Excellent image quality, Very good video quality, Beginner friendly onscreen help,
Poor control layout, Lacks live histogram, Aperture glitch in live view
Two years in the making, the Nikon D5100 isn’t a revolutionary change to its predecessor, but in this rare case, just on image quality alone, and especially with the addition of the excellent 921K vari-angle LCD, the D5100 sure seems like a much, much ...
Well-rounded feature set, Top notch image quality (still and video), Excellent low light/high ISO performance, Beautiful 3-inch, high resolution articulated LCD, New special effects, Full time AF in Live View and Video,
No dedicated ISO button, Requires AF-S lens with built-in AF motor, Live View and video AF aren’t lightning fast, Special Effects parameters must be set in Live View
In many ways the Nikon D5100 is what the Nikon D5000 should have been: an evolution of the D90, made lighter and cheaper, with video recording capabilities that stretch beyond gimmickry. While the D7000 is more closely the direct replacement for the D...
While the D5000 represented a big leap forward for Nikon's video-capable DSLRs, it left us a bit underwhelmed with a lack of control or full-time autofocus, and a tilting LCD that tended to interfere with tripod designs. The D5100 still doesn't of...
Superb still image and video quality. Excellent low-light shooting capability. Sharp, articulating LCD. Continuous autofocus during Live View shooting. Lots of useful in-camera effects.
Continuous autofocus in Live View is slow. Some lens noise when autofocusing in video mode. No 720p60 video recording.
The Nikon D5100 offers a fantastic mix of still-image and video-recording quality, along with plenty of features including top-notch in-camera effects. This well-rounded shooter is an easy Editors' Choice for under-$1,000 D-SLRs. Buy it now...
Abstract: While nipping at the heels of its top level sibling, the D7000, this baby has a couple of advantages: a smaller size and arguably a less challenging user interface. It is in fact an excellent prosumer or enthusiast camera.In the hand it’s a practical ...
Very good photo quality, with impressive high ISO performance, Compact, solid, and generally well designed body, 3inch LCD with 921k pixels can flip to the side and rotate, Plenty of manual controls, with RAW image format support (of course), Snappy performance in most areas, with good continuous shooting mode, Full HD movie mode with continuous autofocus, Active DLighting reduces highlight clipp
Photos tend to be soft, Slow focusing in live view mode; poor low light focusing (with LV), Movie mode woes: sluggish and noisy continuous AF, no manual controls, Some controls poorly located, namely the live view switch and movie recording button; camera could use more direct buttons, Autofocus only available with AFS and AFI lenses, Wireless flash control would've been nice, Full manual on CDRO
The Nikon D5100 is a very nice "premium" entry-level D-SLR, and offers some genuinely useful new features compared to its predecessor (the D5000). Some of the highlights are very good photo quality (with low noise until the very highest sensitivities)...
Was this review helpful?
-
Published: 2011-05-22, Author: Philip , review by: popphoto.com
Abstract: A step-up camera that offers something for everyoneWhat's Hot: Near-Excellent stills and great full-HD video. What's Not: Too many controls lost in the menus. Who It's For: Those looking to step up to a serious shooter's DSLR, at a less serious price.Niko...
Quality images with good balance of detail and noise, Articulated screen with 3in / 920k panel, HD video at multiple fps with mic input and continuous AF, Fun EFFECTS mode, some of which can be applied to video.
Continuous movie AF can be visibly and audibly distracting, UI slow for experienced owners, No Live Histogram in Live View, No motor to autofocus older (non AF-S) lenses.
As I said at the top of this page, the Nikon D5100 represents a decent upgrade over its predecessor, and while it lacks the manual movie exposure control of the D7000, the choice of multiple 1080p frame rates, live special effects and fully articulate...
The Nikon D5100 successfully bridges the gap between the beginner-friendly approach of the D3100 and the more complex D7000, with the latter's fantastic 16 megapixel sensor being the icing on the proverbial cake. The D5100 does have a few minor handli...
