Nikon Coolpix P5100 12.1MP Digital Camera with 3.5x Optical Vibration Reduction Zoom Reviews

• I like my P5000 very much, thus I would recommend the P5100

  
  By AEFD69CM2AWLH on 2007-11-10
  First let me tell you what to buy with the camera. 1) the UR- E20 adapter tube. You can leave it on all the time as protection and for extra finger grip, I do. It weighs next to nothing 2) the wide angle converter lens, also very small gizmo, another hundred dollars but gives you a wide view of 24mm equivalent and the menu option allows the camera to correct some barrel distortion inherent in this type optic.Works pretty darn good except at extreme edges 3)Nikon's SB400 flash,which is a marvel. Small,light,dedicated to the system and has a swivel flash tube up front for bounce,unusual in anything this small and two celled. Flash uses two AA size standard power and delivers a lot more than the built in body flash pintsize runt,rechargeables are better natch. And if you get the flash you prolong the camera batter,a nice bonus and less less redeye4) a spare Li-Ion battery by Nikon another mere 20 bucks or so.Fast 2 hour charge will do it. Now this whole kit and kaboodle will run the tab up a bit more than you expected,but you will get shots that are equal or better than a heavy SLR with a heavy zoom lens.I do not joke. The camera's Program mode is one of the better ones out there. Meaning I trust it a lot.
  
  Some professional reviewers tend to poke away at this camera's lack of zip to them, and forget it is powered by a minute size battery,about the size of a slice of cheddar on a buffet table:-). It can't do burst shots and start up in a microsecond, true. They are not accepting it for what it delivers at this price. What else is out there but heavier and pricier in this category I mean.
  
  
  The lens will not open as wide at tele end as an indoor shooter would want without flash, and is not the speediest performer out there overall. BUT FAST ENOUGH if you pre- focus, and why not prefocus I say...it tells you that the lens has found its target. Nikon has done a good job on this product and you just can't go wrong at the price. I am really falling for this little fellow as a grab and go item. The LCD is hard to see outdoors except for the histogram playback. Indoors it is a delight to see. You may also want to pick up a wrist lanyard vs the neck strap which comes with it. Your preference.Battery delivers plenty juice for a day of reasonable shooting even with LCD viewing. When I go next trip to the Serengeti ,well, I take a generator and power inverter (:-), or maybe just a car battery adapter. I carry all this kit,if you are interested, in one half of a Mountainsmith Aurora II Camera Bum Bag/ Lumbar Pack with room for trail mix and cellphone..
  Why schlep heavy stuff on a vacation? Enjoy.
  
  

• LOVE LOVE LOVE This camera!!!

  
  By AMJ3HFDOK7D8H on 2007-10-16
  Ok so my last camera was a Nikon 3200 which we loved but the shutterspeed was slow and it was just a little outdated. We decided it was time for a new camera so we went to the store and ended up with an Olympus 1000 (great sale price). We got home and after we used it a couple of times we realy didn't like the camera because many pictures were blurred and just not very clear. So we sold the Olympus and splurged and got this camera. This camera is worth every penny! The pictures are so clear and the camera is actually much easier to use than I thought it would be. We took a picture of our ceiling fan while it was on high just to see how it would turn out and in the picture it is as clear as if the fan was off. This is an amazing camera with awesome features and my husband and I are both blown away by the picture quality. We can't wait to get outside and use the camera to try all the features.
  
  

• Compromise between P&S and DSLR

  
  By AUFYOGIUBRTX on 2007-11-16
  I love this camera. My guess is you'll love it too, at least if your needs are similar to mine:
  
  I cut my teeth on a Pentax Spotmatic in the 1970s, and appreciate the flexibility of manual controls. Point-&-Shoot digital cameras are small and light, but (nearly) everything is automatic. The P5100 allows you to manually adjust the shutter speed and aperture, just like with a DSLR; but unlike a DSLR, the P5100 is (while a bit heavier and bulkier than I might ideally like) pocketable. It's a compromise between a DSLR and a P&S, and in that sense works really well for me.
  
  The build is really solid, the controls are exceptionally easy to use, and image quality is superb. My only real complaints are that it's a bit slow (shutter lag seeems longer than most, there's a lag while the image is being processed, and it grinds and struggles to focus in low light) and the on/off switch is located in the wrong place (the center of the grip, so I find myself turning the camera on & off when I don't mean to). I consider these minor inconveniences.
  
  So if you're a photo enthusiast who wants more control than offered by most P&S cameras, but you don't want to deal with the bulk of a DSLR, you may love the P5100 too.
  
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  UPDATE: I've had the camera for nearly 3 months now, so a brief update. I still rate it as an amazing little camera -- a lot of features and flexibility are squeezed into a small, solidly-constructed, pocketable box. If pocketability is what you want, this camera is I still believe an excellent choice. It's truly like having a DSLR in your pocket in many respects.
  
  And it's not perfect: I wish I could give it 4-1/2 stars. When there are so many features packed into a small box, I guess there are bound to be compromises.
  
  The P5100's compromises show up mainly in low light. First, there's a lot of noise above 400 ISO (although it's rated up to 3200). In that sense, this camera behaves more like a film camera -- which isn't so terrible, I've learned to work with it. The bigger problem is AutoFocus: It's a bit slow in the best of circumstances, and in low light it can take up to ten seconds to fix a focus. This doesn't lend itself to "point-&-shoot" captures. Again, I've learned to live with this: In low-light situations, I frame a shot and pre-focus: I depress the shutter halfway well before I'm actually ready to shoot, and then just wait. It works, but takes getting-used-to. I've also learned that center focus is a lot faster than the other auto focus options, and that in landscape mode, AF is turned off, with focus set at infinity. Most important: from a half-depressed position, the shutter release is very responsive. Bottom line: Low light photography requires a bit of advance planning.
  
  When shopping for this camera, I preferred both the Canon G9 and A650 to the Nikon P5100, each for different reasons. But neither Canon camera is IMO pocketable. So if you want DSLR-like flexibility in a small box, I still think the P5100 is about the best you can do at this point.
  
  

• Nikon P5100

  
  By A3DDTQC7EUIT7M on 2007-10-30
  Just replaced my Nikon P5000 with the newer P5100. Less noise than the earlier version. Better pictures than my D200. Worth it all around
  
  

• Disappointed with the Nikon Coolpix P5100. Slow performer and Lens Error

  
  By A2IAWJ3PAMO3YW on 2007-12-23
  Has anyone else experienced the "LENS ERROR" problem? Does anyone else agree with me that this camera has had way too many problems?
  
  I was a bit disappointed with the Nikon Coolpix P5100. The camera was obviously designed to compete in a specific digital camera class - hi-res, feature-rich, and capable P&S digicams for photography enthusiasts. The P5100 is very user friendly and it consistently delivers good static images. It's an excellent choice for casual photographers who want a camera that's compact enough to drop in a pocket and take along everywhere they go, tough enough to stand up to the rigors of modern life, and cheap enough to be competitive. The P5100's tough as nails magnesium alloy body, nifty rubber clad hand-grip, logical control array, optical viewfinder, hot shoe for i-TTL Nikon Speedlights, and superb ergonomics make this camera an outstanding camera choice for casual shooters, but it's slowness, tendency to clip highlights, and noisy high ISO shots/poor low light performance will hurt its reputation with photography enthusiasts. The P5100's price and features are clearly competitive with the Canon Powershot A650 IS, but its performance just as clearly isn't.
  
  Pros:
  
  User friendly
  Compact and lightweight
  2.5" LCD screen
  Nice ergonomics
  
  Cons:
  Slow
  Tendency to clip highlights
  Poor low-light performance
  
  
  
  
• really cool camera...
  By A2QUM7PAQAKXGL on 2007-10-17
  it's definitely comparable to the canon g7.... but much lighter and more compact.. definitely recommended...
  
  
• functional replacement for DSLR
  By A1SHB888C3QOX1 on 2007-11-29
  I bought the P5100 as it travels a lot easier than my D70 and can do more in some respects. The main reason to choose this one over the rest is that it has a hotshoe and is compatible with my Nikon SB600. Here is a comparison with my D70 nikon SLR a bit unfir but the P5100 holds up surprisingly well. The P5100 has a Mg alloy body and is sturdy but light enough to hold steady on a skinny pocket tripod. it has video capability although the built-in mic is awful. It does better than the D70 in very low light. built in VR is excellent and can drop at least 2 f-stops without distortion. It has a face id for focusing and a Panoramic shot assist--( when you use this setting the screen displays the edge of the previous photograph so that you can align the next shot perfectly when you pan the camera.).You cannot get dust on your sensor even if you try. and twice the megapixels compared to the D70! The limitations (compared to the SLR) are cannot shoot multiple frames per sec. very slight shutter delay compared to SLR. Slow autofocus and no focus area options and limited metering options.Cannot shoot in RAW format.
  For less than Half the price of the D70 this is an excellet deal. Go for it! Make your Day!
  
  
  
• Powerful, but easy to use
  By A3J2N3MC99CLB3 on 2007-12-06
  First let me say that I was surprised by the very small size of the 5100. It literally fits in the palm of my hands.
  
  My last Nikon was the Coolpix 995 (950 before that) and I never used most of its advanced options because the menu system was too complex. The 5100 is crammed with buttons and dials so that choosing most options can be done without paging through multiple levels of menus. Plus it has 15-preset types of "scenes" (portrait, sunset, museum, etc., plus the super-cool panorama setting) which make all the necessary settings for you automatically for a particular type of picture. Another cool feature is its ability to make time-lapse movies, as well as 640x480 30fps movies and sound recordings.
  
  But the main attraction of the camera for me was its fast lens with Vibration Reduction. I've taken sharp pictures in very low light which I had been unable to take with the old Nikon.
  
  Another feature I was not aware of until I got the camera is its ability to do digital zooms without image degradation (if you are shooting at less than maximum size, which I usually do anyway). When I shoot at 1600x1200 size, I can use digital zoom to get the equivalent of about a 7x optical zoom lens.
  
  I was considering the Nikon S10 (too much noise in low-light and difficulty focusing in low light) and then the D40 (no auto-focus in-camera, no VR without buying very expensive lenses). It would be nice to have something like an 18x optical zoom on the 5100, but short of that, this camera is very, very good -- especially at such a low price.
  
  
• WOW!!!
  By AENJ9NSG0IXDR on 2007-11-22
  I have no complaints about this camera. I am in Iraq right now and this camera is holding up better then I was expecting. The quality of this camera extremely good. I have some combat camera friends and they said it is on the professional level. I would recommend this camera for anyone that is looking for a high quality camera for a really reasonable price.
  
  
• Nikon P5100 12.1 MP Coolpix - An excellent all-around camera
  By AMEZJVXMSEPY0 on 2007-12-29
  Wow what a great little camera! I bought this to photograph family members and to take with me on trips. This was a replacement for a much older 5 MP Sony that I had. I had traded my old Canon A-1 for the Sony after much careful shopping around. For this current iteration of camera shopping, I checked out the local Best Buy and Ritz to compare features on all of the latest cameras and decided on the Nikon P5100. The sales staff at both of these places did not know much about the Nikon as it had just come in. The Canon Powershot G9 was nice, but I was worried about design-flaws and quality issues that were described in recent reviews on Amazon (including tilted LCD screens, and extraneous lines and pixels on the display. After trying it out and comparing with some other cameras, I decided on the Nikon.
  
  The Nikon P5100 Coolpix offers a mix of being simple and convenient to use and features that allow flexibility and some experimentation. It is a great looking camera and very light with its magnesium body. I was very impressed with the design and functionality included in this camera.
  The placement of controls and the handle allows for easy one-handed operation while shooting. The wheel for review of photos was new to me as the Sony did not have this feature. Very nice.
  
  Accessories -
  I bought a Nikon SB-400 AF Speedlight for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras to go with this. The SB-400 takes two AA batteries. I put the Energizer e2 Lithium AAs, which are lighter than many of the other AA batteries. Keeps it lightweight, but very functional. Having had experience with Sony and Canon Digital cameras previously, the built-in flash, while useful for close-ups do not work well in settings like the school auditorium for my children's events or out at night in an outdoor setting where distance is a problem. I can get about 80 to 90 feet range with the SB-400.
  
  I also bought a Nikon wideangle lens and the Nikon URE20 Converter Adapter Ring. Putting these together, the camera looks, feels, and functions like something that cost twice as much to put together.
  I can also strip it down to the the base unit and still have a very functional digital pocket-sized camera.
  
  I did not like any of the cases available from Nikon. The base unit fit perfectly into the pocket case that came with the camera bag set from Expedition Outfitters - which I purchased from Sam's Club.
  
  Trying it out -
  The camera is fast and does not get caught up between shots like some of the other digital cameras I have tried. The camera is SD and SDHC compatible as far as memory cards go. I have had no problems with 1 GB SD, 2 GB SD and 4 GB SDHC cards. I have an 8 GB SDHC card on order.
  
  I am finding that I need the larger cards to shoot any practical length of video with this camera. A 1 GB card will fit about 20 minutes of video using the 640 resolution or 333 still shots at 12.1 MB per shot. I have been trying out the difference between Class 2, 4, and 6, with Class 6 being the faster read/write for the SD cards. While technically, the speed may be faster, with day to day shooting of family shots and nature shots, it is not as important. However, I do notice the difference when I am uploading the photos onto my MacBook. The Class 4 and 6 really do reduce the down-load time. Also, they are much faster than my old Sony Memory Sticks that I had been used to.
  
  The 12.1 MP resolution is great for blowing up the photos, or for cropping. The 5 MP on my old camera was pushing the resolution when I tried to make a poster or when I tried to print an 8 x 10 of a cropped shot.
  
  The low-light function on the camera works well and I get some great photos in indoor situations when I would rather not use flash. The macro feature is great on this camera for my close-ups of plants and to record signage to mark Events with my photo batches (iPhoto on the Mac).
  
  The videos are great and work well on this camera, even though it was not designed with that use primarily in mind. The zoom/wide angle feature is smooth and allows for some basic video technique.
  
  The lithium powercell for the Nikon lasts a decent amount of time. I bought 3 to rotate out as they get used when I am on a trip. They are very light and compact. They are also easy to swap. The camera comes with an AC charger for the power unit, but not the AC adaptor for the camera, which you have to buy separately should you need one.
  
  Summary -
  Again, this is an all-around, great camera, light-weight, functional, and the best of the new 12.1 MP point & shoot cameras that is upgradeable as of late 2007. I hope that I will be as happy with this camera for the next several years as I had been with my Sony.
  
  
• NIKON COOLPIX P5100 12.1 mp
  By A8ZFHHSCRWQS5 on 2007-11-03
  OUYSTANDING the NIKON COOLPIX P5100 is my Forth digital and I a soooooooo impressed with and its true quality. You will not be disappointed with it at all.
  GREAT PRICE AND VALUE AAAAAAAAAA +++++++++++++
  
  
  
• A professionals opinion.....I am very disappointed
  By A28CNGDAA1ASMA on 2008-01-10
  Well, I am very disappointed.....From prior reviews I was expecting a miracle in point and shoots. NOPE, it's still not there yet. I have had other Nikon Coolpix cameras prior to this one and the quality of the images on the older models seemed to be better then this one. I shoot professionally with my Nikon D70 SLR for istockphoto. I was hoping the technology was becoming better in point and shoot (POS) cameras. Boy was I wrong. This cameras photos at 100% look MUDDY! or I should say like a watercolor photo instead of a real photo and there is artifact problems in the images as well. I think Nikon is trying to cover up the noise problem by having the camera process the images this way. Your pretty much stuck with muddy photos. You just can't win with this camera not even adjusting ISO speeds. You can't fix muddy photos but you can fix a little noise problems with computer softwares. I am sending this back and will continue to bring my big and bulky Digital SLR where ever I go. I rather put up with the SLR cumbersome rather then giving up the quality of my images for a small Point and shoot camera. Hope this clears things up for all you professionals looking for a small point and shoot camera comparable to a SLR because there isn't anything comparable yet. I don't think there ever will be, the lens are just to small. For all you amateurs if you really want the BEST all around photos, get a SLR camera. small cameras like this is a waste of money when you can have the better for a little more. An SLR has auto features too and you will be AMAZED on the difference in quality and technology. You really don't know the difference until you try a SLR or see the actual difference between photos at 100%. It's really the best way to go.
  
  
• beautiful build, amazing software
  By A1SY6ZSF87CDUP on 2007-11-29
  just upgraded from a nikon 5400 because i wanted something more portable. this is a small, well-built, ergonomic little camera, that's feels great in your hand.
  
  i've been really pleased by the upgraded performance too, compared to the 5400. the 12 megapixels gives significantly more detailed pictures. the built in vibration reduction software is amazing. it makes it possible to take sharp handheld pics at 1/8 or 1/4 of a second. and the d-light software magically transforms underexposed elements of a pic (like a backlit subject against a bright ground) without affecting the correctly exposed parts.
  
  wish it had the 28mm of the p50; but a very pleasing little camera.
  
  
• Great Camera
  By A2W3GNWGD71ZZ0 on 2007-11-15
  Well, as a nikon user, I'd really recommend this brand-new camera, as long as it is very simple to have access to all the features previously avaiable on hi-cost cameras. I'm really satisfied.
  
  
• Nikon P5100 initial reactions
  By APNLLUMEVXM92 on 2007-11-15
  Great little camera....easy to operate....good pictures....a good companion to a MD80....12.1MP slows it a bit..but very handy to shoot on the fly....too many options for a small camera.....more advanced
  
  
• Great Little Nikon
  By A3GSYEL2O5A65 on 2008-01-03
  I usually own at least two digital cameras, one DSLR and a smaller one that I can carry around. Currently, I have a Nikon D200 and a little Casio 7 mp Exilim. I like the Exilim because it's small enough for a pocket, but the picture quality is only so-so.
  
  After reading the positive reviews of the Coolpix P5100 here, I decided to buy the P5100 to replace the Casio.
  
  Picking up the camera for the first time was a joy. The camera just feels right in my hands and doesn't feel cheap (the body is magnesium alloy, not plastic).
  
  The P5100's exposures were spot on, alhtough there tends to be some clipping of the highlights and shadows. The colors are very accurate.
  
  If you are a beginner who doesn't want to get involved with post-processing, this camera is probably not for you. Nikon has decided to do minimal in-camera adjustment to the images, which can be a good thing if you know your way around Photoshop and don't mind working on the images on your computer. Some other cameras boost sharpness in-camera. You can set the P5100 to increase the sharpness, but at the normal setting, you may find yourself increasing the sharpness with Adobe Bridge or Photoshop.
  
  I don't agree with the reviewer here who complained about the video. The video is as good as any digital SLR that I've used. It won't give you the same results as using a digital video camera, but no camera does. The only problem with the video is that the sound ends about a half-second before the image does, so you're left with a silent bit and the end. This isn't a big deal to me. If I want high quality video, I'll use my video camera. In 15 years, think I used a still camera to take video exactly once.
  
  Regarding reviews complaining about shutter lag and focus time; yes, there is some shutter lag, but not enough to make it a problem for me. Same thing with focus. This isn't a camera to use to take action shots at sporting events. If that's what you're looking for, spend the cash to get a good DSLR.
  
  Another great feature is the hot shoe. I don't think there are other point and shoot cameras that allow you to use an external dedicated flash. I can use my Nikon SB-600 flash on this little camera. How great is that? The built-in flash works really well, too.
  
  The menus are a little bit confusing and not as intuitive as I would have preferred.
  
  If the P5100 did RAW, I would have given it 5 stars, because some other cameras in its class allow you to shoot RAW. Still, for the price, this is a sweet little camera that should fit the bill as a grab and go for times when you don't want to lug around a DSLR and a host of lenses.
  
  
• Camera doesn't last
  By A2FPGZXBPCLMMM on 2007-12-22
  This is what I originally wrote: Nikon got it right for a little camera. I also have the Nikon D40 and D40X and pretty much can't tell the difference in the resulting photos from these three wonderful cameras.
  I applaud Nikon for putting in a view finder to use in sunlight. For indoors and at night, the LDC screen and the vibration reduction work wonderfully well.
  I like the idea of 12 mega pixels so I can crop in the photos. It's almost like having a zoom lens with more power than the 3.5 that comes on this camera. Do be aware that a 12 mega pixel photo that is not cropped will result in a fairly large file size. So, if you plan to do a lot of work with your photos on the computer it is a good idea to have a fast computer with a fairly large hard drive.
  This camera is so small and lightweight that it's perfect to keep in my purse for when an unexpected photo opportunity occurs.
  UPDATE: This camera was wonderful when I first got--actually I bought two of them. And, then, after several months they both failed at the same time--unfortunately during our daughter's wedding rehearsal. One of them caused the Nikon battery to overheat after about two photos. The other started demanding a lag time of about one minute or longer between photos. Since they both failed at the same time I did not pursue my warranty protection. I would never trust this camera again.
  
  
• GREAT LITTLE THING!!
  By A1OY9LB5YESP0K on 2007-12-19
  I'm a big fan of Amazon and over the years have bought many things from this site. This is only the second time I've written a review as I feel compelled to share my experience of this wonderful little camera.
  
  First of all, I own a Coolpix 4500, so I am familiar with Nikon. I had it for several years and despite the fun using it and excellent pictures when I used it right, it was ultimately a frustrating camera-too big, very slow, with complex menus too troublesome to access. Like a previous reviewer and his 99x series, I too, found myself hardly using a lot of the available settings on that camera.
  
  So when time came to switch cameras, I vowed to pick a different brand. I have used a Canon A-series from work, used and returned a Casio v7. I wanted something zippy, small. After using these cameras, I realized size was the most important to me, next was the manual controls. I didn't want a straight up point and shoot, I enjoy creative control with my camera. After returning the v7 I realized I wanted it durable.
  
  Canon's A-series cameras did not appeal to me, I do not enjoy AA batteries, I find it cumbersome and awkward. I've used one from work where the lens were starting to have problems and I didn't like the construction of it. The Casio's greatest strengths were its slim build, lens that did not retract, really speedy and great movie mode. Plus it had a 7x zoom and all manual (albeit limited) control. But it was far too fragile and pictures were often soft and blurry in low light.
  
  I went to a local store with these three things in mind:
  1. Small/pocketable
  2. Full Manual control
  3. Good IQ
  4. Reasonably priced
  
  I wanted it speedy of course, but figured that I would be happy with somewhere between my old sloooow 4500 and the superfast v7.
  
  The camera guy at the show showed me only two models: the 5100 and the g9. These are the two with fully manual functions. I knew about the Canon-A series but AA batteries are out of the question for me. I had my mind set on venturing beyond Nikon but when I picked up the 5100 it had me hooked. There is nothing like holding this camera in real life and trying it out. Everyone is right when they say this. It is something special.
  
  The G9 I know is supposed to be a superb camera, but I was not paying 500 dollars for it and it was not quite pocketable. I hemmed and hawed about getting another Casio for its small size/manual functions.
  
  Here's my take on the 5100 after having it for nearly three weeks. It is a great little thing. The size is unbelievable for what it can do. The image quality is great-you will notice this immediately. It is consistently well-exposed and sharp. Easily tweaked to fit personal tastes. Its terribly fun to use because there are so many buttons on the outside to easily access settings. No fiddling in menus.
  
  The infamous autofocus lag-well its there, but only in low contrast/light situations. There are ways to go about it that's already been discuss: prefocus, or force centered focus. The latter really makes a difference.
  
  Shutter lag-none. When focused, there is NO apparent shutter lag. I own the camera. I do know what I'm saying.
  
  What the camera does well, it does very well. Size, ergonomics, handling is excellent. Image quality is really great. It is VERY reasonably priced. It has fully manual controls: p,a,s,m modes, this is no token-2-fstop-option. I do not know of any other pocketable camera with such a feature set.
  
  Go pick one up at the store. Try it in your hand. It caught me totally by surprise.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• I'm a photographer and this camera is awful!!!
  By A3I870RTDMT4IL on 2008-02-09
  I've had at least a dozen digital cameras over the past seven years. My main camera is a digital SLR, but I like to have a small pocket size camera to keep in my purse. I was upgrading from a 5 MP camera and read tons of reviews on this camera.... pretty much everything I read said this was an awesome camera and I loved the price tag, so I got it. I have never been so disappointed in a camera! The pictures are almost always out of focus, and unless you're in *really* good light, the pictures are very grainy! And probably the most annoying part is that you have to wait a long time for it to say it's ready to take the picture.... and then it still turns out blury! I messed with it for almost two weeks and finally gave up. I returned it and ended up with the Digital Elph - the MP's aren't as high, but it takes really nice pictures and a heck of a lot faster! I will never buy a nikon point and shoot again.
  
  
• My best purchase ever
  By A3MJTNX1N862QK on 2007-11-29
  I bought this camera, it was the best purchase I ever did, I want to thanks every review I read before the purchase, I read one about the slow process when you take a picture, I went "Ohh what I did", I read it after I bought it and before I received it, but when I shot at 12M with all features at high and with a regular SD card, it was quite quick in my opinion, I don't know if he was comparing it with another camera, taking videos is good with this cam, and pictures are great, this camera for the price is a most!!! I recommend it 100%
  
  
• Very Good Spare When You Cannot Bring Your DSLR
  By A14G6HY50L3UUW on 2008-01-28
  This is a very good camera to bring along regardless of whether you have a DSLR or not. For people who generally shoot using a more powerful DSLR, this camera will give the shooter the luxury of having a point and shoot camera as well as a manual/semi-manual camera in one very small package.
  
  With 12.1 megapixel, the images are highly detailed and the prints are good enough to have on the walls. I like taking pictures wherever I go, but I'm not always able to carry my DSLR around. With this camera, I no longer have to choose between hauling a heavy DSLR or miss the opportunity of capturing something interesting.
  
  On the automatic side, the facial recognition and anitshake features are must haves when you only have seconds to take those pictures. The high ISO numbers allows proper exposures in many low light as well as high shutter speed conditions. On the manual side, the customizable "function" button lets me decide the kinds of setting I want at my finger tip under different situations. For example, I could put the ISO setting there so that I can change the ISO from picture to picture, or I could set the function button to call up the white balance setting when I'm trying to meet a ever-changing condition, i.e. from sunlight to shady skies. The flexibility of this camera makes experimenting part of the fun as well.
  
  Some say this type of cameras are not serious, however, I think this camera is actually fun and yet serious enough to let photographers who enjoy taking pictures no matter what the situations and conditions are a good backup. After all, it is the finding of interesting images and the creativity of picture composition that we enjoy and not necessarily the joy of just owning more expensive equipments.
  
  I'll take my DSLR AND this Coolpix !!!!
  
  
• the G9 killer
  By A4AYD420AGH64 on 2008-04-14
  I go through cameras like hogs go through mud. Not because I drop them in the mud, but because I like to buy a lot of technology. This little guy has stuck with me and here's why:
  
  - I tried the G9 first. I always noticed the extra girth when trying to discreetly carry it in my jeans pocket. The p5100, even with a soft case, can be forgotten about while I'm carrying it in said pocket.
  
  - Have you seen the images that can be made when using the wide angle and sb400 bounce flash? HOLY **** I'm no pro, but the results are creative and dramatic, to a much higher degree than any other P&S I've ever had. Without the attachments, the pictures are still just as good as any other P&S I've ever tried as well, and I used to even have the "legendary" Fuji F30. Even if the latter has better dim light results, the former makes up for it hundreds of times over with the bounce flash option.
  
  - I won't beat the horse with the "performance issues." I'll just say I don't notice them, even though I originally owned the G9 for a month. That said, when I had both cameras at the same time, the interface of the G9 was a lot more user-friendly and "snappy."
  
  - I took hundreds of pictures with both of them in the same conditions with various camera options. Subjectively, the ones taken by the p5100 consistently looked better and more alive than the G9 (without attachments). However, I could get much better "quasi-bokeh" with the G9, esp with the lens zoomed in and macro mode on.
  
  - Finally, p5100 + attachments = much better pictures than G9 alone, and in that configuration it weighs about the same as the G9 without attachments.
  
  - Result? FIVE STARS. Not because it's going to be as good as my friend's 40D, but when considering PRICE SIZE and RESULTS, it is.
  
  
• A true point-n-shoot with dSLR capabilities
  By AJS26KZ9WD2ZL on 2008-03-07
  I fancy myself a prosumer who like to work the manual features of an SLR but prefer the size and inconspicuousness of a point and shoot. The two clear choices were the G9 and the Nikon P5100. I read professional reviews one after the other and they all seem to indicate photo quality to be similar. The G9 however packs more features and feels like a professional camera. But when I went into a store to handled both cameras side by side, the choice was obvious. The P5100 is a true point and shoot; the G9, although nicely weighted was to bulky to be considered a point and shoot.
  
  When I brought the P5100 home and test drove it, I knew I made the right choice. The photo qualities are stunning (for a point and shoot). Mind you, I don't print anything larger than 8x10. From landscape scenery to portraits taken at social gatherings, my photos turned out a lot better than I expected. Flash was rather balanced, even indoors. The quality was good enough that I could fix through the computers. As for RAW capabilities, I could care less. As a digital amateur, I still can't yet figure how my prints can benefit significantly from RAW.
  
  As for video recording, I use my point and shoot mainly as a camera, so any video capaibility I consider extra.
  
  So if you have no pretensions of being a professional photog and you care more about ease-of-use and convenience over features and looking 'substantial,' than the P5100 is the clear choice. It's best among its class of true point and shoot cameras with dSLR capabilities.
  
  
• Great advanced P&S digital
  By A1C8K8UTDSXRXS on 2008-04-27
  I use 35mm and 6x6 film cameras and wanted a good, small, non-SLR digital camera to throw in a camera bag and use on shoots to preview shots and do lighting tests. True this doesn't have the range of my pro lenses but has the ability to attach speedlights (it even works with NON-iTTL flashes like the SB-28 if you set it up properly) and allows me to attach my radio transmitter to the hotshoe and remotely fire my strobes for test shots.
  
  And it's a good performer in it's own right. The advanced features are great, and it's intuitive and easy to use. The magnesium & rubber construction has a quality feel that makes it feel a rugged as my pro Nikon gear, and it's rangefinder-like design looks surprisingly similar to the great Mamiya 6 (though much smaller of course).
  
  Great photos, excellent adjustment and customization, versatile, compact, rugged, and well designed. Can be simple & fully automated for the pointer-and-shooter, and can get out of the way and let an experienced photographer take full control when needed. As for speed, anyone who has worked with film in low light will not be bothered by the speed of this camera or the resulting image quality in the same situations.
  
  This is a great little digital camera, maybe one of the best non-slr choices out there.
  
  
• NOT the best - but Perfect!
  By A12F49RYJVIXN4 on 2007-12-22
  This camera is the PERFECT camera for those of us who want the following: 1 a small camera easily carried in a laptop bag 2> want manual controls as well as automatic 3> utilizes excellent (and affordable) Nikon addon lens and external flashes 4> Of course takes great pictures and as a kicker has the BEST macro mode of ANY "point and shoot- even has anti pin cushion and barrel distortion mode for PERFECT close in pictures (Like ebay pics)
  I am not a novice but not a professional and was looking for a small camera that gave me manual controls. And not only is this camera small but it LOOKS like a camera should (maybe not important to you) but this feels absolutely PERFECT in the hand and I have heard from many pros that the camera that is used is the one that feels the best when taking pictures and this one is perfect.
  The P5100 is always compared with the Canon G9 and the G9 DOES take marginally better pictures but the P5100 is A> $100-150 less, B> much smaller and lighter (important to me) and C: has a 30 fps movie mode- the G9 is only 15 fps. Again that is important to me. And to me the pictures it takes are fantastic.
  And for those who say this camera cant take good shots of moving objects I am not sure what they are referring to. Just yesterday we were drivng back from Houston and took pictures of car and truck wheels at 80 mph next to us and the camera froze the wheels perfect every time in both manual and sport modes. Maybe it is the version 1.1 firmware that the units ship with now. Also I set the camera to 8 mpixel and I experience only a slight shot to shot lag like 1 second no big deal to me at all.
  I took the advice of another reviewer and bought the wide angle lens (very squat and fits the camera perfectly without sticking out too much. and the hot shoe flash- just takes great shots every time of everything.
  I Love Canon cameras and have bought many SD700, 850 and own a S3 (great camera) but the P5100 is the one I carry with me and gives me, as a mid ranged experienced user, the ability to shoot almost as a good as a pro, at a fraction of the price and a fraction of the weight and bulk.
  Yes having a RAW mode would be better and maybe a 5-7x zoom would be nicer ( a reason to upgrade to the 5200?). Anyway as you can tell I recommend Nikon P5100 highly.
  
  
  
• Good camera, but don't expect too much
  By AQUE8NTCXLGUB on 2007-12-24
  I bought the Nikon Coolpix 5100 as a compact camera to bring when my DSLR would be too big and bulky. The optics are as I would expect from Nikon; they are very good. The features I especially like are the Vibration Reduction and the ability to shoot a movie-- which is surprisingly good. Also, the ability to measure for white balance is nice. I have been in lighting conditions that just didn't look right with auto or the other white balance settings, and having the ability to measure for white balance was fantastic.
  
  The one thing I did not like about this camera is that auto-focus tends to hunt a lot in low-light. By hunt, I mean that sometimes the auto-focus takes about to 3 to 4 seconds to focus on the subject. Other times, it won't be able to auto-focus at all-- even with the AF assist.
  
  
  
• Nikon Coolpix P5100
  By A2EJEUOUM34QYF on 2008-01-14
  Nikon Coolpix P5100 12.1MP Digital Camera with 3.5x Optical Vibration Reduction Zoom
  
  I am very happy with this camera. The main reason I bought it was because of the manual mode. I have been taking pictures professionally and for pleasure for 30+ years. Most of the digital cameras are dumbed down and will not let you take a picture over/under exposed. I know enough about setting a camera, too at times may want the image over or under. This camera lets me do that. You have to buy a much more expensive camera to have manual mode. It also has a large selection of preset modes and a large video size (640x480). Get a 1G or 2G chip, each jpg image is 3-4 Megs.
  
  The image size at max is 4000 x 3000 pic. that is as good as cameras at three times the price. After taking a few images I downloaded them into photoshop and found that they needed no adjustment. I would buy it again.
  
  
• Awesome little camera!
  By A32VLN33R3PZGC on 2007-12-11
  I bought the cool-pix to go to China and it did not disappoint. The clarity and quality of these pictures is amazing. I was previously using a 4MP Sony and this 12MP wonder just blows it away. It is light and easy to carry, the controls are easy to manage, and the battery is tucked away neatly along with the memory card. A 1GB memory card allowed us to take over 600 photos, all of which were extraordinary. I especially liked the feature that allows you to delete a photo w/ one touch of the little "garbage can" icon - fast and easy and without 3-4 clicks. Love this camera and would highly recommend it for the price.
  
  
• Love it!
  By A1P6QN71PYNBMS on 2008-02-19
  I bought this camera with some Christmas gift cash. My husband and I bought a digital camera (our first) two years ago so we could share pictures of our first child with friends and family. We hated that camera almost from the day we bought it and continued to grow more annoyed with it over the next two years. THIS time, I did some serious research and narrowed down my selection to two. I got a GREAT price on this camera through Amazon, and I LOVE it. So much faster, better shots, less red eye. Now we have two kids to take pics of and this one makes picture taking much more pleasant. I'm considering buying the extra lenses and trying them out because the price point is so low. I will say that the controls and menus are a little difficult to navigate if you haven't looked at the instructions but for the better quality camera and pictures, I'll put in the extra effort.
  
  
• Nikon Coolpix P5100
  By A2AZ0ME0USF33T on 2008-01-21
  The camera takes excellent professional quality pictures. With the optional attachments it is as good as most of the SLR's out there for significantly less money.
  
  There is a short but significant learning curve but the pictures I have taken are excellent with good color and high clarity. The 12.1 Megapixels allows you to crop and enlarge and still get very high professional level photographs
  
  

• 3-Year Extended Service Plan - Covers Electronic Items $201-$500 - Repair
• Targus Camera Universal Case
• Polaroid 10.4-in IDF-1030 Digital Picture Frame
• The Complete Guide to Digital Photography, 2nd Edition: Completely Revised and Updated (A Lark Photography Book)
• Efilm USB MultiMedia and Secure Digital Card Reader

• Nikon Coolpix 5813 Leather Carrying Case/Bag + (2) Spare EN-EL5 Batteries for P3, P4, P5000, P5100 Digital Cameras
• Nikon 5813 Coolpix P Series Digital Camera Case
• Nikon EN-EL5 Rechargeable Li-ion Battery for Coolpix P3, P4. P5000, S10, 3700, 4200, 5200, 5900 & 7900 Digital Cameras
• Kingston 2GB Secure Digital Memory Card (SD/2GB, Retail Package)
• Nikon Fabric Case - Soft case for digital photo camera - fabric