Nikon D5000 Vs. Nikon D5100

ClarkKent18 · Jun 30, 2011

I am looking into buying a new camera and I have been a fan of Nikon for as long as I can remember. I have been to best buy and played with them both and cannot make up my mind on which one I want to get. The only different thing that I can see as a newbie is the D5100 has a side flip LCD screen that is better to use with a tripod.

Now what will I be using this very nice camera for, you ask. I have been doing a lot of hiking and backpacking (in all kind of lighting, sunrise, high noon, to dusk and beyond) from close up shots of the water, to long range shots of the valley. I have also done some local bands (very low lighting) and family events. I am not looking at selling my photos, just having fun.

I know that the 18-55mm lines will not work for what I am waiting to do, so I am looking at the 18-300mm lines as well. What so you think??

PS
I have done a search and was unable to find a topic on this thread. So please be nice if I did not see it.

NateS · Jun 30, 2011

D5000 is a fine camera, but D5100 is definitely better. Two things (to me) that make the D5100 stand above. 1. Better high-iso shots. If you don't plan to do a lot of low-light shots, this doesn't matter much....you should be shooting those sunsets on a tripod anyway in my opinion. 2. AF in video. If you don't plan to do video, this is doesn't really matter either. There are other areas improved, but those are the standouts to me...you get a bit more pixel count but I'd argue that at base iso the iq will be very similar. What's the price difference on them?

For what it's worth, I've tossed around the idea of selling my D5000 to upgrade to the D5100...mainly for the video. If I had good AF in video, I would use it for my family videos, but don't really mess with it much on my D5000. If you decide for the D5000 and want to buy used...hit me up.

Raian-san · Jun 30, 2011

What is your budget? Is it just taking pictures when you hike and backpacking? So mostly landscape photography? Will your backpack hold a tripod? Are you planning to get a bit more serious in the future?

Although the 18-300mm will cover a long distance of focal area, you will lose quality in the photos. If you need the distance, then that's okay because sometime I wish I had the coverage to shoot from afar just to be able to take the photo. If you shoot when the sun is going down, you'll definitely need a tripod.

ClarkKent18 · Jun 30, 2011

I was not really thinking around using a TRIpod, but more of a UNIpod. When I go out on just a day hike, I have my HAWG Camelbak on so yes I will have room to take it with me. So I already had the idea of the pod in mind, just don't know what camera will better fit my needs. There is only $200 difference between the two so that is just one less lens for now until I get the cash.

flatflip · Jun 30, 2011

I saw the D5000 refurb listed today at adorama.com for $500 w/ the 18-55 lens. That seems like a good buy. I had one a year ago and it is great. I wanted more features so I upgraded to the D7000. If I was willing to spend more, I would have kept the D5000 for my backpack. I never heard of an 18-300 but Tamron has a new 18-270 that sounds cool. I love my Tamron 28-75.

Raian-san · Jun 30, 2011

I think the D5100 would be the better value in the future. I know people might not want video now but sometimes later on the road, or at time when you need it, you'll be able to record 1080p with auto focus. The resale value in the future would probably be better because of that feature.

flatflip · Jun 30, 2011

Auto focus video was a strong reason that I upgraded to the D7000 but I've had it for 7 months and have never used the video. I did test it when the camera was new for warranty / return reasons. If you need it that's different. I use a flip video and love it.

I really think that if you could save as much as $300, the D5000 could be a better purchase. I say this mainly because if you excel and grow in photography, you will want more camera. That means an upgrade, and you will have to deal with your entry level purchase.

BJF · Jun 30, 2011

Here you are two links where you can compare the two cameras.

Nikon D5000 + market price

Nikon D5100 + market price

csy690 · Sep 27, 2011

Hi, I got my D5000 last Christmas, a few months before Nikon announce the new D5100. Now the D5100 does come with improve features over the D5000, but I am happy so far with my D5000. The swing LCD really work well, high or low, the images are excellent, HD vedio recording works fine once you get to use to its limitation. A lot of review compare the D5000 to D90 in term of process power and photo quality and rate them at the same level. I got top value for each dollar spent.

Since D5000 is an out going model you can save money on the body and spend them on the lenses, the catch is there may not be a lot of D5000 in the stores now. As for lenses, I suggest two cominations (1) Nikon DX 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR with DX 55-200mm f/4-5.6G VR and (2) Sigma DC 17-70mm f/2.8-4 OS HSM and Nikon AF-S 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G VR. Combination (1) is cheaper and lighter to carry and (2) cost more and weight much heavier.

A viable choice (3), if you find 18-55mm too short, go for the DX 18-105mm G VR. And if 55-200mm is not long enough, an good alternative will be DX 55-300mm G VR. All three set added to cover 18-300mm

If you want to cover 18-300mm in one lens, Nikon do not have one that cover exactly that range, there are two lenses that come very close (a) DX 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G VR and (b) AF-S 28-300mm G VR. However both are quite expensive.

Now remember any lenses DX or AF-S used on the DSLR has a 1.5X factor, so 18-55 actually is 27-82.5mm (in 35mm film equivlent), DX can be used on digital SLR only, while AF-S can be used on any Nikon AF SLR body (digital or not).

Hope this helps.