Nikon D5100

Okay, after a short affair with the NEX-5 which ended in a disappointment, I had it sold.  I still needed an APS-C sensor sized DSLR, because due to the crop factor of 1.5x I get better reach with telephoto lenses.  And APS-C sensor telephoto lenses are much cheaper than their Full Frame counterparts.  Soooooo.......  I welcomed a Nikon D5100 into my inventory.

My D5100 with the kit lens 18-55 on photo taken by Canon 5D Mark III + EF 16-35mm F2.8L II

It's a small sized camera with better on paper specifications than my old D90: better sensor performance in terms of color depth, dynamic range and ISO rating plus a resolution of 16 MP (4 more than my old D90); not to mention the vari-angle screen which is also a big plus enabling me to take photos from unusual angles.  Check Dxomark for the sensor performance comparison.  

Camera Comparison Chart From DXOMark - www.dxomark.com

From the moment I got this camera I knew I had to use it with a Tokina UWA; having used 11-16mm I decided to settle for the cheaper 12-24mm F4 II since its has better distortion control compared to its wider sibling.

The D5100 does not disappoint. It produced pleasant blue hour photos and the great nikkor lenses produce pleasing bokeh effects with great sharpness all over.

My housing complex from 3rd floor of my house

Takara Tomy Transformer Mickey

Notice the bokeh?  And this is just with the AF-S 35mm F1.8

Did a product photo for my wife when she was selling O.P.I. nail polish - love the sharpness

While Nikkor lenses are generally very expensive, they usually deliver sharp photos.  But there were times when I simply can't justify the price tag and settled for either Tokina or Tamron.  But for the primes under $1000 such as 35mm, 50mm, you should have at least one of those.

Bintan Agro's newly renovated Sun Moon restaurant

Another view of Bintan Agro's Sun Moon restaurant

The 2 photos above of Sun Moon restaurant in my father's property had minimal post processing.  I only did a cropping, sharpening and added the black frame.  No adjustments to lighting and colour done.  And yet the result was amazing.  

Do check my other entry on "The Batam Life - Part 4" (http://trithamrin.blogspot.sg/2015/06/the-batam-life-part-4.html) and the "The Batam Life - Part 3" (http://trithamrin.blogspot.sg/2015/06/the-batam-life-part-3.html), the photos there were taken with this great camera too.  

I have always liked Nikon's photos and still a Nikonian until now, having upgraded by D5100 to D5300.  My D5100 is now with my brother who put it into very good use with his recent travels to Thailand and Taiwan.  I'm still very much tempted to get a D750 + Nikkor 24mm F1.4.  We'll see whether I'll be able to get one at end of this year.

Here's a closing shot taken with this great camera - yes, apparently great things do come in smaller sizes too.

My housing complex area again (yes I know... again) before sun set

~ Except for 1st photo, the rest were taken with Nikon D5100 + AF-S 35mm F1.8G, Tokina 12-24mm F4 II ~