I was thinking about purchasing the Nikon 3100 for a family camera but then I've read about the Nikon D7000. Wondering if it's worth spending a little extra money to get the 7000-it might fill a roll when I need a crop sensor for work. Is it bigger than the 3100? my wife prefers a smaller size for the family camera. Thanks
3100 is a great step up from a P&S and clearly more than adequate for a family camera - the D7000 adds upon that and is a step up from the D3000/5000 series of cameras....
I would spend the extra bucks and get the D7000 and grow into it - but it depends how much you are going to budget for glass?
You didn't mention the D5100 in your OP, but you should consider it. It's a much more versitile camera than the D3100 and strikes a good middle ground between the 3100 and 7000. I use it for my lightweight/family friendly kit and have a D700 for everything else.
The D5100 is a nifty package and the swivel screen completes the package. Also, I think IQ is 100% of what the D7000 offers, just without some ergonomic and functional features, none of which I miss given it's intended purpose. Same sensor and image pipeline and shoots 14bit RAW.
For a whille my wife was using the D40 and prefering it over the D7000 but she is finally migrating over after I showed her all the dialed in programs. Sizewize it is similar to the D90 but much more robust. It is a solid tool. The D3100 will appear more toy like, very light and small. I would see if you can get her in a store to play around with both. It really depends on who will be using the camera the most. Take the family to a Cam store and play. BTW the viewfinder on the D7000 = 100% which is a must for me. As a family this may not be a must.
My vote is for D7000 or for D5100. Maybe D5100 is a better family option since has the most advanced video features in Nikon family and shares the same powerful sensor with D7000. Also the swivel display is a nice feature and everything comes in a small package at a convenient cost.
I think its worth the extra for the D7000... without the grip, its a pretty small camera to start with. And it caters to both amateur and semi-professional / pro shooters.
subidiom wrote:
You didn't mention the D5100 in your OP, but you should consider it. It's a much more versitile camera than the D3100 and strikes a good middle ground between the 3100 and 7000. I use it for my lightweight/family friendly kit and have a D700 for everything else.
For me too, it comes down to the performance of the D7000 vs the compact size of the D3100, when considering a 2nd cam to the D700. The D5100 would be just about perfect if it weren't for the flip down screen.
The D7000 is not exactly large or too heavy, and it opens up a range of shaft-drive lenses which are often inexpensive on the used market. If the user will only be using a body for snaps then perhaps a bridge camera would be a better option.
I shoot with D3's and D700s - All the lenses I have are for the FX format. So this camera is primarily a family camera/camera for my 16yr old son to use in his high school photo class camera. But I would not mind to have this as a smaller less bulky dx option/backup for sometime.
I would go with the D7K. I think mine is an amazing camera. A good friend just bought a D5100 and I was surprised to find that it has a couple of shortcomings that reviewers don't seem to point out. The 5100 battery is much smaller than the D7K battery, which cuts into shooting time. And with my preferred utility lens (18-200 VR) on the 5100, you cannot avoid a having a shadow in the bottom of the shot when using the built in flash and the lens at 18mm even with no lens hood. I do wish the D7K had 1080 30P video recording capability, however.
I just bought my first Nikon several months ago and was torn over the D5100 vs. D7000 for several weeks. The articulating screen of the D5100 and the fact the menu options of the D7000 are hundreds, while the D5100 are dozens, was enough to tip me to the D5100. Once you have used an articulating screen, it's hard to not imagine having one. Also, I needed to have hundreds of settings to screw up like I needed a hole in the head. My next camera, sure, probably will go higher. But for the time being this D5100 has everything I need and then some !!!
