I just upgraded from a D5100 to a D7000 and while I didn't notice much difference in the buttons, the whole camera itself feels much more refined and sturdy. I tried using my D5100 before selling it and it felt like a toy.

The d5100 feels stiffer. While the d7000 felt kinda weak.

waloshin said:
I played with a D5100 and a D7000 at Best Buy today and I thought the dials felt better on the D5100. Am I just crazy?

Yes you are crazy. The command dial on the d5100 is a lot rougher than the dials on the d7000 which feel smoother, are better damped. Maybe the cameras you played with at best buy differ from the ones I've tried? It could be that the dial on that 5100 is loose and feels better, or the d7000 is newer than new, so it takes a bit more force to rotate the dials?

I haven't noticed this, but my total experience with the d5100 is five minutes at a best buy counter. In what way did they seem better? Better laid out, stiffer, or what? One of my major gripes with the d5100 is the lack of the rear command dial. That's mostly because I miss it setting exposure in M mode, but it's also handy for all kinds of other settings that follow the pattern of hold button + rotate dial because you can cycle through two sets of settings for the same button.

I played with a D5100 and a D7000 at Best Buy today and I thought the dials felt better on the D5100. Am I just crazy?