Цифровой Фотоаппарат Nikon D5100 — 872 отзывов, плюсы и минусы

I had this camera for about a year and got to know it very well. I had upgraded from a D60.The camera's main selling point - compared to the d3100 - was its 16 megapixel sensor which the d7000 also has. Unfortunately, the lack of all the other cool bells and whistles that the d7000 has (see below) leaves the d5100 in an identity crisis. Other minor gimmicky things are bracketing, in camera HDR, better lcd with swivel.To be perfectly honest, all these things I have found to be not incredibly useful for real world applications.Bracketing:Okay, you're in a studio, crunched for time, the editor of a magazine is on your back for the pictures for their next month's cover. You don't have time to get exact lighting levels, so you just set to bracket and viola. Sure, that's a great use for it. unfortunately, no buyer of a d5100 will be doing this. If you are doing this you will have a much more expensive camera. For the average person, the bracketing only fills up your memory card 3x faster. It is absolutely useless for anything other than posed shots, which is probably a very small segment of who would actually be buying this camera.HDR:I used this about twice in the year I owned it, and to be honest I forgot which pictures i did with it. You can't do it on a moving subject. Same situation as bracketing; only posed shots or architecture. Very seldom a use case for someone buying a sub-1000 dollar camera.Swivel LCD:Ultra gimicky. How often does anyone really need this? The ONLY time i used this was self-portrait. that's it.My other miscellaneous gripes:1. The LCD seems to get dust inside it very easily. After a year (just sold it here) there were noticeable spots of dust under the LCD on the lower right side.2. Inferior autofocus sensor seems to have trouble getting anything but kit lenses in focus consistently. This is the main reason I sold it. AF just wasn't reliable. I heard the same with the D7000. You would think after 50 years of making cameras, Nikon would be able to know how to autofocus...3. My LCD had a dead pixel. How did this get past quality control?4. No noticeable difference between Fine and Normal quality jpegs. Fine are like twice the size though.NOTE: There is NO internal AF motor, so you are barred from using any of the non G lenses. This may not be an issue for most people, but I had a couple older D style lenses, and i couldn't use them. Also, no commander mode for external flashes. I realize these two things would make it more expensive, so that's why they didn't add them.Conclusion:If you are thinking of getting this camera, my advice is to seriously consider the d3100 (now d3200) instead, as that does 90% of what this one does and is a couple hundred $$ cheaper. If you are looking to take pictures of family/friends and want to step into the world of DSLR as a beginner, go with the d3100. Honestly, the extra few megapixels is not significant.If you are getting more serious about photography and want to start using primes or external flashes, you will need to get the d7000/d7100.If you know something about photography, you will outgrow this camera very quickly and my advice is just cut to the chase and buy the higher model. you won't be disappointed.

I am a long time Nikon shooter, going back to my film days. When digital finally got to the point that SLR's were affordable (if you can consider ~$2000 and up affordable) I stuck with Nikon due to the glass I already owned. I started with the D100 and a used D1h. I then got a new D2h (which I still love in all its 4MP glory)and a D200, and now own a D300. I have also owned a Canon D30, a Canon 20D and a Canon t2i, so I have a pretty fair amount of experience with DSLR's. While I like my D300 and would marry my D2h, I have never been truly happy with the hi-iso performance of either. I shoot a lot of grappling tournaments in really bad light, meaning lots of noisy photos. A friend of mine owns a D7000 and I was a little jealous of the hi-ISO files. It just didn't feel like it was worth the money to upgrade though.Then D5100 refurbs dropped below $400. I already knew I loved the files from the D7000, and they share the same sensor, so why not give one a shot?I am MORE than happy with my decision - I LOVE this camera!Reason #1 - the beautiful files at all iso's. I'm not going to get all techie. I could care less about measurements, etc. The files from this camera are, to me, exquisite. With my D2h going above iso 800 is suicide. With my D300 I will use 1600 in most light and can use 3200 in a pinch with cleanup in Lightroom. With the D5100 I would have NO problem leaving this thing set at 3200 all the time. I'm happy with 6400 most of the time in color, and 6400 files in B&W take me back to my film days. The majority of the time I don't do any noise clean-up in Lightroom.Reason #2 - the size & weight. This thing is small and light. My D2h is a tank. Literally. And it feels like carrying one. The D300 gets a little hefty too. The D5100 does not really feel much heavier than my Olympus EPL-1. As a matter of fact, my EPL-1 has not left the house since I got the D5100. My last 2 hikes I have slapped my 35mm 1.8 on the D5100 and been happy as a pig in poop. My other cameras look much more professional and tend to make some people nervous. The D5100 looks like, well, what it is, a cheap intro camera. I don't get "the look" from security guards, etc.Reason #3 - the video. Not as many manual controls as my old t2i, but the video is still stunning when done right.What Else Do I Like - I like that it uses SD cards, just like all of my compact cameras. I like the articulating screen. I like that my 8 year old daughter can handle it without moaning about the size.What do I miss - sometimes I miss the top lcd for a quick check of settings. Sometimes I miss the dual command dials, but since I shoot mostly in aperture priority, it's rare. I have the Fn button programmed to select ISO, which works fairly well, but I do sometimes miss a dedicated button. I almost never mess with WB, so I don't particularly miss that button, but I do miss having a way to select the frame-rate/timer. Having to go into the menus can sometimes slow things down a little. I felt a little nervous today shooting in a snowstorm since the camera is not weather sealed.So, while there may be a few things I miss, mostly having to do with controls, and I do have a little concern over the lack of weather seals, for the price, I am NOT going to complain. I have had the camera for 3 weeks now and have not touched my D2h or my D300. I am enjoying it that much. I feel like it is truly an outstanding value, and I highly recommend it!

First off let me say that if you criticize a camera on these boards you will be personally attacked by an army of jerks, so its not that easy. Just take that into account when you read glowing positive reviews. Noone's paying me to speak truth about a camera.I tested a 5100 and was not that thrilled by the camera. In fact, I returned it making sure not to get stuck with it.The shutter is quiet and fast, and the menu is well designed, but the buttons are arranged in a unique fashion that someone else mentioned is different from most other Nikon dSLRS, so using it and another would not be a seamless experience. The live-view screen is almost more trouble than its worth, but it's mandatory on an HD vidcam. Dealing with it, however, can be a hassle for stills, since you're inclined to turn it face in, and then you have to turn it back every time you monitor etc.The LCD is very large and pretty, but it's also quite vulnerable if you're involved in any sort of action or even travel. You have to watch the screen like a hawk. If you're shooting concerts or street where you raise your hands above the crowd, great, but is that worth the trouble the rest of the time? Maybe so, it does provide for different shooting styles, and getting low is great, too. For video, the screen is mandatory, but back later on the video...Finally, is there a reason the camera can't come with a screen protector? You have to buy one as an accessory, and Nikon's brand name ones are no longer made. So now I have to waste time tracking down a kludge solution which may damage the screen. You pay $700 for a camera and they can't include such a critical item that's hard to find that costs 2 bucks to make? Thanks Nikon.Beyond the great value for price, I find the default saturation setting to be really flat, so while VIVID is too much on other cameras, I find it mandatory on this one, which is odd. The shots do look great at that point. The focussing doesn't seem to be what it claims. It's good for moving objects, but average at range-finding up close, at least on my 18-135 DX lens. It doesn't hang, but it doesn't seem particularly accurate either. There's a limit to how many shots I can shoot testing, and my lenses are decent, but not top of the line, but the sharpness is not really there consistently. I've been attacked on this point. Let me just say that this camera focusses noticeably worse than the D40x. I dont care if people say its the same design. Its a much worse, less robust performer in the focussing dept, despite having more points.The 16MP doesn't seem like much if any improvement over my D40X. Let the scoffing begin, but the JPEG processing on this one resultsin about the same quality in my ultra close-up comparisons. There is more data, (fewer shots per card), but the final is about 20% better. Besides, 10-16 would be 1.6 times better. I would say 1.3 times better, and still not sure. Fine lines are blurring more at the point of pixelization.With a few days spent on the video, I have to say it's pretty weak. The AF struggles, suffers even. You feel bad for your lenses being overworked. I know this is as advertised, but the video AF is definitely below camcorder quality, although not any worse than my Canon Vixia in low light, which is really terrible. At least dSLR lenses can be manually focussed easily depending on the lens. Nevertheless, this is no point and forget vidcam, and my Vixia beats it hands down in daylight and overcast.What's even worse is that no matter what you set before you launch into video, it chooses the ISO for you. You can choose aperture, and you can make the camera stop adjusting exposure by locking AE, but you cannot make it stay in a low ISO in low light, and its low light video is too grainy to be used outside of personal footage. It looks great on the LCD, and on Youtube videos, but full screen, it looks much worse. I have yet to make this camera shoot low light in a low ISO, which does not show up in EXIF data like stills. The video stays the same quality no matter what kludge you try, and there are many out there, but people keep realizing that their video ends up the same no matter what.It is NOT a low-light miracle worker in video period. Shooting video also mandates that you use battery-sucking Live-view, which stays ON until you stop) In room light or daylight, it does much better, but you still can't control the ISO. Plus if you really like shooting video, you will need the $120 in AC adapters or several batteries, because I would say the battery does about 20 minutes in video. Honestly, it even looks small, although it does charge fast, in about 60-70 minutes, which is about 1/3 faster than my EL-9.This camera is a perfectly portable size, but otherwise a major disappointments. The D5100 is sold for a fair price but promises too much. I wanted to make the video work somehow, and workarounds are fine, and it does shoot good daylight video, but a camera that takes my settings and then ignores

Both the Canon t5i and the Nikon D5100 are very good and comparable cameras. Ten years ago cameras like these would have cost several THOUSANDS of dollars, so regardless of what anyone tells you, these cameras are both good and both offer what would have been professional quality and features just a few years back.We also have a D3100 and a very awesome D7100. This is the reason we stay with Nikon... the ability to share lenses and other accessories saves a lot of money. If our first camera had been a Canon or Pentax instead, we might own a bunch of Canon or Pentax cameras right now, except that Canon does not have any camera that can compete with the D7100 anywhere near that price range, and Pentax was significantly more expensive than both the Canon and Nikon cameras we were considering when we got our first camera. Canon's closest camera to the D7100 cost 3 times more than the D7100, so in that respect Nikon smashes Canon.I would have bought 2 D7100's instead of a D7100 and a D5100, but the D7100 does not have a moveable screen like the D5100 does, and that was an issue. The D7100 is a far superior camera to the D5100, so if the moveable screen is not an issue and you can afford to spend roughly double the amount of the D5100 than I would definitely recommend the D7100 over the D5100.The D5100 fills a need for us and we are happy with it. It is a very capable piece of equipment and the quality is on par with the best of the cameras in its price range.If you are having trouble deciding what brand of camera to go with, the truth of the matter is that virtually all of the big name camera companies like Pentax, Nikon, Canon and others make truly great cameras. The biggest reason why we went with Nikon is the wide range of lenses and other accessories and the prices of those items compared to other competing companies.If we could afford it, we would own cameras from all 3 of those companies, because they all make cameras that we want. But like for many other people out there, money is an issue. I had to make a decision in regards to the best balance of quality and price (for us), both now and down the road as our equipment arsenal expands. For this reason I chose Nikon.I actually plan on buying cameras from both Canon and Pentax in the future as they both have cameras that are great, and our Nikon collection will continue to grow as well with some higher end cameras as the need arises.I hope that this honest review has helped!

Absolutely wonderful camera. I have used Nikon and Canon SLRs. My job is to sell cameras of all sorts and for a long time I have been waiting to purchase this camera. For all of the features that these cameras offer and everything they do, this camera is worth every penny. The burst and sports modes are very fast and clear. The auto focus is quick and the change from shot to shot is minimal for a delay. As far as the camera is easy to use I'd give it an 8 if you've never used a SLR before. If you leave it in full auto or no-flash modes, the camera will do all of the work for you. Of course the brilliant quality of the SLR is there. If you want to use the manual modes changing the shutter speed and aperture is simple. The dial next to the right thumb will automatically change the shutter speed and to change the aperture simply hold down the +/- button next to the shutter while spinning the dial. The daunting task is to change the iso. My assumption for the design is that they assume if you are in manual mode that the scenario of shooting will not require frequent iso change. It's not difficult to change, but if you do not read the manual or purchase the user dvd it will take some searching for.If you compare this model to the D3100 and D3200, the one thing that this adds that the others don't is a variety of scene modes and effects. These scene modes are what you expect from a camera nowadays. However the effects are a really nice addition. This offers color selection so that you can highlight one color and make the rest of the picture black and white. Other features include night vision, color sketch, high key, low key, silhouette. My favorites being night vision, low key and silhouette. Night vision makes every picture look like something from a military game. If you've ever seen a video through a set of NVG's you know what I'm talking about. Low key provides intentional underexposure, a particular effect that I love. I use this regularly for my photography to give it a more striking impression. Lastly, the silhouette feature is perfect for taking pictures of people. This effect gives the picture a beautiful dramatic look.My last subject will be the viewfinder and the screen. The screen is wonderful, I love being able to turn it around so that the screen is not used at all. This saves so much battery. To use this effect, all I say is ensure that you know the picture will come out right. Without the screen there is no preview option for your photos. Otherwise the screen works beautifully with live view if you are going for a low or a high shot so you do not have to worry about the picture coming out wrong. You can always ensure you get the shot you are looking for. My only complaint about the camera is the diopter in the viewfinder. For a person with glasses, this may not adjust correctly to your vision. With the D3100 and D3200 as well as sever Canon Rebels I did not have such a problem. However, with the D5100 I cannot properly adjust the viewfinder to my eyes. So sadly if I want to do a shot that involves manual focusing, I will wear my glasses and adjust the picture that way. Otherwise I still put my eyes to the viewfinder.All in all, I would recommend this camera to anyone, of any level. If you are a novice photographer or a skilled photographer this camera is a wonderful tool to have. Always remember that your camera is only limited by two things. You and your lens!

I am a photography teacher in NYC and online. (See my Amazon profile for my website.) I teach beginner and intermediate photography students every week. I've also been a professional photographer for the last five years with images published in The New York Times, GQ, New York Magazine, Women's Wear Daily, The New York Observer, The Village Voice and Time Out New York.(This review is for beginner photographers.)If you're a beginner, you're most likely asking yourself: Nikon or Canon? Really, I feel confident in saying that you can't go wrong with either. I've used both brand's cameras extensively and find that they both offer amazing image quality with well-built, solid cameras that, if taken care of, will last decades. There are two differences between the cameras, though, that can be taken into consideration.The user-interface: If cameras were computers, Nikons would be PCs and Canons would be MACs. PCs are built for people not afraid of technology whereas Macs are built for people who want things super-easy. Nikons excel at customization options which means you'll see so many more options with the Advanced features of a Nikon than you will with a Canon. Canons, on the other hand, excel at ease-of-use for beginners. Canons offer less advanced options and can be easier to learn on. This can be frustrating down the line, though, once you've learned a lot about photography. At that point you may want all of the options that Nikon offers and be frustrated with your Canon. If you're someone who really likes to delve deep into your hobbies or if you're intent on becoming a professional photographer, I'd say a Nikon would be your best bet. If you're someone who wants to learn the basics of photography and only imagine yourself being a hobbyist, Canon would be a better option for you.Where Nikon excels: Flash photography. I often find myself in situations where I'm shooting event photography (weddings, movie premiers, benefits and galas) where I need to use a lot of flash. For this kind of photography, I'll always prefer to be shooting with a Nikon. Nikon's flash metering (how the camera magically decides how much light to fire out of the flash) is much more consistent than Canon's. You can take a Canon and shoot the same scene three times in a row with flash and all three images will be at different brightness levels. You can do the same thing with a Nikon and all three images will be wonderfully the same. If you're somebody who plans on shooting a lot with flash (indoor photography, event photography, etc.) you'll want to consider going with Nikon.Where Canon excels: Richness of colors. I've been in numerous situations where I've been on the red carpet taking the exact same picture as the photographer next to me. I'll have a Canon and the person next to me will have a Nikon. This has provided quite a few opportunities to compare the images side-by-side. What I've found is that the colors on the Canon's images look richer and make the image pop more. If I'm doing fine art photography (anything I'd like to someday hang in a gallery), I'll always want to be shooting with a Canon for this reason.If you're set on Nikon, there are three cameras you should be considering and it all comes down to what your budget is:D7000 $1,400 without lensD5100 $750 without lensD3100 $600 only available with lens(current prices as of 2/19/11)Here's what you get for spending extra money (each camera compared to the one below it):D3100 vs. D5100:The D3100 is an EXCELLENT camera so if you only have $550 to spend total on camera and lens then go out and buy this camera. You won't regret it. If you're considering spending more money, here's what you'll get from the D5100 in comparison:-Better performance in low light situations.-A higher resolution screen on the back of the camera so you can see your images more clearly and make out if they actually turned out well.-An external mic jack. (If you're planning on shooting video with an external mic, you'll want the D5100 over the D3100.)-A flip out screen (handy if you want to put your camera anywhere but at your eye level and be able to see what your camera is about to capture before you shoot it)-Faster continuous shooting. If you're often shooting sports or any fast moving subject, continuous shooting allows you to capture multiple images in a single second. The D3100 shoots at three frames per second whereas the D5100 shoots at four frames per second.-Higher ISO options. The D5100 offers one more stop of ISO than the D3100 does. If you don't know what ISO means (or what a stop is) just know that this allows you to more easily shoot images in low-light situations.-Longer battery life. The D5100's battery will last 20% longer than the D3100The two advantages of the D3100 over the D5100 are: less expensive and less weight. Whenever a camera is less expensive, it means you'll have more in your budget for the lens. The D3100 weighs 10% lighter and is 10% smaller than the D5100.D5100 vs. D7000

I spent decades using SLR film cameras - first a Pentax K-1000 and then a Canon AE-1. A few years ago I found myself using those cameras less and less as digital cameras became affordable. For several years though I didn't have an SLR, instead I used mainly small point and shoot cameras. Though handy, they just don't give you much control over more than zoom and flash, and the image quality was, um, often marginal.A couple of months ago my wife (bless her heart) gave me a Nikon D5100 with 18-55mm adnd 55-300mm lenses. I followed the quick start guide and I was up and shooting photos in a matter of only few minutes. Yeah!This is the first DSLR I have ever owned, and I'm here to tell you that in my experience this camera is a joy to use, and it gives fantastic results. I have been using this camera now, heavily, for the past two months, and I've taken at least 2000 photos so far. I have had chances to use it during all times of the day from dawn-dusk, and into the night. It performs amazingly in all light levels.This camera gives me LOTS of useful pre-set options as well as the capability to manually control shutter speed, aperture settings, ISO (=ASA or film speed), or to go fully automatic.The camera body feels solid and comfortable in my hand. The rubberized grip and thumb pad are great. The 3" digital screen is also a nice feature. It can be flipped out, flipped over, adjusted to any angle to accommodate holding the camera high or low, wherever.I was a little confused about one of the automatic settings. The green one on the dial on the top of the camera. If you have the camera set there, whenever the camera thinks there is not enough light the flash will automatically pop up. I find this annoying during daylight shooting, but luckily there is a second fully automatic setting where the flash is disabled. This is my automatic setting of choice.I love some of the optional settings - like sports mode where you have single point focusing and the camera will shoot up to 4 frames per second if you hold the shutter button down. There are just too many features to describe here, but there are great options for night portraits, night shots, low light, high light, etc., etc.Oh, this camera also gives you the option to do some image editing right in the camera. That's nice. The camera can also be attached to a computer for easy downloading of images, and there's a cable for attaching the camera to a TV so you can show photos to a larger group, as desired.Down sides? I already mentioned the auto setting flash popping up thing. One other down side is that when you use the camera in video mode the built in microphone is only adequate. You can adjust the microphone sensitivity from high to low, but that's it. If you plan to use this camera for video purposes extensively I recommend getting an external stereo microphone that is designed to be seated on the hotshoe flash point on top of the camera.I find that the battery is reasonably good. One of the first things I did after I decided that this was the camera for me was to pick up a reserve battery. So now I always have a battery in the camera and a second charged battery in my bag. I also bought a 32GB SD card, and I have a 4GB SD card in reserve. I've never filled either of these cards up though, since I download my photos to a computer after each shoot. But it's nice to know that you have the card space if you need it.Another thing you might want to invest in is a remote control unit for taking group photos that you want to be in.So after two months and 1000s of photos I have tons of praise for this camera and lens - oh, the anti-vibration technology in the lens is also great!With only minor shortcomings here and there, this camera IMO deserves a solid 5-star rating.5 stars!

Coming from a D40 (which is the smallest "real" DSLR Nikon ever made, and verges on perfection if you work within its limits), I expected to hate the 5100.I knew the image quality would be better (it is, by an astounding margin). I knew the video would be a great feature (it's great!). I knew it would represent the best value in Nikon's DSLRs in a very long time (the D7000's legendary sensor crammed into a smaller, friendlier body with a flippable screen at half the price!).What I didn't expect is how much I'd love the tactile feel of the buttons, the humongous screen, the smartly-designed and readable menus. I didn't expect that I could let it run free on Aperture Priority with no corrections and it would get exceptional shots every time. And I sure didn't expect that it could auto-correct distortion!The 5100 is a fantastic camera. It's absolutely everything you need to take great photos. It's lighter than a D7000, shoots better pictures than anything in its class, and is blazing-fast to start up, to focus, to bracket, and to save. It automatically corrects for distortion (NO Canon camera does this, to my knowledge). It has an incredible Auto-ISO feature (and can take usable photos at ISO 6400!). And its Raw files have so much latitude, it's like you've bracketed every shot.So what are the downsides?- You should already know that it doesn't autofocus with lenses that don't have their own motors. It doesn't have a focus motor, like the D3100 and D40 before it. (For people who are only going to buy 1 or 2 lenses, this is no big deal)- The battery life isn't great: about 620 shots. I know that sounds like a lot, but it's really not. My D40 (and all pro-level cameras) tend to last for a few thousand shots, and that's putting it lightly. During a 3-month term at college I charged my D40 ONCE. So, to mitigate the problem with the 5100, I bought a second battery: expensive but necessary. Just factor that into the cost.-The color is true to life and fairly accurate, but I miss the warm, glowy tone of the D40. The 5100 tends to render greens too "neon" and struggles with purples.-The "ADL" (adaptive dynamic lighting) feature will make your shots look spectacular, but it IS ONLY MEANT FOR JPEG. If you use it on a Raw file, the resulting file will come out much too dark because only Nikon's proprietary software can "read" the ADL instructions, and no one uses Nikon's software because it's terrible. Don't use this feature if you shoot Raw.-It is often not useful to have this many megapixels. The resulting files are bigger than they need to be and more cumbersome to fling around. This is hardly a real concern, but it does bear mentioning. Especially in Raw, you should be prepared to use 32-64 GB of storage space a month, minimum. Some of you may need a faster computer, or at least more RAM, to step up to images this big.- The screen tends to get coated with moisture and grime because it is pushed very far off of the camera body to accomodate the swivel mechanism. This means that with your eye to the viewfinder, you will undoubtedly cause a hazy buildup of sweat/heat/rubbing, which you'll need to wipe off pretty frequently.- The camera has absolutely no idea how much battery is left when using Live View. It often says the battery is about to die, and then lasts for a hundred more shots.- The "record" button is mounted in a ridiculous place and is often not triggered when you need it to. It would have been better to have a switch so you knew by feel if it was on or off (most of Nikon's other cameras do this).- OK, OK, it doesn't feel as light or effortlessly designed as the D40. It also doesn't have that icy-crisp shutter sound. I've started to realize that nothing ever will.All in all, there's hardly any reason not to get the D5100. If you're still reading this, just go ahead and grab it!

I take thousands of close up macro pictures always using a 35 inch high copy stand. It was challenging for decades using SLR cameras because I had to gaze down into a viewfinder with one eye. Focusing was difficult. I've used Nikon Nikon D100 6MP Digital SLR Camera, Nikon D70S 6.1MP Digital SLR Camera, Fujis, Sonys, Panasonic, and others going back to the 1980's. Because of uncertainty of exposure caused by back lighting, I've made three sets of triple bracketed photos for each item.Recently some photos were needed using the copy stand where the camera needed to be over 3 feet high above the table of the copy stand. I had reached my limit as I used a ladder to be able to gaze down on the subject. There had to be a better way. My Panasonic DMC-FZ150K 12.1 MP Digital Camera with CMOS Sensor and 24x Optical Zoom (Black) just does not cut it for back-lit photos, but it has an LCD screen which swivels out and I would not have to climb the ladder. But the FZ150 does not work well with back lighting.Then I saw the reviews here of the D5100. It had the articulating LCD screen and was a Nikon SLR! But did it have bracketing of exposure? It does! With such a screen maybe I would not have to use one eye looking down on a ladder. I could not order the D5100 fast enough. While waiting a day for my D5100 to arrive I watched a video Blue Crane Digital zBC141 Introduction to the Nikon D5100 : Basic Controls several times to learn about the camera.Now for my experience with the D5100: It is much better than expected! The spot focusing actually works, even with back lit objects. I never could auto focus before for these photos. The AF-S stock lens is constantly focusing in auto focus mode, so I don't have to press the shutter button half way every time I want to focus. That method did not work well for macro close up shots with the older Nikons. With the D5100 use spot metering/focusing option, and move the little box around the screen for the exact spot to focus on. The auto exposure on aperture priority actually works too. I bracket anyway, but only have to take one set of 3 pictures for each item rather than three.The articulating screen is highly functional, and with the convenient position of the "live view" lever it's fast to go into that mode. The AE+- functions works in live view, so I can adjust the exposure while seeing the results on the LCD screen instantly before the picture is taken. The included 18-55mm lens does work for close-up work, and I can still use my old beloved Micro Nikor 60mm AF but without auto focus. Same with my Tamron 90mm f2.8 Macro, also without auto focus. The exposure functions work perfectly though. But it's just a matter of time that I get more an AF-S micro lens such as Nikon 85mm f/3.5G AF-S DX ED VR Micro Nikkor Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras for this camera.The battery life is so long I'm not using an AC adapter, which is a first for me.In summation, for production macro close up work using a copy stand:Great swivel LCD screen with Live ViewAuto Exposure Control that works in difficult conditionsAuto Focusing on close up objects that works well in real time using spot focusingBattery life that goes on and onConvenient buttonsReal time exposure control in LCD screenUltra sharp photosTakes old lenses (no auto-focus)Accurate white balance (after calibrating preset, see pdf manual)Brackets 3 photos quickly, no shutter lagProbably a great point and shoot too, but I prefer to not change all my macro settings for that such as white balance, bracketing, exposure, so I use my Panasonic DMC-FZ150K 12.1 MP Digital Camera with CMOS Sensor and 24x Optical Zoom (Black) with the Leica Lens for that...

This review is aimed at people who are new to photography, as I am in the same boat. There are much more thorough reviews on Amazon for people who are already serious photographers.General Impression:Wonderful camera - gives you control of parameters (such as f/stop, ISO, shutter speed) when you want to play with them or get creative and will auto-select them when you just want to take pictures. This was important to me as I am still learning to adjust them to my liking but don't want to miss out on pictures because I'm fumbling around with buttons.Construction/Feel:After going to Best Buy to physically hold the Canon T3i and Nikon d5100, I immediately decided on the Nikon. It felt much better in my hands and just looked better in general. Both were fairly light which is nice but also means they are made from quite a bit of plastic - not a problem though as this keeps the price down and I don't drop things.Controls:I have been pleased with the placement of the physical buttons on the camera as well as the menus. I mainly shoot in the A, S, and M modes and the little wheel you turn to adjust the shutter speed/aperture is right where your thumb falls. If you're in M mode, there is an aperture button to hold down just behind the shutter button which is also easy to reach with the camera up to your eye. Lastly, the Fn button can be programmed to control the ISO level so you can hold it down while spinning the wheel to change that without putting the camera down. I have heard people complain that the Live View switch is annoying to get to but have found it intuitive.There are a few controls that I wish were changeable without having to dig through a menu though. For instance, to change the focus mode from area to single point requires you to have the LCD screen turned around, then press the I button, then scroll around to change it. This is the case for a few other things like metering, shutter mode, etc. I can't really complain, though, because those are features that go on a serious photographer's camera that costs about twice as much as this model.Auto Focus:The 11-point AF on this camera has been a dream to use. I almost always keep the camera set to single point servo autofocus so I can select the point I want it to focus to. As long as you have some contrast, it is very quick and accurate to focus. This camera does not have a build in focus motor which means the lens must have it built in. As a result, older lenses or those build for the professional Nikons may not allow for autofocus. This hasn't been a big issues as most of the lenses I would want already have the motor built in, and if they don't, people survived for a long time manually focusing - it probably builds character. I was torn between getting the Nikon 10-24mm Wide-Angle Zoom Lensand Tokina 11-16mm Ultra-wide Angle Lensand ended up sticking with the Tokina even though it would not autofocus on this camera. I haven't had any issues with focusing manually with it as the ultra-wide angles are easy to focus anyway.Noise:A lot of the reviews I read before purchasing this camera talked about how well it shot in low light - I would have to agree. Looking at pictures from my old point and shoot at ISO 800 have horrible noise while I can shoot this at 1600 without any, and can go up to 3200 with only minimal touch ups in Lightroom needed. This has to be the single biggest advantage of digital over film - being able to change ISO on the fly and still being able to get great pictures at ISO 3200 is wonderful.Image Quality:I won't offer too many opinions in this section, but I have not seen anything but great quality in the RAW pictures I've taken. Basically I understand that if a picture doesn't come out right, the fault lies with me and not the camera. The camera is capable of much better pictures than I am capable of taking. When I do everything right (which is becoming a little more frequent) I am amazed of the result. Great colors, great contrast, low noise, etc.Battery Life:I purchased an extra battery before I went on a few business trips just in case, but ended up never being close to needing it. The battery just lasts and lasts and never seems to drain. For instance, last weekend I took 381 shots (some using live view) and the battery meter was still at 75%. No complaints in this department.Flash:The built in flash is pretty puny, which seems to be par for the course. It does provide some nice fill lighting if you're outside taking pictures where there are some shadows on your subject, but for shooting inside it's marginal at best. I bought the very reasonably priced Nikon SB-400 AF Speedlight Flash and have been very pleased with the combo. The external flash adds the ability to bounce light off the ceiling and not waste the camera battery while doing so. This camera does not have the Nikon flash commander ability, but I don't think that should be expected in a camera at this price point. If I ever start buying

This review is aimed at people who are new to photography, as I am in the same boat. There are much more thorough reviews on Amazon for people who are already serious photographers.General Impression:Wonderful camera - gives you control of parameters (such as f/stop, ISO, shutter speed) when you want to play with them or get creative and will auto-select them when you just want to take pictures. This was important to me as I am still learning to adjust them to my liking but don't want to miss out on pictures because I'm fumbling around with buttons.Construction/Feel:After going to Best Buy to physically hold the Canon T3i and Nikon d5100, I immediately decided on the Nikon. It felt much better in my hands and just looked better in general. Both were fairly light which is nice but also means they are made from quite a bit of plastic - not a problem though as this keeps the price down and I don't drop things.Controls:I have been pleased with the placement of the physical buttons on the camera as well as the menus. I mainly shoot in the A, S, and M modes and the little wheel you turn to adjust the shutter speed/aperture is right where your thumb falls. If you're in M mode, there is an aperture button to hold down just behind the shutter button which is also easy to reach with the camera up to your eye. Lastly, the Fn button can be programmed to control the ISO level so you can hold it down while spinning the wheel to change that without putting the camera down. I have heard people complain that the Live View switch is annoying to get to but have found it intuitive.There are a few controls that I wish were changeable without having to dig through a menu though. For instance, to change the focus mode from area to single point requires you to have the LCD screen turned around, then press the I button, then scroll around to change it. This is the case for a few other things like metering, shutter mode, etc. I can't really complain, though, because those are features that go on a serious photographer's camera that costs about twice as much as this model.Auto Focus:The 11-point AF on this camera has been a dream to use. I almost always keep the camera set to single point servo autofocus so I can select the point I want it to focus to. As long as you have some contrast, it is very quick and accurate to focus. This camera does not have a build in focus motor which means the lens must have it built in. As a result, older lenses or those build for the professional Nikons may not allow for autofocus. This hasn't been a big issues as most of the lenses I would want already have the motor built in, and if they don't, people survived for a long time manually focusing - it probably builds character. I was torn between getting the Nikon 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5G ED AF-S DX Nikkor Wide-Angle Zoom Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Camerasand Tokina AT-X116PRDXN AT-X PRO DX 11-16mm Ultra-wide Angle Lens for Nikonand ended up sticking with the Tokina even though it would not autofocus on this camera. I haven't had any issues with focusing manually with it as the ultra-wide angles are easy to focus anyway.Noise:A lot of the reviews I read before purchasing this camera talked about how well it shot in low light - I would have to agree. Looking at pictures from my old point and shoot at ISO 800 have horrible noise while I can shoot this at 1600 without any, and can go up to 3200 with only minimal touch ups in Lightroom needed. This has to be the single biggest advantage of digital over film - being able to change ISO on the fly and still being able to get great pictures at ISO 3200 is wonderful.Image Quality:I won't offer too many opinions in this section, but I have not seen anything but great quality in the RAW pictures I've taken. Basically I understand that if a picture doesn't come out right, the fault lies with me and not the camera. The camera is capable of much better pictures than I am capable of taking. When I do everything right (which is becoming a little more frequent) I am amazed of the result. Great colors, great contrast, low noise, etc.Battery Life:I purchased an extra battery before I went on a few business trips just in case, but ended up never being close to needing it. The battery just lasts and lasts and never seems to drain. For instance, last weekend I took 381 shots (some using live view) and the battery meter was still at 75%. No complaints in this department.Flash:The built in flash is pretty puny, which seems to be par for the course. It does provide some nice fill lighting if you're outside taking pictures where there are some shadows on your subject, but for shooting inside it's marginal at best. I bought the very reasonably priced Nikon SB-400 AF Speedlight Flash for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras and have been very pleased with the combo. The external flash adds the ability to bounce light off the ceiling and not waste the camera battery while doing so. This camera does not have the Nikon f

I bought this to replace my D40x after the flash quit working (though I still have it as a backup). I had a few issues with the D40x, but I am extremely pleased with the D5100. There are only a few minor complaints I have, which I will detail below. I have only had it for about a week now but I think I made a great choice. I would consider myself a moderately skilled amateur but have absolutely no desire for anything bigger and better!Pros:- The colors captured on this camera are leaps and bounds better than my D40x. I put them on the same tripod and took the same picture using full auto mode. Everything on my D40x had a reddish tint and the colors were not quite true. The colors from the D5100 were simply stunning and were considerably more accurate.- There are 23 different levels of ISO sensitivity (my D40x had 6), and the pictures are considerably less noisy, even at higher ISOs. I used the same lens/shutter speed/aperture/tripod for both cameras and shot each one at 200, 400, 800, 1600, and 3200 using my remote. The picture from the D5100 seems less noisy at 3200 than what the D40x produced at 800. Anything higher than 3200 seems to produce some fairly considerable noise however, especially if cropped.- Continuous mode is finally continuous! Using the same SD card in both cameras (16GB class 10) I attempted continuous mode. The D40x will take 3 frames per second, but only for the first second. By then the buffer is full and the speed is drastically reduced. The D5100 shoots 4 frames per second and takes at least 17 photos before any buffering is required. In theory this means that you have 4 full seconds of shooting before any buffering occurs but I have never once filled the buffer (though I never tried to deliberately do so either).- I didn't purchase this with the intention of taking many videos, but after viewing a test video on my computer I was extremely pleased with the quality. The video is very sharp and the file size is very reasonable (was about 30MB for a ~30 second clip...or roughly 1MB/second at 1920x1080 and 30FPS). Note that the audio is monaural however. If you want to use this for more professional videos then you'll probably need to purchase the external mic for stereo sound (which is quite expensive in my opinion). This may eventually replace my dedicated video camera, though further testing and a telephoto lens will almost certainly be required.- Live mode finally works, if you prefer using that (note: live mode *must* be enabled to shoot video).- 11 auto focus points instead of only 3. This is great if you're using a tripod and can't really recompose shots.Cons:- The biggest annoyance I have with this camera is that it does not show up as a USB drive when plugged into a computer. It will still show up as an import source in some photography software (Aperture, iPhoto, etc.) though I have found the easiest thing to do is to insert the SD card into my SD to USB converter. Using my converter it will show up just like a mass storage drive and I can browse the files and pull the pictures and movies directly. Otherwise one must install Nikon's software just to import the files (which seems like a pain, plus I'll soon be running nothing but Linux which isn't supported).- Aperture 2.0 does not recognize the movies files so it cannot import them. I don't have Aperture 3.0 so I can't speak for that, and I have no experience with Lightroom or Bibble 5.- Aperture 2.0 cannot read the new 14-bit RAW files that this camera generates (though it would read the 12-bit RAW files from my D40x). I ultimately decided not to shoot in RAW anyway, but it's sort of a bummer that it doesn't support it as Aperture offers more editing options for RAW files. Again, I cannot comment on how well any other software handles these files.Other thoughts:- I haven't had any issues with image sharpness. Whether I use the 18-55mm VR lens or my 35mm f/1.8 lens (which I HIGHLY recommend), my pictures come out perfectly crisp and sharp.- It has not suddenly stopped taking pictures, though I did purchase an extended warranty (parts and labor) for it. I now have 4 years of protection instead of just 1.- There is no auto-focus motor on the body of this camera so make sure to purchase a AF-I or AF-S lenses. The older AF lenses will still work with this camera but you will have to manually focus every shot.- My 16GB card will hold roughly 1600 photos using JPEG (Fine) format.

For once I really researched a camera purchase. I will begin with the end: the D5100 is a superb offering that will do as much as almost all non-professional users will ever need it to do, and has more useful features than most users will ever use. There are many competing cameras at or near this price point. I cannot claim to have researched them all, but the D5100 really does seem to be the leader. This camera is basically a feature-laden prosumer camera -- a camera for the enthusiastic amateur who wants a camera that will do most (but not all) things that a professional camera will do, with as little fuss as possible, and in a smaller package.The most important attribute of this camera is its ability to produce superb images right out of the camera. And great images start with great exposure. This camera can produce outstanding images that really do not require post-processing. I have been using Nikon digital SLR cameras since the D100 was announced, through the D80 and D200. All have been superb cameras for their days and still are. However, most Nikon DSLRs really benefited (needed, really) a bit of post-processing in order for the images to reach their full potential. In particular, many users have noticed that the auto-contrast settings in Nikon or third-party software programs really brightened up images, giving them better contrast and zip. This camera pretty much does away with that. The D-lighting feature of this camera, combined with an all-around better sensor, exposure algorithm, and exposure system, really do make it possible to produce images right out of the camera that look like they have already been post-processed on the computer. And to make matters even better, the camera allows in-camera editing and post-processing! So if you are on a trip and want to email a few pictures you will not need your computer; the camera will do the post-editing job for you in most cases. And in most cases this is not needed at all. Put simply, the D5100 has about achieved the ideal for digital cameras, whereby it produces a final image right out of the camera that is about perfectly exposed, with contrast and lighting the way you want it.The camera allows for matrix, center-weighted, and spot metering, just like the pro cameras. All are useful at times. I can remember when only professional cameras had all three. We have come a long way.The D5100 continues the Nikon trend of better and better ISO performance, as light amplification technology keeps getting better. ISO roughly corresponds to the exposure ratings of film in days of yore, and basically better ISO performance means that the camera will perform better in low light conditions, making it possible to take clear non-noisy images in dimmer light. My D200, which was one of the very best Nikons in its day, degrades quickly after about ISO 640. This camera will do many multiples of this satisfactorily. For early morning photography, or taking pictures indoors, this is a decisive, tremendous advantage.Great images also require fast and accurate focusing. The auto-focusing system on this camera is very well thought out for its market niche. While professional photographers will probably not use this camera to photograph NFL games and the like, this camera features an excellent focusing system that will exceed the expectations of most users. It is an 11 point system that intelligently focuses on a subject in the foreground or tracks a moving subject or, if you wish to exercise complete control, it will allow a single point (selectable) focus which can be useful for portraits of individuals and other types of still photography. It also has continuous focusing as an option which can be great for sports or wildlife. While pros and certain amateur photographers may need (or at least want) the more elaborate focusing systems available on Nikon's higher end cameras, for all but the most demanding users the D5100 is more than up to the job. Its focusing system is better than the pro systems of a few camera generations ago. If you want to photograph your kids playing sports, this camera will do the job, and likely do it brilliantly. This excellent focusing system, combined with its available 4 frames-per-second capability, make this camera quite capable of producing quality images of difficult fast-moving subjects.Ergonomics. I bought this camera for two main reasons: less size and less weight. The higher-end Nikon cameras sport metal bodies, while this unit is made out of high-impact plastic. Given the fact that even rifles and pistols are mostly made of plastic nowadays, I consider plastic to be a virtue, not a vice. The D5100 features excellent build quality and has every bit of that quality "Nikon feel" that we have all come to expect. While some pros and a few amateurs really may need a weather-sealed metal bodied camera, most of us do not. And every single user will appreciate the very low weight of the D5100. I carried mine

What led me to this awesome camera:----------------------------------------------- 2 years back I started out as someone who simply wanted to take pictures. I didn't care about the quality that much, though I did want a decent amount of megapixels and video capability. So I bought myself a Samsung SL620 point-and-shoot with 12 megapixels and SD video capability. That camera died on me 6 months later. Christmas that year, I got a new Samsung SL820, which was like the 1st only with 720p video capability. That one also quit on me, but this time after 2 months. May 2010, I got the same camera and it only lasted 3 months, but I've taken over 1,000 pics with it. By then, I was starting to get an interest in photography and taking quality shots. Last fall, I borrowed my dad's Sony F717, which was a 5 megapixel bridge camera that he's now had for 8 years. I figured out that camera in just a few days. Unlike my cameras, the Sony had manual settings and manual focus. I was impressed by the blurred backgrounds, the color not so much. I had to fix the washed out colors in Photoshop. A couple weeks after Christmas, I had made enough money to get another point-and-shoot (Bad choice). This one was a Samsung TL240, which had 14 megapixels and a touchscreen. I got some decent shots with it, but they could've been better. A couple months later, one of my friends at school accidently knocked that camera off a table and the lens got stuck. After that, I decided I was gonna save up the extra cash and get an SLR so I could get better quality shots. I looked at several different cameras on this website. Some bridge and some SLRs. I wanted one that took decent HD video (with a reasonable amount of recording time per video), had a decent resolution, and had decent low-light. By the 1st week of April, I was gonna stick with a Samsung NX10, then I saw the Nikon D5100 on Amazon, although it wasn't actually available yet. It had everything I wanted and more.Review:---------------------------------------------Photos:This camera takes very awesome pictures and I rarely need to use the flash. This camera stomps my deceased cameras and my dad's Sony into the ground. The focusing is very fast, except in live view. The articulating display is very helpful when I want to take self-portraits. I bought a remote so I could take self-portraits that were focused right. It totally beats the self-timer. The HDR feature is awesome, although it's only meant for still scenes and not action or anything with movement. I've used the 30-second shutter speed for shots after sunset and they come out quite nice. I only wish there were some longer shutter speeds. Holding down the shutter for a minute or 2 can be very annoying when using the bulb feature because I usually get some motion blur, even when I'm using a tripod. The effects are pretty awesome too. I used the sketch feature to sketch a picture of an Ingles store and I put it on Facebook saying that I drew it myself. My parents are in love with that feature. I can honestly say I haven't had any softness issues with my pictures, after I turned the sharpening up a notch. I also haven't had any problems with the reds being exaggerated. The colors are just great and this is the first camera I've had that took pictures that I didn't need to enhance in Photoshop before I upload them to Facebook.Video:The HD video on this camera is very clear, unlike the "HD" video on my older cameras. I bought the expensive external microphone and the sound is great and you don't hear as much of the autofocus noise. The video is a little bit wobbly when I move the camera kinda fast, but I'm pretty sure the older Nikon D5000 is much worse. Video is not my goal in life (If it were, I would've gotten a camcorder). I shoot random videos every now and then. I also have a show on Youtube that I do every once in a while.Camera in general:This camera is awesome. It may not be perfect, but no camera is or ever will be unless God makes one himself. I have absolutely no desire to return or trash this camera. It was money well-spent. Unlike the Nikon D40 (which I had borrowed from my photography teacher one time), it doesn't feel so awkward trying to get a self-portrait with just one hand. I plan on using this camera in college this fall and for a long time. Eventually, when I get rich, I'll step up to a full-frame camera. I'm not in any rush to do that though. Right now, I'm just using the kit lens included with this camera and the pictures are pretty good. I plan on getting more lens, such as the 18-200mm (for video), the 55-300mm lens, and a portrait lens.(Edit: I just realized that I can use my remote for the bulb feature.)----------------------------------------------------------------------12/7/2011 Update:I've had this camera for 6 months now and it stopped working. Just kidding. This awesome camera is still working as great as it did when I first got it out of its package on June 7th. I've dropped it a few times, being the clum

Let me state that I am an average Joe, and had no delusions that this would make me a pro photographer or make good pictures.Brief background: my friend wanted to convince me on getting Nikons, and gave me his D7000 to try out. After enjoying playing around with it, I initially was ready to fork the big bucks for it. But when I went to the store, I saw the D5100, and started handling with it, and was pretty impressed by it. Reading the specs, most are similar to the D7000 in terms of sensors, and it had a flip screen. After a little soul searching (i.e. "Am I really going to do semi-pro work?", "How much will I lug around?"), I decided to save some money and go with the D5100. After having it for 3 months, I am pretty satisfied.Weight/handling: very light when compared to the D7000; I can hold it in one hand if need be (but will usually use 2) without straining the wrists. This was one of the big sells.18-55mm lens: perfect for most pics I will take with it. I don't plan on zooming in too much, and gives me time to compose my photographs well.Modes: I mostly stick with Auto and P modes, and they get my pics well.Flash: This is the weak spot of this camera or any SLR. It will give good direct lighting, but like most flashes, it will be rather harsh. I would highly recommend the Nikon SB-400 Nikon SB-400 AF Speedlight Flash for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras as a companion flash; it is lightweight and gives good bounce capability in landscape mode to diffuse the harshness of the flash--you can even make a DIY light box out of paper for portrait views (see Ken Rockwell's site for review of this flash to see how it is done).Screen: Flip screen is best for most of us average Joes; you will not get that in the D7000. Also, if you get confused about using aperture, it will show you the f setting with a picture of the iris. Image viewing is also pretty efficient in it.Movies: I would stick with either a dedicated camcorder, phone, or point and shoot for these. Too much focusing on auto focus mode, and you will not have the time to continuously focus with it. I had no plans to use it as a video camera anyways.Images: I have been pretty impressed by the images taken by this camera. Again, I am looking for overall quality, and it has not disappointed me. One note: if shooting with the low burst on, be sure to watch how much you press the button; you may automatically shoot 2-3 burst when you wanted to shoot one. Also, the low burst is pretty decent at capturing most action shots you will need for children or mobile activities.Conclusion: The D5100 has more than enough features to satisfy 95% of the public. While the D7000 is a solid camera, I would reserve it for the serious amateur. You will also save about $500-700 with this kit over the D7000 kit, which you can always use for fixed or telephoto lenses. Most average Joes will find that this camera has everything they need.

i have been shooting with slr's for 37 years owning several. the 5100 is a typical nikon which is good. even the kit lens if quite good. excellent picture quality producing vivid, crystal clear, sharp pics. way more pixels than you will ever need even for aggressive cropping. color and exposure are easily set. this camera does very well in low light even with the relatively slow kit lenses. i have the 55-200mm as well as the 18-55.my only complaint is with the auto focus, it is not very fast and has trouble shooting through windows and screens, hunts in many situations. i called nikon and the woman told me it sometimes takes "a few tries" to focus correctly which is unacceptable. it is better if i don't try to shoot at 18 or 55mm, each end of the zoom. it doesn't compare with the AF snappiness of my minolta 5d which has never had a problem with AF. the nikon also has no focus motor in the body so you have to pay a premium for the afs lenses, each one having it's own motor. it also lacks the in body anti shake but instead the anti shake is in the lens, so you pay for it in each lens. i haven't shot enough video to even comment. all in all a great camera but i have had to use it in manual mode because the AF issues. it can be faster to just switch to manual rather than wait for the camera to figure out what to focus on. i have had way more useable photos with this camera than my minolta and i think the photo quality is a little better. the nikon feels plasticy though, kind of cheaply built.i can't figure out the prices though, the two lens kit is $45 less than the one lens kit and my kit was $270 less than the current price around christmas.

In terms of sensor and picture quality, I have nothing to complain. An excellent camera from that point of view. As people have spoken enough about the good side, I would like to mention some thing that I do not like.Following the market trend, the D5100 is trying to load a lot of things into the camera. The manufacturer is focusing too much on marketing strategies and forgot that simplicity is also important and welcome. A classic example: the aperture priority and speed priority. These are actually the same thing, and one of them is redundant. But now even more unnecessary options are packed into a small machine and only few of them are truly needed. The pixel size racing is also becoming ridiculous. For that type of camera, 10MP is good enough. More is not positive anymore. If people do want to make huge prints, they should go with full-frame or medium format cameras. Many of the in-camera photo treatment options are also unnecessary or even childish. Serious photo editing should be taken care of by computer software as the small camera screen will make the job rough anyway. I wish more efforts are made for dynamic range improvement (D5100 did well in this aspect) and cost reduction (this can be improved). It does not make much sense to spend $900 (current street price) for something plastic that will become obsolete in 2 to 3 years.The D5100 is supposed to be a premier entry level camera. "Premier entry level" is actually a bad idea (it is almost an oxymoron in reality). For those who do not know how to take good pictures, the extra cost will not help them improve picture quality much, as they may not even fully utilize the capacity of the lower entry level cameras while they are less expensive. For those who are serious about photography, a lot of features are either trivial (e.g., scene selection, live view, in-camera editing, etc.), or not good enough (e.g., movie). If they are serious, even if they are not good now, they will be determined to learn how to manipulate exposures instead of relying on things like scene selections. For some people, the D5100 offers high ISO for dark objects, but it will be wiser to spend the extra money on a good lens, e.g., the 50mm/f1.8D, 50mm/f1.8G, or 35mm/f1.8G. These fast lens will help in low lighting situations and produce better pictures, and they will not become obsolete in 20 years. In addition, filters also help in many ways to expand the capabilities of the camera. In my opinion, the D5100 should be modified in one of the following two directions:1. For those who are serious about photography and do not have the budget for D7000, the D5100 could offer them a less expensive model with same sensor quality but even lower price (by minimizing the unimportant features), or the current price but more functions/features for professionals instead of those for populace.2. For those who do not intend to learn photography, the D3100 is good enough as it also has the live view, video option, and improved high ISO. They do not need the D5100 (except they have no other place to spend the additional $200). If they do need an upgrade, then auto HDR and high resolution screen in D5100 can be good additions, but these should be enough. The price difference could be within $50-100, not $200 (by dropping other "improvements").Here comes a question of how to segment customers. The current popular categories of 'beginners' and 'enthusiasts" are misleading. A more useful segmentation should be enthusiasts or not, i.e., those who want to learn photography and those who do not, and all the features and functions should be designed and packaged in these two directions. But today, things are mixed in one direction (for entry level cameras), the distinctions are mostly a matter of degrees, i.e., more or less features, not different types of features.By the way, I also would like to talk about the appearance design. The D5100 is elegant, but not as good as D40 and D3000 (in appearance). Nikon made one of the D5100 body's corners round (lower-right side viewing from front). That part does not match the the overall sleek looking. The childish treatment makes that part look silly and the entire body fatty. Another design issue: Viewing from the right side, the gap between the display panel and the camera body is unnecessarily too wide. I think a tight fit will make it look more robust and elegant. Forgive me for being fastidious, but appearance is as important to me as functions and quality. And appearance promotes sale (think about Apple's gracious designs).Overall, the D5100 is a good camera, but it is not the best in combination of features and price: both enthusiast and non-enthusiasts will pay for many features they do not need, in different ways. The problem is camera manufacturers are trying to blend different needs instead of separating them in the entry level DSLR section.

I feel kind of weird giving such a low grade to a camera that seems to be so well regarded. Nevertheless, this is an honest review from a "vacation/street photographer, as I believe most of you are. Here is the explanation:For more than three years I have been using a refurbished Sony W-150 that I broke the very same day I received it from Amazon. You can find the story in my review of that purchase. However, I am an avid reader of users reviews here, and I enjoy taking casual photos, as well. On May 22, this year (2012) I saw this Nikon camera on sale at my Costco store as part of a kit including a bag and two lens (a 18-55 mm and a 55-300mm) and few more smaller stuff. The total price, tax included, was a little above $1000. I rushed home, searched the internet for prices and reviews and decided that it was my opportunity to buy a "real" camera. So I did. I took a few casual pictures, they came out good, but I did not see much of a difference from the ones I took with the old point and shoot. I little frustrated I decide to take some pictures side by side, with the two cameras. Well, in all my attempts the pictures, for regular printing, did not show much of a difference and in some cases the point and shoot even gave better results. I don't want to be hated by the hordes of this camera devotees, so I will refrain from saying much more. I will limit myself to add a few of the pictures I took so you can judge by yourself. You may be able to download and see them with your viewer software and see the parameters (F number, ISO, shutter speed).I want to tell in advance that I did not take any "specially difficult conditions" photo. I am sure that in special situations like sports with fast action or low light the Nikon would crush the Sony. However, those special conditions are not were I take the vast majority of my pictures. I take pictures when I go out with friends, parties or any interesting thing I see on the street. I take more time enjoying the events than trying to make an "astonishing photo". For that purpose, I did not see any clear advantage between the old point and shoot and this semi-pro camera. Considering the load I had to carry - bag, camera, two lenses and more, in addition to the $1K + price I paid, it definitely made me feel unhappy with my purchase. I don't have the opportunity to test other SLR cameras in the same league, like the Canon 3ti or the Sony Alpha. However, unless they are really much better than this Nikon, for the regular/casual use, they will give similar results.Therefore, if you are just a casual photographer, do yourself a favor, buy a more modern point and shoot that will cost you a few hundred bucks and you can easily carry with you everywhere. No matter what people say, my reason is in the pictures. I attached some of them to this review. I have seen the wonderful photos posted by others in this camera review. The vast majority were worked with photo shop or are not what regular vacationers would take. My photos were takes in JPG mode, direct out of the camera.Finally, please understand I am not so dumb to directly compare an expensive, modern SLR with an old point and shoot. All I am saying is that it does not bring any noticeable advantage to the casual photographer. My pictures prove that. I will some taken outside soon. Now, if what you want is to enter a photo contest, the D5100 and the others in its league is the way to go.

This is my first SLR camera and also my first Nikon. I know nothing about photography beyond what I read in tutorials and guides. Of course, reading about photography won't make anyone good at it. I shot some good pictures in the past using a Panasonic point and shoot, but I gave the camera away as it was just sitting around. Recently, I received a gift card and I thought I should buy a decent SLR, and take up this hobby again.I am a little concerned by people reporting problems with the shutter, resulting into black images. But because I bought a reconditioned camera, Nikon may have actually fixed the problem before selling this piece again. At least that's the hope! I bought it despite the concern, but overly concerned people should just go with the brand new version that comes with 1 year warranty. Reconditioned ones come with a 90-day warranty from Nikon. OneCall, my seller on Amazon gives a 30 day return warranty. I took one star off for this very reason, which is not necessarily a problem as of now, but the concern will hang over my head all the time.The camera is quite small in size as compared to some DSLR cameras we see. It's actually just as big as my previous mega zoom point and shoot Lumix DMC-FZ35. I am sure people with smaller palms will absolutely love this fact. People with big-to-humongous palm sizes may find the grip a little too small, though.Right away, after recording a few pictures, I noticed how much better the photos looked than a point-and-shoot I owned. Even though we already know this, it was satisfying to actually discover it myself to justify the upgrade. I also tried the manual modes (PSAM), and I was happy with what I saw. The Nikon on-screen menus can be and will be overwhelming for starters like me, but I hope to not give up. The body's construction, neck strap, the eye piece, the screen, and the 18-55 VR lens supplied seem to be of pretty high quality for $500. But of course, some people will quickly outgrow this lens, and since I heard the lenses make up for most of the DSLR experience, more money will eventually be spent in this department.One tip for beginners. Please make sure you do not buy a low-speed memory card. Always shoot for at least a class 10 SDHC card which is at least 8GB. It makes all the difference in the world when working with a DSLR camera that records big sized raw images. And if you care about the product, please buy a well-protective camera bag. Zeikos has a bag on sale on Amazon under $10 that's got good reviews. I bought the same.Lastly, please use great care, and refer the manual when fitting the lens for the first time. You don't want it to break or fall on the floor accidentally. Also please handle the battery cover with care. No it is not flimsy, but I found the opening mechanism prone to be put unnecessary pressure on until you figure it out.Enjoy the toy! Please comment if you like the review and find it helpful. Thanks.

I've always been interested in photography as a hobby but I've never had more than a compact point-n-shoot and usually resorted to using my iPhone 4s, which only produces decent images up close and in good lighting. I primarily enjoy landscape photography, especially sunrises and sunsets, as well as photographing nature in general (storms, animals, plants), all of which the iPhone is awful for.So I decided to get a DSLR and I knew that Nikons were pretty good. After much research I decided on this one and so far I love it.The D5100 has incredible value and bang for your buck. It's somewhere in between the D3100 and D7100 in terms of quality, but it's only a little bit more expensive than the D3100 (while offering a lot more, including significantly higher picture quality) and MUCH less expensive than the D7100, which is only slightly better. If you're looking for a high quality, non-professional camera at a reasonable price, this is the one to get. Canons are great as well, but a Nikon of equal quality tends to be a bit less pricey.I really have no complaints about this camera. The grip is nice, the design is intuitive, and it feels very sturdy and of high quality. The interface is fairly easy to pickup, with the question mark button available to anyone who isn't sure what something means (though it's not always the greatest description). My pictures almost always turn out sharp and colorful and if they don't it's usually because of user error (i.e. I didn't use the best settings for the occasion). The battery lasts surprisingly long if you turn it off when you're not using it (I've been on 5-6 hour hikes and taken over 1500 pictures with the battery still going at 2/3 bars, though I am not using the flash).A few suggestions to someone who was new to DSLR. First, the manual is your friend. I suggest learning to use M/A/S modes, as the auto modes on this can be pretty awful (e.g. the sunset one, which tends to mess up the colors). I also suggest buying a few accessories if you don't have them - obviously a memory card, a lens cleaner and cloth (really a must), a lens hood if you photograph outdoors, and possibly an inexpensive UV filter to protect the lens.In conclusion, I've had a lot of fun with this camera and it takes fantastic pictures. It's even more amazing with a higher quality lens (I suggest trying a 55-200 or 55-300 to complement the lens that the camera came with).

COMPARISON TO CANON:The Canon T2i was finicky and would stop recording if I didn't use the right brand and speed of SD card. I sold it and replaced it with a Nikon D5100. The first thing I noticed is the Nikon works well with nearly any SD card.My Canon had the upgraded 18-135mm kit lens. The Nikon arrived with the 18-55mm kit lens, which, apart from less telephoto range, is actually a much sharper lens with less chromatic aberration in the corners of the frame than the Canon 18-135.PHOTOS:The Nikon takes sharper photos than the T2i (comparing the two lenses I had), despite having 16 megapixels vs 18 for the Canon. The Nikon also has a one F-Stop advantage in low light, getting great pictures even at ASA 6400. The T2i was good in low light. The Nikon is great. It just looks cleaner in low light.In the default standard setting mode, the color saturation and the contrast is a little bit less in the Nikon, but the image is more realistic. The automatic white balance seems to be more accurate in the Nikon, getting truer whites in more types of lighting conditions without having to resort to manually setting white balance all the time. Of course, both cameras have tons of control over the color and contrast. The Nikon has infinitely more manual control over white balance, allowing you to dial in the perfect setting by hand with an X-Y color grid. The Canon has the usual half dozen presets.VIDEO:As with still photos, all the color and contrast characteristics are similar from the photo mode to the video mode. It's here where the Canon wins out with it's more filmic saturation and contrast. The Nikon wins out in sharpness, which may not make it look as pretty for films, but it is a more natural looking image for general video use.Both cameras max out at 1920x1080 resolution at 30 frames per second, and both have 24 frame film modes. What's missing on the D5100 is the 720-60 frame mode found on the T2i. In the 720-60 frame mode, video motion is silky smooth. In 30 frame mode, it has a filmic looking stutter in the motion. Some users prefer this effect. But the Nikon, even though having only 30 or 24 frame modes, allows you to select high video quality or normal video quality. Using the normal mode doubles your capture time on the SD card at the expense of barely more digital artifacting.The Canon allows you to control the ASA, the iris and the shutter speed manually in the video mode. When set to fully automatic, the iris is very smooth when transitioning from light to dark subjects.The Nikon does not allow you full manual control over the iris in video mode, and the iris sort of steps through many ranges from light to dark. It isn't a smooth transition in manual or automatic mode. Since you can't lock down the exposure in video mode, the camera is not suited for advanced film makers who need total image control. Too bad, because the Nikon doesn't cease up during the video shoot if you put class 6 or even class 4 SD cards in it. The Canon will simply stop recording on it's own if it doesn't like the brand or speed of card you use.SOUND:Both cameras have an external mike jack and no headphone jack. The Nikon has a few presets to eliminate or lower the AGC function and control the audio level. The Canon has no control over audio levels and you can not defeat the AGC unless you buy special software that can re-program the camera's firmware (some users have frozen up their cameras doing this the wrong way).CONTROLS:I found the Canon easier to program than the Nikon, especially in video mode. The Nikon takes some experimenting (or reading the dreaded instructions) to discover the extra layers of image control it possesses. Once you delve in and learn the menu, there's far more intricate image control with the Nikon.With the Canon, you set it to video mode, turn it on and press the red button to begin recording video. The Nikon requires the extra step of setting the live view mode each time you power it up, while the Canon can be left in the video mode all the time.The image stabilizer in the Canon is better for walk-around hand held shooting than the Nikon, providing much smoother shots in the steady hands of a seasoned user.SUMMARY:I liked the Canon better for it's filmic look and ease of use, but I value the Nikon for it's better low light performance, sharper image and most of all, it's total reliability and not being dependent upon the choice of SD card.

As with any review, a lot is dependent on the reviewer's taste, expectations and understanding of the product. So let me make it clear where I fit in there and then how this camera performed.I have a lot of photography and video experience but I am not a professional. What I EXPECT is a camera that is easy to use but powerful in features. I like seeing new technology even when it is sometimes inferior to older technology (I know some of you can relate to that). I expect good build quality and I expect that a camera does what it is advertised to do. This camera basically did not disappoint. But I will say honestly that I was comparing this to the D7000 even though the latter is a good $400 more expensive. But the D5100 was newer and it had some things the D7000 does not have that I thought were important to me:1. A swivel screen (I've never had a still camera with that). I am upgrading from a D70.2. Capable of HDR pictures with in-camera processing.3. Cheaper and lighter weight.Many of you may choose the D5100 for other reasons but these were mine. In the end, I returned it and bought the D7000 (that review is coming soon). Here is why:I like the idea of HDR photography and the D5100 can do it right in the camera! To explain why I gravitated towards this particular feature, I need to step back and mention an in-camera feature I had once on a point-and-shoot. I used to have an HP camera and it helped you frame a panoramic picture. When you were done, it stitched it together. Voila! You had a panoramic picture ready to go. When I upgraded to the next model, it also had a panoramic feature to help you frame it, but it did not do in-camera stitching (as most all cameras do not these days). Instead, you are supposed to stitch it with the software the camera comes with. So guess what happened? Nothing....I stopped doing panoramic pictures, because I was too lazy to take the time to find the right pictures, import them into the software, stitch and then export it back to the right folder - too much hassle.Well, the idea with in-camera HDR was a real selling point for me on the D5100. As of this writing, I am not aware of any other camera that does this (I'm sure someone will correct me?). So this may be the #1 reason I ended up getting the D5100 and it is the #1 I returned it. If you look at Nikon's website they advertise this feature and show an example of a lighthouse - the result is stunning, just as you would expect from HDR. Let me just say flat-out: this will not be the result you see in the real-world. I took about 100 different high-contrast shots and most of them looked better with the HDR processing but most of them only looked *marginally* better. The shadows had more detail and the bright areas were less blown out. So it works. But I then bracketed +2,0,-2 images and plugged them into Photomatrix and BAM! Now that's HDR! No comparison whatsoever. It turns out, the Nikon D5100's version of HDR is to take just two shots (-3,+3 , or some variation on the stops) and then it combines it into one image. If the (+3) shot was a little blurry, because over-exposed shots tend to be this way, then the final HDR image is blurry too. Now when this happens on a bracketed set, that is OK, because you still have the normal (0) exposure to take back with you at the end of your vacation. But if the D5100 made a bunch of blurry shots, you are hosed. There is no way to recover from that. You would have to analyze every shot closely on that little 3" screen to verify you got the shot or you would need to take duplicates with normal exposure just to make sure. Also, the HDR feature is not even written in the instruction manual - go ahead and look...no where to be found! I had to look it up in the longer online pdf manual to see how to use the feature, and it turns out you have to press about 6 buttons pretty deep in the menu just to get the camera to take an HDR. Once you depress the shutter, you have to go back through the whole menu again. Ridiculous! Finally, I figured out you can assign the "Fn" button to handle this, which was really a very good workaround. So all in all, I was really excited about in-camera HDR and in reality, it was a big disappointment. Now on to the other stuff:The swivel screen: You either love it or hate it. I hated it, but that has nothing to do with the actual camera, just the concept. Basically I think it's mechanically the weakest point of the camera. That little swivel is just asking to snap off the next time I chase my son around the house and back into a corner or cabinet. I can guess it would cost a fortune to have Nikon fix that. Also, I am not into swiveling the screen closed so the screen faces the camera when I am done shooting. I am simply not that meticulous. I want to have a spontaneous camera that I can pick up and shoot whenever I want. So what's the point if I have to un-swivel the screen every time I want to use it and then swivel it closed when I am done. Also, think of all th

As a long-time owner of the Nikon D5000, and former owner of the Nikon D60, I was eager to purchase the D5100 after seeing the announcements and pre-reviews. Being one of the lucky ones to buy the D5100 with 18-55VR kit earlier this week, I've had a few days to play with this camera and can honestly say it's a solid upgrade to the D5000 I'm replacing, and should be on the short list of consideration for any "prosumer" looking to purchase a D-SLR with outstanding image quality, performance, and low-light capability in a lightweight, compact (for an SLR) body. And, unlike the D5000, this D-SLR finally has a usable Live View and HD video capabilities both with continuous autofocus.First of all, it's important to understand where the D5100 fits in Nikon's capabilities. It is considered a "high-end enthusiast" D-SLR which means that it shares the same image sensor as the high-end D7000 without some of the higher-end features. If you're like me, very few of the D7000's features justify its extra cost and weight. The D5100 offers nearly the same image quality as its bigger brother in a less-expensive, smaller package, while adding a few tricks the D7000 doesn't have including an articulating display that helps you frame hard-to-reach spots.Compared to its lesser-priced but still excellent brother the D3100, the D5100 offers improved image quality, speed, and resolution, along with a higher-resolution articulating display. For me, this is the sweet spot in Nikon's consumer D-SLR offerings.The 18-55VR (3x) f3.5-f5.6 kit lens provides surprisingly good performance and image quality, although you'll likely outgrow it quickly. I have uploaded a few sample images taken with the D5100 and 18-55VR to show its performance and surprisingly good bokeh (pattern of blurred background) in large-aperture and macro shots.For lens upgrades that include an AF-S autofocus motor, if you don't mind changing lenses, the Nikon 55-200VR is an outstanding value with excellent image quality, or consider the Nikon 18-105VR (5.8x) lens included with the D7000. If you don't mind some distortion and image softness, the 18-200 VRII (18x) lens may be your perfect "walkabout" lens. For me, I bought the pricey but outstanding Nikon 16-85mm VRII. Don't forget the Nikon AF-S 35mm f1.8 (if you can find it).Low-light performance is outstanding with this camera, and the level of detail captured by the D5100 is excellent, even at higher ISOs. You're best capturing in RAW or RAW+JPEG mode (three different JPEG compression levels are offered) if you need to go back and fine-tune exposure or other settings after the shot. Nikon also offers "Active D-Lighting" which is a highly effective method for improving dynamic range of a photo to equalize the difference between high and low-light areas of a photo.Interestingly, the improvement in image quality compared to my D5000 isn't dramatic. Given the incredible improvement I saw when upgrading from my Nikon D60 to the D5000 perhaps I had unrealistic expectations for this new sensor. But in most image settings, even low light, the improvement is noticeable but subtle. That speaks more for the outstanding quality and low-light sensitivity of the D5000 sensor (which is shared with the D90) than it speaks against the D5100. With the D5100 you get higher resolution for improved cropping, and the 14-bit RAW images offer greater dynamic range for more flexibility after the shot is taken.Speaking of RAW format, as with any new camera, there is a bit of a wait until updates are available for your favorite camera software. As of May 18th, Adobe, Apple, and Nikon have added support for the D5100 RAW files, so you can use Aperture, iPhoto, Nikon View NX2 (v2.1.1 and later), Nikon Capture NX2 (v2.2.7 and later), Lightroom 3 or Photoshop CS5 (via Adobe Camera RAW 6.4 or later). If you use other photo software or another platform, you may want to verify RAW support for the D5100.Compared to my D5000, Nikon has gone back and addressed most of my concerns on ergonomics and performance:- camera body is roughly 10% smaller and 10% lighter- 16.2 megapixel CMOS DX-format image sensor (shared with D7000) captures 14-bit RAW images and offers +1fs greater low-light sensitivity- ISO 100-6400 range with expansion to 25,600 ISO (D5000 minimum is 200 and expansion to 12,300)- high resolution (920k pixel) display for greater detail in image previews (although I had to bump up the default brightness one notch for accuracy)- side-mounted articulating display no longer interferes with tripod (the D5000 display is inconveniently hinged at the bottom)- dramatically improved (now usable!) LiveView mode with continuous autofocus even in HD video mode (more on that later)- full HD 1080p movie capture without the "jelly effect" (unless you move VERY quickly from side-to-side), in more standard H.264 mode up to 22 min (D5000 is AVI format 720p up to 5min)- slightly better control position (LiveView is now a rocker switch on the mode dial, Video Rec

The Nikon D5100 brings the high quality 16.2 megapixel sensor, great low-light performance, and full HD video capability with all the frame rate options from the popular pro-sumer D7000 to the enthusiast level model - and then includes a fully adjustable side-mounted rotating screen to boot. The D5100 should prove to be an excellent option for new dSLR users plus those experienced enthusiasts wishing to upgrade their D50, D60, or even their D3000 to gain additional megapixels, shooting and processing speed, video, and an improved rear LCD screen. The variety of features and functions offered on the various Nikon dSLR cameras might make it difficult to choose between them, but there are some important differences.The new Nikon D5100 sits just above the D3100, a bit below the aging D90, and several steps below the fully-featured and highly customizable Nikon D7000. The D5100 boasts a 16 megapixel image sensor (just like the D7000), shoots 4 frames per second in continuous mode, has HD video capability at 24, 25, and 30 fps, and includes the fully rotating rear LCD screen improved in flexibility from the screen of the D5000.Generally as the cameras increase in price and capability from the entry level model to the enthusiast pro-sumer model they gain more sophisticated autofocus and exposure metering systems, shoot faster (more frames per second) in continuous shooting mode, have more controls and buttons for changing settings on the camera body, and offer more menu and custom function options.Sensor and Image Quality: The sensors of the D5100 and D7000 are greatly improved over the older D90 in a couple of ways. The D5100 and D7000 have 16.2 megapixel sensors, where the D90 has 12.3 megapixels. The relatively new D3100 has a 14.2 MP sensor. This increase in resolution allows for more intrusive editing of the files in Photoshop, the ability to crop a picture and still obtain an image with high enough resolution for printing or display, and allows for larger prints. In addition, the improved sensor results in better performance at high ISO settings and in low light, better dynamic range, tonal range, and color sensitivity. Have a look at the dxomark website to compare the sensors.Exposure Metering: The D5100, while sharing a similar sensor to the D7000, does not have the same advanced metering system. It shares the less sophisticated 420 pixel RGB metering sensor of the D3100 and offers matrix metering, non-adjustable center-weighted, and spot metering modes. This system may be more than sufficient for many users, especially those not intending to adjust their exposure settings and dig into their menus in reaction to complex lighting situations. But if your shooting demands require more precise exposure metering and control over the size of the areas being metered, you need to consider the D7000 or D90. The 2016 pixel RGB metering sensor of the D7000 is also improved compared to the D90, and will result in more accurate metering performance of straightforward and complex lighting scenes and situations. Both these cameras offer matrix metering, center-weighted, and spot metering modes. With center-weighted metering on the D90, you can select the size of the center-weighted area to be a 6, 8, or 10mm center circle, and the D7000 adds a 13mm circle option.Autofocus: The autofocus systems of the D3100, D5100, and D90 all have 11 autofocus (AF) points with the center one being a more accurate cross-type. These AF systems may be more than sufficient for most users, and they can successfully track moving objects in the frame such as athletes, performers, or animals. However, if you specialize in sports, action, wildlife, or bird photography, you are going to want to consider the much more sophisticated, accurate, and customizable AF system of the D7000. The D7000 boasts a significantly improved AF system of 39 AF points with 9 of them being cross type. The AF system of the D7000 allows for you to use these points in various ways including automatic AF point selection, single point AF, and dynamic area AF using your choice of 9 points, 21 points, all points, or all points with 3D-tracking. It is important to note that the D5100 and D3100 do not have an autofocusing motor built into the body so you have to be sure to purchase lenses with built-in AF motors. For example, the Nikon "Nifty 50" 50mm f/1.8 will not autofocus with these cameras. The D7000 and D90 have the built-in motor.Body, Construction and Size/ Weight: The D5100 is just slightly larger and a tiny bit heavier than the D3100, both weighing just over one pound. Both have plastic bodies and more limited buttons and controls that the higher end models. Many users should find its size and weight great for using and carrying around, though some prefer the ergonomics of a larger body. The D90 and D7000 appear very similar at first glance, but the plastic body of the D90 has been upgraded to the partially magnesium alloy body (top and rear) of the D7000. This

I shoot sports for a local paper and I am always running into "pro" photographers with their $5,000 cameras and $10,000 lenses. Obviously you need to spend big bucks for high end gear, but I needed to find that sweet spot between performance and what I could afford, and the Nikon 5100 hits it.Light sensitivity is something I really needed. Shooting action under artificial lighting, indoors or out, is challenging. The 5100 has a maximum ISO of 6400, though it also has 4 "Hi-" settings above 6400. (I read somewhere that Hi-2 is like 25,000 ISO.) So I can shoot at 320-500 speed and get great shots in challenging light. It's also helpful if you invest in a low-light lens like an f2.8 or f1.8.It also has built-in retouch and trim modes so I can enhance shots mid-game, then have them ready to send after. The 5100 had a swivel screen if you want to shoot video or take a photo holding the camera way over your head, though it takes longer for the camera to shoot when in that mode. It takes nice video but I rarely use that feature. The 16.2MP CMOS is plenty for me but the D5200 has 24MP with all the features of the 5100.I bought the D5100 package with the 18-55 and 70-200 lenses and bag for $750. I then added a Nikon f1.8 50mm lens for $220 and the Sigma 70-33mm leans for $144. Toss in a $20 monopod and I'm ready for anything.

My camera shoots black images after two years and I had to send it in via UPS (cost me 20 bucks) and had it repaired for $130. Got the camera back and used it around the house two times and it worked fine so I thought the issue was fixed. I took it to an amusement park and it wasn't working again (less than a month later I got the camera back and it was the third time I picked up the camera to use after I received it back from Nikon).It's pain in the butt calling Nikon trying to talk to someone. This camera is not worth the time and headache (calling Nikon is not fun. trust me. I had to do it three times. A lot of hold time.). Now I have to ship it back to Nikon (at least they are sending me a shipping label this time-but that's the least they can do, I think.) and can't even use the camera for probably another three to four weeks!Don't be stuck in a situation like me and DO NOT BUY THIS CAMERA! Look up on google and you will see that other people had similar issues (black images) with Nikon cameras.

So here are the two shots that I used to test the D5100s:1) One shot, 30 sec long w/ cap on to find hot pixels.2) One shot, 2.5sec, f/36, 200mm, out of focus, laptop screen as target (Empty Word Document). Shot auto-toned in Photoshop to see dead pixels and dust.The units tested and results:1) From a well known brick store that turned into online store (refurbished kit D5100 and 18~55mm): Dust spots + hot pixels on sensor.2) From a well known and very respected brick store's website (new kit D5100 and 18~55mm): Dust spots + hot pixels on sensor.3) Replacement from above store's website (new kit D5100 and 18~55mm): Dust spots on sensor + hot pixels on sensor.4) Local mom-and-pop, very respected store, tested by their tech. (new D5100): Dust spots on sensor + dead pixels on sensor.5) Local electronics store chain (new kit D5100 and 18~55mm): Dust spots on sensor.(Serial 3256xxx)6) Replacement from above chain store (new kit D5100 and 18~55mm): Dust spots on sensor + dead pixels on sensor.(Serial 3255xxx)7) From a very very well known website (new kit D5100 and 18~55mm): Dust spots on sensor + dead pixels on sensor.8) One more unit from chain in (5) (6) (new kit D5100 and 18~55mm): Dust spots on sensor + hot pixel on sensor. (Serial 32555806)9) Exchange from chain checked in store (new kit D5100 and 18~55mm): hot pixel on sensor visible on LCD (w/ cap on). (Serial 3253032)10) Exchange from chain checked in store (new kit D5100 and 18~55mm): hot pixel on sensor visible on LCD (w/ cap on). (Serial 3251783)11) One more unit from brick store of (1) that I showed to the salesperson (new kit D5100 and 18~55mm): hot pixel on sensor visible on LCD (w/ cap on). (Serial 327xxxx)12) Instant exchange of the one in (11) (new kit D5100 and 18~55mm): Dust spots on sensor + no hot pixels on sensor visible on LCD (w/ cap on). (Serial 328xxxx)All units had shutter-counts below 20 when I got them, all except one (the body only in '4') used the lenses that came in the kit and none showed improvement by using built-in sensor dust cleaner and the "Rocket Blower". Total indoor envirnoment for the first two shots was less than 20 seconds taken in connecting the body to the lens (camera body pointing down and lens back pointing up).Should I say more, are they moving these cameras without QC at all. Even if I discount for dust itself, I mean how much time does it realistically take to do a pixel remap for dead/hot pixels at QC when the item will take more time, effort, money and reputation later. If these are "test escapes" then that means that these units went out without "burn-in" which means that more dead/hot pixels will show up as the unit ages.This dust could actually be oil splatters (like in D7000 issues) and perhaps that is why it does not respond to built in dust-cleaner and "rocket blower"... Either way Nikon should do something about their QC on this model...-P.S.-I tested the unit in (12) for hot pixels at ISO 100/2000/6000 and found 3 hot pixels in 6000, 1 in 2000 (not the saem as in 6000) and none in 100. This is the best unit thus far so I took it to shop mentioned in (4) for cleaning and for $35 they removed 6 out of the 8 stuborn (which do not respond to "rocket blower") dust spots. I think I will call it a day here and keep this unit hoping that it does not "grow" any dead pixels.I called Nikon and found them to be polite but un-appologetic about the whole issue. They offered free shipping on a D5100 from their website and retro-actively pay for return if the unit was found w/ dead/hot pixels or dust on sensor. Good call but I decided to go with a local shop to ensure quick turn around, especially if its the exact same price (price + tax + no shipping).I am holding my 1/5 stars because 1/12 is not the best score for a new product...

I bought this product for my wife, who has a good eye, but has never learned about photography, and is only sort of interested in the qualities of light, contrast, color, etc. She primarily likes to have a product that she can use. Like a car - she wants to be able to drive it, she is not really interested in how powerful the engine is, or what kind of electronics are in it.She loves this camera. She is able to take pictures in a variety of settings and light conditions, and has great success in getting good pictures. Her primary target is my tennis playing son, so she needs to be able to capture motion, and have him be in focus. The sports setting on the camera does a great job with that. She has this paired with the 18-200 Nikon lens, and finds that to be perfect. For those wondering about the need for an external flash (I have one), she has not run into many situations that the internal flash has not been adequate for most things, although there is a problem with red-eye (which should be expected).Set up is quick, simple, and intuitive. She has no problems with transferring pictures, and getting what she needs in the settings. As she has progressed, and wants to be able to take pictures in more "difficult" settings (for instance at a person with a bright light source in the background), she has been able to read, and learn how to do this, so the camera has grown with her.I would consider myself a advanced amateur, and also find this camera to be a joy to use, although I do miss some settings that I have on my D90.I would recommend this camera to anyone from beginner (that wants a camera they can grow with, not just a point and shoot - it does a great job, but probably a waste of money - there are many cheaper options that would do fine for that) to an advanced amateur. The camera is easy to use, and able to take high quality pictures in a variety of settings. The program modes are exceptional in their ability to do as they are supposed to most of the time. Build quality is great, and weight / ergonomic aspects are very good. My wife has normal size hands for a woman and she finds it quite comfortable. For the tennis tournaments, I did convince her to use a monopod, and she agrees she gets much better pictures now.

I bought this camera to use in a professional capacity. I do marketing and communications for an NGO in Haiti and I've also done some work for an NGO in Afghanistan. I use it to capture photos and video to use in a marketing materials and communications for these organizations. Before I got the Nikon I was using a Canon Rebel XS 10.1 MP SLR and a separate Sony video camera. It was completely cumbersome and inefficient -- I wasn't working to my full potential in either photography or videography because of it. And although I was initially skeptical of a photo/video combination SLR, the sheer convenience of the idea won me over.Let me stress that although I purchased this camera to use in a professional capacity I am not a professional photographer (whatever that means these days). But I swear with this camera I could be a staff photographer on National Geographic. I've photographed and shot some really interesting environments under harsh conditions and this camera turned everything into pure magic. The video quality is even better than what I got with a standalone video camera. You get stunning photographs and crystal clear video with bright, vivid colors at the push of a button.And although I can't say enough good things about this camera, I do want to point out a few tips that potential buyers should be aware of:1. The battery life on the video is really, really short. I had a backup battery that I kept in my bag fully charged and there were many days where I went through two batteries in the first half of the day. I eventually learned to manage my time a bit better and only film when I really thought it was needed, but I prefer not to have to work like that -- you never know what you might need later on. So I would highly suggest buying at bare minimum one extra battery if you plan to use this for anything more extensive that facebook video uploads.2. Watch out for the auto focus on video mode. I wouldn't exactly say it's auto focus because on quite a few occasions the camera failed to auto focus or auto focused on the completely wrong thing in video mode. By the end of my first 3-week trip with this camera, I had learned the tricks to it: Like switch to photo mode on auto focus then back to video mode if you want to be sure it's focused, or just use manual focus if you know you'll be shooting a more or less fixed object. This was by far my biggest gripe with this camera.3. The built-in mic is surprisingly good -- although I could see it being a problem for people who are picky about their sound. I was on the move all the time working in an austere environment, so I didn't want to bother with an external mic and the built-in sufficed. And I didn't feel like dropping another $200 on an external mic. But I may make this investment in the future.4. It gets heavy. That's not to say this isn't a light, compact camera for what it does -- it definitely is. But I'm petite and found it a bit of an awkward challenge to hold this camera in the right position when shooting. Why didn't I use a tripod? Again, because I was on the move so much, shooting things that were happening in a chaotic environment. With a video camera, this wouldn't have been a problem -- I would have either been shooting off the shoulder or using a handycam. But with this you've got to hold it out. And it definitely gets tiring.5. Don't forget to buy a gigantic, high-speed memory card for the video.6. I initially bought a gray market version of this camera online. I had no idea what that meant until my friendly neighborhood camera shop owner told me what it meant. I ended up returning it and re-buying it, basically at full retail, at a camera shop. Was this necessary? Probably not. I could have saved myself the $100. But, like I said, I in and around some pretty harsh and unpredictable environments and the camera can take a beating. I wanted the peace of mind of knowing that if something happened, I could bring it back to the U.S. and get it fixed without any problems. I would encourage any buyer to do their research on this issue before making a purchase from any seller. I'm not accustomed to dropping $1,000 bucks on one item so I wanted to be really careful.But anyway I am completely enamored with this camera. It was worth every penny.

I actually did professional photojournalism for a number of years. At this stage however, I'm an amateur and enjoy general photography: people, events, kids, nature, travel, etc.... I've owned a D-5100 for a year and a half now. Here's some quick pros and cons. Hopefully people will find my review helpful:Pros:1. Small, handy, light, ergonomic, and very well balanced camera.2. Easy to get started, with plenty of features and flexibility to grow into and be creative.3. Plenty of lenses (and many inexpensive) for every occasion.4. Reliable, durable, and well built.5. Good focus mechanism which actually doesn't let you down in low light as some other amateur series DSLR's do.6. Great noise reduction, which allows for higher ISO shooting at low light.7. Image quality at par with any pro series DSLR up to ISO 800. At higher ISOs you do have slight noise buildup, but you'll have to pay $2000 for a camera that can produce better images.8. Great deal nowadays with the discounts offered.Cons:1. Battery life could be better. This is no big deal however, as you can buy a couple of Wasabi brand batteries for $20 each and you will always have charge.2. Camera doesn't have in-body motor for autofocus, so your autofocus speed and quality will depend to a great extend on the lens you have.3. If you buy this camera it has the smaller 3/4 sensor which uses a different size lens. If you are looking at moving up the ladder to full size sensor camera in the future, your lenses from this camera won't be useful on a full sized sensor camera.For general photography I would suggest you buy the Nikon D5100 body only (don't bother with the Nikon lens packages that come with it, just get the body). Then buy the Sigma 18-250 Macro HSM lens ($500)...That one lens on this camera will have you covered. The Sigma lens is absolutely of superb quality. Also go ahead and invest is some inexpensive polarizer and UV filters ($20), a nice collapsible rubber hood ($20), along with the Nikon SB-400 flash ($100)[Get a flash because not only do you get more power than on camera flashes, but you also manage to eliminate the flash-shadow problem of on-camera flash on power zooms. You also won't be using your in camera batteries to fire up the flash].I think if I do the math right, the package I've just described should add up to about $1000 and weight no more than 2 lbs. With this combination you can take the same quality pics as a $3000 system, 99% of the time...Ask any questions you like and I'll try to check back and answer them...hopefully this review will help you...

I bought a Nikon D5100 with these TWO "kit" lenses: 18-55 and 55-200mm. As background, I have 45 years "serious amateur" experience in photography, but little in digital photography. My first "serious" digital SLR was a SONY A100 that I bought so I could use my Minolta AF lenses. At this time, I wanted to update my camera because technology had advanced so much! It was a major decision to change camera brands because of my investment over the years in Minolta AF mount lenses. BUT, I wanted something lighter than the SONY "professional" cameras, and something with a better imaging reputation.I shot approximately 90 test images with each of the lenses. After carefully reviewing them at 100% magnification in Photoshop, I can honestly say that only 1 of the 180 photos was genuinely sharp.The 55-200 had trouble focusing under certain circumstances even in mid-day on a mostly cloudy but well lighted day. In addition to the lack of sharpness either the lenses, the sensor or the in camera software did a poor job with contrast and color rendition. Neither zoom ring moved "smoothly." Both felt "rough." I understand that they are relatively cheap "kit" lenses, but I expect much better from a lens with the Nikkor name!The mirror in the SLR body did something indicative of poor design, poor quality and/or poor manufacturing. It shifted at the last moment as it seated itself. It was not aligned properly for its travel and seating.There is something about the design of the D5100 body front where it is supposed to fit your right hand that was VERY uncomfortable for me. This could be a personal issue since hand sizes vary.Fortunately, I was able to return the camera for a full refund!Overall, I was EXTREMELY disappointed! I expected MUCH better from Nikon. I then bought a Canon T3i with 18-55 and 55-250mm "kit" lenses, which is roughly equivalent to the Nikon D5100 package but $100 more. I had read MANY reviews, both professional and user. They almost unanimously favored the Nikon which is why I first tried the Nikon. I have now had the Canon for about two weeks and shot perhaps 200 "test" images. Out of these, most are extremely sharp even magnified to 200% in Photoshop. While both lenses appear to focus quickly and properly in all lighting conditions, I had trouble at the 250mm end. In defense of the lens, I do NOT yet know how to change the focusing parameters (spot versus wide area)and I was trying to capture either a distant deer or bird both partly hidden in a mess of branches or trees. The camera did not know what I wanted to focus on. Exposure, color and contrast rendition are excellent!Oddly, in the full automatic setting, the camera wants to use the flash in situations that I do NOT believe call for flash. Interestingly, and useful for idiot-proof photography, in full automatic the camera's brain alters the ISO setting to afford "optimum" settings for a decent photo. They may not be the settings a knowledgeable photographer would choose, but they work!The camera body appears to be solid, properly designed, engineered and manufactured. Unfortunately, it is slightly heavier than the Nikon, which is a major factor for me.If you are looking for a DSLR in this price range, I highly recommend the Canon T3i (aka EOS 600D ).

DO NOT BE CAUGHT IN THE $200 off SCAM! THIS CAMERA IS DEFECTIVE. They're not giving you a discount because of the generosity of their hearts. It's because the autofocus system is flawed. I, however, bought this at full price.I have been a huge Nikon fan ever since learning photography at university. I've used the D40, D40X, D5000 and naturally thought that the D5100 was a fabulous upgrade. Never really wanted Canon cause I hate change! But I did check the comparisons. The colors are awesome but guess what, the camera has some serious flaws.It almost never focuses on the subject choosing the focus on the background unless you use it in manual mode. It takes a long time to focus since the autofocus keeps searching, at times the shutter will not work. Other times, the camera won't focus, PERIOD! If you use it now and then as a hobby you wont notice it. But if you're shooting continuous, then you're in for some serious problems...More than half the images are ruined if so little.I am extremely upset and now have to send the camera for Nikon to 'repair" depending on their 'assessment'. Other reviews on Amazon says Nikon refuses to repair the camera or replace it saying warranty does not cover it etc.... I paid so much for this camera and now it has to be repaired if Nikon decides its covered by the warranty???? In addition to which I have to PAY to ship it back to them???I want my money back because this has ruined many events. I am not the only one with this problem since many are complaining. Apparently the D7000 has it according to my research. Check youtube and other forums. Youtube actually shows how to fix the backfocusing but I am not going to interfere with the camera. DO NOT BE FOOLED WITH THE $200 off. THE REASON IS BECAUSE THE AUTOFOCUS SYTEM IS FLAWED!!! It is not just me because my friend and I bought the same camera and her autofocus system gives problem also. She also gets BLACK IMAGES from a defective shutter. Check Amazon reviews before buying! So its not just a flawed one in the batch. Now I'm stuck with Nikon accessories such as lens, flash...Will add more when I send the camera to Nikon to repair since customer service seemed to be good so far.A few people wanted to upgrade to this model but I actually showed them the flaws. And some wanted the D7000. But when I told them about the problems...But get this, my friend who wanted to upgrade from his D3100, his camera is flawless. I would have thought the more expensive camera would have been better but apparently not.UPDATE: The camera and the lens was sent to Nikon for they to figure out what the problems was. According to Nikon status its a B1 repair. They said they've adjusted the autofocus system and I am crossing my fingers that it has been repaired. If not I'm sending it right back and making some noise. Some people stated the backfocusing issue they had was never resolved or if it was took more than one repair. I sincerely hope this is not the case. As promised, Nikon repaired the item within the stipulated 10 days but it took another 10 days to ship. So crossing my fingers, will update when the camera arrives.

We're no pros by any means, and we wanted to keep our budget for the camera and lenses to under $1,000-$1,1000. I read numerous reveiws on consumer reports, dpreview.com (which is an incredible site for camera education), and on bestbuy, and B&H photo. I finally narrowed my choice down to the Canon T3i and the Nikon D5100. They both have great features - many of which I'll probably never use, but I would love to try. Finally, I went to Best Buy, just to hold the camera, and see how it felt shooting with it. Without question, the Nikon was extremely superior. I think in terms of options and features, they're both pretty equal. In terms of ergonomics and how the camera feels in your hand, the Canon didn't cut it. I'm a guy with average size hands, and it felt like the Canon was made for someone with much smaller hands. The right hand grip was narrow, the gripping material felt cheaper, and overall it was just awkward feeling. If I were to use this camera for more than 5 minutes, I'm sure I would get a hand cramp. The shooting speed was very slow too. I think the camera at Best Buy had the 18-55mm lens on it, and it took a long time to focus in between shots. It was very slow. We were getting this camera to take pictures of our 2 year old, who does not sit still, so our main requirement was to have a quick camera. I went home and immediately purchase the Nikon on Amazon. The Nikon D5100 felt great. It fit in my hand perfectly, and was very comfortable. My wife loves it too, and has no problems handling the camera. The focusing is extremely fast, which enables us to take quick pictures with great results. We did something different with our purchase, which we were very happy with. Rather than the stock lenses (18-55 and 70-300mm lenses) we purchased the camera/body-only, a Nikkor AF-S 50mm/f1.8G prime lens Nikon 50mm f/1.8G AF-S NIKKOR FX Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras, and the Sigma 18-250mm f/3.5-6.3 DC OS HSM IF Sigma 18-250mm f/3.5-6.3 DC OS HSM IF Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras lenses. The Sigma lens gives us everything we need - the ability to zoom in and get close ups from far away, or the ability to get a wide shot. The 50mm prime lens is awesome. It is perfect for shots in dark rooms or at weddings, and we've used it to take portrait/family type shots too. The D5100 is fantastic. We could not be happier. The pictures are so clear, the focusing is so quick, and the menus on the camera are very easy to navigate through. Overall, I give this camera a 10/10. Sidenote - we also purchased the AmazonBasics Backpack AmazonBasics Backpack for SLR Cameras and Accessories-Blackto store the camera/equipment in. The bag fits everything, is comfortable to carry, and will not tip over when you set it down. I highly recommend it.

Remember the days when the Nikon F, F2, F3 were considered the Top of the Line, PROFESSIONAL, cameras? I bought the F2 for $350 from the Altman camera store in Chicago in 1975 and still have it. I have bought MANY various cameras since of all shapes, brands and sizes.I now own a Nikon 5100. I am relentlessly ASTOUNDED by the things this camera can do and the AMAZING, almost 3D, images it produces.These images are very often FAR SUPERIOR to ones put out by the Nikon F professional line.Images just as amazing can be captured with the Nikon D3100 and other DSLR Nikons INCLUDING the D40. The ever increasing megapixels is a MARKETING gimmick. There is no new scientific innovation, each year, that makes it possible for the camera makers to produce new cameras with higher megapixels. This is simply done to entice people, especially men who's egos drive them to own the latest, greatest and TECHNICALLY better, to "upgrade" and spend their money.HERE'S A COUPLE OF DIRTY LITTLE SECRETS: You don't get much difference in PHOTO quality by putting more money into the body. What you get is more bells and whistles. Not to say that's bad. It's COOL if you have the money. The new cameras have metering systems and other features we didn't even DREAM about back in the F series days. In terms of image quality, the more important piece of equipment is the LENS. Nikon calls the D40 to the D7000 "Entry Level" or "pro-sumer" models to entice you to SPEND MORE MONEY. HOW are these cameras "entry level" when they can take ANY one of the previous "PRO" film models and KICK THEIR ASS???Here's the last quirky reason for the misconception: Even with the previous PRO model cameras it took years of learning and experience and TALENT to produce professional looking images. There was pride in calling yourself a Pro Photographer because your photographs were usually far superior to those who took snap shots. Today's cameras automatic exposure features are SO good that ANYONE can take amazing photos in about 15 minutes as long as they have an eye for framing good shots. It is immensely disappointing, and a real blow to the ego, of people who fancy themselves a professional or highly experienced photogs when Joe Blow or Suzy Homemaker whips out their beautiful photographs of the kids that they took THEMSELVES with their D40. For some, their recourse is to say you're not a pro unless you have a $5,000 camera. You just have an "entry level" camera (even though you may be using the exact same lens as they do.)The "pro" will spout about shooting RAW, then using $200 software to "tweak" his photos. But is it worth investing your considerable time and money when, probably, 96% of people cannot SEE the difference or care? If you can afford the top of the line camera body then buy it. But don't get suckered into spending more than you can afford by marketing gimmicks and resentful "Pro" photographers making stupid comments. If you can keep your ego in check you will LOVE whatever camera you decide is right for you. The money you save can be used to buy all those cool photo gadgets .

I had the D60 for almost 3 years, which was an excellent camera, but my skills reached the camera's limitations rather quickly. I had to upgrade.I was torn between the D3100 and the D5100 - the D7000 was outside my price range :( . I chose the D5100 since it uses the same 16 MP sensor as the fantastic D7000. These things addressed are mostly stuff that wasn't on the D60Pros1. Great image resolution - you will not get better image quality from any similar priced camera. The colorization engine inside the processor is excellent - it seems to preserve sharpness, and you can choose the sharpness in camera.2. Exposure Bracketing - this is one thing that the D60 didn't have that I was really missing out on.3. In-camera RAW processing. This is super handy. I don't wanna have to turn on the ol' computer and open my hacked copy of CS5 every time. The ViewNX software is atrocios since it tuns its own sharpening routine automatically which accents any grain. (i could go on and on about the ViewNX but it's free so i can't complain too much)4. D-lighting is somewhat useful for jpeg output.5. White balance settings are modifiable.6. LCD is reticulating. Yes this is kinda gimicky, but it does have its usefulness once in a while.7. Live view mode - and it has face recognition! (see cons 1 below)8. HD video - while i do not use this much, it is nice to have.9. Quiet shutter mode - this means the shutter mirror return happens AFTER you release the shutter button. The camera only make one click when you take a picture. You don't get the typical snap-snap that SLR's are known for.10. AUto-ISO mode allow minumum shutter speed setting (very nice)Cons1. Shooting in live view mode is really cumbersome - there is noticeable lag from shutter press to activation. This is not typically a problem, but if you are tightly composing your shot it'll be an issue since the hand shake may move the image lightly in that half-second timeframe before it actually captures the photo.2. Flash sync speed only down to 1/200 seconds? BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. MINUS one star for that3. Auto-ISO seems to ignore the fact that you are using the flash - this means that in a dark room, if you take a picture with the flash, you will get an extremely grainy image since the camera used an ISO rating that you would use WITHOUT the flash. MINUS one star for this.4. Battery life seems noticeably less for this generation.

I ordered this product for my wife for her Birthday. She's been wanting a camera and all the reviews I've read have mentioned that it is an easy to use, entry level camera that takes great pictures!This sounds great, right? Expect for when my wife can't take pictures with it because it didn't come with the lens I paid for. Not once but twice.So, even after I received the second one without the 18x55mm lens, I call customer service; Brian. Brian, says that he'll send a third the very next day, 29Aug13, and have the other picked up at the same time. One issue with this is that someone has to be present at the time of pick-up and drop off.My wife waits around all day to receive the camera she so desperating wants...and nothing ever comes.I call customer service again today. Jessica explains to me that she has to give me a refund when a costumer receives the same item defective twice(thanks Brian) and they have to investigate. In order to refund the amount for the expensive camera her lead has to get involved. Great, they can refund the camera and UPS will pick-up.But, at anytime does Amazon care that my wife wasted an entire day waiting for the camera promised to her?No.This is BS, and not good costumer service. At this point I feel like I should get to keep the camera that won't take pictures and receive my full refund anyway. Or, maybe just receive a free lens.Either way, time is one thing that we cannot get back in life and I don't plan on wasting anymore of it on this site.Here I come overstock.

As my title says, i'm a photography student. the school doesn't guarantee that they will have enough cameras for every student, so they strongly suggest you purchase your own. (to even sign up for classes you need access to a DSLR)Before deciding on this camera, i looked at several of the reviews on other cameras. The 3100 didn't seem to have enough features for me. and the D7100 was too expensive for me. (I figured when i first purchased it that i'd need a little time to practice with it and play around with some of the features.)Since completing my first few classes, i no longer use any of the program modes, everything is on manual. I have become a control freak, but since i don't have access to a computer with editing software, i do use a lot of the in camera editing, such as changing things to black and white, or quick retouch and some of the other useful little features in there.I've had a chance to play with some of my classmates cameras. A couple of my classmates had the D3000 and the D3100, and those only reassure me that i got the right one.I love the the flip out screen. It does wonders when you're trying to shoot a video of yourself for a tutorial. Also, for a family portrait while using a remote, it makes it so easy to make sure everyone is in frame. Also, for someone like me, having the screen able to turn against the back of the camera to protect it is a godsend. (i constantly have to put little screen protectors on everything i own or deal with heavily scratched screens on phones and ipods.)The in camera editing software is fun and helpful. I like how the buttons are placed, and there are enough buttons that you don't have to spend hours trying to figure out how to sort through your different menus and adjust your settings with several multi-use buttons.

I picked up a D5100 with the 18-55 mm lens and the 55-200 lens on sale at a price that was just too good to be true, and I don't regret it at all. The thing that sold me was that the sensor was the same as in the D7000 but the price was a lot different. The sensor is the heart of the DSLR, and the D100 delivers. There are some neat features on it and some that are ok. Mainly I bought this for when I don't want to carry a bigger heavier camera around all day. The 55-200 is a decent street sweeper type lens and it is pretty sharp. I rarely use the 18-55 except for wide angle shots.If you decide to get this, you'll have a camera that can produce some good results without having to do much editing at all. One accessory I would pick up is a Nikon SB-400 flash for it, the on camera flash is just not powerful enough, but it does a decent job as a fill in flash. One thing I really liked was that you could put up a grid pattern on the screen.Compared to a D-3, or even a D-2, well there is no comparison, you can't compare a pro series all metal weatherproof camera to a entry level or pro-sumer camera. But if you just want good pictures and if you grow your skills this camera will grow with you. All in all you can't go wrong with this camera in my opinion.

This is a simple review and the D5100 is simply amazing! I visited many stores to try different brands and models, including its closest competitor Canon Rebel T3i. I also borrowed from friends to try as well. In the end, D5100 was the winner based on my hands-on experience. You probably have read numerous reviews and got more confused. I was one of you. My advice: visit a store and try cameras yourself.I like the way D5100 fits in my hands (good ergonomics); it is lighter and smaller to carry around (in comparison with other DSLRs); though it is made of plastic (most entry- and mid- level DSLRs are) yet very solid and well- built; its shutter sound is music to my ear; its menu is instinctive and thus easy to get used to; the swivel 3" LCD screen is very convenient; its battery life is relatively long, especially if you use viewfinder instead of live-view most of the time (you should try to do so, as most pros do); its auto-focus is swift and accurate, no "hunting" most of the time; it takes sharp and beautiful pictures, thanks to its newly updated software and hardware; lastly, I like the silver shutter button (I am vain)!However, if you have a smaller budget, the D3100 is the next best thing, and it produce wonderful pictures, too. If you can afford, of course get the D7000 with more buttons to play with and a heavier body to carry around, though the picture quality is about the same as D5100 (same sensor and pixel count) in most shooting conditions.In addition, the kit lens (18mm - 55mm) it comes with is surprisingly good and sharp (tested by "professionals"), which means that you don't need to upgrade your lens gears right away until you are ready to (or your finance allows you to). Believe me, the camera body may become the cheapest asset once you get into serious photography. The lenses are expensive, but they do keep their values. On the other hand, camera body, like cars, depreciates.I am not bias towards Nikon and against others. In fact, I have Sony and Canon, and still own 35mm film Nikon and Pentax. From my experience, D5100 is the best in its class that fits all my needs and most requirements. At the beginning of my search, I charted pros and cons of all possible candidates and ended without conclusions. Then, I realized that, just like buying a car, I needed to "test drive" the cameras also! After all, buying a DSLR is not an easy decision, because it is not a cheap toy (for me anyway) and may accompany for years to come.Furthermore, D5100 can dress-up or dress-down. For a professional, it offers most functions (and some more) that you can fine tune and adjust. However, if you just want an upgrade from a point-n-shoot, it has AUTO and SCENES that you don't need to fiddle anything yet take amazing pictures. Just practice and familiarize with the camera's buttons and functions, you will be very happy with it.Remember, a camera is only a tool. YOU, the photographer, are the one that takes good (or bad) pictures, not the camera. In this modern era, most DSLRs are capable of producing sharp and colorful pictures. The pixel counts, sensors, noises, abrasions, or distortions, etc. can be meaningless, if you don't know how to take good pictures. My conclusion: D5100 is an excellent tool to practice and explore your artistic skills.

I have a d300 already, just bought d5100 this week. I can see the image quality improvement of d5100 over d300 (about 10-20% sharper and clearer, high ISO is also better, 1600 is still acceptable. But colors are not that rich as d300, and a little bit slower than d300). Overall, it's a good one. I give it four stars because of two minor (but very annoying) problems with the viewfinder:1. If I don't wear my near-sight classes, the viewfinder is blurry to my eyes however I adjust the diopter, thus I have to wear my glasses to use it. My d300 doesn't have that problem and can be adjusted easily.2. D5100 uses something like a red laser dot to indicate the focus point, frequently invisible, and it's hard to see that (unless you keep pressing shutter button), most time you don't know where your camera focus point is. I still like my d300's golden square clear focus indicator.

This camera is small but packs a punch!! I am a professional photographer and I use this camera as a remote and a backup!! I got the 50mm F1.8G for it and it is a beauty!! This would be a great camera for Mom or kid. I am also a photojournalism teacher/ Instructor and I would recommend this setup for any of my students/ adults/ kids wanting to learn photography. I would always recommend to people to by the lens and the camera body separately you will be happier in the long run with this camera if you stay away from the kit that comes with a lens or lenses... The F1.8 aperture on the 50mm is so AWESOME it will change your religion!! Just kidding But it is really great and will open so many shooting environments for you.

This review is not going to cover the specs and advanced features of this camera because others have done that with far greater finesse than I could ever manage. If that is what you need or want, then please move on to the next review. I am going to focus on the advantages for someone moving from a point and shoot to this DSLR camera. I have seen comments posted on the web from serious photographers who question why a rank amateur would want anything more than a point and shoot and would like to address those concerns. First of all, this is a teaching camera. You can learn from it and your skills will advance, no matter how humble the skills are in the beginning. In the process of learning, the camera is idiot proof so you will still get great pictures in spite of your lack of sophistication. Secondly, if you have a home with poor lighting, this camera will do far better than any point and shoot that I have ever used. Thirdly, if you don't want to win photography awards but it is still important to you to accurately capture the beauty of whatever it is that you love, this is a great camera. I love to take pictures of my cats, dogs and wildlife on my rural property. This camera, in very bad lighting, accurately takes pictures of my cats' beautiful eyes. I don't need fancy filters, lenses, flashes or lighting. The color is not off and you don't get red eye, blue eye or no eye. I don't really have to do a whole lot of advanced adjusting to accomplish this. Also, the kit lens is much, much better than I expected for my needs. My cats' coats with subtle but beautiful color markings are accurately captured with this camera and kit lens. I have cats that I have taken pictures of for years and never got a good shot of until I got this camera. I got my first great picture of one of my black cats in poor lighting. I have shown that picture to many friends and posted it on Facebook and no one can believe that the photo was taken in such lousy lighting. The thing about pets is they do their cutest stuff in the darkest corners of the room. I have loved that feature the most about this camera. It is an easy camera to use. It is well made and idiot proof when it comes to removing the battery, sliding the SD card in and out, changing from photo to video. Nothing is awkward. My last point and shoot had a lot of "quirks" when putting in batteries and the SD card. No such quirks here. No hard to close hinges. Everything works as it should. For a beginner, this is not something to be taken lightly. Some of us get frustrated rather easily. You can concentrate on learning how to take better pictures rather than how to make the camera work. The menu is idiot proof. No quirks there. Very common sense and intuitive. The camera display is very, very sharp. Very easy to view pictures. You can do some editing of the photos before you load them onto your computer which is sometimes very, very helpful. You will become a better photographer for having this camera. In the process, you will have a lot of fun and get great photos--all without any frustration.One thing I forgot to add, the battery life is wonderful. It was 2 months before I had to recharge. I took about 600 photos at my leisure during that time. That alone is worth the price of the camera.I have to add that I love the colors that this camera picks up. I have ten years of pictures of my gersman shepherd lab who is a reddish gold color. I just went over all the pictures I have of her. Those taken with point and shoots, cell phones, even on two "professional" photographer's photos and the pictures taken by the Nikon D5100 are washed out and dull. Only the the Nikon D5100 captures the deep red/gold hue accurately. I hold a picture next to her, the Nikon pictures are so much like her that I cannot tell any difference whatsoever. I really love this camera.

After years of using the basic "point and shot" and then that earlier this year bought a Kodak Z990 (mostly to get used to the size of the device, although obviously the D5100 is much larger and heavier lol) I decided to buy it model after months of what I thought was an endless and insatiable search and comparison of equipment on the web pages that I think about photography pioneers such as DxOMark, DPReview, Snapsort, Sortable and KenRockwell.The toughest battles were fought mainly between brands Nikon and Sony, I also did important considerations for Pentax and Canon. The only Canon camera that I loved was the 60D but is very expensive for me ($ 1000), I believe that Canon is more to a professional level, that is, to dare to buy any of the 5D Mark but at a lower level other brands Nikon, Sony and Pentax are better. I liked the Pentax K-5 and K-30 mainly because they are practically immune to water, dust and extreme conditions (which gives them great advantage over other brands), but I fall on the same theme money are cameras over $ 900, and are therefore out of reach.So stay in the range of Nikon and Sony whose excellent performance at a lower price level of professionalism and superior to all other brands. I have to note that by Nikon took into account the D3200 and D5100 and by Sony A580 only (this because of information supplied by people DxOMark about the "low noise at high ISO"). The Sony A580 was out of competition due to increased price of $ 850 to over $ 900 while for example the D5100 down to $ 650, almost $ 300 less. I must report that I began to consider Sony's NEX series, especially the new NEX-F3 (the characteristic "bounce flash" and a folding screen to take you forward your own pictures was what I liked), but , also I gave up because I said to myself, for just $ 50 more would take a more serious and professional equipment like the Nikon D5100!.Anyway, I was the fight between the D5100 and D3200, this was the final battle (the hardest and most difficult of all) by the side of the D3200 had a new processor Xpeed 3, a 24MP sensor and a menu of friendly options for beginners like me. On the side of the D5100 had a 360 ° rotatable screen, a device a step up professionally and special effects systems like HDR. All this fight for a little difference of $ 50!. I finally ended up deciding for the D5100 compared to D3200 for two reasons: The screen can be rotated (helps me sometimes to take pictures of my little daughter just months old) and $ 50 less than I paid for it that were used to purchase an accessory , the SB-400 (do not forget to buy it, is very good and help a thousand times the flash with the camera by default).I hope my experience captured here will help them do.

I've used a Nikon D5000 for a few years and loved it but I took notice of this one when it first came out and thought I would upgrade, mostly for things like in-camera HDR and, esp., the higher resolution LCD. Thought about it for a year and a couple of weeks ago decided to go for it. (Something about impending holidays triggers the camera buying urge.) Since I had all the lenses I needed I bought the body only, saving about $100 over the kit price.As expected, it was a great upgrade. What I wasn't expecting was the improvement in full auto mode. I'm able to take decent photos now under conditions the D5000 complained about or didn't do well in. Since I take more photos in full auto mode than not, this is a nice bonus. (I'm not adverse to fussing with shutter speed, aperture, etc., and you can certainly do that all you want with this camera, but I take a lot of casual photos.)If I were buying this as my first Nikon I'd probably buy the body and pay a couple of hundred extra for the 18-105 mm zoom rather than get the kit with the 18-55 zoom. It's a better walking around lens in my opinion. I might also buy the 35mm f1.8 prime lens for low light/indoor shots (or extra crispy shots of any kind). Those were the two lenses I bought when I got my D5000 and I use them the most. (Another useful lens that's reasonably priced is the Tokina 12-24 f4 zoom.)The only (minor) complaint I have is that my non-Nikon TTL flash unit doesn't work properly with the D5100. I get badly overexposed shots with anything other than straight-up, off the ceiling bounce. Probably time to look at getting a real Nikon flash unit.Update on the flash unit problem. My Polaroid brand TTL flash and the D5100's full auto setting don't get along. It works fine in Program mode, though. On the D5000 it worked in either mode, but apparently there is a subtle difference in the D5100 interface. The flash tracks the zoom and aperture, but either the flash is firing at full power or the camera's auto mode is not aware the flash is going to fire and sets up for available light. Newer Polaroid flash units than mine might work better with the D5100.

Been shooting Nikon SLRs for 10 years. I started with the legendary Nikon FM2n film camera in B&W photography class. It was almost a purely mechanical camera, except there was a small lithium ion battery to power the meter. Back in the days of mechanical cameras, you had to stick in the film, pull out the tab and line it up with the notches, then use the level to roll it to the first shot. After every shot, you had to pull another lever to advance it. There were times when I didn't notch the film correctly and I'd end up taking all my pictures on one shot of the film; never knowing it until I got it developed. You also had to adjust the aperture and shutting speed manual with the two dials, while looking through your viewfinder trying to spot the +,0,- signs. But taking pictures with mechanical cameras wasn't the hard part. It was all the time spent in complete darkness in a closet to unroll the film canister and dropping it in container to develop your film; all in the dark. If your solution wasn't mixed properly, your film would be overexposed or completely useless. Those were the times.Fast forward to the Nikon D5100 modern DSLR. It's not only a digital camera, it's also a digital camcorder, and a limited digital dark room that allows you to do some tuning on your photos in the camera itself. This camera starts up and gets shots off fast. If you don't like to think, put it in auto and it'll think for you. If you like to think 'a little', put it in Aperture mode and it'll calculate the shutter speed for you. I've had the D50 previously and I thought I would miss the ISO button, top LCD, and various other buttons. Once I get it started, I've concluded there were way too many bonuses that outweighed the cons of upgrading. The settings panel activted by the "i" button allows you to change frequently used settings very quickly. In the D50 you had to drill down to these menu items. I only miss the ISO button but you can assign that to the terribly placed 'fn' button next to the flash. The 'record' button is also terribly placed btw. I'm fine with all the other placements of the buttons and the screen is just incredible on this. The 16MP sensor is outstanding in detail and low light shooting. The movie mode does not allow you to change F-stops or shutter speeds in the middle of recording. You must stop if you want to change those settings when shooting video. I find the auto focus picks up a lot of lens noise, best if you manual focus and the beautifully sharp screen makes it easy to MF indoors and in the shade. As for the software View NX2, it's not bad for developing RAW. It brings out good detail and shows you the picture it was meant to be seen. It does not have any noise removal features or sensor dust masking. It has most of the basic controls like exposure compensation, white balance, and cropping. It has no history feature. You can export the RAW as a loseless TIFF, where you can continue your editing in say Photoshop or Lightroom should you need advanced tools.Flash is limited to 1/200s and there is no high speed flash synchronization. There is also no remote command of flashes (flashes not attached to the hot shoe).The pictures out of the camera were a bit oversaturated for my tastes, resulting in images that looked over processed and dark areas losing detail. I experimented quite a while trying to figure out how to tune the JPG pictures you get out of the camera. My setting below will give you more natural pictures with a slight hint of color saturation and slight warmth in tone.Standard picture setting+6 sharpening-1 contrast-1 saturationOverall, a superbly designed camera.

...Seriously. If you're reading reviews here, you're most likely thinking about purchasing the D5100. I'm not yet a professional photographer, but I am a serious enthusiast with the intent of eventually taking my photography to the next level. I am the (proud) owner of a Nikon D60, and I can say that the D5100 is a very strong upgrade from the D60. Improvements in image quality were immediately noticed with the D5100, and low light shooting is awesome with this camera. When I bought my D60, I had high hopes for the low light shooting capabilities, however it ended up falling short of my expectations. The D5100 definitely meets the expectations I originally had for the D60 in regards to low light shooting, and possibly even exceeds them a bit. That being said, the D60 is still a great camera which takes great photos, and I would highly recommend it to anyone starting out in SLR photography. The manual for the D60 is definitely a bit better than the D5100's, and explains things in greater detail. The way the buttons feel on the D5100 when pressed seem cheaper than that of the D60, but that's just an observation of mine from owning both cameras, and someone purchasing the D5100 probably wouldn't even notice this unless they had another camera to compare it to. The D5100 still feels solid and of good quality, and you get professional looking image results, even using the kit 18-55mm lens. With the 35mm f1.8 Nikon prime lens, you get even sharper results, and it is definitely a recommended accessory for anyone who purchases this camera. I purchased this camera in February because I wanted to have it for a vacation I was taking. Needless to say it did not disappoint!For those interested in HDR photography, this camera does have an auto bracketing feature which can be used in conjunction with the self timer, allowing for hands free operation (granted you have a tripod.) However, you can only do one image over and one image under exposed using this option, and the timer (or auto bracketing) have to be reset after each series of images due to the assign button only having the capability of one feature being assigned to it at a time. This is something that I didn't happen to notice in anyone's review here, (maybe I just missed it?) but would have liked to have known ahead of time. Certainly not a deal breaker though, and no reason to give it less than 5 stars. I could go on and on, but there's not much here with everyone's reviews that hasn't already been said. Basically, almost all of the positive comments here are most likely true, and buying this camera should be a purchase that you won't regret. Especially when it's on sale! It's essentially a less professional version of the D7000 with the same image quality for half the price. I originally wanted the D7000, but couldn't justify the price. I can say with confidence that I made the right choice by saving my money and going for the D5100. Invest in some good lenses, because that's going to make the biggest difference!

I looked at all of the entry to mid-level dslrs and the D5100 best fit my needs as an "experienced beginner". Initially, I was a bit hesitant, because I was afraid I'd outgrow it rather quickly, so I also bought a D7000 intending to return one of them (I know, this is sometimes frowned upon, but Amazon's excellent return privileges are there for a reason).They're both great cameras and you can't go wrong with either. But I've decided to keep the D5100 for a number of reasons, including:- To my eyes, image quality is virtually indistinguishable between the 2 cameras, and I engaged in some serious pixel-peeping while reaching this conclusion. Both use the same Sony sensor. Where the D7k probably has an edge is with sports and capturing moving subjects in low light (neither of which I had the chance to shoot).- Both of the D7000's I tried had backfocusing problems due to faulty bodies. What are the odds of that?- The D7000 overexposes in bright/high contrast scenes, requiring -ev adjustment to prevent loss of detail from highlight clipping. Some may not mind this, but I think that, in its default state, the camera shouldn't overexpose to the point of losing detail, unless you're shooting in full manual mode and have chosen the wrong settings. Sometimes you don't have time to set ev comp to take advantage of a great photo op.- My trusty D5100 has had no problems whatsoever. Focus is tack sharp. Everything works and it's been an absolute pleasure to use. I also don't recall reading reports of any known problems or design flaws with the D5100, unlike the D7000.- The small form factor and light weight of the 5100 make it great for traveling. The articulating screen can also come in handy. It's well-made and the mostly-plastic build isn't a problem. Besides, the D7000 uses magnesium alloy only on the back and top (as if it was used more for show than for real ruggedness). The rest of the body shell is plastic, which is fine for most of us amateurs. If you want real ruggedness, you need to step up to a pro model.- The 5100 is often referred to as a beginner's camera, but it's actually capable of most of the things even an advanced user would need. Some of the secondary essentials (WB, release mode, bracketing) are in menus, but they're quick to access. All of the key functions, however (aperture, shutter speed, exposure comp, flash mode, AE/AF lock, ISO) are controllable via buttons (ISO can be assigned to the function button) and once you get used to the layout, it becomes second nature. There's a plethora of settings, and it *is* a camera one can grow with and hold onto for awhile. The D7000, otoh, has lots of features that I (and perhaps many other amateurs) would rarely or never use.- Being my first dslr, I didn't have any old Nikkor AFS lenses and I don't plan to buy many more lenses beyond the three that I already have. So the internal focus motor of the D7000 wasn't of any value to me. The D7000's larger, brighter, 100% coverage viewfinder is missed, but I can live without it. The D7000's glass prism adds a fair amount of weight.- Cost wasn't an issue, but I don't exactly mind saving $400 especially when I'm getting the same image quality. To me, the 5100 was a better value. The money is better spent on lenses. Furthermore, given the short life cycle of electronic products, it doesn't make sense to invest in a more expensive body with extra non-essential (to me) features, since there will be interesting developments in the next couple of years (e.g. advancement in mirrorless cam technology and lens selection), tempting me to upgrade.I'd recommend buying the D5100 body only, passing on the 18-55 kit lens in favor of the 35mm 1.8. Then add a 16-85VR and 70-300VR as budget permits. These lenses are all super sharp and should cover almost any shot that comes up. The 18-105 is a good, cheaper alternative to the 16-85.

I'm brand new to photography. I've been wanting to learn for years rather than to keep shelling out money for someone else to take mediocre pictures of my children. I did a lot of research and spoke with a lot of people before deciding on this. My total budget was $1000 for camera, lenses, case, cards, and software. I picked Nikon over Canon after trying them out in the store solely based on how it felt in my hand. The menu on the Nikon felt more intuitive as did the button placement. I also tend to think of Nikon as "The" camera people. The package I put together was this camera body with the 55-200mm kit lens, the Nikon 35mm f/1.8G AF-S DX lens, 1 Transcend 16 GB Class 6 SDHC Flash Memory Card, BUILT Cargo Camera Bag- Fiery Orange, Medium, and photoshop CS5 free trial then CS6 free trial then monthly. I also spend a lot of time online learning how to use my camera and how to edit my photos. What I love about this camera: It's easy to use, all the lenses I have hold their value and can be resold or move with me to my next camera. This camera takes beautiful photos and is fairly forgiving as I play around with the settings. I've been taking it everywhere and have loved the pictures I have been able to take. My oldest graduated from high school this year and there was a photographer hired to get photos of the kids crossing the stage. The one taken of my son was awful. I had my camera with the 55-200mm lens on and got great shots of him and his friends from across the stadium. I've even had people ask me to take pictures of events for my kids school! That's more likely because I alwasy have my camera but nonetheless, I'm finding this camera an excellent camera to learn on. I can see using this for years before I would feel the need to upgrade. There is so much to learn and enough manual settings to really be able to play around and figure out what I like. If I had a larger budget, I would have gone for the D7000 just because that seems to be a level I could stay with indefinitely but on my budget, I'm very happy with my purchase! It also takes very nice video which is fun to play around with although, I'm primarily using this for photography.