Nikon 3100D Review

Nikon 3100D

Model:  Nikon 3100D

If you are looking for some actual user feedback, facts and detailed overview of the Nikon 3100D then you’ve come to the right place.

I know a lot about this DSLR camera from extensive research and experience and below I’ve organized all my research into a concise summary to help others decide if this DSLR camera is right for them also.

Before I get into the important points that you need to know, I first want to say that there are a lot of cameras on the market and it really does pay to look them carefully as they are not all the same as the materials and functionality vary widely.

So putting all the hype aside about what’s the best, lets just look at the facts

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Nikon 3100D Review

I have some difficulty placing the Nikon 3100D among the dSLR cameras, but if you’re looking for an honest Nikon 3100D review, then keep on reading.

Good: You get excellent photo quality, a user-friendly and interesting Guide mode, video capture fully controlled manually, and good lay-out controls in general.

Bad: There’s no bracketing, the viewfinder’s a bit small, and it’s somewhat slower than the competition.

Bottom line: The Nikon 3100D is a very good camera for an entry-level dSLR. Experienced photographers will appreciate the streamlined body that delivers excellent picture quality with its Nikon D3100 lenses, but relatively new shooters won’t find this Nikon camera intimidating at all. The only negative would be a slight lag in performance, in terms of the competition, but it’s still a solid buy all-in-all.

When I started writing this review, it struck me as odd that the market is confused on where to place the Nikon 3100D. You can get at the same price as the Nikon D5000, which is available still – and in some ways a better camera. Except for the video, which most shooters don’t care about, it’s a lot like the lower-priced Nikon D3000. Still, while the D3100 isn’t bad, and can hold its own against other cameras from other makers, it still falls short when compared to its own line mates.

What the D3100 does match, and in a way overtakes, is the Pentax K-x, the present leader in the budget dSLR category. Its noise profile is very good and you can check how it makes very high-quality JPEGS through ISO 800, and even up to ISO 3000 your photos are still very usable. (The D3100 is not yet supported by Adobe Camera Raw, and there’s not enough granular noise reduction from Nikon Capture NX2 to make JPEG versus raw comparisons).  This Nikon camera delivers high-quality color reproduction in default SD mode, a welcome change from its Pentax and Sony competitors that seems to prefer over-saturation at default mode, plus its exposure system and metering functions are reliable also.

Even if you expect the Nikon D5000 to be in the channel a little longer, the significant overlap between the D5000 and the D3100 at the same price range is pretty obvious. You can spot only a few features that distinguish them such as the articulated LCD offered by the D5000, better viewfinder, a better feature set, and better performance. On the D3100 side, you can see that it has a slightly bigger LCD, better movie capture, and a higher resolution (which you may not need). In terms of photo quality, they’re about the same.  In the end, the D5000 is probably the better deal at the same price. The Nikon 3100D is a very good dSLR, but as long as the Nikon D5000 is there at a decent price, it’s still the better choice.

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I hope this NIkon 3100D Review has been helpful to you in making a more informed purchasing decision.

Mike

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Nikon 3100D vs Nikon D5000

Many people tend to compare the  Nikon 3100D vs Nikon D5000. The  market is a little confused on where to place the Nikon 3100D in the DSLR camera line, but if you’re looking for Nikon D3100 review that’s to-the-point and honest, then read on.

What’s Good:  Excellent picture quality, well-designed lay-out of controls, manual video capture, and a Guide mode that’s interesting enough to keep your attention.
What’s Bad: Viewfinder is a little small, bracketing is missing, and over-all it’s a bit slower than most of the dSLR competition.

Bottom line: The Nikon 3100D is a quality camera in its class, the entry-level DSLRs. Its Nikon lenses assure excellent photo quality and it has a streamlined body that veteran photographers can appreciate, but it’s not intimidating at all for a beginning photographer. Its only shortcoming is in terms of performance – where it lags a little behind the competition, but bottom line, it’s still a good buy.

Picture sharpness is dependent is dependent on the lens, and I felt pretty good in testing the different models because my shots turned out sharp, but not too sharpened. I shot using the new pro-level 28-300 mm f3.5-5.6 ED VR, with the ever reliable 18-55mm VR kit lens, as well as the familiar 35mm f1.8 lens.

Optically, the 28-300mm is a great Nikon 3100D lens, but the zoom-ring felt a bit flat, it’s too tight and a bit inconsistent, plus its weight is too much for the D3100’s light body. The 55-300mm is a better fit, but it has a tendency to fringing, not quite as sharp, and it’s slower. However, it’s a good choice for a second lens and it will satisfy you for the money you’ll pay for it, since it’s relatively cheap. There’s a little fringing along the backlit edges and some slight asymmetrical distortion on the right. But as far as Nikon 3100D deals go, it’s great value for the lens.

The video quality is typical among its class, but there seems to be more rolling shutter artefacts on average (note that when shooting video, the VR lens makes a big difference). The audio is pretty good, though the full-time AF finds it a bit difficult at locking on the right subject, and it’s loud as well. However, the camera offers full manual exposure when capturing movies. An interesting feature is, at the upper left side on the display, you’ll find a 30-second countdown-to-shutoff timer when the camera is idle at the Live View/movie mode.

Performance-wise, this camera works just fine, but the Nikon D3000 is faster overall, though not as fast as its competitors. Power on and shoot takes about 0.4 second and, in good light, focus and shoot takes about the same time. If the light is dim, the speed is still good – 0.6 second, and still better than the previous model. Bottom line for your money – the Nikon D5000 is likely a better deal for the same price. Among the DSLR line, the Nikon 3100D is a very good camera, but so long as its price competes with the D5000, the latter is still the better deal.

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Pros and Cons Analysis of Nikon 3100D

Nikon recently launched the Nikon 3100D, its latest camera in the dSLR line. The D3100 is affordable priced, so it’s positioned in the middle to low range dSLRs. Still, being a Nikon camera, users will have high expectations about its performance because of the technology behind it. Its predecessor is the Nikon D3000, a very successful product that enabled Nikon to narrow the gap with Canon. This Nikon D3100 review will try to honestly assess if this latest Nikon camera is worth the price it’s being offered to the user.
The answer can be arrived at by considering these three main points:

What’s Good

Excellent pictures –The Nikon 3100D lenses produce high-quality pictures, even at ISO 800 settings. The photos are still very usable even if you raise the settings to ISO 3200. Color reproduction is likewise excellent and you won’t notice any over saturation.
Picture sharpness – always depend on lens quality, and fortunately, the D3100 comes with a very reliable 18-55mm VR kit lens. For lifelike picture sharpness, professional photographers may choose to use the 28-300mm VR kit, but beginning shooters will find the bundled lens more than enough for their needs.
Excellent video recording – A full HD 1080p video can be recorded at 30 fps and 24 fps. You can also do simple editing in the camera itself.
Guide Mode – interesting and very helpful for inexperienced shooters. Video capture has full manual controls.

Needs Improvement

Small viewfinder – The small and compact body of Nikon 3100D makes its viewfinder quite small among dSLR Nikon cameras. But it’s not a big a deal since it’s easy to get used to.
Slow camera performance lags behind competition – It takes 0.4 seconds to power on and shoot, which is about the same time between shots for bright sunlight. The timing is 0.6 seconds for dim conditions.

Best Used By

Starting photographers
People with photography as a hobby
Shooters with a limited budget but wants a dSLR camera with Nikon lenses

Conclusion: The Nikon 3100D has some features that can be improved, but all-in-all it produces excellent quality pictures, which is the main thing. So it’s  good buy for the price.

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