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
I purchased this camera for a trip I made to South America, I didn't want to take my D7100, down there; I was concerned about quality, sharpness and ease of use. I wanted a camera with: - Good enough resolution. 14 MP is plenty, I watch a few videos on YouTube, reviewing the D 3100, and one of them in particular bragged about the results obtained with it. I wasn't disappointed at all. - Small price tag, just in case I got robbed, I wouldn't feel terribly bad if it got stolen. - Ease of use; this is where it got interesting, the camera its easy to use no doubt. But downgrading from the D7100 where you have dedicated buttons for aperture and shutter speed, ISO , etc. this camera made me work for it, to get the results I needed. But at the end and by getting familiar with the D3100, it all worked out ok. Now I believe it when I hear that you can take great pictures with the camera you have, you just need to know how to use the triangle (aperture, shutter and ISO). I would recommend this camera to beginners and advanced photographers alike.Read full review
Verified purchase: No
Well, the lenses from my old Nikon FE2 fit, and work under manual mode. I chose the camera for that, rather than use it as an auto-everything point-and-shoot DSLR. It takes photos in manual mode well enough, but the metering is hinky, and I end up using a hand-held meter, setting the shutter in the camera, and the f-stop on the lens. Just like the olden days before they put meters on, then in, cameras. I bought the 18-55mm zoom for the camera. It's sharp, quiet, and with everything on auto, the camera is quite boring. The pop-up flash is irritating and pretty much makes every photo hideous. Turn it off. Frankly, if Nikon made a sensor/memory circuit at a set ISO that dropped into the film guides of my old FE2, I'd use that for taking digital photos. Sorry, I'm old and cranky. It's a good camera.Read full review
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
I have been shooting with some of the best gear in the business. I got this camera after taking a break from digital and it's really a great little thing. For the price you get everything you need including great video. There are reasons however it's in the price range it is. As great as it is for a newbie it's sensor is a bit limited and I notice things in the image that just would not be there with my D800. Still mostly it's the user not the camera. I know it's limits and accept them.
I purchased this camera recently and it is one AWESOME camera. I have had several SLR cameras from Pentax, Canon and Nikon. A big fan of 35mm - I finally transitioned over to a DSLR last year w/ my D90. What the heck was I waiting for? It's insanely unbelievable how easy it is to take pictures - my wife an avid beginner is loving the simplicity of taking great pictures and now beautiful 1080p quality video. Here are the features of the NIKON D3100: Type Single-lens reflex digital camera Lens Mount Nikon F bayonet mount Picture Angle Effective picture angle 1.5x (Approx.) conversion factor (Nikon DX format) Effective Pixels 14.2 million Sensor Size 23.1 x 15.4mm Image Sensor Format DX Image Sensor Type CMOS Total Pixels 14.8 million Dust-reduction system Image sensor cleaning Airflow Control System Image Dust Off reference data (optional Capture NX 2 software required) Image Area (pixels) DX-format (L) 4608 x 3072 (M) 3456 x 2304 (S) 2304 x 1536 File Format NEF (RAW) JPEG: JPEG-Baseline compliant with fine (approx 1:4), normal (approx 1:8), or basic (approx 1:16) compression NEF (RAW) + JPEG: Single photograph recorded in both NEF (RAW) and JPEG formats Picture Control Landscape Monochrome Neutral Portrait Selected Picture Control can be modified Standard Vivid Storage Media SD SDHC SDXC Card Slot 1 Secure Digital (SD) File System Compliant with DCF (Design Rule for Camera File System) 2.0 DPOF (Digital Print Order Format) EXIF 2.21 (Exchangeable Image File Format for Digital Still Cameras PictBridge Viewfinder Eye-level pentamirror single-lens reflex viewfinder Viewfinder Frame Coverage 95% horizontal 95% verticalApprox. Viewfinder Magnification 0.80x Approx. Viewfinder Eyepoint 18mm (-1.0m⁻¹) Viewfinder Diopter Adjustment -1.7 to +0.5m⁻¹ Focusing Screen Type B BriteView Clear Matte Mark VII screen Reflex Mirror Quick-return type Lens Aperture Instant-return type electronically controlled Lens Compatibility at a Glance*** AF-S Lens Required for Autofocus Compatible Lenses AI-P NIKKOR: All functions supported except autofocus and 3D Color Matrix Metering II AF-S, AF-I: All functions supported Non-CPU: Can be used in mode M, but exposure meter does not function; electronic range finder can be used if maximum aperture is f/5.6 or faster IX Nikkor lenses cannot be used Electronic Rangefinder usable with lens with maximum aperture of f/5.6 or faster Type G or D AF NIKKOR not equipped with an autofocus motor: All functions supported except autofocus AF-NIKKOR for F3AF not supported Other AF NIKKOR: All functions supported except autofocus and 3D color matrix metering II Type D PC NIKKOR: All functions supported except autofocus and some shooting modes. Shutter type Electronically controlled vertical-travel focal-plane Shutter Speed 1/4000 to 30 sec. in steps of 1/3 EV Bulb Fastest Shutter Speed 1/4000 sec. in steps of 1/3 EV Slowest Shutter Speed 30 sec. in steps of 1/3 1/2 1 EV Flash Sync Speed Up to 1/200 sec. Synchronizes with shutter at 1/200s or slower Shutter Release Modes Single-frame [S] mode Continuous Self-timer mode Quiet Shutter Release Frame Advance Rate Up to 3 fps (manual focus, mode M or S, shutter speed 1/250 sec or faster, and other settings at default values) Top Continuous Shooting Speed at full resolution 3 frames per second Self-timer 2 sec. 10 sec. Timer duration electronically controlled Highly recommended camera w/ several beginner/adv features!!!!Read full review
This camera is a delight to use. The faster ISO (the ability to take pictures in lower light) has been very convenient. The "Dynamic" and "Matrix" focus modes are so much more advanced than my D40 Nikon camera. Although I rated this camera as "easy to use", there is a learning curve to some of the features that make the camera better than a point and shoot. It seems as if the "Auto White Balance" is more intuitive than the D40. I am not sure how to rate the movie mode; I don't think that it is as good as my I-Phone 6, but its also a decade older technology.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
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