Nikon D3100 14.2MP Digital SLR Camera with 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 AF-S DX VR Nikkor Zoom Lens,5.0 out of 5 stars Superb for entry-level and photo-enthusiasts, January 10, 2012

This camera was my first DSLR and though it doesn't boast the many bells and whistles that its more expensive brethren do, it's a fantastic piece of equipment. If you are a beginner, this camera is for you. The interface is very user friendly, accentuated by the "guide" which walks you through different photographic techniques (e.g., blurring the motion of a flowing stream) and explains different functions (e.g., the various flash modes, focus modes, etc.). The image quality is excellent and boasts infinitely more creative avenues than a compact can.

If you are a photo-enthusiast and have been shooting for several years, you will still love this camera. It is lightweight and great to travel with. The camera performs very well in low-light. With today's noise reductions softwares (e.g., Nik DFine 2.0, noise reduction within Lightroom, etc.) using high ISO's shouldn't even be a 2nd thought. At ISO 1600 images are excellent with a little bit of noise and at about 3200 noise gets a little much. Unless you are shooting fast-action sports, you'll find the 3 FPS burst rate to be sufficient. In camera editing tools make it a snap to edit your photos without having to wait to get to your computer. The only thing I miss is the ability to bracket exposures, particularly for HDR photography. I have not used the video mode much, but did notice that you can hear the camera focusing quite clearly. By adjusting some of the focus modes and switching to manual focus this issue goes away. Just takes a little messing around with.

For the price this is a terrific camera. You can purchase this and still have money left over for a higher quality lens. That said, I have been very impressed with the kit 18-55 f/3.5-5.6. Given good light this little lens produces exceptional photos. At f/8 and 35mm images are very sharp. Minimal distortion at 18mm and images are a little soft at 55mm.

I am rating this as 5-stars because of the value you get for the money you spend. Really cannot go wrong with this camera, either as a primary or back-up.

Review by FinNFeatherPhotog