Nikon D3100 14.2MP Digital SLR Double-Zoom Lens Kit with 18-55mm and 55-200mm DX Zoom Lenses (Black) (Discontinued by Manufacturer)

Ive had a few digital cameras so far (not Nikon) and have had nothing but problems with them for whatever reason. This camera with the two SLR VR zoom lenses is nothing short of fantastic! There are tons of features on this camera that I will probably never use, but the flexibility is tremendous and the pictures are just simply crystal clear, wow!! It doesnt come with a flash memory card, so you will need to get one. It will handle anything up to 64GB, but I got the SanDisk Extreme Pro 32 GByte SDHC Class 10 UHS-1 95MB/s flash card and it not only has more than enough room but it also simply rips with speed!! So far, this is absolutely the best camera Ive ever had....probably the last one I will ever need!!! You will love the range of these two lenses; from the zoom 18mm (fish-eye) to the normal view 55mm lens, and from the 55mm normal view to the 200mm telephoto lens that basically covers everything you need!! And, the VR (Vibration Reduction) versions of both lenses are a must to give you super clear pictures. Yes, this is a little expensive, but worth every penny....highly recommended for ANY type of photographer.

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As a mom of 3 little ones, I was so frustrated with the pictures I was getting of them with my old camera. I decided it was time to step up to a dSLR. After reading all the reviews and researching, I decided on the Nikon d3100. I have been SO thrilled and happy with my decision! This camera is awesome. Right when I took it out of the box, I was so happy with the weight of the camera (doesnt seem as bulky as you would expect a dSLR to be). It takes beautifully crisp and clear pictures even if you are just using it on Auto mode. No matter the lighting, the pictures always come out great for me. Anyone with young kids knows this is a MUST because sometimes you cant manipulate lighting, etc. when you need a spur of the moment shot of a big first or something cute they are doing. One night I took a picture of my baby on Auto in a completely dark room, and it came out very clear and clean looking. I have been learning how to use the camera in manual mode, and am getting BEAUTIFUL shots. It has been pretty easy to learn how to use this camera. I am not trying to be a professional, but I feel as though I am able to get semi-professional looking shots of my kids with this camera. I absolutely recommend this camera for any beginner! I couldnt be more satisfied with my purchase. THANKS Nikon for a wonderful high quality camera!

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Before people start freaking out I am not comparing this to a Canon 1DX when I mention "PRO" in the review title, rather, that I use this consumer targeted camera for a very specific professional task. I own 4 of these "kits", basically the D3100 and the 18-55 lens. My company does high volume photography, mostly sports, schools and events (we will photograph over 90,000 kids this year) and I thought I would give these a shot to see how they would hold up for some of my basic sports portraits shoots and I am pleasantly surprised. Make note of the word PORTRAITS after sports, we do not use these for action. I actually compared this, side by side, shot by shot with the Canon T2i when deciding which way to go since I was going to be purchasing so many of them. It was actually a pretty big decision since I was deciding on a Nikon camera when my personal camera is a Canon 7D. When comparing the 2 cameras I literally set them up on tripods right next to each other, took shots in the exact same settings, conditions, etc. First, I compared everything in Manual mode, then I let the camera do the work in Shutter Priority, Aperture Priority and full Program Mode. Without running through every single shot I can simply say the Nikon D3100 beat the Canon t2i, much to my surprise. This was a VERY close comparison and, in the end, the price of the Nikon helped tip the scale in that direction. Image Quality The D3100 wins here. How, you say, is that possible? The Canon is 18 megapixel and the Nikon is only 14.2...true, but Nikon has a secret weapon, the 18-55 lens! Believe it or not, the 18-55 Nikon lens, the KIT lens that comes on this camera and many others, is actually one of the sharpest images Nikon makes. I wouldnt believe it if I hadnt taken hundreds of shots, blown them up to 100% and compared them side by side. Now, if you are looking for something where you plan to change lenses from time to time, then the Canon is the better choice. However, in the case of my very specific needs, where I will never need to change out the lens on this camera because it is for sports portrait shoots only, you cannot beat the D3100. I actually chose the Canon for another area of my business out of state where I needed more durability and flexibility...more on that in another review. As with any product, it will ultimately boil down to how you plan to use it. If you are a consumer who is just getting into Digital SLR cameras, this is a great way to start. It is cheap and it takes great images. It has video, which is nice, although I do not use it so I cant give an in depth review of that functionality. Make sure that you get the kit with the 18-55 lens though, that makes a big difference in image quality. It also has a great little feature that would be really helpful to beginners trying to understand how Aperture works. It has a little animation on the LCD screen that shows an actual camera iris opening or closing as you adjust the aperture, which is helpful for beginners trying to understand the lower number being a bigger aperture concept. So, to sum it up: PROS: Price: You cant beat it, if you watch Amazon closely you will be able to catch it in the $500 range or maybe a bit less if you are lucky Image Quality: Really amazing image quality WITH the 18-55 lens especially. Good for Beginners: Has some really good tutorials to help beginners understand the basics of DSLR. Great "Auto" settings: Produces really nice images on many of the standard settings for Shutter and Aperture Priority and full Program. (although I recommend to beginners to try to learn how to shoot in Manual mode at least to understand how it works and NEVER use any of the silly settings like "Sports" or the other ones.) CONS: Not very tough: It feels a lot cheaper than the Canon Really small: It looks ridiculous with an SB900 flash on it! (This is a con for me but might be a pro for others) Overall, I definitely recommend it for a beginner or someone with a very specific professional need like I have. It earns 5 stars for how I use it.

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There are a lot of great small cameras out there on the market right now in the $400 price range, like the Canon G 12 , or Sonys small new point and shoot. Most of them are amazing computers with still photographic and video capability. So why get an SLR when the trend is getting smaller and higher megapixels? And why this one. I bought mine used on Amazon for a super deal and it came w/ warranty. Im so happy with it. I did one job with it and more than paid for the camera, lens etc. I wanted to use big lenses for one, and this camera is so lite that it compensates for the weight of the camara. Pick this baby up and there is nothing to it. Its 14.5 meg and plenty of camera for professional needs- see Ken Rockwells review. Its got everything you will ever need for a few years unless you are a serious movie maker and even then with a tripod its amazing. Practially foolproof- unless you drop it. So far I havent tested that, but I did get caught in the rain recently and the camera came out fine! Check out using this camara with the Yunguno RF 603N Remotes I also got on Amazon---so amazing and no vibration...keeps the long lenses sharp as a tack!

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