Official D3100 User Thread
- Thread starter burboy
- Start date
burboy
Member
tarzanboy66
New Member
For $690 that a good deal any advise that will the Nikon D3100 able to fix in the Sigma 150-500mm lens.
charmain51
New Member
Hi all,
I have just bought my first SLR camera and am a proud owner of
D3100
I have just bought my first SLR camera and am a proud owner of
D3100
burboy
Member
Hi all,
I have just bought my first SLR camera and am a proud owner of
D3100
congrats
now which new lens to add-on :devil:
I also obtained a D3100 a few weeks ago for 1880RM (S$782) in Penang (with AFS 18-55 VR, 4G SD, Bag). I have previously used A200, 1000D and D60.
I like:
- It provides much more value than its price. I guess Nikon has done a mistake by putting too much capabilities in a very cheap camera.
- I am very very happy about the ISO performance. Noise level on ISO3200 is equal to noise level at ISO800 on A200, D60 and 1000D cameras. The ISO 6400 and 12800 are usable to some extent. You can capture things with a bit light from nearby street lights without flash.
- I am more happy about auto white balance than my previous cameras
- I like the VR performance in 18-55 kitlens. It is 2 times more effective than my canon EFS-18-55 IS (possibly had IS problems?). With VR enabled I can take 1/8s photos without problem while on my canon 1/16s was the best I could do.
- Video mode at least provides a mediocre auto-focus. Much more expensive cameras like 550D do not provide even this.
I don't like:
I don't like a few things. I wish future firmware releases will do something about that.
Autofocus: I have a high rate of our of focus photos with the kitlens AFS-18-55. I am using single point, single servo focus and the shots are mostly from still, non-moving objects. So this cannot be because of incorrect AF setting. I am forced to shot with higher F to decrease the problem.
Out of focus shots are much more than what I used to have with 1000D (with 18-55) and almost equal to A200 with 17-80 and 55-300.
Auto Mode not usable: The other day I was convincing my friend that D3100 is enough for his need and he does not need to pay much more to buy a 550D.
We visited a shop, inserted our own SD cards and put both cameras on Auto and took 30 shots. Later I found that D3100 has taken all the photos with Hi2 (ISO12800) while 550D has selected ISO400-ISO800 exactly in the same situation with an almost the same lens (both with 18-55, F3.5-5.6).
As a result shots from D3100 are terribly noisy. My friend immediately selects 550D. I myself never take photos on Auto-Mode but if I ever want to hand it to an inexperienced user to take photos the problem will hit me too.
Metering with open Flash incorrect: With closed flash in a specific situation, camera would auto select ISO3200. Opening the flash does not have any effect and camera still auto selects ISO3200. Ken Rockwell refers to the same firmware bug in his review.
Underexposure: My camera underexposures a lot of times. As a result I have a +0.3 exposure compensation setting most of the time.
Video laggy: You can easily see lag in 1080p video if you pan the camera. This can also be seen in 720p mode, but in less amount. I guess this is related to the power of the CPU on board. A new firmware might not increase the performance by reasonable amount since this is hardware limitation.
Additional features: This is a very cheap camera and as such I should not expect more. But anyway this is the list I would like to see
- Bracketing
- Swivel LCD
- 1-2 more control buttons on the body
- A bit more powerful CPU
- In-body motor of course
I understand that no camera is perfect (I had different problems on A200, 1000D and D60). But I appreciate if anybody can suggest workarounds to the mentioned comments of mine.
Thanks.
Mac
I like:
- It provides much more value than its price. I guess Nikon has done a mistake by putting too much capabilities in a very cheap camera.
- I am very very happy about the ISO performance. Noise level on ISO3200 is equal to noise level at ISO800 on A200, D60 and 1000D cameras. The ISO 6400 and 12800 are usable to some extent. You can capture things with a bit light from nearby street lights without flash.
- I am more happy about auto white balance than my previous cameras
- I like the VR performance in 18-55 kitlens. It is 2 times more effective than my canon EFS-18-55 IS (possibly had IS problems?). With VR enabled I can take 1/8s photos without problem while on my canon 1/16s was the best I could do.
- Video mode at least provides a mediocre auto-focus. Much more expensive cameras like 550D do not provide even this.
I don't like:
I don't like a few things. I wish future firmware releases will do something about that.
Autofocus: I have a high rate of our of focus photos with the kitlens AFS-18-55. I am using single point, single servo focus and the shots are mostly from still, non-moving objects. So this cannot be because of incorrect AF setting. I am forced to shot with higher F to decrease the problem.
Out of focus shots are much more than what I used to have with 1000D (with 18-55) and almost equal to A200 with 17-80 and 55-300.
Auto Mode not usable: The other day I was convincing my friend that D3100 is enough for his need and he does not need to pay much more to buy a 550D.
We visited a shop, inserted our own SD cards and put both cameras on Auto and took 30 shots. Later I found that D3100 has taken all the photos with Hi2 (ISO12800) while 550D has selected ISO400-ISO800 exactly in the same situation with an almost the same lens (both with 18-55, F3.5-5.6).
As a result shots from D3100 are terribly noisy. My friend immediately selects 550D. I myself never take photos on Auto-Mode but if I ever want to hand it to an inexperienced user to take photos the problem will hit me too.
Metering with open Flash incorrect: With closed flash in a specific situation, camera would auto select ISO3200. Opening the flash does not have any effect and camera still auto selects ISO3200. Ken Rockwell refers to the same firmware bug in his review.
Underexposure: My camera underexposures a lot of times. As a result I have a +0.3 exposure compensation setting most of the time.
Video laggy: You can easily see lag in 1080p video if you pan the camera. This can also be seen in 720p mode, but in less amount. I guess this is related to the power of the CPU on board. A new firmware might not increase the performance by reasonable amount since this is hardware limitation.
Additional features: This is a very cheap camera and as such I should not expect more. But anyway this is the list I would like to see
- Bracketing
- Swivel LCD
- 1-2 more control buttons on the body
- A bit more powerful CPU
- In-body motor of course
I understand that no camera is perfect (I had different problems on A200, 1000D and D60). But I appreciate if anybody can suggest workarounds to the mentioned comments of mine.
Thanks.
Mac
Last edited:
merkava74
Member
I cannot stand the focusing sounds made during video recording.
Read online that 1 way to cancel it is to go with Manual focus. But that would mean not being able to move the camera, or take moving objects.
Alternatively, can any recommend good external mics? My solution would be to add the audio in an editing software.
Comments appreciated, thanks.
Read online that 1 way to cancel it is to go with Manual focus. But that would mean not being able to move the camera, or take moving objects.
Alternatively, can any recommend good external mics? My solution would be to add the audio in an editing software.
Comments appreciated, thanks.
merkava74
Member
I mean an external stand-alone mic. Yes I know thre is no audio input support on the D3100. sync voice with video can be easily done with a clapper (cheapest would be your hand) : )
Any recommendations?
I am a newbie having the D3100, with AFS-18-55mm, AFS-18-105mm and AFS-55-200mm. I feel I need to explain a bit for this nice camera.
My rare 2 cents for a good camera - the one that I can bring around and shot daily, than a super but heavy DSLR that is great to show off but too heavy to cart around daily. A camera not used is a collector item. Cheers to all!
With kit lens AFS-18-55mm its all very SHARP and great focus (pixel peep). Same goes to AFS 55-200mm and 18-105mm.
There are settings to limit ISO to say 3200, which will be good enough for most situations and produce clean and great shots. Even in Auto I haven't got a shot in normal lighting crosses ISO2200. Do you have a defective set? The camera can even weaken the built-in flash correctly so as not to over-expose subject in dim setting (took my mum's photo which was great without bounced flash). It is WAY better than the D80 I owned, and D70, and D40 from my family.
Please read Ken's site on D3100 settings, but don't set all of them. Play around with it. My D3100 doesn't under expose at all
Not the CPU, its your card's speed. I have a Class-6 Sandisk Extreme III 16GB SDHC and there is no lag in 1080p. You need high speed card as stated in the manual for 1080p. That is why your 720p is better by a bit since the card is strained less than 1080p. Note: pls get true class 6 or class 10, not those half-baked even class 10 ones which has a lower substained throughput than Sandisk Extreme III.
My rare 2 cents for a good camera - the one that I can bring around and shot daily, than a super but heavy DSLR that is great to show off but too heavy to cart around daily. A camera not used is a collector item. Cheers to all!
Last edited:
so far cheapest 840 with kit? What abt without kit, saw earlier post 690? any freebies that comes with them?
Lekima
New Member
The Nikon D3100 further builds on the user friendly Guide mode from the D3000, which is accessed from the Guide Mode position on the Mode dial. When placed in this mode, the Nikon D3100 will greet users with a friendly graphical interpretation of the menu system, with icons labeled Shoot, View/Delete, and Set up.
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