Nikon D5100

There’s no question the economy is tough, but it’s hardly curtailing the lust for DSLRs—especially the newest Nikons.The company is practically selling all they make.Now its worth a hype.

The 16.2-megapixel Nikon D5100 has the classic look of almost all sub-$1,000 DSLRs. It’s big and bulky thanks primarily to the lens mount and mirror assembly. The real changes are inside and on the back. Naturally, this DSLR has a Nikon F bayonet lens mount; it works best with AF-S glass, and there are 44 lenses to choose from. Also on the front is an AF Assist lamp, remote sensor in the grip, mono mic for the HD videos, and lens release button. You’ll also see the red Nikon swoosh logo and some low-key text. They’re subtle and relatively sedate. 

On the top is a five-pinhole speaker, hot shoe, auto pop-up flash and the critical mode dial. Next to it is a lever to engage Live View for framing images through the LCD screen and to prepare the camera for shooting video. Clustered behind the angled shutter are three buttons: red-dot for video, Information (I) to quickly check your settings, and exposure compensation. The mode dial is pretty straightforward with auto, PSAM, flash off, scene (11 options) plus five popular scene modes (portrait, landscape, kids, sports and macro) you can access directly. The effects setting is new. Here you have five filters that add an “artistic” touch to your photos. The new camera has a 3-inch vari-angle screen with a hinge on the left. This rotates in a variety of angles so you can take self portraits, hold the camera over your head or at waist level. The D5100’s LCD practically makes it a direct competitor to the Canon EOS T3i, with its 3-inch, 1.04-megapixel vari-angle screen.