Testseek.com have collected 137 expert reviews of the Nikon D5100 and the average rating is 83%. Scroll down and see all reviews for Nikon D5100.
April 2011
(83%)
137 Reviews
Average score from experts who have reviewed this product.
Users
(91%)
40 Reviews
Average score from owners of the product.
830100137
The editors liked
Like
Image quality is excellent. The kit lens
Though looking and feeling as though it has been made down to a price
Is nevertheless quick to focus and produces sharp
High resolution images. The camera sits well in the hand and is responsive. Auto expo
Hiresolution articulated monitor
Easy to use
Much improved live view AF
Well-rounded feature set
Top notch image quality (still and video)
Excellent low light/high ISO performance
Beautiful 3-inch
High resolution articulated LCD
New special effects
Full time AF in Live View and Video
Very versatile
Great in low light
Articulated screen encourages creativity
Excellent photo quality with a good noise profile
A streamlined shooting design for both photo and video
And a broad
Practical feature set contribute to the Nikon D5100's strengths
The editors didn't like
Dislike
The pennypinching omission of an autofocus drive from the camera body limits the range of lenses that can be used in AF mode. This has been an annoying characteristic of entry level Nikons in the past. Sony
Pentax and Canon don't skimp in this w
Special Effects a bit limited
No wireless flash control/DoF preview
No dedicated ISO button
Requires AF-S lens with built-in AF motor
Live View and video AF aren't lightning fast
Special Effects parameters must be set in Live View
Body only
$1049
With lens kit
$1199
Few controls over image parameters
No depth of field preview
No exposure control in Special Effects
While it's fast
Some aspects of the D5100's performance still lag behind its class
While the D5000 represented a big leap forward for Nikon's video-capable DSLRs, it left us a bit underwhelmed with a lack of control or full-time autofocus, and a tilting LCD that tended to interfere with tripod designs. The D5100 still doesn't of...
Superb still image and video quality. Excellent low-light shooting capability. Sharp, articulating LCD. Continuous autofocus during Live View shooting. Lots of useful in-camera effects.
Continuous autofocus in Live View is slow. Some lens noise when autofocusing in video mode. No 720p60 video recording.
The Nikon D5100 offers a fantastic mix of still-image and video-recording quality, along with plenty of features including top-notch in-camera effects. This well-rounded shooter is an easy Editors' Choice for under-$1,000 D-SLRs. Buy it now...
Abstract: While nipping at the heels of its top level sibling, the D7000, this baby has a couple of advantages: a smaller size and arguably a less challenging user interface. It is in fact an excellent prosumer or enthusiast camera.In the hand it’s a practical ...
Very good photo quality, with impressive high ISO performance, Compact, solid, and generally well designed body, 3inch LCD with 921k pixels can flip to the side and rotate, Plenty of manual controls, with RAW image format support (of course), Snappy performance in most areas, with good continuous shooting mode, Full HD movie mode with continuous autofocus, Active DLighting reduces highlight clipp
Photos tend to be soft, Slow focusing in live view mode; poor low light focusing (with LV), Movie mode woes: sluggish and noisy continuous AF, no manual controls, Some controls poorly located, namely the live view switch and movie recording button; camera could use more direct buttons, Autofocus only available with AFS and AFI lenses, Wireless flash control would've been nice, Full manual on CDRO
The Nikon D5100 is a very nice "premium" entry-level D-SLR, and offers some genuinely useful new features compared to its predecessor (the D5000). Some of the highlights are very good photo quality (with low noise until the very highest sensitivities)...
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Published: 2011-05-22, Author: Philip , review by: popphoto.com
Abstract: A step-up camera that offers something for everyoneWhat's Hot: Near-Excellent stills and great full-HD video. What's Not: Too many controls lost in the menus. Who It's For: Those looking to step up to a serious shooter's DSLR, at a less serious price.Niko...
Quality images with good balance of detail and noise, Articulated screen with 3in / 920k panel, HD video at multiple fps with mic input and continuous AF, Fun EFFECTS mode, some of which can be applied to video.
Continuous movie AF can be visibly and audibly distracting, UI slow for experienced owners, No Live Histogram in Live View, No motor to autofocus older (non AF-S) lenses.
As I said at the top of this page, the Nikon D5100 represents a decent upgrade over its predecessor, and while it lacks the manual movie exposure control of the D7000, the choice of multiple 1080p frame rates, live special effects and fully articulate...
The Nikon D5100 successfully bridges the gap between the beginner-friendly approach of the D3100 and the more complex D7000, with the latter's fantastic 16 megapixel sensor being the icing on the proverbial cake. The D5100 does have a few minor handli...
Abstract: In part two of this series on using DSLR cameras for capturing high-definition video I teased to the new D5100 camera coming from Nikon.It’s here … and my favorite little camera store here in Dallas had one. Now it’s mine. What drew me to the new uni...
Good image quality, improved live view mode, responsive AF, impressive movie options
Noncustomiseable Effects, no AFpoint lock, no remote commander, no DoF preview
The D5100 succeeds in delivering top image quality from an affordable mid-level body, married with ease of use and a series of improvements over other Nikon DSLR cameras. Nikon D7000-like quality for less cash and a more advanced live view focusing mod...
Abstract: It has Vari-angle LCD MonitorCreativity from any point of viewTake pictures or record movies from a unique viewpoint, the D5100's 3.0 inch, super sharp, 921,000-dot Vari-angle LCD monitor allows for versatile high quality viewing and playback. Explore eve...
