Note: The current Nikon D5100 price and cost trend / history was last updated on Wednesday, September 14, 2011.
The price of most digital cameras tend to trend downwards over time, and the same price drop should occur in the case of the Nikon D5100 digital SLR camera.
The D5100 was announced on Tuesday, Apr 5, 2011, and features a 16.2 MP (Megapixels), APS-C (1.5x crop factor) CMOS sensor, a Full HD movie mode with 1920 x 1080 (1080P, 16:9) @ 30/24 fps or 1280 x 720 (720P, 16:9) @ 30/24 fps H.264/MPEG-4 Advanced Video Coding capture capabilities. Approximate numbers for weight and dimensions (W x H x D) are 19.7 oz. / 560g (camera body only) and 127 × 96.5 × 78.7 mm / 5.0 × 3.8 × 3.1 in., respectively.
A new, external stereo microphone, the ME-1, was also introduced alongside the D5100.
I’m not planning for any scheduled updates, but do check back here from time to time for the latest and best prices on the Nikon D5100 DSLR and related accessories.
The D5100 is available as a body only, or as a kit (outfit) with the Nikon 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G AF-S VR Nikkor Zoom lens.
Remember to check the price for the kit and compare that to the individual prices for the body only and lens. Most of the time, buying the kit saves you money, but it’s sometimes cheaper to buy the body and lens separately.
Click on the links to access the latest in-stock status (whether the camera is available), shipping information and deals.
| Price capture date | Nikon D5100 body only | Nikon D5100 and 18-55 AF-S lens | Just the 18-55 AF-S lens |
|---|---|---|---|
| Click for the latest price, in-stock availability status, user reviews | Link | Link | Link |
| Wednesday, September 14, 2011 | $686.85 | $761.91 | 179.95 |
| At the time of writing, it’s cheaper to purchase the camera plus lens kit than buying the body and lens separately. | |||
| Wednesday, May 18, 2011 | $839.95 | $898.55 | 187.90 |
Battery options and accessories the Nikon D5100
Refer to Nikon D5100 Battery Life to help with your decision on whether to purchase additional batteries.
The D5100 is powered by a single Nikon EN-EL14 Rechargeable Li-Ion battery (7.4 V / 1030 mAh / 7.7 Wh), one of which is already supplied in the box. It’s a good idea to purchase a spare battery as a backup so that the camera doesn’t run out of power during extended shooting sessions.
For storage, the D5100 uses SD, SDHC or the latest SDXC cards.
Refer to Rob Galbraith’s SD / SDHC card write speed tests (done on a Nikon D90) to get an idea on the relative write and read speeds of different brands of cards. At the time of writing (Oct 29, 2009), the SanDisk Extreme III SDHC cards occupy the top two spots.
To obtain better audio quality when recording movies, consider purchasing the Nikon ME-1 Stereo Microphone for Digital SLR Cameras.
While waiting for your D5100 to arrive, download and read the Nikon D5100 Manual to familiarize yourself with the camera’s features and capabilities. Some general pointers in Photography Tips might be of additional help.
Good luck shopping for your Nikon D5100!
Related
Nikon D5100 – Main page