Nikon D3100 REVIEW

Nikon D3100 Outstanding Camera and Value
I moved to this camera from a Nikon d60 and will never look back. I know the d3100 is advertised an an entry level model, but it is really much more than that. I consider myself a somewhat advanced amateur/hobbyist photographer, not doing it for a living but more for my own amusement and entertainment.

I had read all the reviews including the ones with some negative comments, but decided that the positives seemed to be much stronger. Since I already had the three key DX lenses [ASIN:B000ZMCILW Nikon 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G AF-S DX VR Nikkor Zoom Lens], [ASIN:B000O161X0 Nikon 55-200mm f/4-5.6G ED IF AF-S DX VR Nikkor Zoom Lens], and [ASIN:B001S2PPT0 Nikon 35mm f/1.8G AF-S DX Lens] I bought the d3100 "body only" through Amazon/Cameta Camera. Sale, shipment and delivery were excellent.

The camera is simply wonderful, easy to set up, easy to use, and produces great pictures. I don't use it for movies very much (I think a camcorder is better for that function), but for the kinds of still pictures that I take (portraits, landscapes, family gatherings and the like) the d3100 is superb.

I use the P mode and I generally set the white balance on auto and ISO on either auto or 400. Since I generally don't need prints at more that 8 x 10 I set picture quality at basic/medium -- this gives me much more storage space on the disc since I'm not using unnecessary pixels. I would set higher resolutions if I want larger size prints.

When using flash I like to "bounce" it off the ceiling whenever possible so I use the [ASIN:B000KKPN5C Nikon SB-400 AF Speedlight Flash for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras] instead of the built-in; the SB 400 is a very capable and affordable device that is perfect for what I need a flash unit for.

I took several hundred pictures over the Christmas/New Year period, including some outside in the Sunday evening blizzard, and the picture quality was outstanding -- well focused, sharp and clear. In particular, the ones in the blizzard were great -- I adjusted the flash to various levels of brightness and was amazed at the way the falling snowflakes showed up.

In summary, this is a great camera for the price, and is one that you can begin your digital experience with and then use to grow into a better photographer who will have more and more fun and pleasure with it.


Nikon D3100 Balanced cost and quality.
I am happy to say that this camera appears to be a good piece of equiptment,it seems to offer ease of use and state of the art hardware and software. I think it's probably a good camera package for the price.


Nikon D3100 can't live without this camera!!!
This camera is just plain and simply great. It provides great features for the novice as well as for the experienced. I am a novice photographer and I found it easy to use. More experienced photographers that I know said that it is an awesome camera after a few minutes of playing with it. The guys at nikon were right. They claimed that this camera would prompt and encourage novice users to explore the more advanced features of the camera so that you can take full advantage of its awesome power. I did after a few days of playing with it. Once you understand and know how to use the auto-settings 'guide' interface, you'll be prompt to set all the photography parameters yourself. This camera is an A+ for a beginner. Highly recommend it.


Nikon D3100 Awesome Camera
Great camera
it has a fast shutter response from when you push the button to when it goes click, it's very similar to using a 35mm film SLR
Full 1080p video is a nice feature to have in a still camera
I Love this camera I looked at cameras for the past 3+ years deciding what to buy, and when this camera was released I decided this is the one, it has plenty of control for the extreme enthusiast, and full auto for the point and shoot snap shots too, ether way it takes great pictures, probably not something a long time professional would use at their job, but is a great off hours camera for taking casual pictures.
Light weight body, loaded with tons of features, commonly only found in higher end units.
it is a great entry leave DSLR from Nikon, it has a better warranty then cannon's one year, it has 5 year warranty, and it is priced less than the comparable cannon.
with this camera you are only limited buy your imagination and creativity :)
purchased my from Adorama Camera it came with a 18-55m AF-S VR DX lens, a 55-200mm AF-S DX telephoto zoom none VR lens, and the Nikon Starter case with Nikon School DVD #5
a great value
I finally found a Camera worth spending my hard earned money on

Update: The view finder on this camera is not sealed, allowing dust, and material from the camera bag to get inside the view finder, and it is not covered under the warranty!


Nikon D3100 Camera Excellent value for the money!
I love this camera! The photos are high quality and you can get professional looking photos in no time at all once you learn how to use the camera. Once you play with it (it's the only way to really learn how to use it and how to use it well!), you will love it. And it will grow on you for sure. If you are like me, you will have a hard time putting the camera down once you start taking photos and recording movies.

The colors on the photos are so sharp and vivid that you will find it hard to believe you took the photos instead of a professional photographer. The VR prevents you from taking unclear photos if your hands are shaking while taking photos - great for children, elderly people or excited people, like me, sometimes :)
I love the portrait mode and the fast shutter mode (for taking sports photos). The close up mode and the night mode are to die for and you will not believe how good your photos in low light will turn out! You will be impressed and your friends will be impressed.

The video quality is good, but you will not be able to record long videos (like 30 minutes+). If you want this, then get a camcorder. This camera is exactly what it claims to be: a DSLR that takes sharp photos and 10 minutes(more or less) of HD video (mainly due to the way Nikon decided to save the file - "MOV"). 10 minutes of video is more than enough for me since I really do not plan on using this camera as a replacement for my camcorder anyway. I love the fact that, at this price range, Nikon d3100 is (as far as I know) the only DSLR camera on the market at this time that comes with auto-focus in video mode. The rest of DSLRs are missing auto-focus in movie mode and you have to focus manually. This may not be a big deal to some people, but it's important to me (especially when I have older people shooting videos). Another kudos (in my opinion) goes to Nikon for supporting both 24 and 30 frames per second at both 720p and 1080p!

The camera does not come with a memory card (if shooting videos, make sure you get at least a SDHC class 6 card) and a USB cable for transferring photos or movies to your computer. You will need to buy the cable separately or get a memory card reader (not a big deal, though). I have 2 SanDisk 8GB class 10 memory cards and it works perfect for me!

Another thing that you need to consider getting is a 52mm polarized filter. This will help protecting your lens and will also help with the quality of the photos since it will minimize reflection and glare (especially if you take photos or videos on the beach, in strong sun, by the ocean, etc). I got a Hoya filter set, but any polarized filter may work for you. If you are not ready to invest in a good set of filters, do yourself a favor and get the cheapest 52mm filter that you can buy in order to protect the camera lenses. It is much easier to replace a $10 filter,if scratched, instead of a few hundred dollars lens!

On a side note: you may also want to be aware of the fact that not all lenses offered by Nikon are compatible with this camera. This was not a deal breaker for me, though, since the only other lens I plan on buying down the road is the 55-200mm one.

All in all, this is a great camera for the price and I am sure you will be pleased with it. It is an entry DSLR camera that comes with great features for the price!


Nikon D3100 Camera digital the only way to go.
I am still just in the learning phase of it all. I find it easy to use and has great color and sharpness. I was really goood with the film 35 mm SLR and I hope to get as good with this camera. I feel like I got more for my money in the digital land than I did when I bought my Pentax film slr and lense for it. You are able to delete photos that you don't like and print only the ones that are your favorites I researched a lot and weighed in this camera with a pentax and a canon I found this to be the best buy and more the middle of the road camera. I am very happy with it. I think anyone who wants a digital that they can experience more than just point and shoot will love this camera. If you don't plan on ever using the different aperatures f stops etc then I would stay with a nice point and shoot camera they will take as good of pictures as this does in its guide mode auto settings. If you want to get more in depth photos then go with this camera. I got my best deal through amazon when purchasing this camera.


Nikon D3100 Best Price, Awesome camera!
This is my first DSLR camera and so far its awesome. It is so easy to use and the image quality is amazing. I have little knowledge of photography, so I was skeptical to move away from the point and shoot cameras since the quality wasnt bad and it was simple to use. However, this camera has made the transition easy. I am learning all of the settings and such but so far this camera is awesome! Id totally recommend this to someone who is ready to make the move from point and shoot to DSLR. Hope this helps anyone!


Nikon D3100 Best Price, Great Starter DSLR!
This is a great camera for someone starting out in the world of DSLR photography. I've always used a point and shoot, and finally took the step into this type of photography. I did A LOT of research prior to the purchase of this camera, and had it narrowed down to the two major brands... In the end, Nikon won, based on other reviews and friends who are long time fans of the brand. Also, I've heard positive things about their customer service, although I have not experienced this first hand. I'm still learning how to use all the features, but so far, I love it! Highly recommend this for a first-timer, there are so very easy auto modes where it works as a point and shoot, so you can still use it while you're learning how to use all of its great features.


Nikon D3100 Best Price, Fell in love with this camera.
I took this Nikon D3100 camera with me on some outdoor trip and found this a great camera to have and I have no regret of buying it. I am amateur photographer, so this camera is perfect for me. I can control the width of field and focus either manually or automatically depending on situation. Pictures came out much better than I expected.


Nikon D3100 Best Buy, Digital SLR Camera 
This is my first SLR purchased. I am always into photography and i have been searching to buy a DSLR until it turned out to be nikon vs canon. I did some research and decided to learn from the very basic, thats why im getting this entry level slr to learn and master every feature. From what I learn, photography is not about the camera. It's about the lens which will determine how sharp your image and the person itself is the most important aspect. I chose nikon because I love nikon's lens quality. yes, it's true that canon has more variety and cheaper lens, but i prefer nikon's image performance. I chose nikon D3100 because it is probably the best ergonomics and best value entry level DSLR, plus it has 14 MP and new expeed 2 processing engine and you got a decent lens kit with VR. I guess for an amateur like me, D3100 offers more than enough to learn every single detail for your fist SLR experience. you can always upgrade your camera later either higher level of DX camera or the more expensive FX camera.
Learn to shoot in manual then you will love this camera! it has a great control of noise in low lighting performance. It's super light too so you dont have to worry being bothered by it when you travel around.
Lots of people say get nikon 35mm f/1.8 and that will be a perfect match and u are ready to go whenever and wherever u want with excellent image quality.

Nikon D3100 Best Buy, I love this camera!
My husband bought this camera for me for Christmas. I love it. It's so easy to use. I'm still learning to use it, but it takes great pictures. When you set it to sports mode, it will freeze the action of a person running, walking, flipping in the air, or whatever. I suggest that you buy the Nikon D3100 Field Guide, also available on Amazon. The D3100 takes incredibly sharp and crisp pictures. Of course, Nikon is just an awesome camera anyway. I highly recommend it to anyone.

Nikon D3100 Best Buy, Outstanding!!!
This camera has given me professional quality photos that I have been able to use for Christmas cards, family portraits, and just all round great photos for our albums. The auto setting does a great job putting together the right settings, and if you know what you are doing, you can take some really amazing photos with this camera by adjusting the settings. The 1080 HD video is phenomenal. This makes all my pictures and videos look professional. What is really amazing is looking at two photos next to each other, one from a really high end point and shoot camera and one from the Nikon 3100. Even though the one from the high end point and shoot looks really good, there is no comparison next to the photo from the Nikon 3100. The camera takes continual photos at a really great rate. 3 pictures per second may not be as high as some other model DSLR's, but I use it to take pictures of my daughter when she is playing and running around and it is fast enough. I just hold it down for a few seconds and snap about 20 or 30 pictures in a few seconds, and a couple of them will always catch her at just the right moment making the perfect expression when she is moving. The point and shoot we used to use was really nice, but it we kept missing out on great pictures of her doing really cute stuff, because it just wasn't as fast as the Nikon 3100. This camera is great!