Summary Nikon D5100

Prices Price
Body only $497 With 18-55mm lens $597 - $805
all D5100 prices
Score Snapsort rank
Within its price range #n/a of 5 Among similar cameras #n/a of 15
details details
Specifications Key specs
Sensor size Help APS-C 23.6x15.6mm Screen resolution Help 920k dots
Megapixels Help 16.1 MP Movie format Help 1080p @ 30fps
Screen size Help 3.0" Light sensitivity Help 6,400 ISO
see all specifications
Lenses Lenses
Browse all Nikon D5100 lenses at LensHero
Nikon D5100Nikon D5100

Replacement

Nikon has replaced the D5100 with the D5200.

Nikon D5200
Nikon D5200 announced October, 2012
Focus points Many more focus points
True resolution Much higher true resolution
Low light performance Lower noise at high ISO

Compare the new Nikon D5200 vs the D5100

reviewsWhat are people saying about the D5100

"On the whole the D5100's movies are look great, with smooth motion and impressively low noise in dim light."
dpreview.com | talking about the camera's video-quality
"Judged on its own merits the D5100 is a great camera, but we're concerned that an enthusiastic beginner might outgrow it faster than some of the competition."
dpreview.com | talking about the camera's overall-performance
"Image quality is definitely the D5100's trump card. It offers effectively the same image quality as the higher-end D7000, at a lower cost."
dpreview.com | talking about the camera's image-quality

Videos

Canon EOS 600D (T3i) vs Nikon ...

Nikon D5100 Hands-on Review

How to Use the Nikon d5100 Par...

Canon EOS 600D (T3i) vs Nikon D5100 Review
  • Review
  • Pro
Nikon D5100 Hands-on Review
  • Review
  • Preview
  • Ergonomics
  • Image quality
How to Use the Nikon d5100 Part 1/2
  • Tutorial
  • Shooting modes
  • Photography
  • Exposure

Browse all Nikon D5100 videos

Pros

The Nikon D5100 vs other recent entry-level DSLRs

Supports 24p 24p movies Help
For that film look
Startup delay Short startup delay Help
500 ms startup delay
Lens availability More lenses available Help
169 lenses
Lowest price Inexpensive Help
$496.95
Popularity Very popular Help
Among snapsort users
Low light performance Low noise at high ISO Help
1,183 ISO
Overall image quality Great overall image quality Help
80.0
Screen flips out Flip-out screen Help
Great for movies
Movie continuous focus Movie continuous focus Help
Makes it easy to get in-focus movies
Sensor size Slightly larger than average sensor Help
APS-C 23.6x15.6mm

Cons

The Nikon D5100 vs other recent entry-level DSLRs

Image stabilization No image stabilization Help
Risk of blur
Viewfinder size Small viewfinder Help
0.51x
Continuous shooting Slow continuous shooting Help
4 fps
Autofocus Contrast detection autofocus Help
slower focusing
Shutter lag Longer shutter lag Help
273 ms shutter lag
Announced Old Help
April, 2011
Lens focus motor No focus motor Help
Won't autofocus with all lenses
Fastest shutter speed Slow shutter speed Help
1/4000 of a second
True resolution Lower true resolution Help
16.1 MP
Light sensitivity Poor maximum light sensitivity Help
6,400 ISO
Weather sealed No weather sealing Help
Need to shelter it from weather
Panorama Lacks in-camera panoramas Help
You could stitch photos in post
Cross type focus points Fewer cross-type focus points Help
1
3D Doesn't take 3D photos Help
No 3d support
Viewfinder coverage Below average viewfinder coverage Help
95%

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front photo of the Nikon D5100back photo of the Nikon D5100angle photo of the Nikon D5100

Discussion What do you think about the Nikon D5100?

Speech is free, but discussion at Snapsort is moderated! Please discuss your opinion of this camera here, and discuss feedback for Snapsort at our support community.

Showing 25 comments

Avatar for Lagos Gradnja Lagos Gradnja (11:17 AM, March 01, 2013)
D5100!
 
Avatar for Gus Kalashnikov Gus Kalashnikov (8:48 AM, February 16, 2013)
i have it
 
Avatar for Pawan Sharma Pawan Sharma (1:15 AM, January 18, 2013)
great camera, only missing dedicated buttons for frequently used settings
 
Francisco (9:27 PM, November 22, 2012)
Which ir better D5100 or T4i ?
 
Avatar for Aaditya Kalia Aaditya Kalia (4:48 PM, June 17, 2012)
whatz the price right now!! i think 550$??
 
Avatar for Alaa AlSayed Alaa AlSayed (4:51 AM, June 03, 2012)
I think one way around it is to use an external microphone. I also think it's possible to edit the video and trim out the frequencies of the audio the lens make, but I haven't given it a shot =).
 
Avatar for Kamal Gaur Kamal Gaur (0:00 AM, June 03, 2012)
The D5100, unfortunately, does make the autofocus sound which gets captured when you're shooting video. I wish there was a way around it, but I'm not aware of any.
 
Avatar for Kamal Gaur Kamal Gaur (11:57 PM, June 02, 2012)
I own a D5100 which came with the 18-55mm lens. I also purchased the 35mm f/1.8G and I must say, that it's become my go-to lens for almost everything I shoot. Admittedly, I don't shoot a lot of landscapes, but for everything else (parties, outings, portraits, low light, etc), the 35mm surpasses what you would expect from any normal camera or lens. I highly recommend it - it's an investment that will last you a lifetime.
 
diabetologist (3:01 AM, May 24, 2012)

i have been using point and shoot and now i am ready to upgrade.i have a number of questions.a. shud i go for dslr or try mirrorless. my photography expert friend said ......dslrb. i was disappointed to read that video shooting is not that good in dslr coz video continuous auto focus is a problem....and audio might catch the lens focusing noise.c. now amongst dslr, i have to decide between d3200 and d5100. both cost same. difference is d3200 is 20% lighter in weight, has expeed 3, 24 mpixels, wifi, guide mode and so on, while d5100 is time tested, it has auto bracketing, screen tilts and adjusts and so on. which one to go for.what am i looking for?well....i was looking for a device to shoot both video and pics.....but after reading that videos wont be that great.....nw i am looking for nice pics.....i have a research mind....and i tend to like the idea of bracketing. this gives me more chances of getting the perfect shot coz i wud be getting 3 shots. now right here i wish to clarify.....is it dire necessity to have a tripod to shoot those 3 pics....i am told ....all 3 shud be taken without shaking camera....i wont use tripod......but i can try to keep hand stable. like i said...i did like the idea of having one over and under exposed shot. now the software that comes with the nikon....will it be enough to do the editing for final pic on laptop or will i have to purchase another software.in real life...is bracketing done frequently...or no. 
what i like in d3200 is light weight, guide mode and so on.....but i dont know.....if d5100 is technologically more advanced. 
last thought.....d3200 is recently launched while d5100 is old and therefore d5200 is expected. but i guess it will be significantly more than d5200......may be it will be too costly for me. so lets stick to 700usd mark and decide between d3200 and d5100. 
kindly guide.
thx
k
 
Yusufbelen (0:36 PM, May 19, 2012)
most significant reason if you are  still photographer is the sensor image quality. sensor quality rating on d5100 is 80 whereas it is 60 in 600d
 
Yusufbelen (0:27 PM, May 19, 2012)
IS not on the body but on the lens that you buy. so there is no problem if you buy a lens with IS. in nikon IS is called VR so make sure when you buy your camera, it has a VR kitlens withhin.
 
Yusufbelen (0:23 PM, May 19, 2012)
Not only consider how much fps , but also consider the "buffer". I mean that once buffer is filled after lets say taking 20 raw or (raw+fine jpeg) photos, buffer will be full therefore your speed will go 1 fps even.  if you compare d5100 and canon 550d, nikon has more buffer. see the video http://youtu.be/zsLsOjeRkAg . starting from 7:00 you can see the action photo performance as well as buffer performance.

Regards,
Yusuf 
 
guest (9:01 AM, May 19, 2012)
Hi thanks for the great site.  Based on your reviews I am interested in the Nikon D5100 as an entry level DSLR.  My only concern is that it only offers 4fps compared to 10fps or more offered by the sony models.  A major use for the camera will be taking surfing pictures and other sport related activities.  Be grateful for snapshort's views on whether the Nikon D5100 would still do a good job of taking those types photos or whether we would be better off with a camera that offers a higher frame per second feature.  Many thanks.
 
Betty (5:46 PM, April 04, 2012)
I was wondering the same, and first I tought Nikon would be the right DSLR for me. Then i watched some videos where they compared the Nikon 5100d and the canon 600D, and I realized that the Canon took much better photos (and videos) than the Nikon. Of course it depends on the photographer a bit more than on the DSLR, but I think I'll choose Canon. If you want to go for photography, you should choose Nikon. (My opinion is still that Canon is better, but it's your choice.) The special effects on the Nikon 5100d aren't that great, but ok. If you want to go for videos and stuff you should buy Canon 600D. I also think that the Canon fits better in your hands and feels more "safe", but i would recommend to test both cameras before you buy one of them. The Canon lenses are much cheaper than the ones of the Nikon, and if you're a beginner and never have had an DSLR before, I would choose Canon. It's much easier and friendlier too use, I think.

Good luck, I hope this helped you at least a bit. :-)
 
Avatar for zaheerul zaheerul (5:32 AM, April 02, 2012)
hye snapsort,i have question,what is the best lens for movie mode, for d5100.and which one is better,60d or d5100.
 
Chris Jowett (11:44 AM, April 01, 2012)
Why is this camera recommended over the Pentax K-5, when the Pentax is rated so much higher by Snapsort?
I now have to double-check every Snapsort recommendation for any camera.
Please fix the apparent inconsistent bias.
 
James (9:04 PM, March 19, 2012)
I'm looking into a first DSLR, I'm a
novice, but have a lot of experience with full manual settings on my
Fujifilm Finepix HS20EXR, which I've enjoyed using a lot, but don't need the
zoom and would like to upgrade to having a DSLR's advantages, the main thing
I'm interested to know is what lenses to buy to produce the best quality images,
the setup I'm thinking of is:

 

Nikon D5100 Body

Nikkor 18-135mm
f/3.5-5.6 ED-IF AF-S DX 

 

If you can suggest any better setups or think this
would work, then please reply, thanks
to anyone who can help.
 
Andrade_ramiro (2:12 AM, March 15, 2012)
que desventajas tiene el no tener motor de enfoque 
 
Andrade_ramiro (3:28 PM, March 10, 2012)
quisiera saber si el echo de no tener  motor de enfoque influye mucho en algo a la hora de tomar fotografías. 
 
Npemberton6 (0:37 AM, February 25, 2012)
I am concerned that it does not have an image stabilizer.  Has anyone had an issue with this using the D5100?
 
Avatar for Snapsort Snapsort (7:55 PM, February 14, 2012)
Glad we could help. If you like Snapsort you might also like our new site Sortable.com you can search and compare lots of other consumer electronics. 
 
Someone@Singapore (7:07 PM, February 14, 2012)
I brought a Nikon D5100 about 2 months back, and most of my initial research to narrow down the camera was done at snapsort.com - a big thank you to the website and their team. What I like is the level of detail and the simplicity of it's presentation, and the fact that they go ahead and rank stuff and explain as necessary - allowing visitors to get the detailed information quickly and make their own decisions. I am very happy with my purchase and agree with their recommendations (which were shown as of Feb 2012) on Nikon D5100. I brought the camera especially for indoor shooting for kids photos, and couple this DSLR with a 35mm f/2.8 fixed length lens when shooting at home.
 
Faisal Wassan (0:06 PM, February 12, 2012)
Can anyone recommend me the best dslr camera for shooting web videos. Videos will primarily be in front of a whitescreen with studio lights. Options are Nikon D5100 and Canon 7D (or anything else you recommend). Videos will be shot at 24p. I need something that's simple and easy to use without a steep learning. Thanks in advance.
 
Ata M3 (1:32 AM, February 11, 2012)
is it a good enought camera for action photos?
 
Guest (9:56 AM, February 08, 2012)
Confused 600D or D5100...? Tell me why should i go with D5100...?