Other accessories from Nikon and third parties, including protective cases and bags, eyepiece adapters and correction lenses, and underwater housings.

Although the D5100 is listed as having an Expeed 2 processor, it's worth remembering that Nikon doesn't use this naming system to denote any specific components, so the actual chunks of silicon and capabilities aren't necessarily the same as those in the D3100 or D7000. However, in addition to a similarly specced 16.2MP sensor, the D5100 offers the same ISO settings as its big brother - extending up to an equivalent of ISO 25,600. It also inherits 14-bit Raw shooting - one of the factors that helps give the D7000 its impressive dynamic range - which is something Nikon used to offer only on its more expensive models. Side by sideIn manual exposure or shutter priority mode when the shutter speed is 1/250sec or faster, the Nikon D5100 can shoot continuously at a maximum rate of 4fps for around 100 highest quality JPEGs or 20 raw images or 12 simultaneous raw and JPEG files when a class 6 SD card such as a SanDisk Extreme III is installed. While it may not have the 39 points of the D7000's AF system, the D5100's Multi-CAM 1000 AF module performed well in the D5000 and Nikon D90 (which has not been discontinued; read our Nikon D90 review).

I am very satisfied with my Nikon D5100 + 35mm f/1.8, would recommend both wholeheartedly to anybody considering a DSLR. Because of the way viewfinders are measured (using a fixed lens, rather than a lens of equivalent magnification), you also need to take the sensor size into account, so the numbers in the diagram below are the manufacturer's specified magnifications divided by the respective 'crop factors'.Likewise, the 16-megaopixel sensor is able to resolve plenty of detail, even at higher ISO settings. While this might reasonably be expected at low to mid-sensitivity settings of between ISO 100 and 800, we were especially impressed with the mid to high settings of ISO 1600 to 3200, where the D5100 was able to retain plenty of detail without displaying excessive noise. ISO 6400 marks the point at which noise does become more visibly intrusive, especially in shadow areas, although images still look very good. At the higher and extended settings of ISO 12,800 and 25,600 noise proves far more intrusive, with a corresponding loss of fine detail. In fairness, this is to be expected.

At low ISO settings, the D5100 is on a par with the best of the competition, but at the higher ISO settings, it produces some of the best image quality that we've ever seen from an APS-C camera. Noise levels are impressively low, and default noise reduction does a good job of controlling chroma noise while still preserving detail. The D5100's 16MP sensor is one of a new generation with an impressively low noise floor, and as such, a huge amount can be drawn out of both its JPEG and RAW files. JPEG shooters will love the ability to shoot with Active D-Lighting turned on with little penalty in noise levels (or continuous shooting performance) and more advanced users will enjoy the malleability of its NEF files. Handling In general though, judged on its own merits the D5100 is a satisfying camera, and as far as image quality is concerned it is most definitely a wolf in sheep's clothing. Both in still imaging and video, the detail resolution and noise performance are up there with the best of its competition, and the high-resolution, articulated screen makes composition easy in both modes. We're not wholly convinced by the Effects modes, given the restrictions that are inherent in shooting with them, but they're fun enough to play with that they could offer creative inspiration for some users. Image Quality The D5100 uses the same EN-EL14 battery as the D3100. It's a 7.6Wh battery that the D5100 manages to make last for 660 shots, according to CIPA standard tests (which compares favorably against the 550 achieved by the D3100). Viewfinder specs and view Fun as they might be, it’s worth bearing in mind that the special effects are no real match for what can be achieved using advanced image-editing software. And unlike like-minded offerings on competitor models such as the Canon 600D and Pentax K-r, the D5100’s filters cannot be individually tweaked either. Light Room 3 now supports tethered capture for Nikon D7000". Blog GlamourPhotography.co . Retrieved 2011-09-26. [ permanent dead link]Furthermore, the D5100 also benefits from Nikon’s latest EXPEED 2 image processor, first seen in the D3100 last year and then in the D7000, but which was not present when the D5000 was launched in 2009. sharpest optic ever produced by Nikon, it does provide very good value for money and should prove more than adequate for general use and certainly as a starting point for first-time DSLR users. The ISO sensitivity of the Nikon DSLR ranges from 100 to 6400. You can extended up to a whopping 25600 equivalent to give you better results in dim light situations. The four noise reduction settings give you the freedom to shoot good pictures in any lighting. The shutter speed ranges from 1/4000 - 30 sec in, and also includes bulb setting for long exposures. The Nikon D5100 DSLR has built in pop up flash with several sync modes and a hot shoe for external flash.

Image quality is definitely the D5100's trump card. It offers effectively the same image quality as the higher-end D7000, at a lower cost, and it's hard to argue that this is not a good thing. Since we're comparing the D5100 to the D7000, it is also worth noting that of the thousands of frames that we've shot with the D5100, we haven't seen the same overexposure problem that bothered us with the D7000 in some conditions. The D5100 is a smaller and (we think) more attractive camera than its predecessor the D5000. It is less bulbous, and closer to the D3100 and D7000 in terms of styling. The most significant design difference is the addition of a side-hinging LCD screen in the D5100, as opposed to the bulkier (and more awkward) bottom-hinged LCD used in the D5000. My review is to help others buying their first DSLR make a decision. Firstly, all DSLRs take excellent photos and videos too. I believe that no one brand is MUCH better than the others

Despite many of the buttons moving around, one thing that remains very much in the D5100’s favour is the straightforward menu navigation system. Nikon has always excelled at simplifying menu navigation and the D5100 is no exception. This makes the D5100 really easy to use. While the main Menu button to the left of the viewfinder is used to access more complicated settings, the handy button to the right of the viewfinder can be called upon to access a single-screen menu of the most regularly used settings – from ISO to AF mode via Picture Controls and Metering mode. With all the options displayed clearly on the monitor, accessing and changing these key settings with the D-pad proves both easy and intuitive, becoming almost second-nature before long. Unusually fast Live View AF for a low-end DSLR (but still relatively slow compared to mirrorless competitors) Put simply, the D5100 is a hugely adaptable camera that takes excellent pictures, with overall image quality consistently matching that of the more expensive D7000.