My girlfriend has been bothering me for quite a time, that we should get a digital camera in order to document the memories from our holidays and so. Myself, i never had any special affection towards photography, but after several hours spent on photography sites and discussion boards, i have decided to get a DSLR, as i like to have full control over things and wanted to explore if there is a photograph hidden in me somewhere...
The Nikon D5100
The D5100 is Nikon's upper entry level DSLR placed between the D3100 and the pro-sumer level D700. The older, but still sold and extremely popular D90 is positioned somewhere between the D5100 and D7000, so the D5100 is not a successor to the D90!
This article is not intended as a full fledged review, but rather as a summary of my own experience with the device, and maybe as an aid for other amateurs who are considering to get their first DSLR. For a comprehensive review of the D5100 head over to dpreview.com.
Key features
- relatively light and compact body (in DSLR terms)
- 16.2 megapixel DX-format CMOS sensor
- Side-articulated 3.0" LCD monitor (920,000 dots)
- 11 AF points (with 3D tracking)
- IS0 100-6400 range (Up to 25,600 equivalent when expanded)
- HD movies (1080p, 720p or WVGA)
- LiveView
- 4 fps continuous shooting
- In-camera HDR mode
- The D5100 is not able to autofocus with older lenses without built-in AF motor
- No LCD status display
My 3 months with the D5100
I have decided to get the D5100 because of the favorable reviews praising excellent image quality (allegedly on par with the much more expensive D7000) and because the D5100 was supposed to provide enough headroom for the entry-photographer to "grow" and gather new skills.
I have to say, that i never had any trouble figuring out how to use my camera (although i spent quite a time on photography related websites). The D5100 was extremely easy to use from day one, and i have also quickly grown into using the PASM modes of the camera. It is worth to mention that the D5100 does not feature the GUIDE mode found in the entry model D3100. Personally, i have never missed that feature, but DSLR newbies not wanting to do further reading may find it useful.
Since I had the camera I have gathered a significant amount of additional equipment:
- Nikon 18-105mm VR lens (later sold and replaced with the 18-200 VR)
- Nikon 18-200mm VR
- Nikon 35mm f/1.8 DX lens
- Nikon SB-900 speedlight
- Triopo C-258 tripod
- Lowepro Inverse 100 AW beltback
- NANEU Military Ops Alpha backpack
- OP/TECH Classic strap
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| Image shot at 1/30 f1.8 @ ISO 1600 |
Caveats
Although in no way are the D5100's features or image quality disappointing, there are some characteristics which may have influenced my choice when deciding on a camera:
Build quality
For sure we can't expect a full magnesium alloy from an entry level camera, but the D5100's build quality leaves much to be desired. An especially weak point is the memory card slot door, which has a significant backlash and tends to open unwantedly if the camera is grabbed on the wrong place. The issue with the memory card is not isolated to my piece, discussion boards are full of users complaining about loose memory card door. I am afraid the memory card cover will break off much sooner than the moral lifetime of the camera.
The battery door shows some slight backlash too, but the built in slide lock so far successfully prevented accidental opening.
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The camera's swivel-screen possesses another source of potential damage, as it could break off quite easily. Of course, closing the screen can provide excellent protection against scratches, but so can a $12 screen cover from ebay. The downside if that is, that with the screen protector you can't close the screen anymore. During the time i have the camera i found no real use of the swivel screen, so i could easily trade it off for increased body consistency.
Ergonomics
At first i found the D5100's compact body appealing, and indeed if i am using the 35/1.8 lens, i am even able to hide the camera in my winter coat's inner pocket. However compactness comes at the price of significant compromises in ergonomics. I have started to realize this once i bought the SB-900 speedlight and the large and heavy 18-200 lens. With these accessories mounted it is quite hard to hold the camera in balance, and the small grip does not help to hold the camera firmly either.
The small body most probably also influenced the number of controls we can find on the camera. Therefore in order to change auto-focus, metering and release mode settings we have to dig in the cameras menu. Luckily, there is a customizable Function button, but that's about all. If you only shoot on Auto, you probably won't miss dedicated buttons for the advanced features, but if you're a wannabe serious photographer, you will loose significant time adjusting your camera between shots.
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| One of the things missing from D5100 |
The lack of LCD status display decreases the device's ergonomics as well. Of course you can find the same info on the back LCD screen as well, but it's not as transparent, consumes more power, and you have to light it up first. With a top status display you can instantly see ale the important settings and significantly decrease the chance of missed shots because you just had the wrong setting.
Autofocus
And now we come to the most important problem with the D5100. It won't autofocus with older lenses without a built-in focusing motor. Sure, new lenses all come with built-in focusing, thus are faster and much quieter when focusing. But they are also significantly more expensive, and some lenses (for example the 85/1,8) do not have a variant with focusing motor as of 2011.
If you plan on shooting with the provided kit lens only, this is of course no problem. But if you want to advance and get more lenses in the future, you will find the D5100 limiting quite soon.
Would I buy it again?
Well, it's a tough question. If you are a causal photographer, taking pictures in point&shoot style, and want only increased image quality over a compact, the cheaper D3100 is just great for you. In case you have professional ambitions and have enough budget, the D7000 is all you need. The D5100 is positioned somewhere in the middle, but much closer to the D3100... Given this, i don't see very much reason to pay more, for a slightly better sensor and useless in-camera effects in the D5100. If you find yourself between these two mentioned categories, you will be much better off with the aging D90 or any current Canon camera.
Why Canon?
Canon and Nikon cameras are very much the same in terms of quality. They have slightly different ergonomics, but you'll get used to that in two days. Nikon's kit lenses are slightly better, but on the other hand, you'll have no compatibility issues with Canon lenses. Every Canon lens produced since 1987 will autofocus on every APS-C format Canon camera, and what's more important, you'll get those much more cheaper. If I had a Canon, I'd already have a macro lens, a bright telezoom like 70-200/2.8 and a wide-angle too. But I am simply not willing to pay 500-700 EUR used per lens for my Nikon. Canon produces a much broader range of lenses than Nikon for a lower price. You can get those lenses for very good price used - this also valid for flash guns, so a Canon camera's total cost of ownership is much lower compared to Nikon.
Final word
So, I have my first blog article. I hope it is helpful for someone. Thanks for reading and please share your thoughts in the comments below.
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