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Cameras

Field Review: Nikon D3100 (Day 1)

Gevon Servo
No Comments
01/14/2011
2 Mins read

Last Updated on 01/14/2011 by

In 2010, I has hands-on time with almost every new camera from Nikon. One, which I really wanted to review, was the Nikon D3100 a solid entry-level camera and upgrade to the discontinued D3000. This camera has lots of potential.

Day one Gear

Camera Nikon D3100 Exposure 0.017 sec (1/60) Aperture f/5.6 Focal Length 55 mm ISO Speed 400

Nikon D3100 (14.2-megapixel DX-format CMOS image sensor; 3-inch monitor with One-Touch Live View shooting and movie capture; ISO 100-3200 expandable to 12800; 11-point Autofocus System)

Nikon 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 VR Stabilization lens

Black Rapid RS-7

Crumpler Customary Barge

Curiosity

Ergonomics

Camera Nikon D3100 Exposure 0.077 sec (1/13) Aperture f/5.6 Focal Length 42 mm ISO Speed 200

The camera is light and small: which is the first thing you notice when picking it up. The camera is easy to understand, especially if you have shot with a Nikon DSLR before. The grip is made of an interesting plastic. However, it is comfortable to hold.

For husbands: I let my wife hold the camera and she rather liked it. Her hands are much smaller than mine. Use this to justify the purchase 😉

The menu is and easy to navigate on the bright, sharp LCD screen. The dedicated advance-mode switch and dedicated movie-start and live-view controls, are much improved compared to the D3000. The control dials and buttons are also straightforward.

First Day with the Camera

Camera Nikon D3100 Exposure 0.033 sec (1/30) Aperture f/5.6 Focal Length 44 mm ISO Speed 450

My shooting reflexes are tuned for the Nikon D90. I realized this when I spent the first few shots going to hit buttons in specific locations only to realize that they were either not there or in a slightly different spot. I had to unlearn what I had learned and take a day to get a better understanding of the camera. Don’t let that intimidate you though, the learning curve and ease of use of the camera are good. I put the camera in the hands of a friend who never  shot with a DSLR before and he got the settings rather quickly and took a few interesting shots.

Autofocus System

Camera Nikon D3100 Exposure 0.001 sec (1/800) Aperture f/5.6 Focal Length 32 mm ISO Speed 200

I took the camera to Exchange Place (Jersey City, New Jersey) for some quick cityscape photography. Because I rarely ever use the feature anymore, I set the autofocus system to ‘auto area’ mode. The camera made smart and quick choices in selecting focus points.

Camera Nikon D3100 Exposure 0.005 sec (1/200) Aperture f/5.6 Focal Length 32 mm ISO Speed 200

I had a good time taking a new camera out to play. Now I can comfortably go into detail on the workings of the camera. Stay tuned!

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