Nikon D3100 vs Nikon D5000-Two great cameras, but what are the differences?
Nikon D3100 vs D5000
Many people searching for the right camera will research many different camera options and then narrow their search down to two options: the Nikon d3100 and the Nikon D5000.
The questions on everyone’s minds at this point are what are the differences and and is the D5000 worth the extra $100.
The purpose of this article is to outline the features of both cameras and to point out the differences between the two in an effort to help you in making your purchase decision.
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Side by side comparison- Nikon D3100 vs Nikon D5000
- Autofocus System: exactly the same
- Weight: D3100 is 105 grams lighter than D5000
- Frames per second: D3100 shoots 3 FPS vs D5000′s 4 FPS
- Size: D3100 is slightly smaller than D5000
- D-Lighting options: D5000 has more options including Auto, Extra High, High, Normal Low and Off. D3100 only allows the user to toggle between On and Off.
- LCD Screen Size: D3100 has a 3 inch screen while D5000 has a 2.7 inch swivel screen
- Sensor: This is the most important difference between the two cameras. D5000 has a larger sensor at 23.6×15.8mm and resolution of 12.3 megapixels, while the D3100 has a 23.1×14.4mm sensor with resolution of 14.2 megapixels. The D3100 sensor has a base ISO that starts from 100 and can go up to 3200 (just like the D5000 which starts with a base of 200). The ISO boost levels on the D3100 go to 12,800, however, the D5000 is limited to 6,400.
- Expeed II processor: D3100 has full HD capability (1920x1080p) at 24 FPS. The D5000 can only go to 720p (1280x720p) at 24 FPS. The D3100 has a wider range of shooting capability where it can shoot 720p at 30, 25, and 24 FPS and 424p at 24 FPS. The Nikon D5000 only records video at 24 FPS.
- Bracketing: D5000 allows bracketing while the D3100 does not. If you are shooting HDR, this is a concern.
- Price: The D5000 retails for $749 currently while the D3100 retails for $649. For information on a Nikon D3100 Sale, check out this website.
In many user’s opinions, the D3100 is a better buy than the D5000. The D3100 lacks the bracketing feature and is not quite as fast as the D5000, but other than those two features, the D3100 is the clear winner.
Customer Reviews about both cameras
Nikon D3100:
“For the cost of this camera, I don’t think you can get anything better. The low light performance is off the charts. As a wedding photographer I regularly shoot with Nikon’s high end professional equipment and I was amazed how close this camera is to a pro camera.”
“Could have been even better if:
- it had the bracketing option (not too much to expect at this price point level but oh well I don’t use that much but for some people this could be a big plus).
- grid lines were available (I miss them in both in live view and in the view finder). ”
Nikon D5000:
“It is easy to setup between a simple point/shoot to a full control DSLR.”
“Only complaint is when you set the manual focus bracket it is too easy to accidentally move it and had condensation in the lense once in a very high humidity condition”
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