This is a fantastic new offering from Nikon. You get most of the best parts of the D7000 for 1/3 cheaper. If you are looking for a starter camera or a back up body to the D7000 this is it.
Here are the major differences between the D5100 and D7000.
Nikon D5100:
Exact same sensor and processing abilities as the D7000. Some of the best Image Quality available in any DSLR. ISO 3200 is very usable with low noise.
- Swivel screen while the D7000 is fixed -- Since the contrast autofocus (ie Live View) is not very good on either of these cameras this is not really a player unless you are using a tripod. Then the swivel screen is very useful.
- 4 fps vs 6 fps for D7000 - No big deal 4 fps is plenty fast to fill your card with similar looking pictures. Also, in RAW D7000 buffers out pretty fast and then slows down anyway.
- 11 focus points vs 39 for D7000 - Most of the time not really a big deal. Sometimes all those extra points get in the way and slow you down.
No internal auto focus motor while the D7000 has one -- If you don't have any D series or older lenses this is not an issue. If you do, they will not autofocus on this camera.
- Only one SD slot vs 2 for the D7000 -- A big difference when getting paid to shoot. Otherwise, always format your cards in your camera and not on the computer. Doing that I have never had a failure. (Jinxed myself now)
Not weather sealed vs D7000 partially weather sealed - Don't drop either one in the water and keep both out of dust.
- Has less external switches than the D7000 - This means you need to go to the menus more often which slows things down. This can be severely annoying or not depending on your shooting style. The D7000 handles better but this is not a deal breaker on the D5100.
Built in flash is not a commander for Nikon Creative Light System while D7000 is -- If you don't use off camera flash or you use radio triggers this is not a big deal.
1.2 lbs vs 1.7 lbs for D7000.
Overall the Nikon D5100 is a great camera. The D7000 have some extra features that make it worth the extra money but if you don't need them you get all the fantastic D7000 IQ for 2/3rd the price.
Here are the major differences between the D5100 and D7000.
Nikon D5100:
Exact same sensor and processing abilities as the D7000. Some of the best Image Quality available in any DSLR. ISO 3200 is very usable with low noise.
- Swivel screen while the D7000 is fixed -- Since the contrast autofocus (ie Live View) is not very good on either of these cameras this is not really a player unless you are using a tripod. Then the swivel screen is very useful.
- 4 fps vs 6 fps for D7000 - No big deal 4 fps is plenty fast to fill your card with similar looking pictures. Also, in RAW D7000 buffers out pretty fast and then slows down anyway.
- 11 focus points vs 39 for D7000 - Most of the time not really a big deal. Sometimes all those extra points get in the way and slow you down.
No internal auto focus motor while the D7000 has one -- If you don't have any D series or older lenses this is not an issue. If you do, they will not autofocus on this camera.
- Only one SD slot vs 2 for the D7000 -- A big difference when getting paid to shoot. Otherwise, always format your cards in your camera and not on the computer. Doing that I have never had a failure. (Jinxed myself now)
Not weather sealed vs D7000 partially weather sealed - Don't drop either one in the water and keep both out of dust.
- Has less external switches than the D7000 - This means you need to go to the menus more often which slows things down. This can be severely annoying or not depending on your shooting style. The D7000 handles better but this is not a deal breaker on the D5100.
Built in flash is not a commander for Nikon Creative Light System while D7000 is -- If you don't use off camera flash or you use radio triggers this is not a big deal.
1.2 lbs vs 1.7 lbs for D7000.
Overall the Nikon D5100 is a great camera. The D7000 have some extra features that make it worth the extra money but if you don't need them you get all the fantastic D7000 IQ for 2/3rd the price.
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