Nikon D3100

Nikon D3100 is Nikon's Entry-Level DSLR camera initially released on December of 2010. It has got a 14 MegaPixel, CMOS APS-C size sensor with a peak resolution of 4608 x 3072.

Nikon released this camera in order to upgrade the previous Nikon D3000 (Read Full Comparison) & subsequently released the updated Nikon D3200 (Read Full Comparison) as a way to upgrade this model.

The D3100 comes in at #44 out of 80 in Entry-Level DSLR cameras & all-around #363 out of 1465 for cameras in our database. You can test our Smart camera search to get camera rankings based on your personal criteria.

Below is a graph of specific criteria used in the scoring system.

The Nikon D3100 has a history of related cameras. Underneath, you can find all earlier and new models as well as key features.

You can look at the D3100 from several angles in the gallery below.

Here is a list of advantages and disadvantages of the Nikon D3100 based on features which are normally seen as essential in a camera.

The Nikon D3100 is powered by the Expeed 2 processor. The sensor dimension in the Nikon D3100 is 23.1mm x 15.4mm (APS-C). The 356 mm² sensor has the ability to resolve 4608 x 3072 pixels using aspect ratios of 3:2.

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The CMOS sensor has 14MP and provides a native ISO range of 100 - 3200. The ISO can be widened digitally to a maximum of 12800. RAW files are supported which means that you have more room to maneuver in post.

The image underneath displays the D3100's sensor size in comparison to other common sizes. The D3100 sensor has a crop factor of 1.6 and is showcased in green.

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To get an understanding of specific aspect ratios, you can refer to the visual below.

Nikon D3100 weighs around 1.11 lb (505 grams or 17.81 oz) & has exterior size of 124mm x 96mm x 75mm (4.9" x 3.8" x 3.0"). The weight of general Entry-Level DSLR camera is 540 grams so the Nikon D3100 is very similar when compared to various competitors.

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Underneath is a image of the Nikon D3100 beside a softdrink to help you get a feel for its size.

The top view underneath will show you the button layout on the D3100.

The D3100 uses the Nikon F mount and has 315 lenses available on the market. Here is a few of the lenses we have in our database that will work with the D3100.

ModelVisualizeFocal LengthApertureStabilizedWeight

Carl Zeiss Distagon T 23535mmf/2.0 570g

Nikon AF-S Nikkor 28mm F1.4E ED28mmf/1.4645g

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Carl Zeiss Apo Sonnar T2 135135mmf/2.0 920g

Carl Zeiss Distagon T 22525mmf/2 570g

Sigma 18-35mm F1.8 DC HSM18-35mmf/1.8 810g

Nikon AF-S Nikkor 18-35mm f3.5-4.5G ED18-35mmf/3.5-4.5 385g

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Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 18-300mm F3.5-5.6G ED VR18-300mmf/3.5-5.6 830g

The D3100 has the following connectivity:

• USB Yes
• Wireless Yes
• HDMI Yes
• GPS Yes

Cameras that include NFC and Bluetooth support can easily be used wirelessly by smartphones. You can easily send pictures and oftentimes change camera settings without the hassle of connecting directly with the camera.

Several apps also stream a Liveview and press the shutter whenever you aren't close to the camera. If the camera comes with a HDMI port, it could be hooked up to an external display. Virtually all cameras enable you to charge the battery using the USB socket.

The highest video resolution in the Nikon D3100 is 1920 x 1080 and you can record in MPEG-4 format. 1080p resolution can provide a good balance for quality and file size but FULL HD will not give you any room to downsample. The body doesn't include a microphone and headphone socket which means you have absolutely no control over the audio. It is probably best to order a different model if you want decent audio for your video clips.

Nikon D3100 doesn't have weather proofing so wet conditions can affect the camera.

The Nikon D3100 has got a 3" fixed display screen having a resolution of 230k dots.

Please be aware that the display has no touch support.

Photography Glossary

The View Finder details for Nikon D3100 are as follows:

• ViewFinder Optical (pentamirror)
• Coverage 95 percent
• Magnification 0.53x

For sunny outdoor situations that make the camera screens washed out and tricky to see, viewfinders are pretty useful.

Nikon D3100 has the ability to shoot continuously at 3.0 frames/s. The maximum shutter speed is 1/4000 sec.

Nikon D3100 features both integrated flash as well as external flash ability. The maximum flash sync is 1/200 sec.

Nikon D3100 features both Phase Detect Autofocus as well as Contrast Detect Autofocus. Phase Detection autofocusing is a lot faster and accurate as compared to Contrast Detect autofocusing. The camera has got Face detect which makes it helpful for taking photos of people.

The AF system has got 11 focus points to select from. It also comes with Tracking Autofocus for objects that move. Nikon D3100 features manual focus if required for low light or you want to have more exact control on focus.

The battery power (EN-EL14) for the Nikon D3100 is designed to last for 550 photographs based on the CIPA specifications making it comparable with it's competition. The typical Entry-Level DSLR camera battery life is 589. Pentax K-x has got the highest (1900) battery life for this group of cameras.

Here is a list of Entry-Level DSLR cameras with the highest battery life:

ModelVisualizeBattery LifeRAWNFCBluetooth

Pentax K-x
D3100 vs K-x1900 yesnono

Nikon D3500
D3100 vs D35001550 yesnoyes

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Nikon D3400
D3100 vs D34001200 yesnoyes

Canon SL3
D3100 vs SL31070 yesnoyes

Sony A450
D3100 vs A4501050 yesnono

The following graph displays a analysis of the Nikon D3100 for varying styles of photography. To understand more, go to the specific paragraph underneath.

The Nikon D3100 gets a points total of 72 which is nice, meaning that it is a fine choice to use for portrait images. Taking portraits favors heavily to sensor size, support for RAW files together with the flexibility to work with external lighting.

Getting a decent rating of 58, the Nikon D3100 is reasonably appropriate for street photography. A very good street photography camera features a fine balance of picture quality and portability.

A reasonable sports photography score of 60 means the Nikon D3100 is somewhat suited for taking pictures of sports. A camera needs fantastic autofocus plus fast shutter speeds for sports photography.

Size is really important when buying a camera for travel. In general, the Nikon D3100 gets a average 58 as a travel camera which is relatively adequate to buy for your trips.

For anyone looking to purchase a camera for landscape photos, the biggest aspect will be image quality. The Nikon D3100 and it's nice grade of 65 for a landscape camera is a fine option in the current market.

A camera for vlogging should really posses a moving display, microphone input and if possible IBIS. Taking everything in to account, the Nikon D3100 is just not acceptable as a vlog camera as it delivers a terrible rating of 27.

If you want replacements to the D3100, below is a selection of the highest placed cameras that fall within the family of Entry-Level DSLR.

The graph below provides you a summary of the D3100 versus it's top rated rivals listed above.

Following are several cameras you may take a look at as alternative options. To read a comprehensive comparison, just click on the "compare" link.