How good is Nikon D3100 camera for beginners?
Any suggestions? I have purchased this camera two days ago. Any pros and cons of this camera? I'm just a beginner.
It's a great camera, and you should get the hang of it quite easily.
For a beginner the D3100 is a great learning tool.
It has 6 automatic scene modes. The D3100 can shoot full 1080p HD video. For the money it is a great learning tool. The nice thing is that, if decide to take photography seriously as a hobby or possible profession, it has all of the basics you need to learn covered. If you decide not to take photography seriously or if you do not take so many photos then it is still a great camera.
The biggest problem I have is that the camera doesn't have a focus motor for older lenses. Lenses (like Nikon D lenses and earlier) which don't have an internal focus motor can't be focused by the camera. This makes any lenses without a focus motor manual focus only. Also the auto white balance tends to be a bit orange under artificial light.
This being said the image quality is great. High ISO up to 3200 looks quite nice. Use it as a learning tool and figure out the limitations of the D3100. When you get it down and realize what more you need from a camera then you can buy a more expensive and complicated model.
Simple answer is that you have bought a great learning camera. Enjoy and happy shooting.
It is a nice camera and is packed with features. It has probably much more capability than you will ever need. As long as you keep shooting in good light, the camera will keep making you happy. However if you try to shoot in low light, it may frustrate you.
This camera, or any camera as such, works better in collaborative mode. If you your camera is not take good photos in some situations, it is because it is hitting its technical limitations or it is not able to understand what kind of things it is shooting. In such situations, help you camera by selecting proper scene mode or by using Exposure Compensation. Or you can turn on the flash to bring in more light. If you are willing to help you D3100 when it takes bad photos, two of you can enjoy photography and can have nice photos most of the times.
Some Tips to get the best out of your first DSLR
* Spend some time to learn things so you can take better photos with your camera.
1) Read photography blogs or tips online to be a better photographer. Any camera can do only limited things but with some tips, you will be able to take your camera to the next level. You will have better chances for better photos.
2) Buy some prime fast lens like 35mm or 50mm with F1.8 or so. You can get one for around $100-$150. With this lens, your DSLR will be able to take photos in low light too. Plus for taking photos for people and pets, they give nice bokeh- background blurring that you see in portraits taken by professionals.
3) Read your camera manual. You will be amazed to know how much your camera can do besides that AUTO button.
4) Work with your camera. Your camera can do only certain things for you. When you are taking a photo, it tries to guess what it is shooting and would set up Aperture, Shutterspeed, ISO, color mode etc to shoot a photo for you. Many times that piece of glass (I mean lens) and that sensor does not know that you shooting in backlight or in snow. It does not know if you are taking photo outside in broad sunlight or indoor well-lit place. If camera does not know accurately what it is shooting, it will probably give you a bad photo. Now instead of blaming your camera for a bad photo, if you are willing to work with your camera, your camera can take better photos for you. Learn some basic photography tips and help out your camera when it struggles. Set a proper mode like Portrait, Landscape, Macro, Sports and tell your camera where and what you are shooting. If you camera takes too bright or too dark photos, set the Exposure Compensation and tell camera to take less or more light. With your little help, you and your camera can make a great pair and together you will be able to take better photos.
Enjoy Photography.
Very good. Check it out on youtube. They have a lot of helpful videos.