Used this for a family shoot today with great results. So easy to point and click but the results are truly excellent. The pictures are sharp and the colors truly vivid. The controls once you have got used to them are pretty intuitive though mostly I use the auto settings.

The Pentax ist DL was a good travel recorder with quick point and shoot options but its battery life was a pain and the 6M Raw capture was quickly left behind with technology. Nikon screen size about equal, battery life greatly improved over DL and far greater pixel per image (16 M Raw capture) for...

Compact; Build quality; Battery life

Complicated

I usually don't take out my Nikon D5100 for heavy duty or casual purposes. That's because it is high resolution DSLR and I am totally in love with it. You can say I am very possessive about this first ever DSLR I ever bought. Even a bit possessive perhaps.

The position of a mid-range consumer camera can be hard to get excited about; it's not the cheapest, nor is it the most advanced in its range, and yet it fills a useful role. Rather than just slotting in quietly between the entry-level D3100 and the more advanced D7000, the new Nikon D5100 offers...

This is a well-built, well thought out camera that has more features than I'll ever need. Even though I'm still learning all the features I like it and would recommend it to any aspiring photographer.
If I had to change one thing..

Easy To Use; Fast / Accurate Auto-Focus; Good Image Quality; Large Clear LCD

Lag / Shutter Delay

I'm a serious amateur photographer of over 15 years, shooting both large format cameras and a wide variety of 35mm slr cameras. This camera is a great mid-range camera in the Nikon line-up. The controls are easy to manipulate and most importantly the camera makes incredible photos.

Easy To Use; Fast / Accurate Auto-Focus; Fast Shutter Speed; Good Image Quality; Great photos; High ISO Performance; Large Clear LCD; Tilt /Swivel LCD

Buttons On Some Functions

Though it doesn't rank first based on any individual aspect of the camera, the Nikon D5100 delivers a solid combination of image quality, performance, features, and design that puts it out in front if you're looking for a well-rounded option under $1,000.

Excellent photo quality with a good noise profile; a streamlined shooting design for both photo and video; and a broad; practical feature set contribute to the Nikon D5100 's strengths

While it's fast; some aspects of the D5100's performance still lag behind its class

The Nikon D5100 is an important step forward in the history of SLR cameras. Make available, in an entry-level price, features and qualities typical of more expensive models and semi-professional. Just think of the 16 mega pixel sensor and, above all, the high quality in the images it captures.

Image quality; features and specifications semiprofessional

We would have preferred a greater customization of the buttons

We're used to Canon and Nikon leapfrogging each other in terms of product announcement timing and technology updates, but this year they're finally going head-to-head in the budget dSLR market. Nikon's D5100, a replacement for the 2-year-old

Excellent photo quality with a good noise profile; a streamlined shooting design for both photo and video; and a broad; practical feature set contribute to the Nikon D5100 's strengths

While it's fast; some aspects of the D5100's performance still lag behind its class

Fantastic Camera!!! Easy to use, right out of the box; in automatic modes. But, also has many advanced features that would make any advanced photographer happy! I especially love the variable position monitor: it makes it extremely easy to shoot pictures at floor level, or to shoot down on a...