Digital Home Thoughts: The Nikon D3100 DLSR: Unboxing and First Impressions

The D3100, announced back in August, is an entry-level DSLR from Nikon, but the list of features and specs might surprise you: the 14.2 megapixel CMOS sensor is at the heart of this camera, giving it ISO 100 to 3200 (with a high ISO 12,800 option), 3 frames per second continual shooting, 1080p 24fps MPEG/h.264 video with continual auto focus, an 11-point autofocus system with 3D tracking, 420-segment RGB II metering, automatic image sensor cleaning, in-camera retouch options (including trimming of video clips), and a built-in pop-up flash. It's a very capable camera for just under the $700 mark.

I've had a few entry-level Nikon DSLRs over the past couple of years; I got a Nikon D60, sold it, then bought the Nikon D5000 (and reviewed it here), and sold it to purchase the D3100. I quite liked the D5000, but the video functionality was hobbled by the lack of auto-focus. The D3100 brings 1080p video with auto-focus to the table, along with a slight bump in resolution and several other enhancements over the D5000. Check out the two-part unboxing and first impressions video after the break. Fire your questions my way after watching the videos.

Jason Dunn owns and operates Thoughts Media Inc., a company dedicated to creating the best in online communities. He enjoys photography, mobile devices, blogging, digital media content creation/editing, and pretty much all technology. He lives in Calgary, Alberta, Canada with his lovely wife, his wonderful son Logan, and his sometimes obedient dog. He's surprised how much he likes the Dell Studio XPS 7100.

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