Sturgdw said:
Some background: I started with a D40 and currently have a D90 - which the D7000 is the replacement for.
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Another advantage of the D7000 is its ability to work with non-motorised lens, if you want to expand your lens range later, and the D5100 and D series below, cannot do that.

The D7000 isn't a direct replacement of the D90, IMO it's a higher-end camera and sits between the D90 and D300s.
Other advantages of the D7000 are the bigger viewfinder , the two command wheels and the many buttons (there are only a few on the D5100 because of it's articulated screen). Being able to quickly change the ISO, white balance, quality, etc via buttons is much better than entering menus and searching for settings.

@Sturgdw: Excellent and well though out post! I think in this topic some of the real high points in the D5100 versus the D7000 are brought out. I would add the minor thought that the D90 although a wonderful camera does fall somewhat short of the D7000 in several areas. Both have video which I myself truly need now. Say what you want but video does show some subjects much better than time action stills do. There the D7000 has a very big edge over the D90. I have even tried the D5000 in comparison to the D5100 and for sure Nikon made an almost necessary upgrade there. I myself do not even like the articulated LCD screen at all. But others love it!
I strongly suggest anyone making this between Nikon camera choice go try to pick up and shoot at least briefly with them before buying.

I do not agree with the observation that the pictures you'll take with a D7000 will be indistinguishable from those with a D5100, and I hope to explain why. Some background: I started with a D40 and currently have a D90 - which the D7000 is the replacement for.

Part of the challenge in this comparison is that the key advantages of the D7000 are ones you likely won't understand well, if at all, until you have experienced them first hand or had them demonstrated by someone who knows the camera well.

I regard CLS (Nikon's Creative Lighting System) as a Godsend. Being able to get your flash source off the camera body and away at an angle will make one of the biggest single improvements to your photography, and I don't believe the D5100 can handle CLS. Does that make a difference to shots? Spectacularly so, IMO.

For family group settings like birthday parties and Xmas, I set up 1 or 2 SB600s at different points in the room for ceiling bounce to the general target area, and then set all gear for CLS. The results are a gorgeous natural light that is simply incomparable to on-camera flash. With the D5100 your off-camera capabilities will be limited to cable, which is both a range and convenience limitation.

That CLS capacity can also make a huge difference to portraiture as well,

Another advantage of the D7000 is its ability to work with non-motorised lens, if you want to expand your lens range later, and the D5100 and D series below, cannot do that.

D5100 and D7000 are fine cameras, and the IQ is virtually the same. I currently use a D200, D300, D5100. I bought the D5100 for several reasons. I was waiting for the D300 replacement to be announced and wanted the articulating screen for shooting over my head in museums, and from near ground level with wide angle lenses, and it works well for these purposes. Given enough time to setup it performs admirably through the view finder but the miss rate is high on fast moving subjects. IF I was only buying one APS-C camera today it would be the D7000, even if I was a casual user because of the far better access to controls on the D7000.

The D7000 is weather proof, has a much tougher body, much more sophisticated focus and tracking system for fast moving subjects, better view finder, MUCH better camera controls that are far easier and faster to manipulate than the D5100 even if using your camera infrequently.

The D5100 to me is harder to use, and takes extra time between shots even when you know exactly what you want. It takes great pictures with my best old manual focus lenses, like my Nikon 85mm f/1.4 ED. But give up the metering and also auto-focus on some of my older lenses. If you have been doing this for 50+ years metering by sight is okay, but getting to the controls to fine tune the settings and watching a shot disappear while setting the controls drives me a little nuts. I want to be looking at the subject and thinking, not using my eyes to press buttons not watching some blinking LEDs. If you are shooting the new aps-c lenses and shoot ttl flash instead of the more reliable manual flash then this ceases to be a serious issue on stationary subjects. Real life moves fast and the D5100 is not fast but has a very high IQ.

Whether you buy the D5100 or the D7000 be sure your firmware is updated before you use it. Nikon had a serious problem with memory cards being recognized, or if recognized initially would frequently stop recognizing the cards during a shoot. It required pulling the memory card out and pushing it in again. The new firmware solves this issue.

On the lens, if I had one lens only and wanted to hold down on the price. I would check to see if B&H http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/581247-REG/Tamron_AFB003NII_700_18_270mm_f_3_5_6_3_Di_II_VC.html still has the Tamron closing out for 400 bucks The zoom binding is a genuine issue, but the lens is sharp as a tack from 18-270mm with good contrast. The difference between 270mm and 300mm is negligible, while the advantage of having 18mm instead of 28mm is huge when taking picture. This lens is a great value at the close out price.

Newbiew, passionate learner here. I bought the 3100, then discovered quickly it wasn't for me and upgraded to the 5100. If I had it to do over again, I would likely go for the 7000 (but must admit I'd miss the articulated screen on the 5100). Since the 5100 and 7000 have pretty much the same sensor, I have decided the only reason I'd opt for the 7000 is faster access to buttons over having to change settings in the menu. For now, I'm quite happy with my 5100. Now, when the 7100 (if that's what they call it) debuts in a year or so, I'm pretty sure I'll be ready for an upgrade at that point.

adamz said:
@tcole1983 - as much as I loved my d90, I never could adjust to liking d5000 - in terms of IQ sure it was quite similar, but in case of handling it was a totally different world, which can't be spoken about d7000 - as it's pretty similar to handle to d90, with some benefits from d300s.

No doubt. I don't want to come off like they are the same camera. I was just using a D90 at the store and I liked all the extra buttons to adjust the different things like ISO and such without having to go into menus. It did also feel different holding it.

It just seems like the D5000 and D5100 get a bad rap even though they provide fairly comparable picture quality for sometimes a lot less money (since I paid around $500 less for my D5000 than a D90 at the time). I think if you used a D90 or D7000 then went back to a D5XXX camera you would miss the buttons and options. Having used the D5000 from the start I don't find it that much of a problem to go into the menu and change what I want. That being said I usually leave my ISO alone and am not shooting weddings or anything like that. Using a VR lens I don't find it as crucial to crank my ISO up until I really am in a poorly lit room or at night. With the VR you can shoot pretty slow shutter speeds with good results. If I was in a changing situation or getting paid to get that one shot it might be a different story.

@tcole1983 - as much as I loved my d90, I never could adjust to liking d5000 - in terms of IQ sure it was quite similar, but in case of handling it was a totally different world, which can't be spoken about d7000 - as it's pretty similar to handle to d90, with some benefits from d300s.

DaveyJ said:
@ Polycom: At least you are looking at two very wonderful cameras. I have owned a lot of pro cameras, but of ALL the deals out there the one I hear the most of and my outfit is buying one is the D7000. I disagree about the Nikon DSLR models becoming more obsolete with ensuing years. Either the D5100 (the D5000 though was NOT in this league) or the D7000 are a good investment. The entire D7000 package though is the really noteworthy one.

I myself am a believer in getting good cameras and continuing to make a use for them even if I own a newer and more competent one. We still use a Nikon D200 and it is VERY good. The D7000 is better than most DSLR cameras for many reasons. The 70-300VR Nikkor is one of the best lens investments in photography. I have owned MUCH more expensive lens and SOLD them after using the 70-300. I have shot the 55-300 enough to believe it is NOT in the same category as the 70-300VR.

One somewhat aging Nikon DSLR that I BELIEVE will be a real classic is the D90. I will never sell mine. It has been at the right time in the right place enough to stay with me for years.....the video on the D7000 though is WAY BETTER.

Come on...the D5000 gave you D90 picture quality for hundreds of dollars less. I got my body for around $350 when I sold the kit lens...pretty good deal for a great camera I think. I think it is still a good camera even by today's standards...and if you include the D90 and D5100, it is right there. The D5XXX series cameras might not leave you with the room for growth that the D90 or D7000 would, but I don't think there is much picture quality sacrifice in either the D5000 or D5100 compared to the D90 or D7000.

@ Polycom: At least you are looking at two very wonderful cameras. I have owned a lot of pro cameras, but of ALL the deals out there the one I hear the most of and my outfit is buying one is the D7000. I disagree about the Nikon DSLR models becoming more obsolete with ensuing years. Either the D5100 (the D5000 though was NOT in this league) or the D7000 are a good investment. The entire D7000 package though is the really noteworthy one.

I myself am a believer in getting good cameras and continuing to make a use for them even if I own a newer and more competent one. We still use a Nikon D200 and it is VERY good. The D7000 is better than most DSLR cameras for many reasons. The 70-300VR Nikkor is one of the best lens investments in photography. I have owned MUCH more expensive lens and SOLD them after using the 70-300. I have shot the 55-300 enough to believe it is NOT in the same category as the 70-300VR.

One somewhat aging Nikon DSLR that I BELIEVE will be a real classic is the D90. I will never sell mine. It has been at the right time in the right place enough to stay with me for years.....the video on the D7000 though is WAY BETTER.

I have to agree with Merlewine about the 'bang for the buck' with the D7000 - it's a lot of camera for the money. I do action sports (motocross, quad racing, rodeos, etc.) and having features of a far more expensive camera really pay off. Low light in an outdoor horse arena is no problem and being able to 'push' the ISO makes blurred action athing of the past -

I own a D7000, D3s, and D3x, and used to have the D100, D200, D300, and D700. I suggest the D7000 is the way to go because it has all the essentials of a $5000 camera, like mirror up, DOF preview, remote shutter, and in addition a 16mpx sensor. I can shoot with the D7000 just as I would with my D3x and get great shots. As for lenses, that is a whole other story and depends on what you are shooting so I won't go there in this post.

Thank you folks for the advice..knowing that there are different sites where I can get lens for a cheaper price made my day !! I was a little inclined towards Amazon as I have lot of unused amazon gift cards which I have been saving for the camera and was hoping that amazon would have some deals for black friday but nada..they had deals only for canon..grr...for one sec I drifted towards canon as they had a awesome deal canon t3i with two lenses(18-55 and the 75-300mm lens) for $899 but I controlled my self from doing that ;-) right now checking out the sites you have mentioned.

It is true, the D5100, like the D5000, lacks the motor in the camera body used to turn the autofocus mechanism in old autofocus lenses. New autofocus lenses have the autofocus motor built into the lens. The D7000 does have that motor in the body so it can be backwards compatible; able to use the old lenses and the new lenses. However, this should not be a budgetary concern for you since all the lenses I recommended above are new autofocus lenses with the motor built into the lens and are designed to work with the D5100 and still keep you well within your budget.

You don't have to get the D7000 either. Picture quality from the D5100 will be very similar to the D7000. I got the D5000 instead of the D90 because price was an issue. It is a competent camera, but it lacks some of the semi-pro bodies have. So don't be talked into the D7000 if you can't afford it. I put more emphasis in the lenses as bodies are a bit more disposable and are like computers that go out of date after so many years...lenses are generally a better investment. I feel confident shooting my D5000 any day and I would definitely keep it as a backup if I ever decide to upgrade...so far the bodies haven't changed enough to justify it.

My biggest regret of getting the D5000 instead of a D90 is the lack of the autofocus motor to use non AF-S lenses. On one hand it keeps you using the newest lenses, but on the other hand if you have a budget then you get stuck with using the newer more expensive lenses always.

donaldejose said:
There is a good deal right now on the DX 55-200 on Adorama.com. $100 off so the normal $250 price becomes $150.

I often get to use an FX body at work and with it, some pretty outstanding glass, but when I have one of the D7000's we have (I also prefer the 7000 to the 5100) I like to use the 55-300.

That said... the 55-200 is also very underestimated IMHO. It isn't very fast to focus and it's slow aperture along with the plastic construction of all these DX lenses tends to make those of us with more pro level gear overlook it. That is no surprise really, when you consider how terrific many (most?) examples of Nikon FX glass can be.

Lets face it, not everyone has $5k to spend on photo gear and if budgets are really tight, at $150 you simply can't go wrong with such a good deal as @donaldejose points out.

Adorama.com has a refurbished D5100 body with 18-55 lens for $650. Add the 55-200 DX for $150 and you can cover all the distance between 18mm to 200mm for only $800. Than add a 35mm 1.8 G lens ($197 on Adorama.com) or a 50mm 1.8 G lens ($220.00 on Adorama.com) Now you have a very capable wide range kit for $1,000. The 18-55 lens has great close up ability for flowers (not close enough for insects though). So you can shoot flowers, wide angle scenic images, 55 mm for head and shoulders people portraits, 200 mm for wildlife and lower light shots inside or outside with the f1.8 lens. I would add a SB400 flash ($120 at Adorama.com). The flash head tilts so you can bounce flash off the ceiling. This is a very lightweight, very capable and very broad range set for a first time Nikon DSLR buyer. You will have to learn to edit and "post production" your photos. This can be done for free with Gimp2 or Picasa3 or you can buy Adobe Photoshop Elements ($90 on Adorama.com). Now you are at $1,200. Check B&HPhoto, Amazon.com, and other sites. They may have similar prices. Get some books about how to use the D5100 and about how to do the photography you are interested in learning how to do. With all this you will still be under your top budget.

There is a good deal right now on the DX 55-200 on Adorama.com. $100 off so the normal $250 price becomes $150.

Lensrentals.com is going to have 10% off their used equipment for sale... it isn't a D7000 or D5100, but they *do* have a D90, D300, and D300s for sale for way less than those are new, and from my experience their used equipment they sell off is in great shape. Tons of lenses up there now, too, including examples of the 16-85mm I mentioned and I think I saw a 70-300 (still more than that deal you found on the 55-300 though).

I hear ya donald..I was looking at the 70-300 VR ..agreed its a awesome lens and has really good reviews but it is way over my budget. Initially I kept my budget to $1500-1600 but looks like with the lens and the accessories I will not be able to be in my budget..so I am re-thinking about d7000..even though I would love to own it..I guess I have to agree with you when it comes to how seriously I will be using the camera and if in future I would want to upgrade when a newer model comes out.

was wondering do you guys know if there are going to be any deals for thanksgiving on Nikon dslr ? I know I just missed the Official Nikon rebates :-(

Depends upon your budget and just how serious you think you will become about photography. Both D5100 and D7000 have the same sensor and should produce the same photos with the same lens about 95% of the time. You don't get a better image by spending the extra money to get the D7000. You do get a more robust body and a few additional features only very serious photographers really will use. As to the more robust build quality that isn't needed either unless you shoot almost daily. The "plastic" body D5100 will last under normal use for 5 to 10 years and by then the technology will have advanced sufficiently to cause you to want a new camera. I don't know if you realize it by the D90 you borrowed is now outdated, replaced by the D7000 and the D5100 has a better sensor than the D90.

Lens: Again it depends upon who serious you are going to get. The 18-55DX and 55-200DX are both capable of very excellent photos and are low priced. If you think you want to shoot indoors in low light get a 35 or 50mm also. That should cover all the lenses you will need for a long time.

If you cannot take good photos with a D5100 body and the lenses I mentioned above, you won't be able to take good photos no matter how much money you spend. The weak link will be you, not your equipment.

Thank you gurus !! I will look into the 70-300 VR and see if its in my budget.

-Lucky

tcole1983 said:
If you get the 18-105 then opt for the 70-300 VR instead of the 55-300. It is a better lens from what I have heard.

I have also heard this and nothing but praise for this lens. An additional benefit for filters is that, unless you went for 77mm filters to use possibly down the road on larger lenses, then both of your lenses would have 67mm filter threads and you could just get 67mm filters for now.

tcole1983 said:The D7000 is a "better" camera. It has more features and is compatible with the older AF lenses. I still believe the D5100 is more geared for video as they incorporated the external mic on it and it has the articulating screen.

The D7000 also has audio in and is compatible with external mics. Both of these cameras are identical in video capability, as far as I know.

If you get the 18-105 then opt for the 70-300 VR instead of the 55-300. It is a better lens from what I have heard.

The D7000 is a "better" camera. It has more features and is compatible with the older AF lenses. I still believe the D5100 is more geared for video as they incorporated the external mic on it and it has the articulating screen.

The D7000 is more comparable to the D90 then is the D5100. If you have the money the D7000 will leave room for growth.

While that is a good starting combination, and my 18-105mm lens served me well until the mount broke while I was hiking, I would recommend possibly getting a wider lens for indoor use. The 16-85mm lens doesn't sound like it is much wider, it brings you from a 76 degree corner-to-corner field of view to 83 degrees. Additionally, I understand the build quality of the 16-85mm lens is better. Important for me is that the mount on that lens is of a higher quality than that on the 18-105 (since that is what broke on my copy).

As for filters, a good UV filter is a great way to protect the front of your lens but if you are going to get filters, get good ones! When I started out I bought some of those cheap $20 or so filter kits on ebay. I didn't notice much issue with the UV filters except for some added lens flare, so those aren't much trouble unless you are shooting into bright lights, and then you just take the filter off. However, the neutral density and circular polarizer filters turned out to be absolutely useless. I tried using them at some points to help with long exposure shots, but the filters were so bad I had to throw all those images away.

If you want to get filters like those, I would advise you to get good ones. Since those can get expensive ($100+ for a good circular polarizer) the best idea is to get those all in the largest size you might need, and then get adapters from that size to the filter sizes of the smaller lenses you have. In my case, that means using 77mm filters since that is the filter size of most of my bigger lenses. Much cheaper to get adapters than it is to have good filters of each size you may need.

Thank you for the feedback Pickerel !! You have got some nice shots there !! So do u think I would be good to go with the d7000 starter kit with 18-105mm for indoor use and the 55-300mm DX for my outdoor longer shots ? Also, If I decide to go with this camera and lens would you suggest I get any filters for the lenses and if yes can you point me to which one ? I was also thinking of getting a tripod..any suggestions ?

Thanks,
Lucky