Nikon D3100 DSLR Camera with 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 Auto Focus-S Nikkor Zoom Lens (Discontinued by Manufacturer)

A definite must buy for beginner to intermediate photographers. The picture quality is very good for the price but can get a lot better with higher models of the Nikon. You CANNOT take CLEAN pictures of stars or the moon with this as it is not powerful enough. It has a very nice grip and feel to it. It is fairly simple to use but also has many settings to change and mess around with. The video quality is pretty good but the camera doesnt do a good job with background noise cancelling. It includes a really nice lens that is perfect for simple and elegant photography and filming. The shutter response is my favorite thing about this camera. It is so quick and captures the moment faster than any other camera I have used. The camera is kinda bulky and heavy but it doesnt get much lighter than this for a good DSLR. I have had this camera for over 2 years now and it still works perfectly fine. It also has a really nice built-in pop-up​ flash. All in all, if you are just looking for simple, nice, and cheap(ish) camera, I would go with this one. The negative qualities are almost completely outweighed by the positive qualities.

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A little difficult at first to understand how to set up personalized shooting preferences, etc. But thats only because this camera is so feature laden. I shoot landscape photography exclusively where I like everything to be in sharp focus - that is, great depth of field. I set the camera at an ISO of 100, in the aperture or "A" mode and set the f stop at its limit - f22. With my old Nikon SLRs, I was used to f32. Also, you can get pretty long shutter speeds without using a bulb shutter length at that aperture (one of my f22 shots exposed at 25 seconds.). The autofocus on the D3100 is excellent - fast, quiet and smooth. The lens/images are not the best you can get, but very sharp;.As sharp as any of my old Nikkor lenses. If youre a landscape photographer, youll be pretty satisfied with the results you get using "A" mode, f22 and autofocus. Problems I have with this camera is 1) it doesnt have a depth of field preview button. However, I shoot on overcast days, and at f22, pushing down all the way on that button would probably make the image too dark to see through the viewfinder anyway. 2) the "Live View" screen is not very high resolution, and its actually easier to see if your scene is in focus through the viewfinder. The LED display is best for post viewing and magnifying shots, but it really soaks up battery power. And three, my biggest gripe - there is no automatic exposure bracketing. The manual exposure bracketing is a four-step cumbersome process.

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Hello there! Im Chandler, fourteen, and an amateur photographer. I got this as my first camera back in January and the camera itself is FANTASTIC. I bought it used in perfectly good condition, it just needed cleaned and the buttons had a little wear. Id like to give you some reasons to buy and not buy this camera: Pros: - Offers great image quality in a DX (APS-C) sized sensor (14.2 effective megapixels) - Small, lightweight, fits well in the hands. - Offers a guide mode to get you out of auto and on your way to manual - 1080p video at 24fps - Battery life is fantastic. Cons: - The lens is not pleasing. I would highly recommend getting the body only and getting, for starters, the Nikkor 35mm (52.5mm equivalent on DX sized sensors) f/1.8 AF-S prime lens (Doesnt zoom, but a lot better in low light, plus sharper). It is great in low light and offers much quality for $199. - Not fantastic in low light, "usable" images up to around ISO 1600. - Shutter buffer clogs quickly (when using 3fps burst mode) - Only 11 AF points, 1 cross-type. Overall, this camera is fantastic, especially for being two generations behind. However, what really matters most is the glass that you put in front of it. Any pro will tell you to invest in a quality lens rather than stick with the kit 18-55mm lens. Plus, if you invest now, you will be able to use that glass on any Nikon camera you buy in the future (Despite vignetting on FX (APS-H) sized sensors). Trust me, I ignored the warnings and went ahead with buying the kit lens too. I regretted it, because I always wanted more. The quality isnt great, and neither is the low-light capabilities. BUY DECENT GLASS. Spending an extra $200 on a "decent" lens will help you tremendously (cheaper if you go used, or buy manual focus lenses, some for under $100). Thank you for reading, and enjoy your plunge in to photography!

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The camera is in good condition. I liked it. However, there is a material inside the lens which is making sound when the lenses are moved as if a part of the lenses is ripped.Plus the Lcd screen is obscured within seconds if not used and I need to start from scratch in case of adjusting settings. I havent been able to figure out yet but it may be stemming from a former setup to maintain battery life longer.

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I have used this camera for three months and I like it very much. It has a cheap feel but after a while you get used to it. My best results have been with the 35mm prime AF-S Nikkor; the kit lens seems to consistently return images that need to be sharpened manually. I find some of the items on the menu a little difficult to navigate, for instance the lcd screen displays a lot of information along with a small square where the image is displayed and I have not found a way to change this display. It should be easy. Also I have observed that live view sucks the battery out very fast. I guess if I were to buy another camera today I would chose one that has a movable lcd screen that does not suck the battery dry so fast. A beginner photographer can start using this camera with the automatic modes then switch to programmed mode where based photography concepts are explained. For instance, if you tell this mode that you want to use blur running water it will put the camera in shutter priority and tell you to chose a shutter speed lower than 1/60. Changing both shutter speed and aperture in manual mode requires use o the exposure compensation button to change on of those two settings. Other than that, I think you can take very good pictures with this camera if you observed some basic photography principles, work with the light rather than against it, and more importantly, have some creativity. It is a great dslr budget camera and I might never upgrade from it because there is so much to learn and so little time.

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I bought this camera to take better pictures of my son on the soccer field. For that, I would give 10 stars. The bigger lens (55-200 mm) is great for sitting in the stands or at the end of the field and capturing individuals on the field while still capturing bigger field shots as well. The camera itself is fantastic. There are so many things I can do with it. I took a camera class so that I could use it like its really made for - on the modes where its not just a giant, expensive point and shoot camera. Turns out, the smaller lens (18-55mm) is pretty junky and I need to replace it (thats why I gave 4 stars). My teacher says this is pretty typical in these kinds of sets. But it just isnt fast enough inside. Outside, pictures are great. Inside, even with proper settings, it just doesnt work - weird coloring, blurry, etc. If its on the automatic setting, it does ok inside. Outside: amazingly gorgeous photos. The battery lasts a good long time. I can easily get through a soccer game (so over an hour and I take a ton of pictures). It recharges quickly too. Overall great camera. I gave 4 stars because I have to buy a better lens for inside shots.

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