Customer Reviews on Amazon.com

1. 111 of 123 people found this review helpful

   By THanley100 on Amazon.com 5 December, 2011

   Major issue with some D5100

   The D5100 was a great camera for about 5 months. All of a sudden images where black. I called support and they had me fix it with a camera reset it worked. Two months goes by and the same issue again This time "reset" does not work. Other have had the same issues on the boards and Nikon support did not fix it when the camera was sent for repair. The Camera could be great but you can't depend that it will work when you need it. So you may be happy now but just wait. Nikon has a issue that they have not come to terms with. Dont buy this Camera untill they acknowledge the issue and fix it. Nikon D5100 16.2MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera with 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 AF-S DX VR Nikkor Zoom Lens
2. 20 of 23 people found this review helpful

   By The Wheez on Amazon.com 20 September, 2012

   Very upset!

   I've owned many Nikon SLRs and one DSLR and had no major problems. Like others I was taking photos and suddenly everything was black. I've read online this is happening to many owners, so it's not as if I got a rare lemon. Camera is 2 months past warranty and I basically have to pay the postage and to see if it can be fixed and then pay for have it fixed. Camera isn't even a year old! I've never dropped or neglected this camera in any way. Happened around photo #271 in a photo shoot with no warning. I'm very upset this has happened.
3. 37 of 47 people found this review helpful

   By Mark Maze on Amazon.com 30 December, 2011

   Black Images

   Not recommended. I bought this camera in September 2011, took about 60 photos with it then it malfunctioned. I haven't read all the reviews here on Amazon, but I did do some research on Google and DPreview. I'm not alone it seems. Others describe identical symptoms, namely "black images". The problem seems to be with the shutter. Now I'm stuck in Australia with a bad camera :(
   
   I've owned the D70, D80 & D5000 with no problems, but based on my personal experience, and that of others, quality control does appear to be a problem with the D5100.
   
   Update: The shutter was replaced in Melbourne, Australia in April, 2012 at a cost of $280. Camera works well now. But I really wish I didn't buy it. I should have kept the D5000 and waited for a more significant upgrade.
4. 31 of 39 people found this review helpful

   By Travis Cook on Amazon.com 9 April, 2012

   D5100 - Black photos (defective shutter)

   After just TWO MONTHS of use, my D5100 will only take black photos. Doesn't matter what settings you use - M, P, A, S, Auto - they are all black. Even the LCD shows a black screen during LiveView. Like others here on Amazon who have rated with 1 star, I apparently have a defective shutter. Really surprising to me, considering how much a baby my electronics, especially this camera. I am positive this is a problem with quality control, given how many comments you can find about it here and on DPreview. Now I have to decide if I want to get it repaired and forever worry that it will fail me in the future, or just start over with another model.
   
   If not for this defect, I would likely rate the camera 4 stars.
5. 39 of 51 people found this review helpful

   By Steven Gregg on Amazon.com 13 November, 2011

   Nikon D5100 Unreliable

   I had my Nikon D5100 for three months of moderate use when it just stopped working. The display screen went black though the physical mechanism still worked. The photos taken are all pure black, as if the light sensor burned out but everything else worked. I haven't dropped it or subjected it to any extreme conditions. I was in the middle of shooting about 20 pix when it just went black. I've sent it back to Nikon for repair.
   
   When I bought the Nikon D70, it broke down, too, after about a year of use. Nikon repaired a defective circuit board for free, though I had to pay $35 in shipping charges. It took about six weeks to get the camera back.
   
   I've been using Nikons for forty years. The film Nikons were tanks, which held up well for long periods. These two digital SLR Nikons are a different story. They broke down even with gentler care and encased in silicone armor. I think Nikon has some sort of quality control problem with its digital cameras. It's very unusual for an electronic product to fail within the first year and incredible that two would fail in a row. I can't trust Nikon anymore to deliver a reliable product that I know will be there when I'm taking once in a lifetime images. Nikons are no camera to take on a wedding or a foreign vacation.
   
   This will be the last Nikon for me. I may try Canon next and see if they are any better.
6. 24 of 31 people found this review helpful

   By Robert TG on Amazon.com 25 December, 2011

   Black pictures d5100 Nikon

   I loved the camera for 8 months till it stopped working while I was taking pictures of the Christmas parade at Disneyland on Christmas eve. Now all it takes is black photos, so ends my holiday photos with this camera. There was no reason Why the camera stoped working. I have treated this camera with kidd gloves, and was standing still taking a number of photos when it just started taking black photos. But I have now read other reviews with this same unrelability problem, that the camera just starts taking black photos. Very disappointed to find that this is not a rare occurrence, but has happened to others. I will need to buy another camera for the rest of my holidays, but will miss this Christmas day photos, thanks to a common problem with this model d5100 Nikon camera. It was a great camera while it was working, now I see it as a costly mistake.
7. 14 of 18 people found this review helpful

   By Shibu Baby on Amazon.com 27 August, 2012

   Great Camera but serious quality issues

   this camera is great one in terms of features and the picture quality. I liked it a lot , till when it stopped working. Suddenly the images became black. I was surprised, there was no change, I was standing still. took one photo, adjusted the focus and took another one, the image became blank. I searched the web, meany reported the same problem.
   This happened at the 8th month , got it repaired in warranty then there was fingerprints and black spots inside the camera,after the repair. Had to send it back again, got it repaired and then the "black image" issue came back. I lost my California trip completely . Highly frustrating. I was Nikon guy for so many years and never had problem with my previous camera , but this quality sucks. Now I realizes "Reliability" is the key in photography. I had to start fighting with Nikon support as the warranty expired 2o days ago.
   Paid $1200 ( including the lenses) . for a camera that lasts just one year ??? I am sad!
   
   But of course , I like this camera and its features .
8. 32 of 44 people found this review helpful

   By Andres Jaramillo on Amazon.com 1 February, 2012

   Serious Problems with Nikon warranty

   Listen, this is an expensive piece of equipment. So before you buy it, understand that there is a fair probability that your equipment will be defective. For example this camera is known to come with a sensor defect. With most companies this is not a problem, because if a product is defective, companies that care about their reputation and brand name will stand by their products and cover any factory defects under their warranty. Nikon claims to offer a 1-yr. warranty. But if your equipment is defective, they'll ask you to send it in (at your expense) to be checked. Once they have it, they'll tell you the problem is not covered under warranty and charge you a small fee to fix it and send it back. Once you approve this charge, they'll write back to tell you they re-inspected the problem and it will cost almost as much as the camera to fix.
   It is a nice camera, but can you afford to be the one stuck with the 1 out 100 cameras that have the sensor problem?
9. 22 of 33 people found this review helpful

   By Disappointed5100 on Amazon.com 22 November, 2011

   5100 is Unreliable

   Had camera for a month and a half, and it stopped working mid-vacation. Out of the blue, all pictures taken were pitch black. Faulty shutter to blame. Warranty will fix, but I cannot trust the camera in the future. Problem is very common, and onset at any age (see DP forums). What is the point of owning a camera you cannot rely on. I do not recommend this camera - go Alpha or Rebel.
10. 15 of 24 people found this review helpful

    By A. M Vesely on Amazon.com 18 March, 2012

    Got a Lemon!

    Got the camera and after the second time using it (on vacation), I received the error "Press shutter release button again" The camera will not take photos! Everything I read online says to return the camera or send it to Nikon for repair. This stinks! On vacation and no working camera.