Nikon D5100 Digital SLR Camera with 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 AF-S DX VR Nikkor Zoom Lens

Let me start of by saying that I love cameras and photography, I consider it as a way of expressing myself when you can't describe a situation with words, an image can speak a thousand!! (A short rambling about the cameras I owned - Skip to the next paragraph for the review) So, I got a hotshot flashless camera (Rs.200 in 1993) as a kid which took a film roll and would allow me to click 24 shots (broad sunlight required for anything to appear on the photo - even indoor pictures appear very dark). Then I decided I had to get a camera with flash. So, I saved my pocket money and got a camera worth Rs.500 in 1998 (this camera let me click 36 photos - standard film roll) which I enjoyed for a while and then came the zoom cameras and I instantly wanted one. So, I took my savings of Rs.6500 and got the Yashica zoom camera in 2002, believe me it had an infrared remote! On getting busy with college, I ended up on a break with photography. Then, In 2010 came to the US for my masters and decided I had to get the super zoom cameras with certain manual settings. So, got the Kodak Z981 ($200 - 2010 BlackFriday) and enjoy the camera till date. The only complain I have about it is that it is extremely bad in low light conditions. So, I only could dream of clicking those awesome pictures you find on the internet. I again got busy with studies and work that I could not think of pursuing my hobby. Now, I finally got some time and I decided to try some dslr's out and started with the Sony alpha A57 (Instant Love) but found out that the low light performance was kinda bad through reviews. Then, started showing interest in Canon T3. Somehow, Nikon was my last choice. But, I just wanted to give it a try before I bought any camera and tried out the D3100 at a local store. This is when I really started liking Nikon (Best in class for lowlight situations) and I think there was an interest for low light photography buried deep inside of me when I was a kid ( just the fact that my first camera was not able to click in low light). So, this is when I started reading reviews and blogs and what not!! I rekindled my inner desire for photography. I decided I wanted something more professional than the D3100 and the professional full frame cameras intimidated me and that is when I decided I had to get the D5100 which is perfect for me and for my needs on the long run!! Believe me, I enjoy every thing about this camera. This is the best camera I ever had and its now helping me capture very precious shots that I could only dream of, Its making them come true!! If you are really into manual modes and want the perfect gear without being intimidated by the so called professional cameras, I say go for the D5100!! Suits the Budget, Serves the Need!!

After weeks of product and spec research the great nikon vs cannon debate...I felt like I was being spun around and confused which camera to buy! First off the fans of each camera will try to sway you their way, it truely is just a personal preference! Both take great pictures! (I was lucky enough and found out that I had 2 had coworkers bring one of each camera into work and I was able to walk around and take some quick pictures to see how I liked cannon or nikon.) The reason I ended up with the Nikon was I had owned a Nikon point and shoot some years ago and the controls were similar and the thought that if I do upgrade the body later, my lenses were more of an investment since I could keep any lenses I purchased. I by no means have any photography knowledge this is my first "fancy" camera and I was not let down. I found it easy to use right out of the box on the auto settings, but fun to explore after reading the manual and I also purchased a book on my kindle app that I can send you the name upon request(didn't want to favor any books in this review) But needless to say at first all the lingo was a bit foreign to me, but after some time(about 2 weeks) I started to comprehend it. I do not claim to know much but I can at least put together some stuff on the manual settings which once you get into the details you will love those manual settings that you can change yourself! I am a mom of a 10 year old and a golden retriever dog so I wanted to capture everything in great quality, with this camera I feel I have done that and I'm only just learning how to use it. The sports setting works amazing I will post some sports pictures of my son, with 4 frames per second I catch every movement of his peewee football games I love it! The images are vivid and crisp. I'm only starting to learn photography but trying my best to comprehend stuff and learn the settings on the camera, If you are like me and don't plan to be a professional photography but want crisp beautiful pictures of your family and friends then I would recommend this camera I don't think you would be disappointed. Its very easy to use at first and has such room for growth esp with the lenses that you can add on. I only have the 18-55mm I bought with the kit but already planning to buy more lenses! For the price and being an entry level camera I'm sure you wont be disappointed as well! Good luck!

...Seriously. If you're reading reviews here, you're most likely thinking about purchasing the D5100. I'm not yet a professional photographer, but I am a serious enthusiast with the intent of eventually taking my photography to the next level. I am the (proud) owner of a Nikon D60, and I can say that the D5100 is a very strong upgrade from the D60. Improvements in image quality were immediately noticed with the D5100, and low light shooting is awesome with this camera. When I bought my D60, I had high hopes for the low light shooting capabilities, however it ended up falling short of my expectations. The D5100 definitely meets the expectations I originally had for the D60 in regards to low light shooting, and possibly even exceeds them a bit. That being said, the D60 is still a great camera which takes great photos, and I would highly recommend it to anyone starting out in SLR photography. The manual for the D60 is definitely a bit better than the D5100's, and explains things in greater detail. The way the buttons feel on the D5100 when pressed seem cheaper than that of the D60, but that's just an observation of mine from owning both cameras, and someone purchasing the D5100 probably wouldn't even notice this unless they had another camera to compare it to. The D5100 still feels solid and of good quality, and you get professional looking image results, even using the kit 18-55mm lens. With the 35mm f1.8 Nikon prime lens, you get even sharper results, and it is definitely a recommended accessory for anyone who purchases this camera. I purchased this camera in February because I wanted to have it for a vacation I was taking. Needless to say it did not disappoint! For those interested in HDR photography, this camera does have an auto bracketing feature which can be used in conjunction with the self timer, allowing for hands free operation (granted you have a tripod.) However, you can only do one image over and one image under exposed using this option, and the timer (or auto bracketing) have to be reset after each series of images due to the assign button only having the capability of one feature being assigned to it at a time. This is something that I didn't happen to notice in anyone's review here, (maybe I just missed it?) but would have liked to have known ahead of time. Certainly not a deal breaker though, and no reason to give it less than 5 stars. I could go on and on, but there's not much here with everyone's reviews that hasn't already been said. Basically, almost all of the positive comments here are most likely true, and buying this camera should be a purchase that you won't regret. Especially when it's on sale! It's essentially a less professional version of the D7000 with the same image quality for half the price. I originally wanted the D7000, but couldn't justify the price. I can say with confidence that I made the right choice by saving my money and going for the D5100. Invest in some good lenses, because that's going to make the biggest difference!

This is easily the finest camera that I've owned and I've owned some good cameras hailing back to the Minolta SRT-201. I seldom use the viewfinder and instead tend to use the high contrast and very sharp monitor built into the camera. Focus is quick and accurate with the kit lens. Pictures are bright and color is very accurate. Vibration Reduction is better than I expected. With the camera on my tripod and VR off, I can tap the tripod and see the image resonate with the vibration in the tripod. With VR on, there is no discernable shake even with the 70-300mm lens on full zoom. Quite amazing actually. I can hear the VR mechanism working but it's not loud, just quietly working it's magic. With AF and VR on, it takes a second to take an image since everything has to stabilize before the picture is taken. Turning them off and doing manual focus allows a much faster process per picture. I also purchased a Tamron 70-300mm lens and all features work perfectly with this camera, both AF and VR (which Tamron calls VC) work pretty much the same on it and the kit lens. It's worth every penny. I'd buy it again in a heartbeat. This camera makes ME smile. 1 Month Update: (June 27) We have a couple of thousand shots out of this amazing camera now. About 1500 images out in nature with the 300mm zoom all the way out capturing birds in flight, nesting and doing what birds do. Sure we throw a lot of them out. Every photographer does. The image is good, it's just not of anything worth keeping. This is not a camera problem. This is a photographer problem. Using the camera more is the answer. In the last two weeks, we've experimented with an older fully manual 55mm Micro-Nikkor-P lens with the 27.5mm extension tube. It takes a little experimentation to get the exposure but the images are exquisite. I never expected to be able to put a 40 year old Nikon lens on this camera but I did and with the camera set to manual you can use this ultra modern camera very similarly to how we took pictures 40 years ago. The manufacturing quality of those old lenses is amazing. There are tens of thousands of them on the used market and available relatively inexpensively. I have just over $100 in the used macro lens and extension tube and that gives us 2:1, 1:1 to .5:1 macro ability with a focal distance measured in inches out to infinity. The Micro-Nikkor lenses have legendary Nikon quality and performance and it's not at all lost on this camera. If you've always wanted to get those close up macro shots of bugs or flowers breaking into bloom, don't shy away from those old Nikkor lenses in manual mode. They take wonderful pictures with the D5100. As a bonus, my wife wasn't really solid with learning the relationship between shutter speed, f stop and ISO until a week with the manual lens on. Now she's all over it. Because you HAVE TO LEARN to make it work at all. Depth of field now makes sense to her and now she knows how to achieve it. Or not. 3 Month Update: (August 3) Just shot a wedding in Duluth and the north shore of Lake Superior. (not as the paid photographer) Two days, rehearsal, rehearsal dinner campfire/cabin, wedding and reception. Took 430 shots. Left the camera on automatic 99% of the time. About 20 shots were really great photos. About 15 of them were motion blurred, badly focused or missed target. The rest of them were acceptable shots. Nearly all of the motion blurred were from the Tamron 70-300 in full zoom. Half of those, the subject moved in the frame. Overall I'd rate it a success. Two of the photos were real winners. Pictures that told a story and caught emotion. I can't fault the camera or lenses for anything. They just worked. Very happy with the setup. I had an external flash on, the Nikon SB-400 AF Speedlight. I also had the diffuser for it from Stofen, the OM-400. This flash was really not up to the task for a big room like a church. Thankfully the room was well lit. For smaller rooms around 30 x 20 or less, the flash and diffuser was excellent. The room really needs a white ceiling for the diffuser to work properly since it directs a lot of light up at a 45 degree angle. I took nearly all of the church interior pictures hand held with no flash and let the VR lenses do their magic. I got a lot of good shots from the balcony with the 70-300 lens and the camera balanced on the railing. Outdoor pictures near dusk in low outdoor lighting came out way better than any camera I've had in the past. Until it got dark enough to simply not support picture taking, the dusk pictures pretty much look like the daytime pictures. The D5100 really is amazing in low light conditions. Battery life was very good. I went through two batteries in the camera. I'm sure the external flash helped battery life. I can't speak to battery life in the flash since I recharged them once that night and can't tell how far they were run down. The flash always recharged VERY quickly. Wrap Up: Cameras take images. Photographers take pictures. The Nikon D5100 is way more capable than most of us. I have yet to demand something from it that it hasn't delivered with excellence. With this much capability, we can work on and improve our abilities. And with digital images being micro-pennies vs dollars in old school terms, it's an inexpensive way to get an education in photography. And you're going to end up with some great pictures in the process. Get it.

This camera doesn't replace my Nikon D90 (I actually have 2 of them and love them) - but it is a great "smaller" camera to cart around when I don't want to lug the D90. It isn't much smaller - but it is a little lighter and smaller. I haven't tried all the features yet - but I have been very pleased so far. The picture quality is great. I would have rated it 4.5 but I couldn't give a half star. The thing that drives me crazy is that in order to see a photo that I just shot - I need to have the flip screen open. This annoys me because with the D90 - I just look down and see it. The flip screen is taking some getting used to. However, having a swivel LCD screen also has benefits. I purchased the D5100 because it is rated very high when compared to the Nikon D7000. I wanted the D7000 but it is currently more than I am willing to pay. The D5100 gives me the higher megapixels, etc. that the D90 doesn't have and better and more user-friendly video recording (I don't use the video features often). This will be my "travel" camera. I am going to Bermuda in the spring and will be giving the D5100 a workout there. I only used the kit lens a couple time. I have placed my Sigma 18-200mm lens on this camera. I like that it uses the same lenses that I have for my D90. UPDATE: I have to take back what I said about being annoyed by the swivel/flip screen - the camera is fairly new to me (and none of my other dSLRs ever had a flip screen), and I did not know that you were able to flip and turn it so you could snap it in backward so you could see it. Thanks to the reader below - I tried again. I had not tried that particular twist and flip sequence before. I still would rate the camera a 4.5.

I looked at all of the entry to mid-level dslrs and the D5100 best fit my needs as an "experienced beginner". Initially, I was a bit hesitant, because I was afraid I'd outgrow it rather quickly, so I also bought a D7000 intending to return one of them (I know, this is sometimes frowned upon, but Amazon's excellent return privileges are there for a reason). They're both great cameras and you can't go wrong with either. But I've decided to keep the D5100 for a number of reasons, including: - To my eyes, image quality is virtually indistinguishable between the 2 cameras, and I engaged in some serious pixel-peeping while reaching this conclusion. Both use the same Sony sensor. Where the D7k probably has an edge is with sports and capturing moving subjects in low light (neither of which I had the chance to shoot). - Both of the D7000's I tried had backfocusing problems due to faulty bodies. What are the odds of that? - The D7000 overexposes in bright/high contrast scenes, requiring -ev adjustment to prevent loss of detail from highlight clipping. Some may not mind this, but I think that, in its default state, the camera shouldn't overexpose to the point of losing detail, unless you're shooting in full manual mode and have chosen the wrong settings. Sometimes you don't have time to set ev comp to take advantage of a great photo op. - My trusty D5100 has had no problems whatsoever. Focus is tack sharp. Everything works and it's been an absolute pleasure to use. I also don't recall reading reports of any known problems or design flaws with the D5100, unlike the D7000. - The small form factor and light weight of the 5100 make it great for traveling. The articulating screen can also come in handy. It's well-made and the mostly-plastic build isn't a problem. Besides, the D7000 uses magnesium alloy only on the back and top (as if it was used more for show than for real ruggedness). The rest of the body shell is plastic, which is fine for most of us amateurs. If you want real ruggedness, you need to step up to a pro model. - The 5100 is often referred to as a beginner's camera, but it's actually capable of most of the things even an advanced user would need. Some of the secondary essentials (WB, release mode, bracketing) are in menus, but they're quick to access. All of the key functions, however (aperture, shutter speed, exposure comp, flash mode, AE/AF lock, ISO) are controllable via buttons (ISO can be assigned to the function button) and once you get used to the layout, it becomes second nature. There's a plethora of settings, and it *is* a camera one can grow with and hold onto for awhile. The D7000, otoh, has lots of features that I (and perhaps many other amateurs) would rarely or never use. - Being my first dslr, I didn't have any old Nikkor AFS lenses and I don't plan to buy many more lenses beyond the three that I already have. So the internal focus motor of the D7000 wasn't of any value to me. The D7000's larger, brighter, 100% coverage viewfinder is missed, but I can live without it. The D7000's glass prism adds a fair amount of weight. - Cost wasn't an issue, but I don't exactly mind saving $400 especially when I'm getting the same image quality. To me, the 5100 was a better value. The money is better spent on lenses. Furthermore, given the short life cycle of electronic products, it doesn't make sense to invest in a more expensive body with extra non-essential (to me) features, since there will be interesting developments in the next couple of years (e.g. advancement in mirrorless cam technology and lens selection), tempting me to upgrade. I'd recommend buying the D5100 body only, passing on the 18-55 kit lens in favor of the 35mm 1.8. Then add a 16-85VR and 70-300VR as budget permits. These lenses are all super sharp and should cover almost any shot that comes up. The 18-105 is a good, cheaper alternative to the 16-85.

I sold my D3100 and purchased the D5100. I really liked my D3100, but there are 2 features I wanted that the D5100 has: 1.) bracketing function and 2.) ISO 1/3 increments. I like HDR photography, and the 3 exposure bracketing mode makes it easier to do on the D5100 (although I wish it had a 5 exposure bracketing mode). I take a lot of night photos, and the D3100 would only go from 800 to 1600 to 3200. The D5100 will let you shoot at ISO 1000, 1250, 2000, etc. The high ISO performance on the D3100 is very good, but it is outstanding/phenomenal on the D5100. I have taken quite a few ISO 5000 and 6400 photos on the D5100 that come out awesome with almost no noise, even with the stock lens. I recently took a photo at ISO 5000 and posted on flickr that looks like ISO 200 on almost any other camera I have ever used, including my Panasonic GH1. I will share it on Amazon. I believe the incredible low light, high ISO performance is because the D5100 shares the same sensor as the D7000. So this is a big upgrade from the D3100 as far as the sensor in low light environments. I have taken about 500 photos so far, and pictures come out tack sharp with the stock lens. Combined with the 35 mm F1.8 Nikon lens, the camera takes as fantastic of pictures as I could possibly imagine. Battery life is incredible--after 500 pics the battery indicator still showed the full 3 bars. I also like the adjustable swivel screen for when I am shooting on a tripod or above my head. The one thing I do not like about the camera are the placement of the buttons and settings. There is not a button for ISO; you have to press the "i" button then scroll down on the screen and change it. You could assign ISO to the Fn button (which is in a difficult location on the left side of the camera), but then you can't set the camera to a 2 second self-timer without going through the menu. I use the 2 second timer a lot for shooting on a tripod at night, so I didn't change the Fn button. On the D3100, the self timer was on a switch on the top; not sure why they removed that. Overall the controls are somewhat cumbersome in the dark without looking at the camera. I am getting used to them, but they could make it easier. Finally, the D5100 does not autofocus on older Nikon lenses like the D7000 does. But I think the picture quality of the D5100 is probably equal to the D7000 because they use the same sensor. Other than the controls/button placement issue, I love this camera and highly recommend it. I think it is certainly worth the 200 dollars more than the D3100 if you are considering between the 2.

I take thousands of close up macro pictures always using a 35 inch high copy stand. It was challenging for decades using SLR cameras because I had to gaze down into a viewfinder with one eye. Focusing was difficult. I've used Nikon Nikon D100 6MP Digital SLR Camera , Nikon D70S 6.1MP Digital SLR Camera , Fujis, Sonys, Panasonic, and others going back to the 1980's. Because of uncertainty of exposure caused by back lighting, I've made three sets of triple bracketed photos for each item. Recently some photos were needed using the copy stand where the camera needed to be over 3 feet high above the table of the copy stand. I had reached my limit as I used a ladder to be able to gaze down on the subject. There had to be a better way. My Panasonic DMC-FZ150K 12.1 MP Digital Camera with CMOS Sensor and 24x Optical Zoom (Black) just does not cut it for back-lit photos, but it has an LCD screen which swivels out and I would not have to climb the ladder. But the FZ150 does not work well with back lighting. Then I saw the reviews here of the D5100. It had the articulating LCD screen and was a Nikon SLR! But did it have bracketing of exposure? It does! With such a screen maybe I would not have to use one eye looking down on a ladder. I could not order the D5100 fast enough. While waiting a day for my D5100 to arrive I watched a video Blue Crane Digital zBC141 Introduction to the Nikon D5100 : Basic Controls several times to learn about the camera. Now for my experience with the D5100: It is much better than expected! The spot focusing actually works, even with back lit objects. I never could auto focus before for these photos. The AF-S stock lens is constantly focusing in auto focus mode, so I don't have to press the shutter button half way every time I want to focus. That method did not work well for macro close up shots with the older Nikons. With the D5100 use spot metering/focusing option, and move the little box around the screen for the exact spot to focus on. The auto exposure on aperture priority actually works too. I bracket anyway, but only have to take one set of 3 pictures for each item rather than three. The articulating screen is highly functional, and with the convenient position of the "live view" lever it's fast to go into that mode. The AE+- functions works in live view, so I can adjust the exposure while seeing the results on the LCD screen instantly before the picture is taken. The included 18-55mm lens does work for close-up work, and I can still use my old beloved Micro Nikor 60mm AF but without auto focus. Same with my Tamron 90mm f2.8 Macro, also without auto focus. The exposure functions work perfectly though. But it's just a matter of time that I get more an AF-S micro lens such as Nikon 85mm f/3.5G AF-S DX ED VR Micro Nikkor Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras for this camera. The battery life is so long I'm not using an AC adapter, which is a first for me. In summation, for production macro close up work using a copy stand: Great swivel LCD screen with Live View Auto Exposure Control that works in difficult conditions Auto Focusing on close up objects that works well in real time using spot focusing Battery life that goes on and on Convenient buttons Real time exposure control in LCD screen Ultra sharp photos Takes old lenses (no auto-focus) Accurate white balance (after calibrating preset, see pdf manual) Brackets 3 photos quickly, no shutter lag Probably a great point and shoot too, but I prefer to not change all my macro settings for that such as white balance, bracketing, exposure, so I use my Panasonic DMC-FZ150K 12.1 MP Digital Camera with CMOS Sensor and 24x Optical Zoom (Black) with the Leica Lens for that...

I am amazed by the service of Buy and Save. This product faced some difficulties in Canadian region and "Buy and Save" instantly informed me about this situation. So, I canceled my order and again, "Buy and Save" returned my money back into account within very short period of time. I will be glad to do business with Buy and Save again.

Did not come with with a camera strap, flash card or owner's manual, i purchased the strap and card from Amazon and got the manual online. At the extremely low price i paid it was no issue. Great camera. Takes wonderful photos.