I have used Canon's for a long time and wanted to upgrade my entire setup from top to bottom. Great camera out of the box and very easy to use. I would only recommend buying better Nikkor, Sigma, or Tokina lenses. The others are good but it can be better. There are some great tools that become very useful while shooting like live mode. This turns your display into a viewfinder, allowing you to not have to shoot without putting your face up to the camera. The only downfall I have seen with it, is the autofocus "hunts" too much not allowing for quick shots.
This camera is a great camera for those looking to try out DSLR cameras. It is not considered a "Professional" camera by any means, however, it is a great camera to have for a first timer or beginner in the photography field. Make sure you pay attention to the lenses you choose to shoot with this camera as the type of glass (lens) you choose to use can make or break your photos. As with any camera, assuming you're NOT a professional (or you'd of gotten something better), you need to understand how to use this camera outside of the AUTO features. If you want to shoot in AUTO, buy a point and shoot style camera. You really need to take the time to learn the manual settings to get the most from this camera.
I just bought the camera. It is really nice and really easy to find the functions. But I will not comment the qualities only the problems. I put four stars because I think it coud be better to find the exact focus point. Some SLRs have zoom only in the area where the focus is to help to find the exact focus point. Also, I did not like you only have 2s and 10s as timer options. Also you need to go into the menu to change from one to another. I expected more from the iso quality. with iso 800 usually there is a significative loss of quality. The 18-55 lenses I think are really not enough and I was really happy to be able to buy a 18-105mm instead. Also it is heavy, and I am still get used to manae this aspect. Overal a great camera, specially comparing the price with other cameras.
I have very specific requirements for any on my cameras that depart from entry level camera types. It must have a "bulb" setting, have the capacity of an external shutter timer/release, have a mirror lockup lockup feature, have a "live view" and HDML monitor output and be light enough to hang off a telescope without unbalancing the mount setup. This camera fit the bill for me at a good price. I now have several of this model including one set up for daytime use only. This camera does not have the shutter count potential of the professional models, but since I do not intend to shoot 200,000 frames in my life time, a non professional camera is fine with me.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
The D3100 is an excellent entry-level DSLR for the true photography enthusiast. The Nikon D series cameras all offer ease-of-use, reliability, durability and a vast array of features that will let you photograph like a pro. In particular, the D3100 blends features from the spectrum of Nikon DSLRs. In full auto mode even the first time user can pick this camera up and start taking beautiful pictures in a snap. The D3100 supports all of the Nikon F mount lenses ever made and the variety of auto focus (AF-S) lenses made by Nikon and other manufacturers is staggering. For the more advanced user features like aperture priority, shutter priority, manual mode, built-in microphone and 1080p audio video recording at 24 frames per second, this camera is the perfect alternative to it's pricier siblings. Getting your digital media off of this camera is simple, with USB-out and a mini HDMI output port For the amateur photographer, experienced or not, this camera packs a lot of bang for the buck. For the professional in the semi pro, it makes an excellent back up camera. I have a D3200, and a D5300 but for ease-of-use I still turn to this little gem. The color saturation and light sensitivity is incredible for any camera in this price range. Based on experience I have to give this camera an A+ for general features, ease-of-use, and overall great picture quality. At just over 16 megapixels, it's a steel, but don't let that for you when it comes to DSLR's megapixels aren't everything this isn't an iPhone or an android... it's a real camera designed and manufactured by one of the best names in photography... NIKONRead full review
Verified purchase: No
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