and boasts a higher resolution than its predecessor. The D5200 was fitted with a 921k dot, 640×480 pixel screen with 4:3 proportions which meant that for stills shooting the 3:2 image was displayed with a black bar at the bottom (showing exposure information). Nikon has followed Canon's lead, opting for a 3:2 proportioned screen with the same 1040k dot resolution and 720×480 pixel grid that Canon introduced on the T2i 550D and continues to use on the T5i 700D.
At 3.2 inches, the new screen is slightly larger than the the 3 inch screen of the Canon T5i 700D. Just under a quarter of an inch may not sound a lot, but it makes quite a difference. At first glance the D5300's screen looks huge compared with the T5i 700D's. Look closer, though, (or just turn the camera on) and it becomes apparent that the active 3:2 screen area is surrounded by quite a lot of black, particularly at the top where there's a black band nearly a centimetre deep. To be clear, the active screen area does measure 3.2 inches diagonally, but sits in a panel that's 4 inches diagonally. That said, the D5300's active screen area is visibly larger than the T5i 700D's and that does make a difference when reviewing images and composing them in Live view.
Despite the fact that they share the same resolution I thought the D5300's image looked slightly more detailed and it was less prone to moiré patterns when faced with fine repeating patterns. The Live view image is stable and pleasantly warm, though this obviously has no bearing on the recorded image. As before, the D5300's screen is hinged on the left side so can be flipped out to face in any direction, a trick the Canon T5i 700D can equal. But where the T5i 700D really scores over the D5300 is with its touch screen which provides a much more direct way of accessing settings and controls than the i-button and control pad on the D5300.
When not being used for Live view the screen displays shooting information, something I'll go into detail about in the handling section a little later. For now I'll just say that while Nikon has previously made big improvements to the design of the information screens, it's a shame to still have to look at pixellated lettering when the display is obviously capable of much better.
The D5300 has a pentamirror optical viewfinder which provides 95 percent coverage of the image area in both horizontal and vertical planes with a magnification of 0.82x, an increase on the 0.78x of the earlier D5200. The numbers for the T5i 700D are 95 percent coverage and 0.85x magnification, but remember Canon's APS-C sensors are fractionally smaller, so even with a slightly greater viewfinder magnification the actual viewfinder image size on the T5i 700D and D5300 are in fact very similar. Indeed there's little if anything to tell the two apart in terms of viewfinder size and brightness. The screens and AF markers vary, with the D5300 the outline of the AF area is etched on the screen and the active AF points flash black (red in low light). On the T5i 700D the nine AF points are etched squares on the screen with a central dot that flashes when active.
I didn't have a D5200 to compare, but I did have a D3200 and was surprised to discover that its 0.8x viewfinder looked significantly smaller than the D5300's. That suggests that D5200 owners considering an upgrade will benefit from a substantially bigger viewfinder image. Though, if the view through the viewfinder is important to you, then the pentaprism-equipped D7100, though heavier, and of course more expensive, will provide a far bigger brighter view.
Nikon D5300 lens and stabilisation
The Nikon D5300's F-mount can accommodate most Nikkor lenses, with the DX-format sensor resulting in their field of view being reduced by 1.5 times; so the DX 18-55mm VR kit lens delivers an effective focal range of 27-83mm.
As with all Nikon DSLRs, you'll need recent lenses to support the full focusing and metering modes. Nikon doesn't provide a PDF manual with the D5300 and the paper manual that accompanies it is even more basic than the one that shipped with its predecessor, but does include a lens compatibility chart which you can also find on the Nikon website. Just briefly you'll need a Type G or D AF (including AF-S and AF-I) Nikkor to support all functions including the most sophisticated 3D Colour Matrix Metering II system.
Nikon D5300coverage wide | Nikon D5300coverage tele |
18-55mm at 18mm (27mm equiv) | 18-55mm at 55mm (83mm equiv) |
Like the D3000, D3100, D3200, D5000, D5100 and D5200 before it, the D5300 does not feature a built-in motor required to auto-focus older non-AF-S lenses. These lenses will still work on the D5300, but they become manual-focus only. The D5300 will only auto-focus with AF-S or AF-I CPU lenses from the Nikkor range. If you want autofocus from third party lenses, look for models with built-in focusing motors like Sigma's HSM series.
Nikon omitted the AF motor to save size, weight and cost, and while its absence will frustrate enthusiasts who want to use older lenses, it's less of an issue for the D5300's target audience which will mostly buy newer AF-S models. One final word on lenses; if you own Sigma F-mount lenses with an AF motor built-in, you'll need a firmware update to ensure they work properly with the D5300. The main issue appears to be that AF doesn't work in Live view. Sigma says all new products dispatched from its factory will have the latest firmware, but you'd be advised to check, just to make sure. Sigma is advising owners to contact their local Sigma distributor for details of the update, which is free and can be installed for compatible lenses using the Sigma USB Dock and Optimization Pro software. You can find more details on the Sigma website.
Nikon D5300 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 G VR Off/ Continuous | ||||
100% crop, 18-55mm at 55mm, 100 ISO, 1/10th VR off. | 100% crop, 18-55mm at 55mm, 100 ISO, 1/10th VR on. |
The VR suffix on the 18-55mm kit lens stands for Vibration Reduction and provides the lens with anti-shake capabilities which you can see through the viewfinder, although with a longest equivalent focal length of 83mm, any wobbling isn't that obvious. VR is enabled by sliding a small switch on the lens barrel. To test the effectiveness of the 18-55mm kit lens's VR stabilisation on the D5300 I zoomed it to its maximum 83mm equivalent telephoto focal length and took a sequence of shots in Shutter priority mode at progressively slower shutter speeds first with stabilisation off and then turned on.
As you can see from the 100 percent crops above, the Vibration Reduction system is capable of eliminating camera shake down to 1/10th – about three stops slower than conventional wisdom suggests. I found it was possible to hold the D5300 steady at speeds down to 1/25 without VR enabled, so effectively it really only provided me with just over a stop of stabilisation, all the same it's a useful feature to have on this lens.
Nikon D5300 shooting modes
The Nikon D5300 shares the same exposure modes as its predecessor; the main dial offers the traditional PASM modes, along with direct access to five scene presets, flash off, full Auto (with scene detection in Live View, see screenshot right), a SCENE position which presents access to 11 further presets, and an EFFECTS mode, first introduced on the D5100. There's no movie mode position on the dial as you can start shooting in any mode by simply entering Live View then pressing the red button by the shutter release.
The D5300 offers shutter speeds between 1/4000 to 30 seconds with a Bulb option in Manual; Program Shift is also available. Exposure compensation is available in a broader than average range of +/-5EV, and basic bracketing is offered with three frames in steps between 0.3 and 2EV, but at least it is available as the D3200 had none. White Balance and Active D-Lighting bracketing is also available.
The Nikon D5300 shares the same three metering modes as the D3200, D5100 and D5200 before it: Spot, Centre-weighted and 3D Colour Matrix II, the latter employing the same 2016 pixel RGB sensor used in the D7100.
Like most settings on the D5300, these are adjusted through the main information screen system. Note you'll need a type G or D lens to deliver distance information for the 3D system, otherwise the D5300 falls back on Colour Matrix Metering II. I found 3D Matrix metering on the D5300 delivered consistently accurate exposures, and refreshingly unlike many Nikon DSLRs I've tested, wasn't fooled by extremely bright scenes like my outdoor resolution test.
Active D-lighting, has six positions, Off, Auto, Low, Normal, high and Extra high, compared with just two positions on the D3200, It enhances the tonal range to retain detail in the shadow and highlight regions. D-Lighting can also be applied by post processing images in-camera via the Retouch menu in which case you have the choice of three settings. As you can see from the sample images below, with ADL off on the left and set to Extra high on the right, Active D-lighting enhances shadow detail in scenes with a wide tonal range and reduces blown highlights, but the effect is quite subtle, even on the Extra high setting. Because it's difficult to see the difference from the full frame comparison, I've also shown a cropped area in which you can clearly see better retention of the highlight detail. As such I can't see any reason you wouldn't leave it in the default Auto position, unless noise was a factor.
Nikon D5300 Active D-lighting off / Extra high | ||||
Aperture priority 100 ISO f5.6 0.6s ADL off. | Aperture priority 100 ISO f5.6 1/3s ADL Extra high. | |||
Aperture priority 100 ISO f5.6 0.6s ADL off. | Aperture priority 100 ISO f5.6 1/3s ADL Extra high. | |||
Regardless of your shooting mode, the D5300 is a very friendly camera, the context-sensitive help system which displays handy hints on the current setting or menu whenever you press the Question mark button. Sometimes you'll see the question mark blinking in the corner of the screen, in which case the D5300 believes something's wrong and wants to make a suggestion, such as to use the flash. If only all cameras were this friendly.
As on earlier models, the D5300 is equipped with an interval timer for shooting time-lapse sequences. The Interval Timer triggers the camera at pre-set intervals; you can choose the number of shots, the interval between them, and also delay the starting time if desired. I wish all cameras had this built-in. If you want Intervalometer facilities on the Canon EOS T5i 700D, you'll need to connect it to a laptop and use the supplied EOS Utility, whereas it's all built-into the D5300 without any accessories required.
The D5300 has an HDR mode, introduced on its predecessor which combines two exposures to produce a single image with a wide range of tones for high contrast subjects. As with Active D-lighting there's a choice of Low, Normal, High, Extra High and Auto settings. Above you can see my church test scene shot at 100 ISO first with a single exposure then in HDR mode at the Normal, High and Extra high settings. HDR manages to retrieve some highlight detail but at the higher settings it's the shadows that benefit the most.
Nikon D5300 HDR mode | ||||
Off | Normal | |||
High | Extra High |
Turn the D5300's mode dial to the Effects position and you have the choice of nine special effects filters – Night vision, Colour sketch, Toy camera effect, Miniature effect, Selective colour, Silhouette, High Key, Low key and HDR painting. Of these, Colour Sketch, Toy camera, Miniature, and Selective colour are available in Live view and can be previewed on the screen. These effects can also be used for movie recording and you can see an example of the D5300's miniature mode in the Movies section below. Below I've shown examples of the Toy camera, Miniature, and HDR painting effects.
When in Live view mode the available effects can be adjusted and previewed, for example Colour sketch offers vividness and outline options, Toy camera vividness and vignette settings and in Miniature mode you can orientate and position the in-focus area. Though the Effects filters aren't likely to be one of the D5300's biggest draws, they're nonetheless a worthwhile addition that many will use, if only occasionally, and compare pretty favourably with the Creative effects filters available on the T5i 700D.
Nikon D5300 movie modes
The D5300 improves on it's predecessor's movie modes with a new 1080p50/60 mode. The D5200 offered 1080i50/60, but the new progressive mode will not only provide better quality, but allow shooting high quality slow motion clips by replaying the footage at 30fps. As before, frame rates are dependent on whether PAL or NTSC video mode is selected in the Setup menu with the former providing 25 and 50fps modes and the latter 30 and 60fps.
From the top down, the full range of PAL video modes is 1080p50, 1080p25, 1080p24 720p50 and 640×424 at 25fps. As I've mentioned For NTSC the 50 and 30fps rates switch to 60 and 30 with the exception of the 1080p24 mode which remains at a film-like 24fps. There are two quality settings, Normal and High; Nikon doesn't publish details of the compression settings but I measured the 1080p60 High quality footage at an average bit rate of 35 Mbps and on the Normal setting it was 20 Mbps. This is an improvement in quality terms over the D5200, which also offered High and Normal quality settings at 24 Mbps and 12 Mbps respectively.
So depending on the footage, at the best quality High 1080p60 setting a 10 Minute clip will take up around 2GB and that's the longest you can shoot with the D5300 in its 1080p60 High quality mode, though if you reduce the quality to Normal that extends to 20 minutes. As before clips are saved in QuickTime format using the H.264 codec as on the T5i 700D.
The D5300 doesn't have a movie shooting position on the mode dial, you must first put the camera into Live view mode before pressing the movie record button. The Live view switch is on the mode dial and superficially this looks like a similar arrangement to that on the T5i 700D's where the on/off switch has a third position for movie shooting which puts the camera into Live view mode and displays a 16:9 view on the screen. On the D5300 though, the display remains in 3:2 mode until you press the record button, though pressing the info button switches to the 'Show movie indicators' overlay which places dark bands top and bottom to indicate the 16:9 movie area as well as displaying the movie mode, time remaining and audio level indicators.
The D5300 sets the shutter speed, aperture and ISO sensitivity automatically for movie shooting, but setting manual movie settings to On in the Shooting menu allows setting of the shutter speed and ISO when the mode dial is set to the M position. You can even adjust the shutter speed and ISO during filming so long as you're happy to put up with the clicking of the command dial which is easily picked up by the built-in mics. What you still can't do though is change the aperture for the movie mode – as before, the movie mode inherits the aperture value from Live View, so the best you can do is preset the aperture before entering Live View, then start the movie mode. While this falls short of the complete Manual exposure control available on the T5i 700D, it remains a big improvement on the D5200 which had no dedicated manual exposure mode but simply inherited the currently selected aperture when switched to Live view.
The D5300 features built-in stereo mics and it also has a 3.5mm jack for an external mic such as Nikon's ME-1 microphone which mounts on the hot shoe. And like its predecessor the D5300 outputs video at all resolutions including 1080i and 1080p over its HDMI port without any graphics overlays, so you can drive an external monitor or capture the HDMI feed using an external device.
Now let's have a look at a selection of clips that demonstrate its capabilities.
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Nikon D5300 handling
As the D5300's controls and menu system are broadly the same as its predecessor, in this section I'll confine myself to talking about the impact on handling of those changes before going on to talk about the headline new features, the built-in GPS and wi-fi.
For anyone upgrading to the D5300 the larger screen will make a bigger difference than you might expect, don't forget that it's now 3:2 proportioned so still images fit it exactly and there's no black band along the bottom as there is on the 4:3 screen of the D5200 and D3200. The viewfinder is also bigger, a improvement that's easy to overlook, as the only clue is in the specifications with the newer model's boasting 0.82x magnification compared with 0.78x on the D5200 and 0.8x on the D3200.
As I mentioned earlier, the drive mode button has been moved from the top panel to the front of the camera on the left side of the lens, making it easy to operate with your left thumb and de-cluttering the top panel which is nonetheless pretty busy without it.
The display graphics underwent an overhaul on the D5200 and remain the same here. As before there are Classic and Graphic display options, each available in one of three colour schemes. with the graphic display providing three big animated dials displaying shutter speed, aperture and ISO setting.
Shooting mode, drive mode and battery life are displayed above the graphics with the AF area indicator and number of shots remaining below it. At the very bottom of the screen is a two-row grid with other settings. On the top row, quality, bracketing, HDR, Active D-Lighting, White balance and ISO, with Picture control, Focus mode, AF-Area mode, Metering mode, Flash mode, Flash compensation and Exposure compensation on the bottom. As before, you can change any of these by pressing the I button then using the control pad to navigate to the required setting and selecting your chosen option from a secondary screen. It's pretty slick, but it can't compare with the touch-screen operation of the Canon EOS T5i 700D for speed and simplicity.
Nikon D5300 Wi-fi and GPS
When it was introduced, one of the headline features of the D5200 was its compatibility with the WU-1a wireless mobile adapter, a small wi-fi dongle that plugged into the USB / A/V port. The WU-1a allows you to transfer images to a smartphone as well as providing remote operation. The D5300 goes a step further, providing built-in wi-fi and GPS, so I was keen to see what features it offers over and above the WU-1a other than the convenience of not having to plug-in an accessory.
Let's start by looking at the wi-fi functions. The printed manual provides a few scant details about the functioning of the D5300's wi-fi, confining itself to the details of connecting it to your smartphone. For Android devices there's the option of WPS, pin or SSID connection, but iOS users have only the latter option. I tested the D5300's wi-fi with my iPhone 4S and had no problem connecting, first enabling w-fi on the D5300, then selecting the displayed SSID on my iPhone.
Next up, you launch the Nikon Wireless Mobile Utility which allows you to transfer images from the camera and remotely operate it. This is the same app that's used with the WU-1a and I was hoping that Nikon would have updated and enhanced it for use with the D5300's built-in wi-fi, alas, that appears not to be the case.
The iOS app is functional, though quite limited. The top menu consists of two options – Take Photos and View photos. Select the former and camera is immediately switched to Live view with the display showing what you'd normally see on the LCD screen, but with a more limited info display. The camera's screen is blank and remains so while you're in 'Take photo' mode, that means you can't switch to Live view on the camera, or playback images, but you can change settings and access the menus.
Once you've entered the shooting mode in the iOS app control of pretty much everything passes to your phone, but here I'm using everything in its more limited context of focussing and releasing the shutter. The wireless remote app provides Live view touch focussing – you can tap anywhere on your phone screen and the D5300 responds immediately, adjusting the focus for the selected area. This is great, and it's just a shame that this is the only way in which the app extends the camera's functionality, in virtually every other respect what you get is a very restricted mode of operation.
With your iPhone in portrait orientation basic exposure settings are displayed below the Live view and if the camera was set to Program mode before you entered shooting mode you'll see the aperture and shutter speed change as you move the camera and the metering responds to the changing light. But it's not possible to use program shift or exposure compensation to change the exposure.
Once you're in shooting mode with the app, none of the camera controls are functional. This is a pretty serious limitation given that the app itself doesn't provide any exposure or other controls beyond touch focus and shutter release. This applies to all the shooting modes so, bizarrely, in manual mode the exposure settings are fixed to whatever was set before you entered remote shooting mode. To change them, you have to select camera from the app settings menu, which turns off live view, change the settings on the camera, then select 'WMU' to turn Live view back on. In Aperture and Shutter priority modes, the auto element will adjust but again, to change the manual element (i.e. the shutter speed in Shutter priority mode) you have to hand control back to the camera via the app's setting menu, make the change then re-enter remote shooting mode from the app.
And while the app has a two-second self-timer feature, you can't use the D5300's ten second self timer, the interval timer, or either of the continuous shooting modes. As there's no way of holding down the shooting button on the app you get a burst of about three frames and that's it.
The second top menu option on the app allows you to view images on the camera card and download them to your phone. You can select individual images or download everything on the card and as well as original full-sized images you have the option of downloading 640×480 resized photos or letting the app choose an appropriate size on the basis of the device you're transferring to. It took a little under 20 seconds to transfer a large fine JPEG to my iPhone.
So the D5300's built in wi-fi feature is limited to the exact same functions as the WU-1a wi-fi dongle – essentially it's just like having the WU-1a built-in. As such you can connect to it with a smartphone or tablet and remote shoot with very limited control and download photos, but not video. I have to admit I find that pretty disappointing. While it's great to have the convenience of wi-fi built-in and it's a commendable move by Nikon, I don't think it's too much to expect a little more in the way of remote control features as well as the ability to transfer a folder of photos to a laptop. And these days, direct connection to photo sharing and social networking sites is also getting to be a must have. So while this is a good start, Nikon's still got plenty of ground to cover. It may be ahead of Canon, the T5i 700D has neither wi-fi or GPS, but it could still learn a thing or two from Sony, Panasonic and Olympus where wi-fi functionality is concerned.
As with wi-fi, owners of earlier Nikon DSLRs have had to rely on plug-in accessories for GPS tagging; The D5300 is the first Nikon DSLR to have both built-in, and while the GPS capabilities are basic, there's no built-in location database or mapping for example, they're easy to set up, reliable and pretty transparent in operation. The GPS receiver is turned on by enabling it in the Setup menu. Once that's done it will acquire the necessary satellite connections and tag images with the latitude, longitude and elevation above sea level. The D5300's satellite acquisition was good, it managed to get an accurate fix in open spaces and even indoors relatively easily and often within a minute of switching the camera on.
A satellite screen icon tells you when the GPS is receiving location information and in payback mode one of the display overlays provides a readout of the location data, which other application can obviously make use of to plot images on a map. The D5300 will also keep a track log so that you can plot a trail of your travels with images located on it either using mapping software or one of the many websites that support trip logging. Beware when using this option though as it keeps the GPS on even when the camera is turned off and results in much reduced battery life.
Nikon D5300 Focus
The D5300 retains the 39-point AF system introduced in its predecessor. This uses the same Nikon Multi-CAM 4800DX autofocus sensor module with 39 focus points (including 9 cross-type), as the earlier higher end D7000. In AF terms, this places the D5300 right where you'd expect it, between the the D3200 with 11-point, and the D7100 and D300s with 51 point systems.
There are three main AF modes: AF-S (Single Servo AF), AF-C (Continuous Servo AF) and AF-A (an Auto mode which selects between them depending on whether the subject is in motion). These are selected from the main information display screen, where you'll also be offered a Manual focusing option.
There are four AF Area modes: Single Point, Auto Area, Dynamic Area, and 3D Tracking (the latter only available in AF-A and AF-C modes). In Single and Dynamic Area, you can manually adjust the focusing point using the rocker control, with Dynamic Area also considering surrounding focus points if the subject moves. Dynamic Area AF is available in three variants – 9-point, 21-point and 39-point. 9-point dynamic Area AF is recommended for subjects like runners or race cards that move predictable, 21-point for unpredictable movement such as football players and the full 39-points for difficult to frame quick-moving subjects like birds.
The D5300 exclusively relies on contrast-based AF in Live View, with the choice of four modes: Normal Area, Wide Area, Face Priority and Subject Tracking. There's also the choice of AF-S (Single) or AF-F (Full-time Servo) AF-Area modes, where the latter attempts to continuously autofocus, plus there's also the option to focus manually in Live view.
It's interesting to compare the AF system of the D5300 against the Canon T5i 700D: through their viewfinders they both employ traditional phase-detect systems, with 39-points on the Nikon versus nine on the Canon, although both share the same number of cross-type sensors, nine in all. In good light there's little between them in performance when focusing through the viewfinder. Indoors though the margin gets a little wider and with low contrast subjects the D5300 can be a little hesitant, a problem I rarely encountered with the T5i 700D. In Live View and for movies, the Nikon AF is 100% contrast-based while the Canon sports a hybrid system which combines embedded phase-detect AF points in a central region of the sensor, outside of which it employs contrast-based AF. While the T5i 700D doesn't boast Canon's latest hybrid AF system, it remains quicker and more confident to focus in Live View and for movies than the D5300, without anywhere near as much hunting.
Nikon D5300 Continuous shooting
Like its predecessor, the D5300 has two continuous shooting modes, Continuous L and Continuous H which operate at a maximum speed of 3 and 5fps respectively. If you set the AF mode to continuous the D5300 will focus between shots but the rate slows by such a degree you're better off setting AF-S, in which case the focus is fixed on the first shot.
To put it to the test I fitted the D5300 with a freshly formatted 8GB Sandisk Extreme Pro UHS-1 SD card rated at 45MB/s. With the D5300 set to 200 ISO and 1/500 and the quality set to Large Fine JPEGs I fired off a burst of exactly 100 frames before the camera stopped shooting. I timed the 100-frame burst at 22.5 seconds making a frame rate just under 4.5fps, however the 100 frame burst wasn't consistent, it slowed after about thirty frames with occasional pauses. So I timed the first twenty five frames at a rate of just over 5fps.
Set to RAW the D5300 fired off eight frames before slowing appreciably. The first eight frames were shot at a fraction under 5fps after which the D5300 slowed to just short of a fairly steady 3fps. As with the D5200 the green LED that flashes to signify writing to the card flashes for nearly a minute following a 100-frame continuous burst, nonetheless it's possible to shoot a second 100-frame burst only a few seconds after the first.
Nikon D5300 Sensor
The D5300 has a 24 Megapixel DX format sensor, the same resolution as the D5200, but now with the optical low pass filter removed. This matches the specification of the D7100 sensor, proving Nikon firmly believes this approach is now in the mainstream
Almost every digital camera employs a low pass filter to slightly blur the image before it's recorded by the sensor. This is to counteract the effect of moiré where fine patterns like textiles, distant fencing or roof tiles can trigger an interference effect with undesirable shimmering; you may have seen this on TV when someone wears a striped shirt. But as resolutions and pixel densities increase, these fine patterns are being resolved successfully which begs the question why are we still blurring the incoming light?
With the COOLPIX A, D7100 and now the D5300 opting to omit the optical low-pass filter it's looking increasingly like Nikon no longer views it as necessary. This makes sense as it allows the camera to deliver potentially sharper images than traditional 24 Megapixel models without unnecessarily boosting the resolution; you can find out how it compares in my results pages. It'll be interesting to see if other companies follow-suit. In the meantime in the increasingly unlikely event of an image suffering from moiré, you can reduce it in software using Capture NX.
To see how the quality of the Nikon D5300 measures-up in practice, take a look at my Nikon D5300 quality and Nikon D5300 noise results pages, browse my Nikon D5300 sample images, or skip to the chase and head straight for my verdict.


text:
This Royal Arch Past High Priest apron is Hand Embroidered in Gold bullion using Old World techniques. The apron is trimmed in Red velvet ribbon imported from Europe. The apron has an adjustable web belt with a " T " hook closure, perfect for a waistline of up to 50 inches. This apron measures approximately 13" x 15" and has a red satin lining with pocket on back. Made In America!
Available Options:
Available With:Adjustable BeltCord & Tassels


text:
Mandy over at Monogram Food Solutions emailed to ask if she could send some bacon jerky my way… guess what my reply was? Hells yeah!
You can't see from the tiny image below, but the tagline says "You just can't stop eating it!" and I actually couldn't. I was sent two packages and it was gone in two days. And I didn't even share. Gulp.
The jerky was chewy for bacon, but not chewy like beef jerky; somewhere in between. And it was a good combination of sweet, smokey and salty. I ate most of it straight out of the bag, but a few slices managed to make it into a sandwich. It can't stand in for real bacon due to the non-crispy factor, but I would definitely eat this while camping, or on a road trip, or just because it's a Thursday.


text:
With the unrest in Baltimore making headline news in recent days, I wanted to take a look at some background information on deaths in Maryland that are related to encounters with the state's various police forces. A recent briefing paper by the ACLU looks at the
statistics on deaths in police encounters in Maryland between 2010 and 2014.
Here are some of the highlights.
Let's open with this table showing the demographics of Maryland showing the ethnic and racial breakdown of the state:
Now, let's look at some of the statistics from the briefing paper:
1.) At least 109 people
died in police encounters in Maryland over the years between 2010 and 2014.
During the same time period, four police officers died in civilian
encounters including two in vehicle pursuits, one was shot in a raid and one
was shot when off-duty and working as a security guard.
As shown on this
chart, these deaths were scattered widely throughout the state:
2.) The age range of
those that died ranged from 15 to 78 with an average age of 35 years.
Nearly one-third of those who died were 25 years of age or younger.
3.) Of those who died in
a police encounter, 75 were black (69 percent of the total), 30 were white and
three were identified as Hispanic. To put the number of blacks killed into
perspective, blacks make up 28 percent of Maryland's total population.
When the racial composition is normalized, the rate at which blacks died
per population size was five times that of whites.
4.) Of those who died, 86
people or 79 percent were killed by police gunfire. Of those, 22 or 26
percent had no weapon of any kind.
5.) Of those who died, 23
people or 21 percent were not shot by police. In those cases, police used
handcuffs or other restraints, tasers or pepper spray.
6.) Of those who died, 45
were not armed with a weapon of any kind, 38 had a gun, 11 had a knife, 8 had
an airgun or fake gun and 7 had an object that was defined by police as a
weapon, including a pen.
7.) Of those who died, 41
people or 38 percent were presented in a way that suggested either a medical or
psychological health issue or that they were suffering from the use of an illicit substance. Their behavior was often
characterized as bizarre or erratic.
8.) In one case, a 26-year old white male with Down's
Syndrome died as a result of "asphyxiation by homicide" on January 12, 2013 when off-duty
sheriff's officers moonlighting as mall security guards attacked him because he
didn't buy another $12.00 movie ticket so that he could watch "Zero Dark
Thirty" for a second time. The case went to a grand jury which
declined to indict the three officers involved. As well, the Frederick County police investigated themselves and found that they were not guilty of any wrongdoing.
Out of all 109 cases over
the five year period, there were only two cases where a Maryland police officer
faced criminal charges relating to the death of a civilian. In both
cases, the office was off-duty. One officer was convicted and the other
officer, charged in the choking death of a 17 year old boy in July
2012, was acquitted.
The data from this
briefing paper shows us that civilian deaths during interactions with police in
Maryland are not isolated events; over the past five years alone, an average of
just under 22 civilians have died every year after an encounter with one of
Maryland's police forces. For a state with a population of just under 6 million people with its largest urban area that has only 622,000 people, that's a lot of civilian deaths at the hands of the police.


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ASP.NET has great limitation — only one server form on the page. Even if you are developing complex page, which looks like several forms with different submit buttons, in fact you have only one form. So we have a problem: How browser understanding which button should be triggered when user pressed ENTER? It uses first Button control (usually that's wrong), and if you have LinkButton's, they would never be triggered. In ASP.NET 2.0 new property has been added to the Panel and HtmlForm controls — DefaultButton, which can be used to specify ID of the control, which implements IButtonControl interface (usually Button and LinkButton). This button control would be triggered when user pressed ENTER. But there is one big problem exist: LinkButton control would not be triggered in Firefox on ENTER. In this article I will show why this problem take place and how to solve it.
Using Panel.DefaultButton property with LinkButton control in ASP.NET
Posted by Dmytro Shteflyuk on under ASP.NET


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In a newly published study, researchers from MIT show that a modified version of the anthrax toxin can be used to deliver antibody drugs to kill cancer cells.
Bacillus anthracis bacteria have very efficient machinery for injecting toxic proteins into cells, leading to the potentially deadly infection known as anthrax. A team of MIT researchers has now hijacked that delivery system for a different purpose: administering cancer drugs.
"Anthrax toxin is a professional at delivering large enzymes into cells," says Bradley Pentelute, the Pfizer-Laubauch Career Development Assistant Professor of Chemistry at MIT. "We wondered if we could render anthrax toxin nontoxic, and use it as a platform to deliver antibody drugs into cells."
In a paper appearing in the journal ChemBioChem, Pentelute and colleagues showed that they could use this disarmed version of the anthrax toxin to deliver two proteins known as antibody mimics, which can kill cancer cells by disrupting specific proteins inside the cells. This is the first demonstration of effective delivery of antibody mimics into cells, which could allow researchers to develop new drugs for cancer and many other diseases, says Pentelute, the senior author of the paper.
Hitching a ride
Antibodies — natural proteins the body produces to bind to foreign invaders — are a rapidly growing area of pharmaceutical development. Inspired by natural protein interactions, scientists have designed new antibodies that can disrupt proteins such as the HER2 receptor, found on the surfaces of some cancer cells. The resulting drug, Herceptin, has been successfully used to treat breast tumors that overexpress the HER2 receptor.
Several antibody drugs have been developed to target other receptors found on cancer-cell surfaces. However, the potential usefulness of this approach has been limited by the fact that it is very difficult to get proteins inside cells. This means that many potential targets have been "undruggable," Pentelute says.
"Crossing the cell membrane is really challenging," he says. "One of the major bottlenecks in biotechnology is that there really doesn't exist a universal technology to deliver antibodies into cells."
For inspiration to solve this problem, Pentelute and his colleagues turned to nature. Scientists have been working for decades to understand how anthrax toxins get into cells; recently researchers have started exploring the possibility of mimicking this system to deliver small protein molecules as vaccines.
The anthrax toxin has three major components. One is a protein called protective antigen (PA), which binds to receptors called TEM8 and CMG2 that are found in most mammalian cells. Once PA attaches to the cell, it forms a docking site for two anthrax proteins called lethal factor (LF) and edema factor (EF). These proteins are pumped into the cell through a narrow pore and disrupt cellular processes, often resulting in the cell's death.
However, this system can be made harmless by removing the sections of the LF and EF proteins that are responsible for their toxic activities, leaving behind the sections that allow the proteins to penetrate cells. The MIT team then replaced the toxic regions with antibody mimics, allowing these cargo proteins to catch a ride into cells through the PA channel.
'A prominent advance'
The antibody mimics are based on protein scaffolds that are smaller than antibodies but still maintain structural diversity and can be designed to target different proteins inside a cell. In this study, the researchers successfully targeted several proteins, including Bcr-Abl, which causes chronic myeloid leukemia; cancer cells in which that protein was disrupted underwent programmed cell suicide. The researchers also successfully blocked hRaf-1, a protein that is overactive in many cancers.
"This work represents a prominent advance in the drug-delivery field," says Jennifer Cochran, an associate professor of bioengineering at Stanford University. "Given the efficient protein delivery Pentelute and colleagues achieved with this technology compared to a traditional cell-penetrating peptide, studies to translate these findings to in vivo disease models will be highly anticipated."
The MIT team is now testing this approach to treat tumors in mice and is also working on ways to deliver the antibodies to specific types of cells.
Lead authors of the paper are postdoc Xiaoli Liao and graduate student Amy Rabideau. The research was funded by the MIT Reed Fund, the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation, and the National Science Foundation.
Reference: "Delivery of Antibody Mimics into Mammalian Cells via Anthrax Toxin Protective Antigen" by Dr. Xiaoli Liao, Amy E. Rabideau, Prof.Dr. Bradley L. Pentelute, 22 September 2014, ChemBioChem.
DOI: 10.1002/cbic.201402290