User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars A++++++
Nikon has gone and done it again at making a fine piece of equipment that’s not only easy to use but also has some of the finest Nikor imaging lenses and durable Life span would completely reccommend this camera

5 Stars A Great First Step
I received this as a gift a few days ago, and I AM IN LOVE! For someone as clueless about the nuances of digital photography, but still wants to take great pictures, this seems to be the perfect step away from the point & shoot.

Coming out of the box, it’s intimidating as all get-out. But I love how Nikon has added almost a mini-course book in digital photography to the kit (you can read about what comes in the box above, but for some reason I also got this great little book that explains aperture, f-stop, shutter speed, and all the rest of that as well as some exercises to help you explore your camera. My husband bought the camera at a local big-box store instead of Amazon, though, if that made the difference) as well as a quick-start guide and the more detailed manual to walk you through. So here I am, just a few days into being a DSLR owner, and already using the manual settings as much as the preprogrammed ones. And the shots, they are beautiful!

And another great feature about this camera is the ability to tweak the pictures while still in your camera. To play with the colors, trim, eliminate red eye, play with tones (sepia, b&w, cyan). My favorite is the warm effect, which subtly replaces some of the yellows in backgrounds/skin tones with more reds, which plays some amazing things on your pictures.

I hope this is the beginning of a beautiful relationship with photography!

5 Stars Great Buy for It’s Class!
After wanting, for the longest time, to own a DSLR, I finally bought the Nikon D3000. All the modes and features given in the D3000 are easily accessed and understandable. It took me awhile to figure out how to use the manual mode, but once I did it was amazing! As many have already heard, the Nikon D3000 is probably the best beginning DSLR anybody can get. It gives you professional quality photographs (sharp images) for a much cheaper price tag. I have come to love my Nikon D3000. I will definitely continue to tote it around with me everywhere until I decide to level up. I recommend this to everybody!

5 Stars Better than the Rebel
I have 2 close friends with Canon Rebels and I can confidently say this Nikon is noticable better!! In particular it takes better low-light photos and doesn’t seem to be as ‘confused’ as the Canon is on AUTO in low-light. If you value photographs and rely on a compact of any make, please go buy a DSLR. Even if it is a Canon, the picture quality is leaps ahead of a compact.

Back to the Nikon … it takes great photos, easy to use, small relatively speaking, good battery life.

Not that great: funny operation on the rapid FPS attempts, takes a while to take advantage of the focal points offered.

Thanks,

Shark.

4 Stars Give it some good use (A review for beginners)
Before getting into the pros & cons, lets begin with some brief info on entry level DSLRs. DSLRs allow more customization than point-&-shoot compact digital cameras, especially because of different factors like larger sensors & different lenses. For quick snapshots of your friends and family at a bbq, going out, or on holiday: point-&-shoot is perfect. Those looking to go beyond and make artistic photos, or capture great sights around the world: DSLR brings refinement (though point-&-shoots still VERY capable). I have to be honest, my Canon compact digital cam is hard to beat (great manual mode too), so I was weary of getting into just an entry level DSLR. Many people don’t realize the capabilities of DSLRs is in your hands, and you have to learn/work with it. If you pick up a DSLR just to use auto mode + built in flash 60% or more of the time, you’re wasting your time/money.

The Nikon D3000 is an entry level DSLR, usually packed with a pretty general 18-55mm kit lens (which still works great!), it doesn’t offer as many options as higher end models, nor does it have as refined of a sensor. This means it does not have the cleaner/higher ISO capabilities as high end models, nor does it process photos as quickly, & control/customization is a little limited (for refined studio/experimental/artistic photography).

D3000 Pros:

-Excellent photo quality

-Fast continuous shooting

-11 Point AF (auto-focus) multi-point system

-Easy, light body to hold compared to other models

-Different modes + TONS of customization features for each option

-In camera photo editing is awesome

-VR lens reduces vibration, excellent sharp images

-the built in flash is good (upgrade depending on your needs)

-Format of menus + buttons gives a fun learning curve to work with

D3000 Cons:

-High ISO = noisy grain images*

-Auto white balance has a slight yellow tint (**I have a fix for that)

-No live view (which is ok for me)

-No movie recording (also not a problem for me)

*that noisy grain can contribute to better results in some black & white or grittier photos

**white balance>fluorescent>white fluorescent>B2 M1 & +0.3EXP is a pretty good fix in some rooms

Live view may or may not be a feature people want. Because it’s omitted on this model, you have to use the viewfinder. I actually enjoy the experience of using the viewfinder, though I can see the benefits to having live view on the LCD screen. If you pass on this or any entry level DSLR because of lack of movie recording capabilities, you’re probably in the wrong market. However, if there’s room in your budget to get the D5000, it has movie recording, though it is not a priority in photography (sure is convenient though!). The auto white balance in any camera (without use of a flash) is quite challenging in fluorescent lighting, but customizations have allowed me to combat that. Low light + high ISO can come out pretty ugly in some situations, even with noise reduction turned on. I’d recommend working on lighting and lens variation for that.

The pros definitely outweigh the cons on this camera. It has been very fun learning about the features and options, which leads to more fun learning/refining various techniques in photography. I’ve done some great portrait, landscape, and experimental photography with it so far, and I’m very pleased. In the past 5 years, I’ve taken Canon and Sony compact cams on my travels around the globe, and they worked great. Some years ago, I did some 35mm photography, so in addition to my travels I felt ready to upgrade to a DSLR. The price of this camera is awesome for the quality you get. I’m still shocked at how pleased I am and I can’t wait to take it on my trips with me around the world this summer and fall. I highly recommend this camera as an entry level DSLR. However, if you have budget constraints, the D40 & D60 are nearly the same (used models are cheaper). Even a used Canon Digital Rebel will be great. My advice is to go with either Nikon or Canon and stick with that brand so that when you upgrade your camera body, you can use the same lenses. Ignore megapixel count unless you plan to make super large prints, a good camera is a good camera – do some research, learn it, and shoot! For those who have a little cash to spend, and want the movie recording, get the D5000. To be honest, if you’re a beginner or amateur photographer, any of these models will serve you well. As for me, I’m very happy with the D3000 and plan to keep it for a long time.

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