On a budget, D3100 with kit Lens, D5100 with kit lens or D5100 body with other affordable everyday type lens? I will be mostly taking pictures of my kids...portraits, playing, etc... Oh and I am a beginnner. On a budget, D3100 with kit Lens, D5100 with kit lens or D5100 body with other affordable everyday type lens? I will be mostly taking pictures of my kids...portraits, playing, etc... Oh and I am... » Read More On a budget, D3100 with kit Lens, D5100 with kit lens or D5100 body with other affordable everyday type lens? I will be mostly taking pictures of my kids...portraits, playing, etc... Oh and I am a beginnner. « Show Less
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Thanks I appreciate your input. My main reason for asking was because the price difference between them is only 100 bucks which wouldnt be too much in the long run. I can fully appreciate that the D3100 is more beginner friendly. I just don't want to regret spending an extra $100 once I become less of a beginner. The swivel out LCD seems like it could be useful. Maybe not, what do I know. Anyway, thanks for the input. I do appreciate it.
1672484
I'd recommend you get the D3100. It is a marvelous DSLR with great image quality and versatility at a bargain price. The D3200 has a better sensor but the kit lens can not take advantage of that sensor. So unless you are prepared to spend a lot of money on glass (way more $ than the cost of the camera), you will not see any image quality improvement with the D3200. You can get the D3100 with the kit lens and the marvelous Nikkor 35 mm f/1.8 prime for the same price as the D3200 with only the kit lens.
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The selling point was the 24.1 MP picture size. The D5100 had a few more features, but every review site that I went to said the pic quality between the two are virtually the same. It is an entry level camera that won't break the bank. So far I have been very pleased with the performance and picture quality.
597329
Sounds good! I'm buying my first digital camera for my daughter and her family. I've locked in on the t1i and 15-85. I really like my 24-105 lens and think that the 15-85 should be a great match for the camera.
1025542
I think so, I've had many point-and-shoot camera (mostly Nikon) and this behaves the same as other Nikons. The two lens provide an intro to beginners what different lenses can do. I've spoken with many camera enthusiasts and the second lens is considered inferior to them. In contrary to the other answers, I feel the beginner mode can shoot much better than similar point-and-shoot cameras.
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Thank you all so much for your input! I think I'll go with the D90 just so that I can save money for one or two lens
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Hi Eric,Thanks for your reply. I've already went ahead and bought the D3100 (got advice from some other people somewhere else on the internets ;)I received it yesterday and it does seem to be a very solid camera with lots of features that have me overwhelmed to say the least since I am a beginner in the world of photography.I do have one question: why is it that everyone recommends those lenses? How vastly different are they from the lens the comes with the camera? For example, what would a 35mm 1.8g do differently or better than the 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 lens?~ Dan Hi Eric,Thanks for your reply. I've already went ahead and bought the D3100 (got advice from some other people somewhere else on the internets ;)I received it yesterday and it does seem to be a very solid camera with lots of features that have me overwhelmed to say the least since I am a beginner in the world of photography.I do have one question: why is it that everyone recommends those lenses? How vastly different are they from the lens the comes with the camera? For example, what would a 35mm 1.8g do differently or better than the 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6... » Read More Hi Eric,Thanks for your reply. I've already went ahead and bought the D3100 (got advice from some other people somewhere else on the internets ;)I received it yesterday and it does seem to be a very solid camera with lots of features that have me overwhelmed to say the least since I am a beginner in the world of photography.I do have one question: why is it that everyone recommends those lenses? How vastly different are they from the lens the comes with the camera? For example, what would a 35mm 1.8g do differently or better than the 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 lens?~ Dan « Show Less
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I see you have a couple of answers already. The kit lense is just fine with this camera. Starter DSLR and starter lenses. The zoom gives you some variability in your shooting without carrying a backpack full of lenses of different lengths. If you are looking at this camera instead of one with an FX sized sensor ($1000 more) you'll likely be more than happy with the results. You can always add some additional lenses as you gain experience. This one will work fine for a wide range of shooting situations.
2254947
Thanks for the good info. I had a Canon Rebel that I returned because of picture quality with the standard kit lens. I have been trying to decide between the Nikon D90 & the Pentax K20D. I am going to go with the K20D and start with the 18-250 and see how far I go. So I am off to shop now. Again... Thanks a lot.
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Check out the D300s - if it's beyond your budget, get the D90, not the D300- It's outdated. The D90 is an awesome camera. I have it. With the extra cash left, you can buy a lens ;)
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Hi B. Sabb, I have use this lens for at least 2 yrs and taking tons of photo with that. It is a very sharp lens after f2.8 and excellent for portraiture. But it is not focus quick. If u want a quick Pentax lens, u might consider the one with "screw-drive" only, say the DA70. It is super sharp and focus quick. Enjoy your shooting. If u want to take your kids photo, i recommend u take the FA31 instead. As kids always move sudden and go closer to u, a wider lens is much better. Adam
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Your Nikon D3100 is a good DSLR, but it does not have an internal motor. the lens you buy for it will need to be (AF). This lens does not have an internal motor either.
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If all you want is to photograph your kids, a Canon 60D (with its nice articulating screen) might be a better choice, and you'll save tons of money which you can use to buy better lenses.
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So basically what they are talking about is the difference between cameras with an auto-focus motor built right into the camera body so that all lenses you use will be auto foucusing. Or at least allow you to choose autofocus if yo so desire. And, the cameras that require a lens with a motor built in. For nikon, those are the AF-S lenses. You can go either way. I had the 3100 without the motor which made this "nifty 50" lens exclusively manual focus for me and would also be your experience. I had a great time learning to control that but if you ever get into charging people money for your photos, you probably want something a little more reliable in terms of auto focus. So basically what they are talking about is the difference between cameras with an auto-focus motor built right into the camera body so that all lenses you use will be auto foucusing. Or at least allow you to choose autofocus if yo so desire. And, the cameras that require a lens with a motor built in. For nikon, those are the AF-S lenses. You can go either way. I had the 3100 without the motor which made this "nifty 50" lens exclusively manual focus for me and would also be your experience. I had a great time learning to control that but if you ever get into charging people money... » Read More So basically what they are talking about is the difference between cameras with an auto-focus motor built right into the camera body so that all lenses you use will be auto foucusing. Or at least allow you to choose autofocus if yo so desire. And, the cameras that require a lens with a motor built in. For nikon, those are the AF-S lenses. You can go either way. I had the 3100 without the motor which made this "nifty 50" lens exclusively manual focus for me and would also be your experience. I had a great time learning to control that but if you ever get into charging people money for your photos, you probably want something a little more reliable in terms of auto focus. « Show Less
2197786
I'm a bit of a lens snob too, being a contax shooter. I bought the Lumix fz50 for my wife and it arrived yesterday, and let me tell you, it is fantastic; best digital camera I've ever held. We considered the nikon d80, but my wife preferred the LCD preview on the Lumix, and although it is easy to use, the manual options are versatile. FZ50 is not lighter than the nikon, but on the other hand, it has a 420mm Leica lens, so it does the job of two lenses. The price is incredibly low, I think because once you get out of the 300 dollar range, people think they need skip over to a DSLR. They're wrong! Lumix provides all you need with a Leica lens.
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Your decision is a personal preference. I had Nikon lenses which which were usable in the 3100...and I like Nikon.
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As a previous owner of the Canon Rebel, and since you are a first time user, I feel strongly that you will do better with the Nikon D3100. I say this with experience and here's why; the Canon Rebel is a great camera with many features. It's speed, focus and user friendly operations allows for great performance, however, with a price to come with it. I'm not going to tell you the price, only that it is a bit higher than the Nikon. With the Nikon, you get most of the same great features, "easy-to-use" with a guide for "easy shoot", CD/paper instruction manual, plus if you get the D3100 18-55 VR Kit, it comes with a f/3.5-5.6 VR Lens. Both the lens and camera are covered by extensive warranties which come included. (simply register online). I like the 5 year warranty on the lens alone. But price is the most important function, and if you're concerned with reliability, Nikon is just as a trusted name as Canon, so it will last you a while! I hope this shed some light on your decision. One more note, as with a previous answer to your question, about a "booklet" that comes with the camera, the CD version of the "booklet" will allow better visibility and clearer understanding of the example frames shown in the "booklet". The CD opens up the "booklet" to the size of your monitor on your laptop or computer which makes it easier to read. Thanks.