Nikon D3100 Review

The D3100 is built around a 14.2 megapixel CMOS sensor, bringing not only live view but also Full HD video capture to Nikon's entry-level model for the first time. In fact, this made it the first Nikon DSLR to offer 1920x1080 movie recording. It can only record clips up to about ten minutes long (due to a 4Gb maximum file size limitation shared by all DSLRs), but this still counts as an impressive feature addition at this level.

The Nikon D3100 is an entry-level digital SLR camera boasting a newly designed 14-megapixel DX format sensor, a quick-access Live View mode, one-touch Full HD video recording with autofocus, plus an interactive Guide mode, a sensor dust buster and an 11-point autofocus module. With a sensitivity range of ISO 100-3,200, expandable to ISO 12,800, the Nikon D3100 is well suited to most lighting conditions. Aimed at the complete beginner, the Nikon D3100 is available for £429.99 / $579.95 in the UK and the USA, respectively.

IMG Source : Amazon.com

The body gets a slight refresh from a basic design that essentially dates back four years to the D40, gaining an extra button to the left of the screen, a drive mode switch at the base of the mode dial, a sprung lever to engage live view and a direct record movie button. Revisions have also been made to the feature-teaching, hand-holding 'Guide Mode', and an additional autofocus mode that's designed to allow better focusing in live view and autofocus during video shooting.

Many of these cameras, such as Sony's NEX-3 and 5, Olympus' E-PL1 and Panasonic's GF2, offer similarly accessible interfaces in a smaller, competitively-priced packages. They also, by eshewing the conventional DSLR design, are able to offer a shooting experience that is much closer to that of a compact camera - which even the best DSLR live view implementation can't easily mimic at the moment.

Unlike the D3000, where this screen functions only as a status panel and menu display  while shooting, the D3100 also uses it for Live View and movie recording. As noted above, the Nikon D3100 has a spring-loaded lever in the back, which makes entering Live View a very easy and simple affair - just flick this lever with your thumb, and the camera goes into Live View without further ado. By default, the D3100 quits this mode after only 30 seconds (you can see an overlaid timer counting down), although a tap on the shutter release or a change in exposure settings resets the counter - we are not quite sure why this automatic termination of Live View has been implemented in the first place, as we have not seen anything like this before.

With the Nikon D3100, you are not getting much in the way of exposure control when shooting movies. The aperture can be pre-set before you start filming, but gain and shutter speed will be controlled by the camera. By default, exposure changes with subject luminance while capturing a clip, although you can at least lock exposure by holding down the AE Lock button. The camera does not provide any special feedback on focus or highlight blow-out (i.e. no “peaking” or “zebras” like in professional video cameras), and there is no manual control over audio levels, either. Sound is recorded by way of the built-in monaural microphone, with no way to hook up an optional external stereo mic to improve audio quality. Videos are compressed using the H.264 codec and stored in a MOV container. Movie quality is, thankfully, good with excellent resolution and good dynamic range; although your footage may suffer from various “rolling shutter” effects when doing quick pans or shooting hand-held with a telephoto lens.

So, while the D3100 offers an improved feature set when compared to a camera we really liked, it remains to be seen whether these additions will be enough to make it stand out as well as its predecessor did.

Specification Nikon D3100

Auto Focus Technology	Contrast Detect (sensor) Phase Detect Multi-area Selective single-point Tracking Single Continuous Face Detection Live View
Autofocus Points	11
Color	black
Compatible Mountings	Nikon F (FX) Nikon F (DX)
Continuous Shooting Speed	7 fps
Digital Zoom	6.7x
Display	LCD
Display Fixture Type	Fixed
Display Resolution Maximum	230,000
Display Size	3 inches
Effective Still Resolution	14.2 MP
Expanded ISO Maximum	3,200
Expanded ISO Minimum	100
External Memory Included	Yes
File Format	raw jpeg
Flash Memory Type	SD/SDHC/SDXC
Flash Sync Speed	1/200_sec
Flash Type	Built-in Flash, Hot-shoe, Wireless plus sync connector
Flash Type	Built-In Flash
Focus Description	Multi, Spot, Continuous
Focus Type	Automatic with Manual
Form Factor	Compact SLR
GPS	Optional
HDMI Type	Mini Type C
ISO Range	Auto, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200 (12800 with boost)
Image Aspect Ratio	3:2
Image Stabilization	None
Image types	JPEG
Item Dimensions	3.78 x 2.95 x 4.88 inches

Price Nikon D3100 From Amazon : $365.09
Price Nikon D3100 From Ebay : $207.50