Why I like The D3100
- Thread starter captnj
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I find D300s quite light... Compared to the solid metal film bodies of old. And those old bodies are usually fitted with all metal heavy-as-hell Ai Ais lenses.
while I love the all-metal construction and metal alloy body...rugged and well built..I come to experience ache from them..haha...got to train up the joints & back...:sweatsm:
Just try the F2 F3 or F4.... you will think the D700 or D300s is hella light. :bsmilie:
you both pretty much nailed it there for me when i considered keeping/ buying a 2nd body.
i like the 'lightness' of the d(x)k series but the d300/ d300s still felt easier to use with 2 dials and stored presets and pic controls.
i congratulate captnj for posting this - too many folk think "oh no, i see a downgrade". you and i know you made a good buy
I also obtained a D3100 a few weeks ago. I have previously used A200, 1000D and D60.
Basically I don't like a few things. I wish future firmware releases will do something about that.
Autofocus: I have a high rate of our of focus photos with the kitlens AFS-18-55. I am using single point, single servo focus and the shots are mostly from still, non-moving objects. So this cannot be because of incorrect AF setting. I am forced to shot with higher F to decrease the problem.
Out of focus shots are much more than what I used to have with 1000D (with 18-55) and almost equal to A200 with 17-80 and 55-300.
Auto Mode not usable: The other day I was convincing my friend that D3100 is enough for his need and he does not need to pay much more to buy a 550D.
We visited a shop, inserted our own SD cards and put both cameras on Auto and took 30 shots. Later I found that D3100 has taken all the photos with Hi2 (ISO12800) while 550D has selected ISO400-ISO800 exactly in the same situation with an almost the same lens (both with 18-55, F3.5-5.6).
As a result shots from D3100 are terribly noisy. My friend immediately selects 550D. I myself never take photos on Auto-Mode but if I ever want to hand it to an inexperienced user to take photos the problem will hit me too.
Metering with open Flash incorrect: With closed flash in a specific situation, camera would auto select ISO3200. Opening the flash does not have any effect and camera still auto selects ISO3200. Ken Rockwell refers to the same firmware bug in his review.
Underexposure: My camera underexposure a lot of times. As a result I have a +0.3 exposure compensation setting most of the time.
Other than those mentioned above I love this camera. It provides much more than its price. I am very very happy about the ISO performance, more happy than my previous cameras about White balance and I like the VR in kitlens. It is 2 times more effective than my EFS-18-55 (which possibly had IS problems?). With VR enabled I can take 1/8s photos without problem while on my canon 1/16s was the best I could do.
Mac
Basically I don't like a few things. I wish future firmware releases will do something about that.
Autofocus: I have a high rate of our of focus photos with the kitlens AFS-18-55. I am using single point, single servo focus and the shots are mostly from still, non-moving objects. So this cannot be because of incorrect AF setting. I am forced to shot with higher F to decrease the problem.
Out of focus shots are much more than what I used to have with 1000D (with 18-55) and almost equal to A200 with 17-80 and 55-300.
Auto Mode not usable: The other day I was convincing my friend that D3100 is enough for his need and he does not need to pay much more to buy a 550D.
We visited a shop, inserted our own SD cards and put both cameras on Auto and took 30 shots. Later I found that D3100 has taken all the photos with Hi2 (ISO12800) while 550D has selected ISO400-ISO800 exactly in the same situation with an almost the same lens (both with 18-55, F3.5-5.6).
As a result shots from D3100 are terribly noisy. My friend immediately selects 550D. I myself never take photos on Auto-Mode but if I ever want to hand it to an inexperienced user to take photos the problem will hit me too.
Metering with open Flash incorrect: With closed flash in a specific situation, camera would auto select ISO3200. Opening the flash does not have any effect and camera still auto selects ISO3200. Ken Rockwell refers to the same firmware bug in his review.
Underexposure: My camera underexposure a lot of times. As a result I have a +0.3 exposure compensation setting most of the time.
Other than those mentioned above I love this camera. It provides much more than its price. I am very very happy about the ISO performance, more happy than my previous cameras about White balance and I like the VR in kitlens. It is 2 times more effective than my EFS-18-55 (which possibly had IS problems?). With VR enabled I can take 1/8s photos without problem while on my canon 1/16s was the best I could do.
Mac
D3100 is an entry level DSLR, should be compared with 1000D.
D90 could be compared with 550D.
"As a result shots from D3100 are terribly noisy." Is this because D3100 auto selected the ISO3200 ? There should be an option to limit the highest ISO in auto ISO mode.
Even worse, it selected Hi2 (12800).
I know D3100 is entry level and that's why I suggested it to a point and shoot user. However as an entry level DSLR it should have a very good automatic mode (as you know automatic mode selects everything itself).
On a semi- or professional DSLR, we don't have automatic mode sometimes and that's good because only first timers need that. I never used it in last 1.5 years.
You cannot expect a camera in auto mode to think like the user. If a user wants to restrict something, that user can easily go to the specific settings (like Max auto ISO), and set it.
If Auto doesn't work, use P mode. P mode is there for a reason.
For God's sake stop that. I am using DSLR for more than 2 years and I even do not use P mode (mostly A and M).
It's not about me. It is about a point and shoot user which does not know what is ISO (let alone setting maximum ISO). He just knows how to put it on Auto and shoot like a Point and Shoot and expect better results than a point and shoot.
Now I am waiting for more people to teach me about P,A,S etc. modes !!! Instead, give suggestions about cases I mentioned in post #25.
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Sorry, but I believe it is the responsility of thr user to at least read up on the various terms like ISO,shutter speed, aperture, etc. A Point&Shoot camera user cannot expect to pick up a DSLR and expect it to deliver magical results on its own. If so, a DSLR is not advisable.
My own opinion
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I dont get this point. Why should the d3100 be compared with the 1000D? Yes they are both the entry levels for the respective brands. But the d90 compared with the 550D? A 2 year plus camera compare with such a new 550D? does it seem fair on this count then? I think we should always compare specs rather than price. Now it seems that many of us are comparing the d7000 to the d300s, but made no reference to the 7D. Since the d300s is 'equivalent' to the 7D, why shouldn't that comparison of the d7000 be made to the 7D? Just because the price has a big gap? But honestly speaking, the 7D does have higher FPS advantage and dual digic IV sensors, but what else?
If the d7000 is clearly value for money camera, it has its place as the king of DX, and be compared to the king of cropped for canon, the 7D.
Back to the topic. What siamak said made sense. You dont expect a new user to know about the max iso setting the first time he touched the camera. Another way to look at this is : why did the 3100 choose such a high iso for the same conditions? Wouldnt the shutter speed be bumped up way above required then? In many cases its true that the user cannot utilise the camera well, thus having disastrous results. But now in AUTO mode? Give the user some credit for once.
this is strange..in auto mode, the camera will pump the shutter speed (slower speed) to capture more light, then it'll increase the ISO if needed accordingly. i've tried using a D60 with 18-55 vr in very low light condition, it just lowered the shutter speed usually from 1/4s to 1s, with a ISO of 400-800. so i think some of the setting on the D3100 may have caused the high ISO.
yeah, I found this strange.
One possibility is that the demo camera has been adjusted by the previous tester(s) to limit the shutter speed to be fast and hence boosting the ISO.
Otherwise, why did 550D select lower ISOs using a similar lens and under the same lighting condition?
Seems to me the demo camera setting was being messed up. Can any D3100 owner confirm if in the auto mode, the camera will boosting the ISO up to 12800 with aperture set to fully open under normal light?
Then as an experienced user, you should know that demo sets could have easily have their settings all messed up by some previous unknown user. Sometimes store sales people set those weird settings to skew test results one way to 'encourage' unsuspecting buyers a certain way. I have seen it many times with MP3 players, walkmans, stereos. You should have done a quick settings reset before shooting? All it takes is 2 button presses simultaneously. Instead of blaming it on the AUTO mode. Or do you expect all cameras in AUTO mode to auto reset all previous settings when a new user picks it up? :dunno:
And since you have the D3100. I hope you do know that even in AUTO mode, you can set ISO sensitivity. And it is probably set at "Hi 2" instead of "Auto". I am not even a D3100 owner and I am able to figure that out in 2 mins. And you have a D3100 in your hands and the manual as well and is not able to figure this out? Must be some real disconnect there.
At least try to look for the problem. I think that is a much better solution than jumping to conclusions. No respectable company will launch a camera with an AUTO mode that dumb. Not even Tianya if they decide to make DSLRs. If you sense a problem, at least look at the settings to see if they are set at what you want them to be. Instead of going bonkers and blaming the equipment when it is your own failure in detecting a problem in the settings. Come on, it should be shown on that large info screen at the back of the camera. At least take a look at it.
My opinion? I think your friend just got duped into buying the higher priced option and you let it happen by not knowing your own camera well.
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I will give you possible answers to your other complaints as well now that you got me going.
Your target was not moving. but what about your hands? Did you shoot all these shots on a tripod? or handheld? Was it the same scene? with the same contrast in your target? Was the light conditions the same? An accurate conclusion can only be made if the test is done in a controlled environment. tripod is a big part of that.
This I have already shown is user error.
Flash metering and camera metering are two totally separate metering sytems. You need to read up on how i-TTL works. Whether the flash is on or not, has no bearing on the metered exposure from the camera. Do you need proof for that? I can give you many links to this as this is well documented. Or you can google on your own.
What was your metering mode. What was the scene like. What was underexposed and what was not in the scene. No details, no samples. What can we say? You cannot depend on the camera meter to nail it according to what you desire all the time. It is the same in the D90 either, same in the D300s, same in the D700 and same in the D3s. The meter is a result of what the camera thinks is the best exposure with the parameters it was supplied with. But the photographer have to determine what should be the final exposure be. That is what EV compensation is for.
Your target was not moving. but what about your hands? Did you shoot all these shots on a tripod? or handheld? Was it the same scene? with the same contrast in your target? Was the light conditions the same? An accurate conclusion can only be made if the test is done in a controlled environment. tripod is a big part of that.
This I have already shown is user error.
Flash metering and camera metering are two totally separate metering sytems. You need to read up on how i-TTL works. Whether the flash is on or not, has no bearing on the metered exposure from the camera. Do you need proof for that? I can give you many links to this as this is well documented. Or you can google on your own.
What was your metering mode. What was the scene like. What was underexposed and what was not in the scene. No details, no samples. What can we say? You cannot depend on the camera meter to nail it according to what you desire all the time. It is the same in the D90 either, same in the D300s, same in the D700 and same in the D3s. The meter is a result of what the camera thinks is the best exposure with the parameters it was supplied with. But the photographer have to determine what should be the final exposure be. That is what EV compensation is for.
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Actually the setting for Auto ISO in the Nikon body is quite straight forward.
Just go to SHOOTING MENU - ISO SENSITIVITY SETTINGS - ISO SENSITIVITY AUTO CONTROL
- Maximum sensitivity= ?
- Minimum Shutter Speed = ?
I think, the previous user might have set the camera setting:
- maximum sensitivity to Hi2 (ISO 12800)
- minimum shutter speed to 1/200 or faster
Which forced the camera to always High ISO in Full Auto mode, when you did the test shot in the store.
This is my opinion only, need to check with the D3100 user.
Just go to SHOOTING MENU - ISO SENSITIVITY SETTINGS - ISO SENSITIVITY AUTO CONTROL
- Maximum sensitivity= ?
- Minimum Shutter Speed = ?
I think, the previous user might have set the camera setting:
- maximum sensitivity to Hi2 (ISO 12800)
- minimum shutter speed to 1/200 or faster
Which forced the camera to always High ISO in Full Auto mode, when you did the test shot in the store.
This is my opinion only, need to check with the D3100 user.
Not just that...
In AUTO exposure mode, one can also change the absolute ISO SENSITIVITY to "Auto" or any value from "100 to Hi2". If this is set to Hi2, the ISO will be stuck to Hi2 irregardless of what ISO SENSITIVITY SETTINGS is set to.
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