d3100 or d5100 for complete novice?

[Plec]

I'm buying my first DSLR and after a lot of reading i had decided on the D3100 but as Nikon are doing a cashback offer the D5100 is suddenly within my price bracket.

My main question is would a D3100 be better suited to a beginner or would the D5100 be user friendly enough for the novice and have the advantage that i could grow with it more as my skills develop (if they indeed do) - so to speak?

My main concern is that i might have to hit the ground running with the D5100 - as it may not be so user/novice friendly as the D3100 or is this not an issue?

I will be mainly using the camera for taking photos of my faimily/kids and general landscapes/holiday/walking shots. But it's initial use is to get lots of decent portrait shots of my kids (any tips on how to do this - simple backdrops, suitable lighting would also be greatly appreciated.)

Any input appeciated.

EDIT: the D3100 would be ~£250 and the D5100 ~£350 (my budget was £350 for just the camera)

 

[Plec]

Thanks for the comprehensive and really helpful reply James J - really appreciated.

From re-reading reviews your advice seems spot on - but as a novice i didn't want to take the risk of being overwhelmed for the sake of a bargain.

I'm googling the 35mm lens as i type - I think my 'wife's friends husband' was trying to show me something similar on his kit (£1000 50mm lens i think) - but i was too paranoid about dropping his kit to have a proper play. (I totalled up his bag and it was getting close to a small family car in price.)

Thanks too for the other tips - is there a book/bible that you would recommend?

 

[Plec]

Thanks for the replies guys.

The 'spending less and getting another lens' is sound advice - i will definetly consider that.

My mind is frazzled from comparing the two cameras. TBH, i dont have enough experience to make an informed decison between the two - only the direct spec comparisons on review sites. And even this makes it difficult to know whether the D5100 is worth the extra £100.

I was going with the theory that it was probably wise to buy the best 'body' i could afford and then buy the lenses as i felt i needed them. Although it seems i would benefit from a 35mm straight off the bat...

Decisions, decsions...

I shall stick 'Bryan Peterson's Understanding Exposure' in my basket at the same time (thanks) - once i've made my mind up which camera to get.

/goes off to melt more parts of his brain...

 

[Plec]

Thanks for all the replies, guys.

I've opted for the D5100 - as, mentioned above, the better sensor coupled with the better screen and a few other minor improvements have made it too appealing. The sensor obvioulsy being the main reason after re-reading reviews.

I will buy the 35mm lens just before Xmas as a present off my wife - as the user reviews seem to fit my needs perfectly - thanks again James J

Any case recomendations? I would need two - one that is like a rucksack and swings round on the waist and opens at the back (if you know what i mean) and also a standard carry/neck case just for the camera and cards.

Thanks again.

 

[Plec]

Thanks kd - i'll take a look at their range.

 

[Plec]

Well, my D5100 should be with me by Saturday - along with a couple of books/guides (Bryan Peterson's Understanding Exposure being one of them - thanks again)

Once i've had an extended play i'll get back to you with my immediate thoughts - although this will be mainly about build quality and ease of use/features and direct picture comparison to that of a high end compact.

I've yet to decide on a case - surprised how expensive they are - so will want to see some in the flesh before i spend ~£100. I think i may buy a simple one to start of with and get the rucksack one when/if i get a couple more lenses.

And as mentioned previously i'll probably get the 35mm lens just before Xmas - and i may refresh the thread to give you my thoughts.

Thanks again for your replies - helped a lot.

what about the d3200?

It's the same price as the D5100 (actually a little more at amazon) and the sensor isn't as good. This was the main reason i went for the D5100. Plus the screen is fixed and the res isn't as good. But it's still a stonking camera for the money and chashback - from reviews.

 

[Plec]

Following this as I'm going to get the D5100 too. It'll be a nice upgrade on my D50.

I already have the 35mm 1.4 so I go body only.

Where is the cheapest place?

Cheapest place, i trust, in the UK, is the rainforest - but you can save ~£40 again if you buy them from hongkong/china etc (grey imports).

There are a couple of places which people recomend on the forums - i can't remember them offhand but i'll search for the names later for you when i have time.

They apparently only take ~4 days to arrive and sometimes are badged differently and the instructions aren't always in english - but these can be downloaded

I decided to buy from the UK for peace of mind and ease of returns...

 

[Plec]

Just to clarify my novice status I completely forgot about an SD Card. Is there a brand or speed i should be looking at, or that you would recommend, for the D5100 (also what capacity should i be considering)?

Thanks again.

 

[Plec]

Well, my excitement was short lived.

The lens in the Nikon box wasn't secured properly (missing a bit of sponge support) so it had come loose from the lens cap and has been banging around within the box during transit.

There are white marks on the lens, which have wiped off, but i'm getting amazon to replace it for peace of mind. They don't even want me to secure the lens for return - odd.

I may have a play while i wait for my replacement...

 

[Plec]

Apologies, I didn't realise this thread was still active.

Any updates Plec? I'm getting a D5100 for Christmas, chose it over the 600D, and I'm interested to hear what you think of it as I will be a complete beginner when I get it like yourself.

It’s great – I’m only just starting to get to play as Amazon/Nikon ballsed up the packaging and thus the first delivery – so the weekend I had put aside to have a proper play was wasted. So consequently, I’ve read more than I’ve played but first ‘novice’ impressions are excellent.

I love the weight, build and feel of the camera and, for me, the layout of the buttons coupled with the GUI is excellent. I’m sure I’ll find a few gripes as I get more accustomed to using it but for now I find it all pretty intuitive and straightforward.

There’s still a plethora of settings and functions I’ve yet to play with but I’m aware of them and will hopefully find time to play properly at Xmas.

Very impressed with low light shots after experimenting (no comparison to my similar priced Lumix compact) - and this was using/guessing basic settings. This was one of the main reasons for the purchase (natural light portrait shots (not set up) without flash).

Late to the party a little with this thread, but what?

Everything I've read shows that the D3200 sensor is the best crop sensor ever made, how is it worse then the 5100 (and thus the 7000) ?

The only thing I can think of is ISO, and there's not much in it (nothing in it if you down sample even)

I bow to your experience – I made a judgement call on what I had read in reviews and forum banter. I personally wanted the better low light sensor/ability and the D5100 seemed to tick all the boxes. But, as mentioned, my novice status made dissecting reviews, between very similar specked cameras, very difficult.

My bad if the 3200 sensor is slightly better etc – but from my limited knowledge the d5100 seem to stand out for 'my' purposes – but I admit I may not know what those purposes are completely until I’ve owned a DSLR for a few months - regardless of reviews.

TBH, i'll properly still be confused between similar specked cameras even when i'm more clued up - as separate reviews can be quite differing in opinion. I'm buying my Dad a bridge camera for Xmas and that is proving even harder to dilute down the choices from contradicting reviews...

Sandisk extreme are pretty good, will be fast enough for you without being too expensive.

Thanks – and yes, I bought 2 x 16 Gb Sandisk extreme cards as they were only £10 each.

I also bought a Case Logic case as I was impressed with the quality and couldn’t get the Lowepro I wanted.

I’ve also since bought a Tripod and monopod – but have yet to find the time to use them – or the camera :/.

Some decent weather on the weekends would help

Thanks for all the help on this thread guys – and for my purposes, and limited knowledge, I couldn’t recommend the camera enough for the money – especially with cash back.

 

[Plec]

Good to know I got decent cards - thanks.

 

[Plec]

As you're a complete novice like myself i really recommend 'Bryan Peterson's Understanding Exposure' that was recommended earlier for me in the thread. It's a really easy and well illustrated read.

I have also bought the 'D5100 For Dummies' - and have found this a great addition to the manual.