Nikon D3100

Description

Nikon D3100



Global Description

Many amateur photographers want to step up from their compact digital camera to a more powerful DSLR camera. But knowing where to begin looking can be tough.  And understanding all the acronyms used to describe a camera's spec can be confusing.

If you're in this boat, then the Nikon D3100 would be perfect.  This camera was clearly designed with user-friendliness in mind and it even has a built-in guide to help you get the best snaps. It is lightweight, durable and has a long-lasting battery, so you can also expect it to do you a good service.

The D3100 has an impressive spec and takes a good picture, (you will have to go a long way to find a bad review about it). The question though is not whether it is a good camera, but whether it is the RIGHT camera for you?  If you're an experienced photographer or would rather invest in something top-range, then splashing out on something like the Nikon D7000 may be better.

So take a read through the camera's 'Features / Characteristics' below and hopefully we'll help you make sense of it all.  Oh, and in case you were wondering, DSLR stands for 'Digital Single-Lens Reflex' - or as I like to think of it, those cameras with big lenses Daily Planet photographer and Superman character Jimmy Olsen carried around.



Features / Characteristics



The most important thing for people when buying a camera is usually picture quality.  So if you know your beans, you'll be pleased to hear the Nikon D3100 has a 14.2MP CMOS sensor and comes with Nikon's new 'EXPEED 2' image processing system.  But if you're new to this photography game, you'd be forgiven for thinking this all sounds like gobbledygook. What this basically means is the camera can capture high-resolution and detailed images while keeping all the colour of the original scene.

And if there's not much light?  No problem. With a possible ISO setting of 12800 you needn't have poor images in dull light. But ARRR!  Another acronym!  Why should you care about 'ISO' and how high its settings are? Well, ISO relates to how fast a camera moves its shutter and how much light the lens lets in. These two things really make a difference to a photo's quality if it's taken in dim light. And if things really get tough, you'll always have the option of a flash.

The D3100 is also pretty good at photographing fast-paced live action.  With the option of taking up to three snaps per second you can click away happily without missing a blink. Plus the 11-point autofocus and face recognition systems pick up a subject and makes sure they stay in focus. And when you're filming, the camera can remember a face - even if someone walks out of shot and comes back again!

The movie-making option is impressive. You can easily record HD movies and then watch them on your TV through an HDMI cable.  And if you want to try something a bit arty, you can use your camera lens to get shots like 'Fish Eye'. You can also edit videos on your DSLR to cut out any chaff. There is no doubt about it, being able to record is a nice addition to the Nikon D3100, but the real question is do you want to buy a DSLR camera to make videos?

One of the best and most practical qualities of the Nikon D3100 is its Guide Mode.  The Guide Mode is particularly useful for DSLR beginners. It doesn't just tell you how to get great shots in the way a manual would, it actually shows you how. Help on everything is right at your fingertips wherever you go, from getting a desired effect, to editing an image, to viewing playback - which is something many intermediate photographers would be grateful for.