Nikon D5100 - Part 2 - Introduction and first impressions.

Nikon D5100 - Part 2 - Introduction

The Nikon D5100 is a DSLR. However when you pick it up, you notice that its very light. With the 18-55mm kit lens added it still has a different feel to most DSLR's. This to me is good news. My DSLR less days didn't last long, but this is somewhat different to what I've used before. The Pentax K-5 was small, but heavy. The Panasonic L10 was light, but bigger than the D5100. Though as far I'm concerned the D5100 is plug ugly, I did take an instant liking to it, particularly after using it for a few hours.







The first thing I noticed was the build quality. This is not a D3X but it feels very well made. Totally different from Canon cameras at the same price point. Its also well laid out. It took me around 1/2 hour to work it out without having to read the manual.

I'll go into more detail in later posts but the following are a few brief first impressions:-

• Its a good stills camera, with an excellent sensor.
• It shoots wonderful video.
• Its simple, light yet very versatile.
• The 18-55mm kit lens is OK, no more than that.

This is a test video shot with the 18-55mm kit lens and my old 50mm f/1.2 manual focus Nikkor, which its new owner, my nephew, has kindly let me borrow. This absolutely blew me away. The colour, the clarity and the sharpness are the best I've seen on still camera video. Watch this in full 1080i HD on YouTube, its worth the wait, while it downloads.



Some pictures with the 18-55mm kit lens.









Some pictures with the 50mm f/1.2