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Nikon D5100 with 18-55mm Kit Lens
The Nikon D5100 is Nikon's take on the "360 degree swivel screen" that has become popular on Digital SLR. The Nikon's predecessor, the D5000, was a rather big fail on Nikon's part. The screen resolution was horrible, the screen did not go 360 degrees out of the right side of the camera, instead only swiveled downwards below the camera, and its sensor was a mere 12.3 mega pixels. Hence, it was totally ignored as a product and was trumped on by the Canon EOS 60D, and later the 600D. However, the D5100 is about to change that, and it is Nikon proving that they are not lagging behind.
Features
The megapixel count has been bumped up to 16.2 megapixels. Although the Canon EOS 60D and 600D have 18 megapixels, 2 megapixels does not make a world of a difference. Beside, the D5100 can boast about its 11 AF (auto-focus) points. The 60D has a mere 9 AF points. This itself speaks much of Nikon's superiority when it comes to image quality.
The Nikon D5100 also has something that may change others mindset about how Nikon's DSLR videos are not as good as Canon's. It has continual AF (auto focus) in video mode, something only the Nikon D3100, D5100, and D7000 have.
However, it is a semi-amateur DSLR, and it lacks a few things. Unlike the Nikon D7000, the D5100 does not have a built in AF motor, so it would not have AF with lenses which do not come with a AF motor built in. The D3100 suffers from the same problem. However, Nikon has a wide range of lenses to choose from at good prices. Plus since it is a semi-amateur DSLR, most people would buy this as a first or second SLR, like myself, and would just save up to get a kit lens replacement. Anyway, the kit lens (18-55mm VR from Nikon) is not that bad, for a kit lens. It is suffice to a beginner for a good few months, just to learn things like manual focus, zooming, etc.
Bottom Line
Overall, the Nikon D5100 has been a joy for me to use. I have taken family photos with it, and it is reasonably sharp with the kit lens. However, I do recommend buying other lenses to replace it at a later date. The Nikon D5100 is a good try at the video in DSLR market, and though it is not perfect, it is still a wonderful DSLR, and a wonderful amateur camera for anyone out there who wants to learn how to shoot with SLR lenses.
Company: Nikon
Price: $899 USD (with kit lens)
Editors Rating: 9.5/10
Review by: Joshua - July 18, 2011
