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D5100 advice

jaseone

jaseone

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Nov 7, 2004
1,247
59
Houston, USA
It's my girlfriend's birthday coming up soon and she has wanted a DSLR for quite some time so I've been looking into getting her one, was easy to decide on Nikon as I already have quite bait of Nikon kit that we could share. I was first trying to decide between the D3100 and D5100 but I think I've decided on the latter as I much prefer to purchase a camera someone can grow into rather than one they will potentially out grow before long.

I really want to just buy the body only of the D5100 as I rarely if ever use my 18-105 that came in my D90 kit but on Amazon it is only about $50 more to get the kit with the 18-55 so it seems silly to pass that up and also would give her a more complete gift but still $50 is $50 so can anyone help settle the debate going on in my head?

Any other recommendations are welcome as well but Nikon only please.
 
She will grow more with a D90 vs D3100/D5100. More choices of lenses and accessories. Plus the D90 handles better. I remember last month shooting alongside a lady who was with a major magazine and they were using D5100. My shots on my D90 were a lot better than the D5100. Mainly because I had more adjustments in camera especially shooting in low light.


I would look for a D90 used. Tell your girlfriend that you gave her a upgrade from the entry level. idk what your price range is but you can get a used D90 for under $600. Down the road add the 50mm f/1.8 lens.


http://www.adorama.com/US 454232.html

or new for $750 (see price in cart)

http://www.adorama.com/INKD90.html
 
I thought about that and haven't ruled it out just yet, I guess I just got bitten with the newer must be better bug as the d90 is getting a bit long in the tooth now but are there really any negatives to the D90 except it's lack luster video recording abilities?
 
jaseone said:
are there really any negatives to the D90 except it's lack luster video recording abilities?
Click to expand...

No negatives, it's digital ;)

I'd probably go with the newer sensor unless you know she'll be looking at older AF-D lenses. The D5100 has much better color depth, better dynamic range, slightly better image quality and slightly better noise characteristics. Those will show in pretty-much every shot taken.

Paul
 
a coworker of mine just got one (5100) & she is in love with it. Originally she was looking at the D90 but I guess the articulated LCD on the 5100 was a big selling point for her. If your gf will do any video recording it seems the 5100 would be more her style
 
yeah but how much time will she be shooting video?? That's only one feature. So you are looking at 720p vs 1080p? And its a $75 difference D5100 or D90. :cool: Really if you're not making money shooting video then 720p should be enough.

I shot this with D90 and 50mm. It was around 10pm, very humid night, slight haze..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbH9TnxlQMw

All the other stuff that really pertains to photography, its leaning towards D90. Because you have more options. Yes the D5100 has slightly more megapixels but you don't have full manual mode. I like having the dials outside the camera. D90 Better battery life. Tough call lol



D5100
http://www.adorama.com/INKD5100.html

d90
http://www.adorama.com/INKD90.html
 
I'm slightly discounting the superior manual controls of the D90 as she isn't going to be as serious about it as I am and that articulating LCD of the D5100 is sure to be the focus of her attention for some time. It also seems a little odd to add another D90 to the household instead of just sharing mine so I think the D5100 will give her a camera personality of her own and also add a camera with better video recording capabilities (not just 720p vs 1080p but focusing etc).

So any thoughts on whether the kit is worth it at all in this situation?
 
mofunk said:
...All the other stuff that really pertains to photography, its leaning towards D90. Because you have more options. Yes the D5100 has slightly more megapixels but you don't have full manual mode...
Click to expand...
The D5100 has a full manual mode for stills, so unless you are taking about video (only) I'm not sure what you mean by that statement. I have both a D300 and a D5100 and frankly except for the build quality (i.e. the D300 is built like a tank) I much prefer the D5100 for most of my work. In comparison to the D300 the D5100 is smaller, lighter, and has a notably better sensor. Also, the D5100's articulated LCD is a great feature.
 
Last edited:
Fyi d90 @ keh

I just got a refurbished D90 for $600 from KEH. I love the easy access to all the controls - rather then drilling down thru menus.
http://www.keh.com/camera/Nikon-Digital-Camera-Bodies/1/sku-DN02999103499X?r=FE
Video not a big thing for me but the D90 has proven to be a pleasant surprise, it's not really awful and you can have fun with the manual focus.

Of course with it being a gift you might not want to go refurbished.
Seems the D5100 is a really good camera though too, so you either way you are getting something pretty good.
 
I ended up deciding on the D5100 body only, Amazon tried really hard to get me to buy another 70-300VR as I could bundle it for around $250 and tried even harder to get me to get the 18-200VR as it would be the perfect lens for my gf at around $550 but ultimately decided to not stretch the budget too much.
 
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