What led me to this awesome camera:----------------------------------------------- 2 years back I started out as someone who simply wanted to take pictures. I didn't care about the quality that much, though I did want a decent amount of megapixels and video capability. So I bought myself a Samsung SL620 point-and-shoot with 12 megapixels and SD video capability. That camera died on me 6 months later. Christmas that year, I got a new Samsung SL820, which was like the 1st only with 720p video capability. That one also quit on me, but this time after 2 months. May 2010, I got the same camera and it only lasted 3 months, but I've taken over 1,000 pics with it. By then, I was starting to get an interest in photography and taking quality shots. Last fall, I borrowed my dad's Sony F717, which was a 5 megapixel bridge camera that he's now had for 8 years. I figured out that camera in just a few days. Unlike my cameras, the Sony had manual settings and manual focus. I was impressed by the blurred backgrounds, the color not so much. I had to fix the washed out colors in Photoshop. A couple weeks after Christmas, I had made enough money to get another point-and-shoot (Bad choice). This one was a Samsung TL240, which had 14 megapixels and a touchscreen. I got some decent shots with it, but they could've been better. A couple months later, one of my friends at school accidently knocked that camera off a table and the lens got stuck. After that, I decided I was gonna save up the extra cash and get an SLR so I could get better quality shots. I looked at several different cameras on this website. Some bridge and some SLRs. I wanted one that took decent HD video (with a reasonable amount of recording time per video), had a decent resolution, and had decent low-light. By the 1st week of April, I was gonna stick with a Samsung NX10, then I saw the Nikon D5100 on Amazon, although it wasn't actually available yet. It had everything I wanted and more.Review:---------------------------------------------Photos:This camera takes very awesome pictures and I rarely need to use the flash. This camera stomps my deceased cameras and my dad's Sony into the ground. The focusing is very fast, except in live view. The articulating display is very helpful when I want to take self-portraits. I bought a remote so I could take self-portraits that were focused right. It totally beats the self-timer. The HDR feature is awesome, although it's only meant for still scenes and not action or anything with movement. I've used the 30-second shutter speed for shots after sunset and they come out quite nice. I only wish there were some longer shutter speeds. Holding down the shutter for a minute or 2 can be very annoying when using the bulb feature because I usually get some motion blur, even when I'm using a tripod. The effects are pretty awesome too. I used the sketch feature to sketch a picture of an Ingles store and I put it on Facebook saying that I drew it myself. My parents are in love with that feature. I can honestly say I haven't had any softness issues with my pictures, after I turned the sharpening up a notch. I also haven't had any problems with the reds being exaggerated. The colors are just great and this is the first camera I've had that took pictures that I didn't need to enhance in Photoshop before I upload them to Facebook.Video:The HD video on this camera is very clear, unlike the "HD" video on my older cameras. I bought the expensive external microphone and the sound is great and you don't hear as much of the autofocus noise. The video is a little bit wobbly when I move the camera kinda fast, but I'm pretty sure the older Nikon D5000 is much worse. Video is not my goal in life (If it were, I would've gotten a camcorder). I shoot random videos every now and then. I also have a show on Youtube that I do every once in a while.Camera in general:This camera is awesome. It may not be perfect, but no camera is or ever will be unless God makes one himself. I have absolutely no desire to return or trash this camera. It was money well-spent. Unlike the Nikon D40 (which I had borrowed from my photography teacher one time), it doesn't feel so awkward trying to get a self-portrait with just one hand. I plan on using this camera in college this fall and for a long time. Eventually, when I get rich, I'll step up to a full-frame camera. I'm not in any rush to do that though. Right now, I'm just using the kit lens included with this camera and the pictures are pretty good. I plan on getting more lens, such as the 18-200mm (for video), the 55-300mm lens, and a portrait lens.(Edit: I just realized that I can use my remote for the bulb feature.)----------------------------------------------------------------------12/7/2011 Update:I've had this camera for 6 months now and it stopped working. Just kidding. This awesome camera is still working as great as it did when I first got it out of its package on June 7th. I've dropped it a few times, being the clumsy person I am, but it didn't affect the camera. However, I had to replace my kit lens in October after accidentally hitting it on a door and later making things worse when I took it off and put it back on the wrong way. I decided to spend the extra money and get the 18-105mm lens instead of the standard 18-55mm lens I am using my camera right now in my photography classes in college. I started shooting in RAW on a regular basis in September and I gotta say, if you want to get the best out of your images, shoot in RAW. I use Lightroom and the images are much sharper than than JPGs straight from the camera. I tried Capture NX, but for some reason, the RAW images turn out like the in-camera JPGs and aren't very sharp. Just thought I'd let you all know.