Nikon D5100 16.2 MP Digital SLR Camera - Black (Kit w/ AF-S 18-55mm VR Lens)

Nikon D5100 review

The Nikon D5100 is the company's latest 'upper-entry-level' DSLR aimed at beginners or those wanting a step-up from a basic budget model. Announced in April 2011, it comes exactly two years after its predecessor, the popular D5000. The new D5100 is positioned between the entry-level D3100 and the mid-range D7000, and goes head-to-head against Canon's EOS 600D / Rebel T3i.

Externally the Nikon D5100 enjoys a redesigned shape that's noticeably shorter than its predecessor and a little lighter too. Physically the biggest difference though concerns the screen round the back: it's still articulated, but taking a leaf from Canon and Panasonic, it's now hinged at the side rather than the bottom. Nikon's also upgraded the screen from the basic 2.7in / 230k panel of the D5000 to a larger and much more detailed 3in / 921k panel here.

Inside, the D5100 inherits the 16.2 Megapixel sensor of the D7000, giving it four Megapixels more than its predecessor. It also unsurprisingly now offers Full HD 1080p movie recording, although unlike the D7000 this is offered at 24, 25 or 30fps. The D5100 also offers the Full-time continuous autofocus during movies of the D3100 and D7000 before it, along with an external microphone input. Completing the headline upgrades is a new EFFECTS position on the dial which presents a variety of special effects including miniature, sketch and selective colour, along with a Night Vision option working at up to 102,400 ISO. Let's now look at the camera in more detail.

So the Nikon D5100 essentially offers three major upgrades over its predecessor: it inherits the excellent sensor of the D7000, upgrades the screen size, resolution and hinge mounting, and borrows the core movie capabilities of the D3100 and D7000, while also offering a broader selection of frame rates at 1080p and a mic input. The much preferable side-hinging for the screen has also eliminated the D5000's disproportionately tall viewfinder head, allowing Nikon to design a shorter and curvier body for the new model. In addition to this you also get the new EFFECTS mode which can be applied to some movies as well as stills, along with an HDR option.

While the viewfinder, AF system and continuous shooting remain essentially unchanged from its predecessor, the upgrades described above add up to a much improved camera experience. Revealingly most of the core improvements are focused around the Live View and movie modes, with little other than an improved sensor to tempt traditional photographers, but that's par for the course for most new entry-level DSLRs. Canon employs exactly the same strategy, essentially leaving Sony to innovate at this price point.

If you were hoping for faster continuous shooting, improved AF or a bigger viewfinder, you'll be disappointed, but by offering the D7000's quality at a lower price point with an excellent flip-out screen and a broader selection of 1080p frame rates, there's a great deal to like here. The D5100 is destined to become another big seller for Nikon, although its rival from Canon has never been closer.

I got this camera in May shortly after it was released. There hasn't been a whole lot user reviews but overall it seemed to have been a good model. I this is my first DSLR so I don't have much as of comparing it to over models or brands. I got mine at Best But as at that point they were selling them for the same price everywhere. Added extended warranty on it as I have a tendency to be clumsy with my things. However I have been very very careful with this camera so far, not dropping or banging it against anything. I used it for the first two months or so with no problem. Then it sat around the house for about a month, and when I went to use it again I noticed that the auto focus was not working. The manual focus was still working fine however. I thought it was the lens, so I took it to Inkley's and they tried another lens on it, same problem. They established that it was the body that was having the problem. The camera was still under manufacture warranty so I took it to Best Buy and they told me it'd be 4-6 weeks till I get it back. I needed it well before then, so I've been using it on manual focus for a few months now, it's a pain at times, others it does give better flexibility to the image, however I wanted all functions of this pricy toy of my to work, so finally I took it back in. It's out being fixed now, hope it'll come back as good as new. Oh another thing I noticed with the camera (also started to happen the same time the auto focus went out) was when I took pictures vertically if I was using the screen instead of the view finder the screen would go almost black and I couldn't see the image. I mostly had to switch back to view finder to frame and focus my vertical shots. I hope that gets fixed as well, as I forgot to mention it to the guy at Best Buy. I'm hoping this is a fluke and is not a re-accruing issue, as I haven't read other reviews with similar problem since this happened.
Assuming this is an isolated incident, otherwise the camera has been very easy to learn the settings and to make good pictures. For a starter DLSR is' for the most part a good camera. I haven't tried out much of the video yet, I'm more into stills, but once the baby comes I'm sure I'll make a use of that function as well.

The camera is great. I would start off by saying that having the same sensor as the D7000, which costs considerably more, is a big plus. You will, indeed, see very similar picture quality.
The D5100 is loaded with nice features for all types of users. If you are just starting with photography you will certainly enjoy the automatic modes as well as all the scene and effects available. The camera also shines in manual mode, the built in light meter works wonders.
Another thing that usually goes unnoticed but that can make big difference is the fact that this model has 2 infra-red receivers, which makes perfect sense. That way you can release the shutter from both the front and the back of the camera using a remote.
Just to list a couple of "cons"... if you are into video, definitely go with the Canon T3i and you will see much better quality. Another thing are the lenses that come in this kit. I expected them to be much more sturdy. After using the camera for a couple of weeks, they started making some squeaky noise. But well, they are cheap kit lenses anyway.

Excellent camera. This is a very capable "entry level" DSLR. The image quality is great, and it has more than enough features for someone just starting out as well as experienced hobbyists. This is no pro-level camera, so it is unfair to compare it as such. I am very pleased with this camera. I use it to shoot everything from still life to sports and have no complaints. For the price, this is a great camera. Would recommend over the Rebel T3i due to increased continuous shooting rate (great for sports and action) and (in my opinion) slightly more accurate color and tones in the images.

I bought this as my first DSLR camera after doing about 3-4 months of research into entry level DSLR's from Nikon and Canon. And I am not at all disappointed in my decision. I thought the transition from point and shoot to DSLR would be hard to make, but using this camera is a breeze. Nikon's menu layouts are all easy to navigate and every feature is well explained either through the on-camera info button or in the manual itself. All the buttons are very well placed; everything feels intuitive. The picture quality is amazing too (sample pictures don't do the camera justice).

The effects setting is fun to play around with. Color sketch in particular is a really cool effect, once you learn how to edit them properly (I find the originals to be too bright and lacking detail, but upping the contrast and lowering the brightness does wonders). The color selection mode is very neat as well, and the other settings make it worth it to wander out of the manual setting for some fun shots.

The adjustment from shooting full auto to manual setting was very easy to make. Nikon makes everything easy to change on their menus, and the manual explained shooting in manual in very understandable, and it only took me a few minutes to get the basics down. I haven't used the auto setting since opening the box.

It's also an extremely comfortable camera. I was worried about some people saying it was a bit bulky compared to the D3100, but it fits perfectly in my hands (despite me having smaller hands, lol) and feels very natural to hold.

My only two complaints would be:
1: Only being able to delete one photo at a time in playback mode. Multiple deletes require going through the menus. Not that big a deal, overall.
2: Lack of included SD card. Even a one or two gig would have been great. I had an 8GB for my old point and shoot that I switched in, but the card failed after a day or so of shooting (wonderful timing, right?), so I had to buy a new one that day.

If you're looking for your first DSLR, I cannot recommend this one highly enough. I paid $725 for mine brand new, and if I had to pay full manufacturer price, I would. Nikon has definitely won me over as a customer.