Bought D5100 instead of D90 - Huge Mistake

[TonyMontanaSlot]

For those with intentions to use your future DSLR on manual mode - don't buy any of the D3000/D5000. Go with D90/D7000. D5100 has no real advantages to me over D90. It's more of a marketing thing.

Advantages of D5100:
1)Yes, the sensor is better but the difference is really insignificant.
2)Greater pixel count - really minor difference on prints compared to 12 mp. As for cropping - it's just better to take your shots more carefully and you won't need it.
3)Bells&Whistles like 1080p video and flip screen really do nothing to me

Advantages of D90:
1)Much more enjoyable to hold, great ergonomic. You really want to take it out of the bag go shooting
2)Great controls layout for manual shooters
3)Viewfinder is better
4)Significantly cheaper lenses (50mm D costs almost $100cheaper than G)

So i'm hunting for used D90 now and planning to sell D5100 for good and just get some nice lenses.
But of course it's just my opinion.

 

[Solarflare]

The main advantage of the D5100 is actually the flipscreen.

Its really annoying that Nikon doesnt offer this in any other model.

 

[astroNikon]

For those with intentions to use your future DSLR on manual mode - don't buy any of the D3000/D5000. Go with D90/D7000. D5100 has no real advantages to me over D90. It's more of a marketing thing.

Advantages of D5100:
1)Yes, the sensor is better but the difference is really insignificant.
2)Greater pixel count - really minor difference on prints compared to 12 mp. As for cropping - it's just better to take your shots more carefully and you won't need it.
3)Bells&Whistles like 1080p video and flip screen really do nothing to me

Advantages of D90:
1)Much more enjoyable to hold, great ergonomic. You really want to take it out of the bag go shooting
2)Great controls layout for manual shooters
3)Viewfinder is better
4)Significantly cheaper lenses (50mm D costs almost $100cheaper than G)

So i'm hunting for used D90 now and planning to sell D5100 for good and just get some nice lenses.
But of course it's just my opinion.

Glad I'm not the only one.
controls, AF focus point control, etc

 

[SCraig]

The main advantage of the D5100 is actually the flipscreen.

Its really annoying that Nikon doesnt offer this in any other model.

To each their own but personally I don't see that as an advantage, more of a gimmick.

I had the choice between the D5100 and D90 and chose the D90 after comparing the features. I've never regretted that decision.

 

[Raj_55555]

The main advantage of the D5100 is actually the flipscreen.

Its really annoying that Nikon doesnt offer this in any other model.

To each their own but personally I don't see that as an advantage, more of a gimmick.

I had the choice between the D5100 and D90 and chose the D90 after comparing the features. I've never regretted that decision.

The flip screen is actually very helpful for macro shots. I don't have any experience with D5100, but with my SX50 I exclusively use the flip screen whenever I'm shooting macro.

 

[IronMaskDuval]

The flip screen is actually very helpful for macro shots. I don't have any experience with D5100, but with my SX50 I exclusively use the flip screen whenever I'm shooting macro.

Part of the fun and challenge of shooting live macro is getting down dirty and nearly dangerous. What fun does the screen make? It's like an astro photographer leasing a computer controlled system instead of having his own setup... Kinda

 

[SCraig]

The flip screen is actually very helpful for macro shots. I don't have any experience with D5100, but with my SX50 I exclusively use the flip screen whenever I'm shooting macro.

As I said: To each their own. I've played with macro since before cameras had LCD screens of any kind and have never found a need for one that pivots. I have a Sony H9 that has a flip screen and I've never used it nor felt a need for it.

 

[DarkShadow]

I had the D90 refurbished a while back it really was and still is a fantastic Camera no doubt about it.Even now with all the new sensors it's still a great option.Keep an eye for refurbished as mine only had a little over 200 clicks on it and looked brand new.

 

[astroNikon]

There are times when I hold the camera down to the ground and point it up. In those cases I end up taking a few shots until I get the one that I like. I flip up screen would be helpful in those occassions but I don't know if it would help .. if you know what I mean. This isn't like film days where I wasted so much film by bad exposure. Digital is awesome.

This took me 3 shots to get exactly the framing and angle I wanted. I just kind of "eyed" the camera on the ground, the angle, and checked the LCD afterwards to see the focus point.

 

[robbins.photo]

Ok, well nothing against the d90 mind you, it is a fine camera and the built in motor is an advantage in that it opens up a lot of choices being able to use the older lenses.

That being said, the differences are not insignificant. The 5100 has much better lowlight abilities for one.

Also a higher mp sensor makes a big difference in your ability to crop and resize the final image. It isn't just about the final print size.

And when your shooting things like birds in flight at the extreme end of your telephoto range getting the perfect composition on camera really isn't an option.

Sent from my LG-LG730 using Tapatalk

 

[CaptainNapalm]

Agreed.

 

[Solarflare]

The main advantage of the D5100 is actually the flipscreen.

Its really annoying that Nikon doesnt offer this in any other model.

Correction: doesnt offer this in any other model LINE. Of course D5200 and D5300 have it as well !

To each their own but personally I don't see that as an advantage, more of a gimmick.

I define "gimmick" as "something I dont really need" not "something that gives me control over unusual angles that I have to shoot blindly otherwise".

I miss the D5100 flipscreen on my D600 daily.

 

[robbins.photo]

The main advantage of the D5100 is actually the flipscreen.

Its really annoying that Nikon doesnt offer this in any other model.

Correction: doesnt offer this in any other model LINE. Of course D5200 and D5300 have it as well !

Funny thing is I have the D5200, and I don't really use the flip screen feature. I guess for macro or astro photography or video it might come in handy, but in all honesty it's just not a feature I ever really needed or made much use of myself. My choice of the D5200 was based on it's other capabilities and the fact that it's price fit my budget. So far at least I've been pretty happy with it.

I can also see why so many folks like the D90 - it's a great camera and I can see where having a body with the built in autofocus motor in the price range would be a big temptation depending on the type of photography your doing most.

For what I do it wouldn't be as good of a choice as my current setup, but for others I can certainly see where it's advantages might outweight those offered by something in the D3000/D5000 lineup.

 

[sm4him]

Back when I bought my first DSLR, it came down between the then-new D5100 and the D90. My sister had the D90 and I knew I liked it, since I'd used her. But the D5100 was shiny and NEW--and cheaper. Cheaper was my main goal, so I ended up going with it.
I was not informed enough at the time to understand that not having an internal focus motor meant I could only use older Nikon lenses by manually focusing them, or I might have made a different choice.

But I ended up loving my D5100--and actually, I learned macro on it, using a lens (Tokina 100mm f/2.8) that would not auto-focus. I think it made me a better macro photographer, because if I'd had the AF option, I probably would have used it. Instead I *had* to get good at manually focusing, and to this day, even though I now have the D7000, I still manually focus my macro shots.

I really never regretted my choice, but I can certainly understand the attraction of the D90 too. I wonder if I would have felt the urge to upgrade to the D7000 quite as soon if I'd bought the D90 to start. My sister, who had the D90 already when I got the D5100, has still not upgraded. But to be fair, she's not quite as serious about it as I am either.

And that flip-screen feature? Yeah, I'll be honest--I just can NOT get the hang of holding my durn camera right with that flip screen out and angled. Pull it out and angle it so I can take a shot over my head, and I can NOT get what I want in the viewfinder. I just can't do it. Something broken in my visual-structualization abilities, I reckon.

 

[astroNikon]

Astrophotography for me ... I picked the d7000. The Flip Screen I thought would have been great to use, and I really wanted it. But in the end the features (focusing system, weathersealing) of the d7000 won .. and I'm glad it did. As all the other controls of the 5100 to the 7000 would have driven me batty as I learned more about it.