D5100 or d7000

In the last year I've put over 10k exposures through a D5100 and almost 8k on a D7000 so I know them both quite well. 

I recommend the D7000 for two reasons: focus motor and menu fatigue. The D7k's internal focus motor allows you to use any Nikon-mount lens made in the last 20 years. My primary lens these days is a 15-year-old 28-80mm f/3.3-4.5G that I paid $25 for at a used camera shop. On a D5100, this lens becomes a manual-focus lens. The D5100 buries many basic exposure settings in menus (iso, white balance, focus and metering modes, etc) while the D7000 has dedicated buttons for these. The only thing I miss about the D5100 is the flip-out screen.

you should get this straight first. what you need to think about when you choose your first set of gear is "WHAT YOU CAN EXPERIENCE WITH YOUR BUDGET"

go for D5100! great camera build and don't buy kit lens i.e. 18-55mm VR. Instead of this go for 18-105MM VR lens. I'm using Nikon D5100. it's a great camera. In Nikon D7000 your budget will goes higher. Noticeable thing is Nikon D7000 has 2 memory card slots and better ISO boost. better image quality in low light. I'm not enough good at english. Sorry for that, I hope this will help you. For picture quality of nikon D5100. you can refer my photography page on facebook. Here is the link- https://www.facebook.com/abhijitbhavsarphotography 

The D5100 has the best price to performance ratio (don`t even think about the D3200(!) it is a ripoff and a half). The D5100 uses the same sensor as the D7000, but with less features (like no AF motor, so you cannot autofocus on old Nikon lenses) but at a much lower price.

When it comes to lenses, everybody says PRIMES!!!, but(!) if you have budget constraints, a zoom is better and much more efficient. I use the 18-55 f/3.5-5.6 and I am very happy with it. Sure it cannot outperform a 24-70 f/2.8 or a bunch of primes, but if you look at the price... The 18-55 is incredibly sharp for its class and the VR (Vibration Reduction) will help you take a shot in low light at a shutter speed of 1/8s at f/5 with ease. 

The D5100 is great for mid-level photographers due to the incredible sensor and incredible ISO performance. Shots at ISO 3200 are clean and definitely usable. The body is made out of good quality materials and feels nice to the hand. The LCD has a great resolution, so you can review the photos accurately.

The D7000 has more features some of witch you may find quite useful as the DoF preview button, more function buttons, a AF Drive Switch, a illuminated top LCD for a quick view of your settings or even the option of buying a official Battery Grip if you so desire. (The D5100 does not have an official option for a battery grip, 3rd parties being the only option)

In conclusion, the D5100 is great if you want to buy a "cheap" DSLR that packs a performance-punch. However, if you own lots of expensive old Nikon lenses that need AF motors in order to autofocus, the D7000 may be a better choice. 

PS: May I recommend Tamron lenses? They are incredibly cheap but hit or miss when it comes to performance, some may be incredible, rivaling the Nikon counterpart, or soft and bad. The 17-50mm f/2.8 is great as you are like carrying a 24, 35 and 50mm "primes", having f/2.8 at every focal distance. Just for comparison, the Nikon 18-55 has ~f/4 at 24mm, f/5 at 35mm and f/5.6 at 55mm. There is a old Tamron lens, the 28-75mm f/2.8, sold at a incredible price of 300-400$(!!!). Be careful though, these lenses my be faulty so check the return policy or warranty if you are to buy one.

I hope you will find my information helpful and I hope you will have fun with your new "toys", isn`t having fun all that counts in photography? :)

I recommend the D7000 is an excellent camera, I am a beginner in the world of photography and this camera is the first I've purchased and I am 100% satisfied with it.

Buy a used D7000 with the kit 18-105 lens. Ebay. It is A sharp lens. I'm not talking about scores from review websites. I'm talking about real world use. It is a great starter lens. The ISO performance on the D7000 will let you take pictures at 6400 that are usable in the museums. The added zoom range will also let you work with more portraiture. 

I wouldn't worry about focal length for portraits as I would with taking them from the right distances. The reason the 105mm is e right focal length is because at about 15 ft that's the right frami. However, this is a DX sensor and a 105mm will gram like a 150mm from e 1.5x crop factor of a Nilon sensor, Canon is 1.6x. The 18-105mm kit lens will give you around 27-158mm and since even with a 50mm f1.8 you'll likely change youre aperture a few stops you'll be in the f3.5 region. This is my main walking around lms on a D7000. It focuses around 12" out so it can do some fair macro work in street vendor type settings and it has VR which lets me hand hold comfortably down to about 1/25 of a second.

I was going through the same situation... it took me almost two months to make a final decision.... and the winner is D7000, purchsed last week with prime lens 50mm 1.4D and I am so much happy that I make the right decision. I strongly recommend D7000, and trust me you will never regret  your decision.

Go for D5100 later after you get more experience on this camera,you can switch to D7000.I also own a D5100 and starter it provides better quality picture and light weight than D7000.It have a monitor screen to focus keen and it will help to take from different angle.

With your background, using a dslr will be child's play. The only reason to get a d7000 is if you will be going into the field and using the camera roughly. From what I have read, dslr's can't be bounced around like the old slr's because the parts are delicate. For one thing, the sensors get out of whack easily. So, again, spend all that extra money for durability, not for improved image quality.

As an old-timer who spent time as a pro photographer and did a lot of teaching on the college level in the old days, the only thing I always have in my bag is a 50mm lens. Most people these days would not have a clue as to why that would be. I give up telling people why. Just go to a museum with low light and a no-flash policy and compare results by using  both a clunky, big zoo lens and what we used to call a "normal" (50mm) lens. End of discussion. Also, the Nikkor 50mm lens is cheap (under $100) and one of the sharpest lenses you can buy.I would recommend the 18-200mm for general use. (I assume you know the best focal length for portraits is 100-105 mm).

The d5100 is my favorite camera. I also have a d90 - one step, I think, below the d7000. It is much heavier, and allows for more control over the finished image. But all digital photography requires a good photo editing program anyway, if you are serious about the business. PhotoShop is best, but its basic "Elements" program is good enough and, again, not too expensive (around $120). (Darkroom work is pure drudgery - thank God it is no longer needed except for "artists" who like to cut off their ears and such.) So I recommend the d5100, although you cannot go wrong with either one. The main reason I like the d5100 is that, for me, it is simply more fun to use.

I recommend the d7000 with more value of money. I will recommend you 2 lenses the first one is quite expensive but very good for landscape, it is the Tokina 11-16mm ( the first generation ). The second lens I will recommend for you is the cheap and very good it is the 35mm f1.8G. Zoom lens it not as important as landscape lens useless you like bird photography.... But I will still recommend you the zoom lens. If budget is concern I will recommend ou the 55-300mm vr but if you are willing to spend more i will advise you to get the 70-300mm vr, a very sharp lens.

Dual Card slot and the ISO even though on paper claim both the same , I have felt D7000 outperforms the D5100 a lot in higher ISO . the processor is surely a better one in D7000 , as it can take more FPS and also a higher stop in shutter speed (1/8000) . Also my favourite part in D7000 is its more button controls - which is very important when we want to change the slight settings before the subject looses its spirit or the subject moves away :)

I have owned and used the D7000 for a little over 6 mnths now and I absolutely love it. I have only 2 lenses -18-105mm  f3.5-5.6 kit lens and another 7 year old 70-300mm zoom lens. I dont usually use the 70-300 mainly because it is old and loud while focusing. but the d7000 is an absolute performer. i am also just an enthusiast. this camera is just so easy to use ( this camera is my first dslr i used a nikon f65 before this which belongs to my dad) changing settings is so much easier than that in 5100 which my cousin owns hence i got the chance to use. this is kinda messed up but hope it helps

Thank you everyone for your excellent comments.I ended up buying the d7000 a month ago and have to say I love it. Yes I am still working my way through he manual and experimenting,but I am astonished everytime with its performance.I have taken some great shots,experimenting with longer exposures and different iso settings. As my first dslr,its a lot of getting used to(especially seeing that my last camera was a film Canon slr).I opted for the kit 28-105mm and have no regrets,even thiugh this will not be my only lens...eventually ...

low light sensitivity same. same optional lenses using. resolution same. buy d5100 and f-1,4-2,8 lenses

I have the Nikon D5100 with a Nikon 18-200mm VR lens, and I like the ergonomics better than the D7000

sure it is missing some features that the D7000 has, but it is really easy to use and takes amazing pictures, they both have the same ccd, so the picture quality will be the same

28-200mm lens is designed for full-frame sensor, meaning its field of view (FOV) on D5100/ D7000 is equivalent to 42-300mm,  good reach at the telephoto end but not quite wide enough at the wide angle end and therefore, maybe not as versatile.  Unless you are going to upgrade to more expensive full frame sensor Nikon body in the near future, it might make more sense for you to look 18-200mm lens for either D5100 or D7000.  New or used, it's cheaper than 28-200mm lens and just as sharp.

Both 28-200mm and 18-200mm are general telephoto lenses with some compromises to achieve such large zoom capability.  Still, their image qualities are plenty good enough for most amateurs, except for more demanding pixel peepers. 

While D3200 is the latest best entry level DSLR from Nikon, currently it cannot be purchased without the 18-55mm kit lens; while it is an excellent starter lens, it would be redundant to have if you purchase a separate, longer zoom lens.

Both D5100 and D7000 have same sensors; therefore, their image quality is essentially identical.  D7000 has more robust build with few more pro features, and better user interface while D5100 has few features lacking in D7000, i.e. flip screen and more video features.  While newer D3200 might have "better" sensor, it's not as feature rich as D5100/7000 and its user interface is more geared toward novices.  Both D5100 and D7000 might be due for an upgrade/update in the near future.

As for budget considerations, consider purchasing Nikon refurbished 18-200mm lens from a reputable seller (i.e. B&H, Adorama in NYC) for a lot less money than new lens to stretch your budget (you get 90 warranty versus 1 yr. for new).  You might be able to get both 50mm f/1.8 prime, a new D5100, and refurb. 18-200mm for same or less money than D7000 and a prime lens. 

I would also recommend Nikon 35mm f/1.8 AF-S DX prime lens ($200) over 50mm for low light general lens; it's more versatile than 50mm lens on crop sensor DSLR like D5100/7000.  If you can swing for both, all the better.

While prime lenses are better on somethings, a capable zoom lens gives you much more flexibility when you just can't "zoom" with your feet.

Been using the Nikon D5100, really great device. its only when you start investing in Lens that you feel the gap between having a built in motor and not having it. if you can afford latest lens (they're all AF-S anyway) then go for d5100. but know that adding 100-200 dollars on your purchase now will save you 1000-2000 dollars on the long run.

Hi, I have a D7000, much like Tony I will recommend the one I have, but only because I assuming you are not a beginner and would benefit from its features. I would agree with Tony that the D5100 is more fun and doesn't take itself so serious. It also has the same sensor as the D7000. That flip out screen would be handy too. I recommend the D7000 for two main reasons:

EDITING SOFTWARE: I highly recommend you look at Adobe Lightroom or Apple Aperture (if you have a mac). Lightroom is arguably the standard in managing images, editing and exporting in one package. Many people will disagree with me but I don't know anyone who uses anything else, including professionals (albeit photo journalists!). It is used by beginning amateurs through to full time professionals. It costs $150, and you can download a 30 day free trial from Adobe. For a free trial you cannot go wrong! You may find it is overkill if you are only taking occasional images of the family, however if you are spending $1000+ on camera equipment (there'll also be a bag, filters, tripod, etc etc), you will want to shoot in RAW and have an editor that provides the flexibility to get the most out of your images. This is just more of a complete and powerful package. I would not recommend Photoshop as it is excessive and expensive for general photo editing. I cannot comment on Elements as I have never used it - I use Lightroom - so it may be more suitable for you and I'm sure can get a free trial for that too.