Nikon D5100 Digital SLR Camera with 18-55mm VR Lens Kit (16.2MP) 3 inch LCD (discontinued by manufacturer)

Product Information

This means raw images are saved as 14-bit files and users can expect similar quality results with the two cameras. Even more disappointing is the fact that two of the best things about the D3100 - the conveniently placed integrated live view and movie control and the physical drive mode switch - are absent in the D5100.

The Nikon D5100, is a member of the popular series meant for the entry level enthusiastic photographer. Along with faster processing times, better battery performance and the ability to record 14-bit (as opposed to 12-bit) Raw files, the new processing engine is able to deliver a maximum continuous shooting speed of 4fps – a slight improvement over the D3100’s 3fps, but not quite up there with the 6fps of the D7000. Special effects like Selective Colour, Miniature Effect, Colour Sketch, Night Vision and the likes enriches your photographs and videos.Noise levels are impressively low, and default noise reduction does a good job of controlling chroma noise while still preserving detail. Today, we have millions of users a month from around the world, and assess more than 1,000 products a year. The professional-grade D3s currently leads the way here with a top (expanded) ISO setting of 102,400, but models further down the line are increasingly benefitting from Nikon’s expertise in this field. In addition to the above changes, the camera also lost some weight, making it lighter and more compact than its predecessor.

The D5100 has no in-body autofocus motor, and fully automatic autofocus requires one of the currently 162 lenses with an integrated autofocus motor. Likewise, the 16-megaopixel sensor is able to resolve plenty of detail, even at higher ISO settings. Alternatively, you can set the camera to manual focus and adjust it yourself, though this option does take some practice to master.The D5100 is not weather sealed like higher-end DSLRs, so I would take extra care when photographing in dusty and rainy environments. The most obvious difference between the D5100 and its predecessor is the addition of a side-hinged, fully articulated LCD screen. The biggest advantage of a plastic camera body is weight – the D5100 is only 510 grams, making it the second lightest Nikon DSLR after the Nikon D3100. Initially the battle was to produce affordable models, and once this was achieved manufacturers turned their attention to producing cameras with higher pixel counts. There are a lot of photo/video cameras that have found a role as B-cameras on professional film productions or even A-cameras for amateur and independent productions.

but if you are looking for serious (as mentioned by Harikrshna) then I would strongly recommend go with Nikon while considering following points. The Google Pixel 8 and 8 Pro might not come with the most impressive camera hardware we have seen, but Google's software power and tuning excellence help its new flagship smartphones produce among the very best image quality we have seen on mobile devices. Ideally, we would have liked to have seen the diamond-like formation of the 11 AF points cover a bit more of the viewfinder, especially on the horizontal plane, as they’re a little bunched in together towards the centre of the viewfinder. The D5100 also sports a new HDR feature which can be used to capture and merge two images shot at different exposures of up to 3EV. One other slightly annoying thing we found is that, while using Single-point AF, we couldn’t find an easy way to lock down our chosen point, making too easy to accidentally change with a stray thumb on the D-pad.

Are you really claiming that the image quality of the Nikon is superior to a camera that uses the same sensor as (and even gets slightly more out of it than) the D7000? The Video Record button is placed next to the shutter release for easy access to record those sudden yet fleeting moments. The Nikon D5100 is equipped with a variety of features that can help during photography sessions spanning a range of conditions and situations. While the D-pad stays in its usual place, the dedicated live view button usually found on the back of the body on other Nikon DSLRs has disappeared altogether, with an all-new spring loaded lever extending from the Shooting mode dial on the top of the camera now responsible for activating and deactivating live view. It also ensures a more elegant appearance to the models themselves (the D5000 was many things, but pretty wasn't one of them).

The Nikon D5100 is one of the few cameras out there that can take both images and videos in high definition. For example, all of the buttons located to the left-hand side of the screen on the D5000 (and pretty much every other Nikon DSLR besides) have had to shift elsewhere on the D5100, with some now found on the top plate and others located to the right-hand side of the monitor.This is by no means the fastest optic we’ve ever used, but should prove fast enough for the overwhelming majority of situations. In Live View mode the D5100 is generally a very agreeable companion, but things aren't completely trouble free. Taking pictures at multiple angles is one of the hardest things to do with cameras that have a fixed LCD monitor. The complete beginner may gravitate towards the slightly simpler D3100 and for their part, the enthusiast might hanker after too many of the features that are offered by the D7000 (whether that be in terms of build quality, sophistication of AF, size of viewfinder or the built-in AF motor).