A few years ago I was in the process of moving from Canon to Nikon. I had purchased a few lenses but was still torn between a few different full frame camera bodies. As a stop gap I picked up a fairly cheap D5300 just so I could still shoot any jobs that came my way until I settled on a final setup.
To say I was surprised at how capable this camera was is a massive understatement. I had only planned to keep it for a few weeks and I ended up shooting with it for near 6 months. I did eventually sell it as I picked up a D750 and D810.
The dynamic range was amazing and easily comparable to the full frame Canon 5D mkII I had previously. The autofocus was quick and accurate with any lens. Admittedly the button layout controls were a bit more limited than I was used to (to be expected). All things considered this relatively entry level DSLR was capable of producing some very impressive results. Even more impressive is that this camera can be found used now for around 250 euro (300 dollars). Considering what this camera is capable of that's a serious bargain.
Here's a few images from a shoot I done around that time with a stunning model Kat, in Belfast.
It was all shot with the D5300 and a Tamron 24-70 2.8 VC.