Nikon D5100 16.2MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera with 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 AF-S DX VR Nikkor Zoom Lens,5.0 out of 5 stars PLEASED WITH PURCHASE- Megazoom to DSLR, December 8, 2011

I am a former point and shoot user, who decided to upgrade to get better quality pictures. I did a few months of research, and realized that the two main contenders to suit my pocket was the Canon T3I and the Nikon D5100.

T3I Vs D5100
I read every article, watched every video on youtube that spoke about these two cameras and it all comes down to this: if you place your MAIN emphasis on capturing excellent stills, and you love the convenience of video but not into it seriously, then the D5100 is the camera for you. It allows you to take more useable picutes at the higher ISOs than the T3I and you get a longer battery life as well. If however, you want the brilliant pictures, and are a little more serious about videos, the manual controls offered by the T3I gives it the edge as it relates to video.

D5100 PROS
- Brilliant picture quality- it takes a little bit of tweaking to get it just right, but when you do, the pictures are stunning.
- The build quality is good for its price range- personally, after holding both this and the T3I in my hands, i preferred the feel of the D5100 esp around the grip area.
- Ease of use- as my first DSLR camera, i found it easy enough to use once you get a hang of the controls
- Tilt screen- this is one of my favorite features, because it allows you to capture certain angles without having to lie flat on the ground all the time, or climb a tree
- Noise profile- i found that i was able to get useable pictures at ISOs higher than 1600

D5100 CONS
- No built in autofocus mechanism- i found that this limited the number of lenses that could be used on the camera
- No dedicated ISO button- this is such an important feature, i thought that it earned the right to have its own dedicated button

CONCLUSION
After having done all the research, and deciding eventually to buy the D5100 over the T3I, i have not regretted my purchase. i think that the advantages stated above, more than compensates for the challenges faced with this camera. As the camera that has introduced me to DSLR photography, i think i am in capable hands, and have already produced pictures that people feel can easily make it to a magazine. So, as stated before, if videography is not a biggie for you, and you want to take stunning pictures, the D5100 is most definitely the camera for you.

Review by Soozare Zoomaroo "mrwolley"