Nikon D3000 10MP Digital SLR Camera with 18 55mm f 3 5 5 6G AF S DX VR Nikkor Zoom Lens

Breathtaking digital SLR image quality and easy operation highlight the 10.2-megapixel D3000, Nikon’s friendliest D-SLR ever. Compact and capable, the D3000 is compatible with a broad range of world-famous NIKKOR lenses and includes the versatile 3x, 18-55mm Zoom-NIKKOR with Silent-Wave Motor autofocusing and Nikon VR image stabilization to combat picture blur caused by camera shake for sharper handheld pictures. Special moments are captured faithfully at up to 3 frames-per-second and displayed on a bright, 3-inch LCD monitor. The D3000’s split-second shutter response eliminates the annoyance of shutter lag. To further simplify picture-taking in special situations such as portraits, sports, landscapes, and more, the D3000 features icon-identified Scene Modes that deliver beautiful results automatically in otherwise complex situations. Additional Nikon technologies elevate picture quality and guard against picture-taking mistakes. Fast, accurate 11-point autofocus delivers razor sharpness. 3D Color Matrix Metering II and Nikon EXPEED image processing work with an exclusive Scene Recognition System for precise automatic exposures and rich, vivid color. Making the D3000 an even smarter choice are its exclusive Retouch functions for creative fun and the onboard Guide Mode that’s ready to lend a reassuring hand to take the pictures you’ve always wanted. Continuous Shooting at up to 3 fps Captures fast action, precious moments and fleeting expressions easily 6 Automatic-Exposure Scene Modes Including Portrait, Landscape, Child, Sports Close-up or Night Portrait for stunning results in otherwise challenging conditions 3-inch Color LCD Monitor – Bright, high-resolution, 170-degree wide-angle viewing for easy picture review and sharing. The Retouch Menu provides creative freedom, without the need for a computer, offering 13 easy editing functions, including Trim, Red-eye Correction and Soft Filter.

User Ratings and Reviews

3 Stars Mixed emotions
I bought this camera when it first came out over a month ago and I have been using it quite a bit. It replaces my old D50 which I gave to my son.

I really like how small and light the camera is. It is easy to use and I am happy to have a VR lens. I was also excited to get ADR – but, that’s where a huge problem arises: I was stunned and disappointed to discover that enabling the ADR inexplicably slows the speed from 3 frames per second to an excruciating 3 seconds per frame (after the five-frame buffer is full). Of course ADR can be turned off, however that was one the main reasons I bought the camera.

I am also a little disappointed that it so much more expensive than the D40 that it replaces. And the picture quality seems about the same as my D50, which is not bad but I was hoping for a noticeable improvement.

5 Stars Top Notch
For the average person who wants to take quality pictures this camera has everything you need. While a little disappointing that it requires proprietary lenses the quality of photos and ease of use make it worthwhile. I recommend getting a spare battery from the outset. We found out the hard way. Still, it is five stars from our experience.

5 Stars wow this camera is so nice !
After having the Nikon D50 i was thinking i was not going to like any cameras.,

but this one is much better. lovely pictures ! sharp colorful.

i love it !

i got this camera just today i cant stop looking at the pictures !

go for this camera.

its cheap its nice. 3 INCH LCD ! WHAT ELSE YOU WANT?

3 Stars BUYER BEWARE: Defective product
I just got this camera last week. It lived up to all of the positive comments that I read in many reviews. HOWEVER, my camera has a defect that I suspect other cameras might also have. When I compose a shot with horizontal or vertical lines, they appear straight in the viewfinder, but in the picture that is taken, they are skewed by about 10-15 degrees. I take a lot of architectural photos, and my lines need to be straight. Otherwise, I would have to spend a lot of time editing in Photoshop. I called Nikon, but the juvenile at the other end of the line said this was the first time he heard of this problem, and offered no help at all. Just thought you guys should be aware. I’ll update this if Nikon can solve the problem.

5 Stars Perfect SLR Anybody Can Use
This is probably not the right camera for someone who is an uber-photography hobyist. This is the right camera for someone who enjoys photography and wants to step up from a quality point and shoot digital pocket camera.

I wanted an SLR because I wanted to improve the photos I was taking of my 18 month old daughter. My Canon SD750 pocket camera takes great photos, but not the same quality as an SLR would.

The D3000 is great because it has an auto mode that essentially turns it into a point and shoot camera. There is no shutter lag and – with the right memory card – you can hit continuous shoot to take 3 shots per second. (This is ideal for shots of my daughter going down a slide or kicking a ball in the backyard.)

If you end up “getting into” photography and want to futz with the settings, this camera has everything you could need. 11 point multi-focus and fancy light metering will keep anyone busy. That said, you can also just leave it in auto and it will take phenominal photos.

One of the best features is the “?” button. On any screen, you can push the “?” button to get a quick description of what the different setting options will do. For example, when selecting a manual metering mode, it will tell you the difference between multimetering and spotmetering.

The Guide feature is another helpful option that guides you through questions about what you are shooting and adjusts the settings accordingly. To be frank, I find I don’t use that very much.

The camera comes with an 18-55 lens which is perfectly adequate for 80% of shooting. I also purchased a 35mm f/1.8 lens so that I could take more shots indoors without flash. I might also consider a 70-300 or 55-200 at some point down the road. For now, I have not had a need to do much telephoto work. I find that I can take the photo with the lens I have and then just zoom and crop on the computer. The image sensor has enough quality that you can really do a significant crop and zoom without a noticable loss in image quality.

Here are some negatives:

1) Shooting above 800 ISO tends to yield grainy photos. I try to keep it at 800 or below. That is another reason I bought the 35mm f/1.8 lens.

2) You need a fast SD card to avoid shooting delays. The camera has an image buffer. I found that using a standard Sandisk 15mb/s card, I was able to shoot (on continuous shooting) about 6 or 8 photos before hitting the buffer. I bought a Sandisk Extreme III 30mb/s card, and I have not been able to hit the buffer. There are also some shooting effects that involve post shot processing, and these can slightly slow down the camera.

3) I sort of wish I could have bought this with only the body and then added the lenses I wanted. The 18-55 is a very good lens, but I probably would have just ended up buying an 18, a 35 and maybe a longer zoom.

Conclusion

This is a great camera. It is a very good value and is the natural step up from a pocket digital. In my opinion, all of the criticisms I have seen online are from people who expect an entry level camera to have all of the bells and whistles found on models 2-10x the price.

Buy/More Info