Nikon D3100 14 MP DSLR Camera (refurbished body-only) $280 + Free Shipping

I wonder what the average shutter counts are on these refurbs. They can reset them back to zero unfortunately, however, I found this site that cites average number of actuations before breakdown very interesting: Camera Shutter Life Expectancy Database (http://www.olegkikin.com/shutterlife/)

My D40 has 10515. You can find out yours by uploading a recent image here: http://www.myshuttercount.com/


How Long Will My Shutter Last? (http://improvephotography.com/935...tter-last/)

Quote from ripwind : In most cases I agree. The 18-55mm Nikon DX kit lens that you see with the D3100 and D5100 are actually pretty nice.

They are not...shoot a few photos with the 35mm or 85mm prime and you will never shoot with a kit lens again...

Quote from pet1700 : They are not...shoot a few photos with the 35mm or 85mm prime and you will never shoot with a kit lens again...

What would you recommend as a first entry into a better lens (I have the kit lenses from my D40)? On the cheap (slick) of course. Link?

I hoping the 35mm will on sale for somewhere like 120~150. But pretty sure it won't happen

Quote from dillei : I hoping the 35mm will on sale for somewhere like 120~150. But pretty sure it won't happen

Get a new one from Amazon...$196...well worth knowing you are getting a brand new piece of hardware with 5 year warranty from Nikon.

For a first dSLR do you experts recommend starting with something like this? Or buy something better? Thanks in advance for your help.

Quote from jmills616 : What would you recommend as a first entry into a better lens (I have the kit lenses from my D40)? On the cheap (slick) of course. Link?

http://www.amazon.com/Nikon-35mm-...n+1.8+35mm

and

http://www.amazon.com/Nikon-50mm-...n+1.8+35mm

Best $450 you'll spend in terms awesomeness-to-dollar ratio.

Quote from jmills616 : What would you recommend as a first entry into a better lens (I have the kit lenses from my D40)? On the cheap (slick) of course. Link?

With a D3100/3200 or D5100/5200 the 35mm 1.8G ($196 on Amazon) will give you amazing photos in terms of sharpness and beautiful bokah especially with such a fast aperture of 1.8. Plus, with a crop sensor on these DSLRs, the true magnification is approx. 50mm, thus almost equivalent to eye-view. Perfect for indoor photos, family photos, etc. You will need to zoom with your feet, or you could also crop photos since your images will be very sharp to start.

http://www.amazon.com/Nikon-35mm-...nikon+35mm

I have a D5100 with a 35mm and a 85mm, and will probably never buy another lens. Both of these give me everything I need for indoor and outdoor photography of my family with exceptional photo quality and quick autofocus.

Quote from allclassnyc : For a first dSLR do you experts recommend starting with something like this? Or buy something better? Thanks in advance for your help.

As a first? Yes definitely. Mainly because of the cost associated in comparison to what you're getting. Even with a D3100 you're getting a body that's leaps and bounds more powerful than any value point and shoot camera or cell phone camera. You'll spend a good year or two using something like this before you decide to upgrade your body (assuming you've used it enough to where you would actually benefit from the upgrades a better body offers).

Sweet deal!

I'll buy something like this when my d40 finally decides to give up the ghost. Its still going strong though, after so many years.

Quote from allclassnyc : For a first dSLR do you experts recommend starting with something like this? Or buy something better? Thanks in advance for your help.

I would not recommend the D3100...the small increase in price to get the D5100 is well worth it. The main reason is the sensor in the D5100 is the same as the D7000. Thus, you will have significantly better photos will much less noise at higher ISO, and as a beginner, you will probably shoot at higher F-stops (unless you go start out with a prime lens or much more expensive zoom lens) which you will benefit much more from having one of the best sensors on the market for a fraction of the cost of the D7000.

Trust me, invest a little more now, than regret it a couple years from now that you bought a camera soccer moms buy at Target or Walmart with a kit lens expecting professional results. At least with a D5100 and a good lens like the 35mm, you will get results that will make you look like a pro and you will not want to sell this body for a new one for years to come.

Just my 2c.

Quote from pet1700 : I would not recommend the D3100...the small increase in price to get the D5100 is well worth it. The main reason is the sensor in the D5100 is the same as the D7000. Thus, you will have significantly better photos will much less noise at higher ISO, and as a beginner, you will probably shoot at higher F-stops (unless you go start out with a prime lens or much more expensive zoom lens) which you will benefit much more from having one of the best sensors on the market for a fraction of the cost of the D7000. Trust me, invest a little more now, than regret it a couple years from now that you bought a camera soccer moms buy at Target or Walmart with a kit lens expecting professional results. At least with a D5100 and a good lens like the 35mm, you will get results that will make you look like a pro and you will not want to sell this body for a new one for years to come. Just my 2c.

Spoken like a true gearhead. You are really exaggerating the "significant" improvement that the D5100 sensor has over the D3100. And a beginner photographer will hardly have the skills or knowledge to take advantage of whatever minimal improvement there is in the sensor. Much better to start off with a cheaper body and a fast prime like the 35mm 1.8 or 50mm 1.8. Getting professional results with a camera has a lot more to do with skill level than what kind of gear you have. There are plenty of pros that get great photos using compacts or even an Iphone. There's plenty of amateur gearheads that have a D4 and don't even know how to properly expose in different situations. Let me repeat that again, if you are a beginner, you are much better off starting with a cheaper body and using that extra money for good lenses. The body is just a recording device, the lenses are the real catalysts behind the photograph. A cheap body + good lens > a expensive body + cheap, bad lens. And the fact that you mention that it being sold at Walmart/Target makes it less of a capable camera to take good photos? That's definitely a new level of BS right there.

A refurbished d5100 is about $100 more...that is well worth the small investment...I would not be saying that if it was not worth it...and yes, I totally agree on the lens argument, but at the same time you need a quality sensor to capture what your lens is "seeing"...d5100 has the same sensor as the d7000...

Quote from DownLikeOPP : Spoken like a true gearhead. You are really exaggerating the "significant" improvement that the D5100 sensor has over the D3100. And a beginner photographer will hardly have the skills or knowledge to take advantage of whatever minimal improvement there is in the sensor. Much better to start off with a cheaper body and a fast prime like the 35mm 1.8 or 50mm 1.8. Getting professional results with a camera has a lot more to do with skill level than what kind of gear you have. There are plenty of pros that get great photos using compacts or even an Iphone. There's plenty of amateur gearheads that have a D4 and don't even know how to properly expose in different situations. Let me repeat that again, if you are a beginner, you are much better off starting with a cheaper body and using that extra money for good lenses. The body is just a recording device, the lenses are the real catalysts behind the photograph. A cheap body + good lens > a expensive body + cheap, bad lens. And the fact that you mention that it being sold at Walmart/Target makes it less of a capable camera to take good photos? That's definitely a new level of BS right there.

I would actually disagree with you on this point. If someone is serious in getting into photography, then the D3100 probably isn't the best place to start. My issue with the 3100 is that it doesn't leave any room to grow whereas the D5100 does (if even a limited amount). I've always seen the D3xxx line as the entry-level-I-just-want-to-take-pictures-of-my-kids type of camera and less towards someone who will actually want to get into the hobby.

If you just want to see if you like using a DSLR, go out and rent a mid range body. Then you don't have to actually buy one and run the risk of winding up with something that you'll never use.

The other issue with the 3100 is actually your point about lenses. You're going to quickly hit the upper limit of image quality because the body will actually limit what comes through the lens. Yes, you'll get a picture out of a mid range lens on a cheaper body, however the body will actually be limiting the true potential of the lens. In the realm of digital photography, the quality of the body does matter. In film it didn't (rather the film itself did).

If you just want to dabble in the world of a fully adjustable camera, there are plenty of other choices out there that aren't DSLRs. The Canon G line is great, as are the S90/95/100/110. I actually use a S95 as my secondary camera for whenever I don't want to carry around my D7000 and all the gear.