Фотоаппарат Nikon D3100

The Nikon D3100 is the Japanese firm’s latest video-equipped DSLR, and its most movie-centric swappable lens camera yet. While old Nikons shot Motion JPEGs and were restricted to 720p HD, the Nikon D3100 shoots full 1080p video in a far more widely supported MPEG4 H.264 format. Sadly, Nikon’s designers haven’t quite gone the whole hog and made the D3100 a real movie-maker’s dream – read on to find out why in our Nikon D3100 review.

Small and light. Quick autofocus. Good photo quality.

No stereo sound or manual controls for video.

The D3100 is a good all-rounder but lacks the spark to set it aside from the crowded entry-level DSLR bracket.

October 22, 2010 9:45 am

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Falling into line just above Nikon's other entry-level Nikon D3000 DSLR, the Nikon D3100 has some fresh features that make it a very attractive DSLR option for photographers who are starting out.

The Nikon D3100 is an entry-level DSLR on the higher end of that category's price range. However, it has a great set of features for a beginner photographer and decent image quality. If you're primarily interested in the D3100 for its new movie making abilities, you may want to wait until the continuous autofocus feature is polished. If you purchase or own the D3100, make sure you take the time to update its firmware. Nikon released a firmware update that addresses a number of small issues on January 25, 2011.

07/02/2011

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The D3100 is the latest entry-level Nikon DSLR in a line that dates back four years to the D40 and, in arguably the biggest upgrade yet, gains two key features: live view and movie recording. Both of these were starting to look like awkward omissions, and are made possible by the D3100's new 14Mp sensor. Despite this it successfully continues the emphasis on offering unintimidating ease-of-use, with the controls for the new features unusually well-integrated into the body design. However, while the D3100 represents a specification upgrade over a family of cameras we've generally liked, in some respects it has found itself rather out-paced by the market. When we reviewed the D3000 it was one of the only large sensor cameras that encouraged the novice user to make the most of its capability, and it did so without interfering with more hands-on operation of the camera. However this is becoming increasingly common, particularly with mirrorless cameras that more readily replicate the compact-camera user experience while still offering DSLR-standard image quality.

Very good image quality Unintimidating interface, but with plenty of manual control Easily accessible Live View and Movie controls Useful drive mode lever (unique on an SLR at this price level) Highly sophisticated AF system for the price Easy manual selection of off-centre AF points Unusually fast Live View AF for an SLR (but still relatively slow compared to mirrorless competitors) Lots of 'hand-holding' features for beginners (Guide mode, help screens for most functions) Much improved continuous shooting performance with Active D-Lighting turned on Lots of in-camera raw conversion and post-processing options

Slight tendency to overexpose in contrasty conditions Buggy Live View / Movie Mode (movies aren't necessarily recorded at set aperture) Crude live view magnification is of little help for critical manual focus No live histogram in live view AF still a little sluggish in live view mode, full-time AF not very effective in live view or movies Only direct external ISO control is via slightly inconveniently-placed 'Fn' button ISO is only displayed in viewfinder when it's being changed (and not at all in Auto ISO) Auto ISO logic is not well-suited for everyday casual shooting (good for action though) White balance often excessively orange under artificial light No exposure bracketing Will not focus all Nikon lenses (though most popular choices are available)

There's no doubt that the D3100 is one of the best entry-level SLRs available, offering very good image quality coupled with speedy operation and straightforward handling - at least for conventional eye-level use. Where it's less strong is in the implementation of the new features that have been added over the D3000, i.e. live view and movie mode. Neither is done badly, per se, and the improvement in CDAF speed is impressive, but they could still be better. The D3100's guide mode is clearly aimed at attracting customers who have only used compact cameras, which makes the ability to offer a similarly fast live view focus and shooting experience a key consideration. And, while Nikon has done well to produce one of the better DSLRs in this respect (though the full time AF mode falls a little short of making live view use really immediate and fluid), both live view and video are quite simply done better by other cameras, particularly the D3100's mirrorless rivals. Overall, we'd conclude that the D3100 is an excellent DSLR but make clear that a DSLR is no longer the only way to gain large sensor image quality at this price. As a result, while the D3100 would have been a stand-out camera 12 months ago, it's now simply a very good one in a market with plenty of equally good and potentially more interesting options.

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