What do you think of the Nikon D5100?

[~Stella~]

I've maxed out the capabilities of my current non-slr camera and am ready to move up, but I'm on a budget. I have the opportunity to get a slightly used Nikon D5100 with 800 clicks + kit lens for about $650. Is that reasonable? What say you?

And just for fun, here's my baby yesterday at 9mos old:

 

[MTVision]

I'm happy with the d5100 and it's my first DLSR. Everyone on here is going to tell you to get the d7000 though!

Cute baby!

 

[~Stella~]

OK, anyone that is going to recommend the d7000 needs to tell me the difference and why it's better. I just saw this D5100 at that price and it seems like a decent deal and the reviews looked good. I might be able to knock off another $25-$50 the price - she seems eager to sell it.

 

[BJF]

Cute baby, very lovely shot!
Recommend some references that may answer your questions.

Nikon D5100 + market price
Nikon D7000 + market price

 

[rgregory1965]

http://snapsort.com/compare/Nikon-D5100-vs-Nikon_D7000


there both nice cameras......I did just save to get my D7000 and gald I did....I love it.

 

[KmH]

OK, anyone that is going to recommend the d7000 needs to tell me the difference and why it's better. I just saw this D5100 at that price and it seems like a decent deal and the reviews looked good. I might be able to knock off another $25-$50 the price - she seems eager to sell it.

Nikon's warranty is only valid for the original owner. It is not transferable.

Amazon.com has brand new, fully warrantied D5100's for $720, so it would seem that $650 is to much for a used D5100.

I recommend you do your own research www.nikonusa.com on the D5100/D7000 differences, rather than demanding others do it for you.

 

[~Stella~]

OK, anyone that is going to recommend the d7000 needs to tell me the difference and why it's better. I just saw this D5100 at that price and it seems like a decent deal and the reviews looked good. I might be able to knock off another $25-$50 the price - she seems eager to sell it.

Nikon's warranty is only valid for the original owner. It is not transferable.

Amazon.com has brand new, fully warrantied D5100's for $720, so it would seem that $650 is to much for a used D5100.

I recommend you do your own research www.nikonusa.com on the D5100/D7000 differences, rather than demanding others do it for you.

Good reminder about the warranty - thanks. I'm not "demanding" that anyone tell me anything, though - just responding to the other poster's comment about the D7000, which I admit I hadn't even considered before.

 

[~Stella~]

I'll check out the other links after the urchins are in bed - many thanks!

 

[Heitz]

I suppose it depends on how much further you want to progress. I've had my d5100 now for about 4 months, and I'm already seeing the limitations. For me, the two most important are:
1) fewer focus points - I didn't think that would be a big deal until I bought a tripod. now I understand.
2) lack of internal motor. There are tons of great used lenses I'd love to buy but I can't, because the d5100 doesn't have an internal motor

That doesn't mean I'm looking to get rid of it by any means - its a great camera!. But, given how far I've come in a few months, I think if I could do it again I would go with the d7000. hope that helps.

 

[~Stella~]

OK, thanks. She says she never activated the warranty (she has all the original papers/box, etc), so is there any reason I couldn't do it myself? And the price went down to $625.

Those that have this camera, I pretty much just take shots of my kids and occasionally other people's kids (for fun, not profit). I'm not looking to go pro, just capture my family with quality images. Would this be a good camera for those needs?

 

[sm4him]

I bought my D5100 a couple of months ago, as my first ever DSLR, and I absolutely love it, kit lens and all. I *wanted* the D7000, but it was just out of my price range.
Yes, the D5100 is a starter DSLR; yes, it has its limitations and yes, people with "real" DSLRs probably point and laugh at me.
But the D5100 is a great camera for the price, *depending* on what you want to do. I will still buy a better camera when I can afford it, whether that's the D7000 or the next thing out there; but that's because I want to do more with my photography; having the D5100 has helped me to see how much more I could do with more practice and a better camera.

But I am VERY happy with my D5100 and am in no rush to trade up anytime soon. My opinion: any DSLR is better than NO DSLR..and in MY opinion, the D5100 is an absolutely awesome intro-level DSLR. Since it sounds like you just want a better than point-and-shoot camera to take pictures as a hobby, I think the D5100 would be a great choice.

Having said that...$625, in my opinion, is a marginal 'deal.' That's somewhere around 25% less than you can buy one new. WHY is she selling it? WHY didn't she "activate" the warranty? Honestly, I'd call Nikon and ask them the warranty question, because that would be a deal breaker for me, at this price. If the warranty wouldn't apply, spend the extra $200 and get a new one that you KNOW has a good warranty. If the warranty would apply, sure, buy the camera and if you can afford it, use the $200 you save off the price of a new one on another lens.

 

[tatanpogi]

D5100 is like the D7000 in small package.. better video options and photo.. its a good deal for me... you can buy other lens from your extra money.. enjoy shooting..

 

[Infinite_Day]

I may have missed it, but what camera do you already have? That would be helpful in deciding if a D5100 is a big upgrade. If you're really just shooting family shots then it will likely work fine. The advantage of the D7000 is really in the better controls, I think. You have dual command dials, a top LCD, more direct control buttons, higher FPS, better AF system, etc. There's also the built-in AF motor and dual card slots which are really nice as well. Of course, it's near double the price as well. If the D5100 is in your budget and really represents a solid upgrade then I would do what KmH suggested and buy new. I think you have to submit the warranty card within a certain amount of time after purchase but don't recall if I had to include the receipt. You may be able to work around that.

 

[EchoingWhisper]

Ask her why is she selling it and tell her that a new one with warranty isn't much more expensive.

 

[KmH]

D5100 is like the D7000 in small package..

That is a gross over simplification.

They use the same image sensor, but the D700 has many upgrades the D5100 doesn't have, like the AF module, metering RGB sensor, external controls, and much more.

For warranty work Nikon will require a copy of the sales receipt, and most people register their gear on Nikon's web site, which activates the warranty.