Nikon D5100

very happy with this camera

I am returning to photography after ten years and after reading many reviews I decided on buying the Nikon D5100. I also got a handy DVD guide to using the camera which has refreshed me on how to use it and made picking it up and taking photos I like very easy! I would recommend a guide if you are returning to photography or just beginning, otherwise you could get very lost and confused.

I couldn't be happier with the camera, it feels great in my hands and once I remembered the basics, taking creative photos has been easy and fun.

I heartily recommend buying this camera at Ted's also. Not only did they offer the best price (even comparable to grey imports) the service was great and ongoing support has been good. I would make a point of going back to Ted's to buy accessories, print photos or get advice.

I should say that I have replaced another high quality brand camera with my new Nikon. So far it has been a good decision. The instruction manual is easy to follow and makes things that were complicated with the previous camera very easy to understand. The video quality is extremely good also, although using the video mode does seem to use the battery quickly, however I also purchased a back up battery so this type of problem wouldn't leave me out on a limb. I take unique night lights and big machine industrial photos, not only general snaps, which I also take, when the wildlife ones I have taken so far have been an improvement on the other camera I was using I can't wait to try out my types of shots. I prefer to use my lenses and take the right shot than have to edit a photo after it's taken, however, the software which incorporates an editing suite that comes with the camera is also very good. I highly recommend the Nikon D5100 to either a novice or someone who wants to challenge their camera.

I have found the Nikon D5100 to be a very compact and well built camera with many options and functions. As a first time SLR user however l have found it difficult to gain the quality of pictures l would like without putting in extra time to study the manual. However with time and experience l am finding the camera easier to use and my skills have improved dramatically in a short amount of time due to the ease in which the camera can be operated. Highly recommended for a first time user who is hoping to develope a keen interest in photography.

This camera is our second Nikon and the results we achieved on a recent trip to Canberra was better than anticipated. Indoor shots without flash at the War Memorial gave us some brilliant results without using a tripod. Pictures of the planes on display with exhibition lighting came out just as you see them and the quality is crisp and clean.
Even though we are weekend photographers we are very satisfied with the results obtained from our Nikon D5100 and it has improved the quality of our DVD presentations.

Good quality pictures,easy to use, every thing is good, but little bit bulky(two lenses)
good zooming and easy to down load pictures.
Finally good value for money.

It's my first SLR camera and it is quite easy to use which is a bonus. I just had my first holiday with the camera and took some amazing photos!! Its light and easy to use with great functions on the camera. The battery has a great life for traveling. Highly recommended!!

Bought this to take photos of significant life moments after being aware of how important they are. This was super easy to use with the smaller lens - to be honest haven't used the super lens much yet but I am confident it will be user friendly as well. Booklet was helpful to using it successfully andI LOVE the clarity of the images.

I am the beginner to use this camera. I have a basic knowledge and is very easy to catch up. The photos that I took are very sharp and very beautiful. I am very happy to use this camera and I will later to buy a professional. I like to take photos. It suits for me.

Bought this as a gift for my hubby..He is just loving it!!! great pictures and good stability....even a novice can learn....thank you Nikon for a great product

Feels like a quality, solid camera and is a joy to use. Such sharp photos! Still working out the manual focus etc, but the automatic options are brilliant.

After using a D3000 for the past 18 Months, using the D5100 has shown greater options for shots. The ease of use, and many shooting options make it to be a great digital slr. Absolutely stoked with the cameras performance! I have already talked my brother into purchasing a D5100, and he has done so already.

A great entry level DSLR camera and so easy to use and set up photos on to a computer.
Would recommend this product to any one.

This camera to me is fantastic. As an ametuer photographer, its has way more functions, than I need, though I'm beginning to "get hooked" on discovering ways this camera can start to create some really nice art. I think the quality of photographs in also fantastic. Thanks Nikon!

As a first time SLR user, I felt I was a little out of my depth when I brought the camers home. The DVD that I purchased proved invaluable for showing me how Easy the camera is to use for a " novice", but as I grow more confident and more adventurous, the camera will grow with me. I already have plans to by a dedicated macro lens to add to my lens collection to fulfill a lifetime ambition to photograph insects. My partner is also going to buy the Nikon D5100.....that's how impressive the camera is.

Easy to use, quality of the photos is superb, big test coming up as we test it in New Zealand. I am very confident the photos will be fantastic. Only regret is wish we had it sooner.

Its my first real camera. I feel that its my lack of photography knowledge and remembering where all the different options are. I have only had the camera for a short time, using it regularly on the week-ends. I' m slowly learning the different aspects of manual aperture and shutter release etc. I have been amazed with the different water scenes and speeds. I look forward to having photography as my new travelling hobby. I think I've got the bug.

This camera has so many features and the more I play with it, the more I find. I am having so much fun taking photos.

Absoulutely fantastic camera. many improvements to the previous D5000, as well as lots of great features programmed in. Love the new versatile swival LCD screen. Crystal clear full HD display. much lighter to travel with,and it takes great detailed photos with my nikon 50mm 1.8G. It has the same CMOS censor like the D7000 (a high end camera worths twice as much as a D5100). Excellent movie mode (full HD 30fps) with the built in external mike input jack. HDMI connectivity. 600+ shots on a single charge, best one out there yet. latest SDXC cards compatibility. GPS feature tells you the exact location where the picture was taken. Very user friendly menu & programable buttons lets you work with an eaze. My favourite is the sports mode wich captures 4 rapid shots per second. Also the first nikon DSLR to include in-camera HDR feature, The selective color function lets you choose the color(s) you want in the shot and the rest in black and white(hours of fun). Another one of my favourites is the "Night Vision" feature in the effects mode, which also works with the video capture as well.
This DSLR is packed with loads of features and the latest firmware upgrades from NIKON keeps this baby run ever so smoothly. The guys at "TEDS" pitt st, sydney gave me a great deal when i bought it. thanx guys! two thubs up!

I found the nikon D5100 an easy to use camera with the instruction book easy to follow, the only drawback being that there is no hard copy reference manual supplied only on CD. The picture quality is great and i especially like the effects mode with the selective colour and colour sketch. Battery life is exceptional which is noticable when playing around with the on camera editing and colour sketch mode. Another feature i like is the swivel LCD screen which can be placed in pretty much any angle required. I have paired this camera with the Tamron 18-270 lens which seems an ideal combination for me when travelling to avoid changing lenses. I would have no hesitation in buying the D5100 again and would recommend it to anyone starting out with a DSLR.

Seriously easy camera to use, just point & snap, great depth of field, sharp images, love my camera!!!!

the d5100 is a great camera. I have been wanting a Dslr for a long time and i finally decided to buy one. As soon as i saw this one i knew i wanted it. It has great image quality and i love the articulated screen. This is a great camera for anyone wanting to make the switch from a compact camera or a Film SLR.

Big improvement over what l had previously (Pentax K100)
Bought with a good quality zoom lens makes camera a bit bulkier but still excellent.
Good value for money

As someone with very little experience seeking to learn and improve my photographic skills, the D5100 is a very good camera to move forward. It takes time and research to understand how to use the many available features, but has the capacity and quality to enable plenty of growth. I'm sure I'll continue to improve and develop my photographic skills for some time into the future quite happily.

Review of D5100
Getting Started, Brisbane

I have had my D5100 for nearly a month now, and have discovered the difference between taking holiday snaps and striving for the best photo possible. I had never used a DSLR before but after borrowing my friend's NIkon for a day, I was hooked!. Previously, I just thought I had to "live" with a photo if the lighting wasn't ideal, but now I know better. The D5100 is easy to navigate, I love the descriptions it provides to explain each function. The screen shows most of the functions I use at a glance, and the buttons have been well chosen as shortcuts. I never knew I could take such great photos as a beginner. As a new user to DSLRs it has taken away my impression that DSLRs were for expert photographers only, and I find I want to take my D5100 everywhere, and now see the world through the eyes of my camera lens and I now notice things I never saw before. Even my friend who is an experienced photographer wants to use my D5100 when I give him the chance!

Initial had significant problems where camera would intermittently fail to recognise the Scandisk SD card which was purchased with the camera. After first exchanging the SD card (problem continued) and then exchanging camera (problem continued) we finally used a different brand of SD card which solved the problem. I do not know if it was some type of compatability problem or a faulty batch of SD cards.

Nice camera. Perfect picture quality. A bit shorter battery life but considerable. Simple to use for beginners. Build quality is good. Would recommend to a friends.

I got what i paid for, the picture quality is really good and the functions is not complicated at all. I love my camera & i would like to thanks to the guy from Fountain Gate Ted's who recommend me to this camera.

Whether you like to shoot in "Auto" mode, or play around with the settings and be creative, it really is hard to take a bad photo.

I like to be creative and experiment with the manual settings, but I can also hand the D5100 to my wife (or even the older kids) in "Full Auto" mode without any problems. One of my favourite settings for the quick "spur of the moment" photo opportunity is "Auto - No Flash", it's quick and easy but still a little bit creative.

If you do like to experiment, you can produce some amazing photos with the "Selective Color", "Miniature" and "Sunset" scene modes.

The image quality of the photos taken is amazing, even in low light or heavily cropped.

Video picture quality is terrific (HD), my only criticism is the sound of the auto-focus motor can be heard in the sound track of your home movie.

Love the camera. Have had it now for 3 weeks. Got the 18-55 & 55 - 200mm Twin Kit.
Takes great pictures, fast accurate autofocus. Fast startup and shoot.
Has a deep buffer allowing >50 shots to be captured in Continuous mode on any realistic image setting. Easy to use and operate, has great help system if you are a bit stuck.
Dont understand why reviewers state its bulky, its an SLR, not a toy. Its small for a DSLR!
It can auto increment the file name ad infinitum, but it has to be setup to do it.
It also has the cute ability to embed your name/contact or whatever into the image files themselves, proving you the owner of the photograph.

Love the camera.

For more tips on using it, have a look here. http://kenrockwell.com/nikon/d5100/users-guide/index.htm

Camera is easy to use especially on the auto function. Pictures are nearly always in focus due to the auto focus funtion. It is also easy to be a bit more creative once you have used the camera a bit. Battery does go flat quickly if you use the screen constantly - battery life is extented if using the regular view finder. Overall a very good / easy camera to use.

This one is great fun to use and extemely easy to operate.
The picture quality and its enhancements can be combined with simple touch of buttons.
Great for indoors and outdoors.

I bought this camera after a walking holiday in NZ where I borrowed a similar one from a friend. I am glad I had the good camera as the scenery was superb and with the lenses I could get a much better range of shots. When I first purchased this camera and took it home it was daunting with all the settings and I have really only used 10% of its capabilites but it is so easy to use and produces such great shots that my confidence grows daily as does my knowledge. I would highly recommend it as a camera for the amature photographer wanting to take the next step up from a compact digital.

I was happy with the camera, not too difficult to work out. It has a really neat quick menu that is great for manual mode. I needed to get an extra lens to shoot perfect portraits. Also purchased the Nikon Magic Lantern guide book to quickly learn other features. Looking forward to spending a day taking photos.

Excellent camera and images - recommended to buy the 50mm fixed lens for night shots

The Pentax ist DL was a good travel recorder with quick point and shoot options but its battery life was a pain and the 6M Raw capture was quickly left behind with technology. Nikon screen size about equal, battery life greatly improved over DL and far greater pixel per image (16 M Raw capture) for enlargements.
The extra options and special effects on Nikon, I believe are unneccesary and have complicated the pleasure of quality photography with excess gadgets. The lenses are disappointing as was expecting the quality Nikon used to be renound for or equal to the RB67 medium format which I expected 16M would be near comparable with. The flash is built too close to the lens and creates red eye like I have not experienced for thirty years, an external light source is a must. The built quality seems robust but extra care with auto focus must be observed to extend the life. The swivel view screen is handy for overhead or difficult camera angles. The DL numbered each shot the camera recorded progressively, irrespective of which SD card but the Nikon starts fresh with each cleared card so photos of the same subject over time requires a different filing system with a change of numbering for records or it will save over the previous same number.
I will persevere with my investment but still strive to achive a better result than currently getting.

I was very excited when I bought this camera and it has not disappointed me. It is very easy to use and produces fantastic photos.This camera has a variety of functions that make your photography interesting. I have received many compliments about my photos. My favorite function is colour selection. This is where you select colours and the other colours remain black and white. Worth every cent.

This is the camera I have been waiting for since owning film SLRs in the 70s through to the 90s and even while SLRs have been evolving it is only now that I see the SLR and digital have finally evolved into a camera that is truly impressive.The Nikon D5100 is sturdy, it is easy to hold in one hand while the other is adjusting settings because it is so well balanced and not at all heavy to hold. The Nikon D5100 has been designed to allow for ease at holding steady and when you watch others fumbling with cameras that have to be held by finger tips. It is the size, it's design and weight that are positive features for this camera which is by no means expensive when you show or print enlargements from this camera that impress everyone .

While the D5100 is a brilliant camera, it needs a little bit of noise to get the full benefits of this lightweight, crisp little number. The in-built settings delver clear and vivid photos which are great to print/view with no post-processing. It is robust enough to deal with my demand of 150+ photos per day without so much as a hiccup. Don't skimp on cheap SD cards as this things needs to write fast. Movies are a bit gimmicky but do an adequate job. The low light capabilities are brilliantbwithnnext to no noise at 3200. Overall I am extremely happy with this replacement for my aging D70.

it's a good all round camera. I like the design of the LCD screen turns around to prevent it getting scratched and the fact it also doesn't make much noise. Then special effects are handy. I especially like the sketch special effect. The live view switch is handy for those difficult or shoots you don't want to move the camera much.

Great camera, really happy with the picture quality and so easy to use, both my 4 and 6 year old have taken some great shots with it. The effects are fun to play around with too.

Being a not very expert photographer I had not trouble with using the different settings. I have just taken photos of my around the world trip in all kinds of light and places and they came out well.

quality images-easy to use-light weight-looks pro camera-screen easy to use at rear- great party camera as well for serious amat.,

THE D5100

By the time I purchased the 5100, a week after it hit the camera stores in Australia, I'd read enough reviews to fill an encyclopaedia... and absolutely nothing quite compares to going into a store and picking one up. I was torn between a canon and a nikon, but this one was far more comfortable to hold for me. So, I get the irony of now writing a review when I've just said reviews do not substitute... but eh...

The Good.
The D5100 is easy to use. If you want (not a recommendation) you can chuck it on Auto and you have an expensive point and shoot. I am man enough to admit that this setting has been used once or twice while balancing a beer in the other hand. But on the ole' trusty manual setting (which should really be your preference if you are buying an SLR), the camera is fairly straightforward. A dial for shutter speed, a button to press with the dial (not awkward) for aperture, and I've used the programmable button on the other side of my camera (in combination with the dial) to adjust the iso. Now I just need the button to select composition and subject and I'd be the world's best photographer.

The sensor, as far as I am aware, is the same as on the more expensive D7000. The menu is easy to navigate. If you access certain things repetitively, there is a menu of recent commands, which I've used to undo some changes when I can't quite work out what I've done (with that, I think I've exposed that I'm quite a novice).

I'll be honest, I've played with the programmable settings - called scenes or effects - they were fun for about 5 minutes. If you are buying a camera for effects or pre-programmed settings, you might want to check if you actually need an SLR.

Autofocus (not sure if it is a quality of the camera or the lenses, or both) is quick and accurate. Occasionally the focusing is hampered in low light, when the focus assist light is not on. Selecting the focus region is easy (use the directional button). I opted for a couple of mid range lenses (18-200 f3.5-5.6 Nikkor and 35mm f1.8 Nikkor) rather than the kit lenses, but I assume they will all function similarly.

Battery life is excellent. Camera is reasonably small (one of the reasons for its purchase is I want to be able to travel with it, and a centimeter here and there does make a difference). I've spoken to a couple of guys who say the camera feels a little small and the D7000 fits a little better - like i said, no substitute for going into a shop and getting hold of one.

The Bad?
I've played with a friends D7000 and it has a couple of extra buttons. And I admit, it is also a very good camera. While it has the same sensor, it has one distinct advantage over the 5100 - the internal focus motor. That means you can buy any AF lens. The D5100, if you want autofocus, requires AF-S lenses, which have the internal motor in the lens rather than in the camera. AF lenses are slightly cheaper than AF-S lenses. However, the D5100 is substantially cheaper than the D7000. So, do the math. I have 2 lenses - maybe one day I'll buy another prime lens... but that'll be about it. If you think you are likely to buy five or six lenses - then you are wealthier than I, and it sounds that you are seriously into photography - and perhaps you should consider buying an FX format - onto which you can fit any number of old, new, cheap and expensive lenses....

So the only bad is that the lenses may be a little more expensive than if you had a focus motor. If you are going to stick to the kit lenses - or only buy one or two others - it is a no-brainer, the cost difference between the D5100 and D7000 is not worth (in my opinion) the added functions of the D7000.

CONCLUSION

So far, I'm not thinking I'll outgrow the D5100, probably ever. It starts up quickly, it takes pictures quickly, the auto-focus is quite and quick and accurate, the camera is not too heavy, the interface is easy, playing with the camera in manual mode is straight-forward (i'm almost as quick at taking pictures as with a point-and-shoot now) - and a plug for the lens - the 35mm f1.8 nikkor (crop factor makes it about 50mm ish) is excellent as a portrait lens!!!

If you fancy yourself more of an enthusiast, perhaps looking for a stop-gap before you break onto the international photography scene with your $20,000 FX camera and $40,000 worth of lenses, perhaps the D7000 is better for you. If you are happy with a few lenses, and a camera that does more than what 98% of the population will ever need, the D5100 - well - seriously ROCKS...

erseboy

I recently went overseas and wished to purchase my first SLR. I was very happy with how easy it was to use and I am looking forward to getting to know my camera better and take my use and knowldege even further. There is nothing that I am concerned about or unsure about the camera. The photos are great!

Great first DSLR. Easy to use, great photos, makes you feel like a photographer.

I am a first time DSLR user and found this camera easy to use, easy to learn with. Picture quality is amazing.