My camera came with v1.009 installed. The 18-140mm lens must be a newer lens that isn't in the code yet.

I'm not knowledgable with those cameras, but I have looked at the Nikon 1 AW1 which Nikon claims to be waterproof and shockproof. It has interchangeable lens with 15 FPS shooting rate. Depending on what you will be doing outside, this might be worth investigating.

On the D7100, I found that when auto distortion control is off, image quality set to basic, image size set to s, and 1.3 crop factor that I can get 97 images in the buffer. When auto distortion control turned back on, the buffer drops to 5. That's a huge penalty. Further, if I have a 18-140mm lens mounted which doesn't support distortion control, the setting for auto distortion control cannot be changed without switching to a lens that supports it. This is odd. The 18-140mm lens will honor which ever setting that the distortion control was last set. So, if I want to effect the buffer size, I must swap lenses to make the desired change.

Has any of you D7100 owners notice this?

Good tips. I have read that formatting the memory card is less wear and tear on the longevity of the memory capabilities than deleting individual images.

Those are all good choices. I was ready to purchase the Canon 60D a few years ago, but kept searching. I had an old Minolta 7000 Maxxum film camera and wasn't sure what to get. I went through a couple of Point and Shoot camera's which seemed to satisfy me at the time.

Then grand babies were on their way so I convinced myself that I needed a good DSLR. I still didn't know what to get so I went to the local camera store and looked at Canon 60D, Nikon D3000, Nikon D3100, Nikon D5100, Nikon D7100, Sony A77, Sony A99, and the Nikon D610. I also looked at the Nikon 1 and some of the mirrorless camera's.

I was leaning towards the Sony since they bought out the Minolta camera business and my old lenses from the 35mm will fit the camera body.

Still not knowing what to do, I bought a Nikon D3000 refurbished. Great price. Got my mojo back on and fell in love with photography all over again.

That lasted about 6 months. Then I upgraded to a D7100.

The best thing for you to do is to get one in your hands to see how it feels. The D7100 and D610 look identical aside from the badging on the outside and the DX vs FullFrame. At my experience level, the D7100 made more sense. I'm very happy with it. Whatever you do, don't skimp on lenses. Match the quality of the lens to the quality of the camera.

Check out refurbished cameras. Their as good or better than new.

Education starts here. 'Nough said.

The D7100 is a very nice camera. I upgraded from a D3000 which gave me some good low light options. Not sure going from a D5100 is a big enough jump based on the extra cost compared to what you have. That would be a tough sell for me. On the other hand, if budget isn't a concern, by all means, upgrade.

I feel fortunate to have Robert's Camera close by in a northern suburb of Indianapolis. I recently jumped back into photography as a hobby and can't imagine not having access to cameras to hold and feel before purchasing.

I find myself using Aperture mode most of the time. I switch to shutter priority when I shoot fountains or streams.

I'm no expert to comment on the portraits as I am also in a steep learning mode right now. But, I must say, the wildlife shots are pretty amazing. That is my life's pursuit right now. Thanks for the inspiration.

A very good camera. If she is new to photography, then she'll get some years of usage out of this model. Good luck.

hmmm.... I spent my time and found the camera I like and matched the lens that will allow the camera to produce the best results. Never really cared if it is called a cropped sensor or DX format. I'll go with DX format since that is what the manufacturer put on the camera. It's all terminology. In the end, at least we can communicate to each other and understand the reference.

You definitely hit all the high points. Congratulations!! From here on out, experiment and have fun. Unlike film, you get instant results and can make adjustments accordingly.

This thread must be from Colorado. What have you been smoking?