Nikon D-3100 Review

I know that Nikon's D-3100 has recently been replaced by the new, improved and upgraded D-3200 which is an awesome camera for the price.  I recently acquired a D-3100 and since they are still on the market and actually still the second best selling DSLR or, digital single lens reflex camera, on the market (Canon's EOS Rebel T3i is number one) I thought I would do a review of this entry level gem.  There are tons of these cameras still available, sold as new, "new, old stock" or used.  Prices range from a couple hundred dollars to over $450.  Check Craig's list,  Ebay, and your local classifieds.  Another good place is the used department at your local camera store, as a lot of people upgrade to a better camera and trade in the old one.  

There is a lot to like about the D-3100.  

Click Here to see all the specs on Nikon's website

       Click on any picture for a larger image

The biggest thing I noticed, and the thing my wife loves, is the size and weight.  Much smaller and lighter than  higher level offerings from Nikon, the D-3100 fits a smaller hand much better than the D-5100 or D-7100.  To me it feels a little unsubstantial and a bit like a toy, but, if I was on vacation and wanted to carry around a DSLR for fun family snapshots, I would most likely go for this one.

All images from this point were taken with the Nikon D-3100.

The sensor on this baby is a huge upgrade from the D-3000.  The D-3100 is sporting a 14.2 megapixel CMOS sensor.  The CMOS upgrade puts this camera on the level of all their more expensive DX format cameras.  It is a DX format with a crop factor of about 1.5 for all you "spec heavy" people.  All this means is that a 50mm lens on this camera will look and perform the same as a 75mm lens on a FX or full frame digital or film camera.  Important to keep in mind when choosing lenses.  The usually included kit lens of 18-55 will actually be more like 27-78, which is a range I happen to like.  

 
If you are used to the two control wheel style that Nikon has used for years, be warned that this camera only has one control wheel but it is very easy to learn and actually quite intuitive.  The only pause I had was setting the shutter and aperture on manual mode using the same wheel (hint, there is a small button in from of the trigger to press to control the aperture using the wheel)













Menus are set up pretty much the same as all Nikon's DSLR Cameras.  I suggest a read of the owner's manual for the finer points, but you will be taking good pictures very soon after opening the box.

The standard ISO range is really good at 100 to 3200.  An equivalent of 12,800 ISO makes it a fantastic choice for low light photography.  Standard SD slot supports all SD card formats, a large buffer,and, a 3 frame per second continuous shooting mode all add up to a great camera for shooting action, sports, dogs, or crazy kids. 

 Colors really pop using the vivid setting with in-camera saturation and sharpening settings.

Most of the features that you have come to expect from Nikon are available.  Active D-lighting, scene modes, Eye-Fi support, quiet mode, etc... are all present on the D-3100.  This one will not support Nikon's Creative Lighting System on its own, but it will if you add a SU-800 unit.  The built-in flash, as expected, is woefully underpowered, but the D-3100 works with all available Nikon Speedlight units. 



Not many drawbacks to this camera, but, there is one if you have some existing Nikon glass.  Not all lenses will autofocus on this camera.  It must be an AF-I or AF-S lens to autofocus.  The very popular G and D lenses that work fine on a D-5000 and higher will shoot fine but won't autofocus on the D-3100.  Check with the camera store before you buy any aftermarket lens for this camera.

If you are looking for a great little DSLR, check out the Nikon D-3100.

If you want to hear more from me about this camera, 
or have specific questions please:

e-mail me at:    keith@keithlewisphoto.com

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