Nikon D3100

Camera at work

Like previous models, Nikon D3100 allows you to edit pictures in a fairly wide range. Available and optimization of the dynamic range of D-Lighting, and retouching red eyes, and cropping (only with maintaining the aspect ratio of the frame), color filter effects, translation in b / w, color balance correction, the effect of shooting a miniature, overlapping another image, rotation, perspective correction and distortion etc..

Despite the low price and compact body, the new DSLR has the majority of “adult” functions, including exposure compensation up to 5 steps of EV, and quite fast and tenacious autofocus (it’s a pity that the cross sensor is only one of 11 - the central one). The exposure meter works quite accurately (a choice between matrix, center-weighted and even spot modes is available), but the camera tends to overexposure contrasting scenes by about 1/2 step.

Interface

The camera interface as a whole is well thought out, questions arise only for a few trifles: the lack of a bracketing mode even in the menu, the graphics of the settings screen are not very good (there are two types of display, but unlike some competitor cameras, both modes are not very readable, and switching between by them occurs in the menu).

Separately, it is worth mentioning the system of hints about the functioning of each shooting parameter (and not only exposure - shutter speed / aperture, but also focus, metering, etc.) called by the button to the left of the screen. In addition, there is a special Guide mode on the mode selector, step by step allowing you to select the desired settings.

The only comment here is that the font is too large, designed for short English terms. There are too many abbreviations in the Russian translation. The camera menu is rather confusing, which is typical for Nikon (the grouping of items into tabs is not obvious), you get tired of scrolling long pages - unlike older cameras of the company, you can’t do this with the wheel, but only by clicking on the naviped. Helps the menu of the last used items.

The new shutter mode switch proved to be a very convenient addition to the camera interface. It has 4 positions: single shooting, continuous (3 frames / s), self-timer (the choice between 2 and 10 second delay is buried deep in the menu) and, finally, a quiet mode in which the camera slowly and quietly lifts the mirror and takes a picture. She lowers the mirror only when the photographer releases the shutter button. The advantages of this mode include a softer shutter sound, and the disadvantages include a noticeable delay in its operation. Burst shooting does not bring any surprises, the camera fulfills honest 3 frames / s without delay even in RAW + Jpeg format (8 frames are placed in the buffer, then you have to wait until the files are written to the memory card). Also, a serious drawback of the predecessor was eliminated in the camera - now when the Active D-Lighting dynamic range optimization function is turned on, the camera does not slow down the pace of shooting. Nevertheless, there were some oddities - the Auto D-Llightning dynamic range optimization setting could not be done before shooting (only turned on or off), but you can select the desired exposure level in the editing menu - it's not very convenient. The Auto-ISO setting in the camera was made standard for Nikon and, unfortunately, is poorly adapted for amateur shooting. The photographer can set one maximum shutter speed (default 1/30) at which the camera will increase sensitivity, regardless of the focal length. This mode is designed to fight not with the shake of hands from trembling hands, but with the grease from moving people and objects - the function most needed in reporting. Another feature of this approach is as follows: if the photographer needs to change the sensitivity manually, and it goes out of the range specified in the Auto-ISO menu, nothing will come of it - the camera will put the sensitivity out of the range selected in the menu (by default - 100-1600). To set a different sensitivity (for example 3200), you must first disable the Auto-ISO function in the menu. The camera is quite economical in consuming battery power, which is good news (it uses a new EN-EL14 battery, the same capacity as its predecessor, but with a slightly higher voltage, and therefore not compatible with other models). In the menu, you can configure the camera off timers separately for different modes. This is especially valuable for such gluttonous functions like LiveView and video.

Screen and viewfinder

The screen is quite large and bright, but in bright sunshine the contrast drops significantly. Small shooting option icons become difficult to distinguish. Its resolution is not always sufficient for an accurate assessment of focus. You have to increase the center of the frame, which is not very convenient when viewing a photo you just shot using the side AF points. The viewfinder is typical for entry-level cameras. The magnification factor is x0.8, coverage 95% of the frame field, the focusing screen is not replaceable. To the right of the rubber eyecup is the diopter correction wheel (from -1.7 to +0.5 diopters). The correction range is small, which can cause problems in people with imperfect vision. Of the innovations - only the new highlight of the selected AF point, made very well and clearly distinguishable even when shooting contrasting solar scenes.

Autofocus

The camera is equipped with an 11-point phase-detection AF sensor, as well as a contrast AF mode used when shooting video and in LiveView mode. The camera focuses quite confidently and accurately. In poor lighting, it is advisable to select only the center point - it has a cross-shaped sensor and is the chain itself. Tracking autofocus has been shown to be effective in practice, including auto-focusing and 3D tracking of the subject. In addition, this is one of the few modern amateur DSLRs where you can quickly change the focus point without looking up from the viewfinder and without climbing into the menu. Like all younger models of company DSLRs, the Nikon D3100 does not have a focusing motor built into the camera (it is located in the lens), and old lenses (which do not have the AF-S index or released by other manufacturers and are not equipped with a built-in motor) will have to be manually focused. In this case, the focus sensors will work, and a hint will appear in the viewfinder in which direction to rotate the ring. But still, good old lenses with manual focus (like Nikkor Ai-s 35mm f / 1.4) will be quite problematic to use - in addition to the lack of autofocus, the exposure meter will also be turned off (even in LiveView and video mode).

Live View and video

The on-screen operation mode appeared in this camera immediately with video recording and AF-F mode - contrast autofocus. The image quality in this mode is good, no annoying delays have been noticed, but when you try to enlarge the picture immediately crumbles into large blocks of pixels. They are clearly larger than pixels at 100% viewing. Guided manually is not very convenient. And this complicates the work with autofocus optics even more. In Live View, several autofocus options are available - narrow and wide areas, face detection and tracking of the selected subject. For a DSLR with a whale lens (AF-S DS 18-55 VR II), the contrast autofocus is fast enough, but still slower than on mirrorless ones. The tracking mode for an object usually does not cope with the task - the object is constantly lost, and the motor does not have time to direct the lens to sharpness. Another feature: even if you turn off focus activation in the menu by half-pressing the shutter button, in LiveView, the camera will try to focus before taking a picture.

Video works in all exposure modes (including PSAM modes and scene programs - “Sport”, “Portrait”, etc.). The following recording formats are available (MOV, H.264 codec, bitrate 21 Mbit / s, mono sound, PCM; up to 10 minutes, regardless of resolution and frame rate): 1920x1080p 24 frames / s; 1280x720p 30, 25, 24 frames / s; 640x424 24 frames / s.

Picture Style settings affect the video. And even in Neutral mode, the contrast is too high, and the details in the shadows are lost (in the photo taken under the same conditions, the details remained in the shadows). Some other rough spots in video mode are also present.

the built-in microphone perfectly records the sound of the motor in the lens and even fingers twisting the zoom ring;
in LiveView mode, the camera shows the entire field of the frame, but when you start recording video, it is cropped to the standard aspect ratio for the video 16: 9. It is impossible to find out what exactly will be cropped above and below the frame before recording begins;
the timer in the corner of the frame shows the remaining recording time (subtracting from 10 minutes of the maximum duration). But when the memory card is almost over, the timer subtracts from free space, for example, from 7 minutes. And you can’t understand how much has already been taken;
the stabilizer in video mode does not work very efficiently, smoothing out only a few sharp fluctuations;

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