1. Nikon D5100: Thinking Outside of the Box

Whether you subscribe to the “my camera is just a tool” theory, or belong to the “an exquisite camera adds new capabilities to my shooting arsenal” camp, picking up a new Nikon D5100 is a special experience. Those who simply wield tools will find this camera as comforting as an old friend, a solid piece of fine machinery ready and able to do their bidding as part of the creative process.

Other photographers see the low-light capabilities (up to ISO 25,600), the rapid-fire 4 frames-per-second continuous shooting, commendable ruggedness, and ultra-high 16.2-megapixel resolution of the D5100, and gain a sense of empowerment. Here is a camera with fewer limitations and more capabilities for exercising renewed creative vision. In either case, using less mawkish terms, the D5100 is one of the coolest cameras Nikon has ever offered. Whether you’re upgrading from another brand, from another Nikon model, or (O brave one!) your D5100 is your first digital camera and/or SLR, welcome to the club.