Hi, My name is Adam Clark, welcome to my Nikon D3100 review page.
I thought long and hard before dedicating a page of my website to undertaking a Nikon D3100 review, as I don’t normally do public reviews for camera equipment.
However, having spent a small fortune on cameras over the years, there is only ONE that would top my list time after time – without question, the best camera I have EVER owned is the Nikon D3100 Digital SLR. True, it’s not the most expensive camera I’ve ever purchased, but is way above anything else out there.
It is a top seller on Amazon.com
Nikon D3100 Review – What do you get ?
Product Features
• 14.2-megapixel DX-format CMOS image sensor; 3-inch monitor with One-Touch Live 
View shooting and movie capture
• Includes 3x 18-55mm Zoom-NIKKOR VR Image Stabilization lens
• Full 1080p HD Cinematic Video with full-time autofocus and sound
• Easy-To-Use Nikon Guide Mode with intuitive controls and on-board assistance
• Capture images to SD/SDHC/SDXC memory cards (not included)
Technical Details
• Brand Name: Nikon
• Model: D3100 18-55mm Kit
• Optical Sensor Resolution: 14.2 MP 
• Optical zoom: 3 x
• Display Size: 3.000 inches
• Width: 3.8 inches
• Height: 3.0 inches
• Weight: 1.11 pounds
Nikon D3100 Review Summary
From my own point of view, I would say that this camera will make you shoot like a pro if you get some basic knowledge on how to compose your frame. Although it is an entry level camera, it produces as good as, if not better, pictures from its expensive counterparts. The best bits are :-
• The price – there’s a lot of bang for your buck with the D3100.
• 14 megapixels – more than enough at this price range and allow you to make large prints of shots without sacrificing quality.
• Large LCD screen – particularly good for ensuring that everyone has their eyes open at group shots (without having to zoom in to each persons faces).
• It’s small & light weight and has good grip – useful for my careless hands.
• I’ve tried continuous shooting and the 3fps speed was quick enough for what I needed.
Negatives ?
The only thing that I picked up on during this Nikon D3100 review was the fact that when in VERY quiet surroundings you can hear the lens focusing when recording video – but then you get that with many cameras. Of course, with any amount of background noise then you can’t hear the motor at all. If you’re buying a DSLR specifically for video capabilities, then maybe you should be thinking about a camcorder anyway.
Also the self-timer has just two settings 10 sec or 2 sec. It would be nice to be able to define this yourself for say 5 seconds rather than 2 – small point, but I like self-portraits.
Other Nikon D3100 Reviews
At the time of writing (May 2011), this was the staggering review score of this camera :
Here are some of the many positive comments :
SanTenSa
“No Brainer – This is a great buy. If you are in the market for digital SLR, don’t look any further. For the price it doesn’t get any better. I’m glad I made a decision to buy this camera………”
Dan Aurel Cristescu
“For people looking for new DSLR camera, stop, this is it……….”
L Mateos
“Blown Away – This camera, of course, is targeted to those entering the DSLR world. I am myself just beginning to take the baby steps and I got a really good camera to get me started! This camera is amazing. The pictures are crisp, and I definitely love the “Guide” mode. The camera is light weight and not so big like other DSLR cameras……….”
Michael Allebach
“For the cost of this camera, I don’t think you can get anything better. The low light performance is off the charts. As a wedding photographer I regularly shoot with Nikon’s high end professional equipment and I was amazed how close this camera is to a pro camera.”
There were also other professional photographers commenting on how close to a professional camera it really is – for a fraction of the cost.
At the time of writing (May 2011), the best price is not actually shown on Amazon. The reason is because their price on this item is actually lower than the manufacturer’s “minimum advertised price”. Therefore, the manufacturer does not allow them to show you the cheapest price until you take further action, ie placing the item in your shopping cart. I’ve done that bit for you and can confirm that the price when I checked was $678.00.
Of course, there were many other sellers offering it at a similar price, and it is worth checking back at this link Nikon D3100 Review Price Check
Either way, at less than $700 this is a massively fantastic deal – and there are some great deals on the flash memory cards at Amazon as well.
As I’ve said at the top, the Nikon D3100 is the best camera I have EVER owned.
For additional Nikon D3100 reviews and discounts or to purchase, please click on the image below.
If you enjoyed this Nikon D3100 review, you might want to look at the review I did for Evan Sharboneau’s course on photography tricks.
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.