Nikon D3100 for Portrait Photography

Is the Nikon D3100 good for Portrait Photography?

Nikon D3100 Portrait Photography Score

AVERAGE

Nikon D3100 has a score of 56 for Portrait Photography which makes it an AVERAGE candidate for this type of photography. If Portrait Photography is important for you, we recommend you to check the Alternative cameras at the bottom of this page.
Read our detailed Nikon D3100 Review

Nikon D3100 Portrait Photography Detailed Analysis

Large APS-C (23.1 x 15.4 mm) sensor

Large sensors provide shallower depth of field and a nice blurry background for your portrait shots.

Optical Built-in Viewfinder

During a portrait shoot, using a viewfinder allows the photographer to stabilize the camera and reduce the camera shake since it is closer to the body. Besides, it comes handy where LCD screens are very hard to read under bright sunlight.

Good Ergonomics&Handling

Good handling and existence of well placed physical controls on the camera body is very important during portrait shooting. It is faster and more intuitive to change the camera settings with dedicated buttons and knobs instead delving into the menus on the LCD.

Average Resolution Sensor: 14.0MP

Nikon D3100's 14.0MP resolution is not the best in its class but you can still manage relatively large prints of your portrait shots and crop without losing too much detail.

No Image Stabilization

Due to the lack of sensor based Image stabilization, Nikon D3100 users have to rely on lenses with optical IS in order to maximize the sharpness of their handheld portrait shots. Currently there are native Nikon F mount lenses with Image Stabilization for Nikon D3100.

You may also be interested in these reviews:

Nikon D3100 for Street Photography
Nikon D3100 for Sports Photography
Nikon D3100 for Carrying Everywhere
Nikon D3100 for Landscape Photography

Nikon D3100 Alternatives in Compact SLR cameras for Portrait Photography

Pentax K-70 Compare D3100 vs K-70	24 MP \| APS-C CMOS Sensor Pentax KAF2 Mount	Rank in All Cameras: #57 Rank in DSLR Cameras: #26
	Imaging Features Value for Money 91 Portability Overall Score	Portrait Street 90 Sports Daily Landscape

Sony A68 Compare D3100 vs A68	24 MP \| APS-C CMOS Sensor Sony/Minolta Alpha Mount	Rank in All Cameras: #129 Rank in DSLR Cameras: #59
	Imaging Features Value for Money Portability Overall Score	Portrait Street Sports Daily Landscape

Pentax K-50 Compare D3100 vs K-50	16 MP \| APS-C CMOS Sensor Pentax KAF2 Mount	Rank in All Cameras: #172 Rank in DSLR Cameras: #70
	Imaging Features Value for Money Portability Overall Score	Portrait Street Sports Daily Landscape

Pentax K-500 Compare D3100 vs K-500	16 MP \| APS-C CMOS Sensor Pentax KAF2 Mount	Rank in All Cameras: #167 Rank in DSLR Cameras: #65
	Imaging Features Value for Money Portability Overall Score	Portrait Street Sports Daily Landscape

Sony A58 Compare D3100 vs A58	20 MP \| APS-C CMOS Sensor Sony/Minolta Alpha Mount	Rank in All Cameras: #139 Rank in DSLR Cameras: #50
	Imaging Features Value for Money Portability Overall Score	Portrait Street Sports Daily Landscape

Pentax K-70

Sony A68

Pentax K-50

Pentax K-500

Sony A58