Must Buy DSLR - Nikon D5100 #DiwaliShoppingSpecial

It's spending season this fortnight, that time of the year when you're most likely to be splurging your money on a gadget. In this series, our team of experts picks the best deal in each category, from entry-level dual-SIMs to superphones, netbooks, ultraportables and luxury laptops. We've spent plenty of time deliberating on our choices, saving you the trouble of poring through a sea of specs sheets, reviews and benchmarks. Today we're gonna tell you why we think the Nikon D5100 is the best consumer-end DSLR camera to buy. Feel free to debate your choices and suggest alternatives in the comments below.

Overview
Priced around Rs. 38,000 with 18-55mm lens, the Nikon D5100, introduced earlier this year has become a popular option in the entry-level DSLR segment thanks a number of feature advantages over previous generation cameras. The D5100 features a 16.2-megapixel EXPEED 2 CMOS sensor that delivers Full HD video at 30fps, moreover it is less noisy than its competitors. The image quality has been universally praised by reviewers for being at ahead of the curve, feature highlights include an HDR mode, built-in RAW processing, and monochrome night vision. The 3-inch 921,000-dot Vari-angle LCD displays shots in VGA resolution, adding to the list of extra features when compared to its competitors.

Specs
16.2MP CMOS sensor
Expeed 2 processor
4fps continuous shooting
SD/SDXC card slot
3-inch vari-angle display
1080p HD video recording
mini-HDMI out
560 grams

Pros
Good overall image quality with excellent low light performance
Vari-angle LCD
Records full 1080p video
HDMI-Out
In-camera HDR mode
External Mic Jack

Cons
No built-in focus motor
Lacks in-camera Panorama mode

Bottomline
For amateur and aspiring photographers, the D5100 offers the best value for money and the latest feature set among entry-level DSLRs.