Which Nikon DSLR

[VBEventing]

Today I have just been told that my D3100 has been written off by the insurance company as the repair is to expensive. So want to look for a new camera.
I am into sports photography (horses) and was really pleased with pictures I took with the D3100 and without a budget for a D4 I was after advice on what people feel would be a good choice.
My thoughts at the moment are get a 3100, the new 3200, maybe a 5100 or budget up to a 7000.
Any advice would be appreciated

[ianpinion]

I can understand why you maybe having difficulty narrowing down which of these fine cameras is going to best suit your needs, so a good place to start is to establish what your needs are, whether you felt you'd reached the limit of what you could achieve with your D3100 and of course what budget you have for both the camera, lens/lenses and other gear you need.

What lenses do you currently have for your D3100 that you regularly use for your sports photography? Will you be looking to upgrade these as funds allow in the future or are you content with what you have? If you bought a better quality lens, it would be heavier and would this make your camera feel front heavy and unbalanced?

Do you find that you're regularly cropping your pics because you can't get close enough to the action with your current set-up or not?

Personally, I shoot with a D7000 and I upgraded to this camera because I found that my previous camera just didn't have the performance to meet my ever growing needs as I became a better photographer. I felt as though the camera was holding me back somewhat from being able to get the images I wanted,mainly because it did not perform well in lowlight conditions. The D7000 excels in this area in comparison. I also like the feel of this camera in my hand and when I put a heavier lens on the front of it, it's beautifully balanced because of the extra weight, though it's still light enough that it doesn't become a burden carrying it round all day. It suits my needs, but of course, I can not say whether it will meet yours. Only you can answer that question, because we are all different and we all have different wants and needs from our cameras.

Once you've decided what camera spec you need, check which models meet this level of spec and go and try them. Compare each of them to see which you prefer and then consider whether it will be within your budget with any additional gear you might need.

[Rod Lawton]

Originally Posted by VBEventing

Today I have just been told that my D3100 has been written off by the insurance company as the repair is to expensive. So want to look for a new camera.
I am into sports photography (horses) and was really pleased with pictures I took with the D3100 and without a budget for a D4 I was after advice on what people feel would be a good choice.
My thoughts at the moment are get a 3100, the new 3200, maybe a 5100 or budget up to a 7000.
Any advice would be appreciated

If you can afford it, the D7000 sounds like your best bet, especially if you are keen to develop your skills. RL