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" While few photographers like carrying around a bulky Single Lens Reflex (SLR) camera, it&amp;#039;s the default option for professional-quality images. Point and shoots have come a long way and are great for snapshots but don&amp;#039;t deliver the depth, low-light sensitivity, or accuracy of their big brothers. Additional to their size, many SLRs don&amp;#039;t take video, and those that do don&amp;#039;t have the ability to continuously autofocus as they record, which means if you&amp;#039;re shooting something like a field hockey game you&amp;#039;ll often lose focus while panning across the field. Nikon attempts to address these issues and eliminate the need for multiple photo/video devices with the new D3100 ($699.99), the first SLR to tout continuous HD Video Auto-Focus.  While shooting video, our feelings on the D3100 continuous auto-focus feature were mixed. Like any SLR, the optical viewfinder isn&amp;#039;t available in video mode, so you&amp;#039;ll have to watcsh on the LCD display. The camera searched extensively to find focus points, unlike camcorders which do this almost instantaneously. The continuous auto-focus is a leap in the right direction and an added plus for the camera, but still doesn&amp;#039;t measure up to a camcorder. Previously, the only high quality videos I&amp;#039;ve taken with an SLR really required a tripod and a constant focus depth- ie. good for shooting the class play but not the soccer match. The D3100 does help to bridge the gap between an SLR and video-camera, making it more convenient to shoot videos.  All in all, the D3100 improves upon its predecessor, the D3000 with improved video thanks to the continuous autofocus, in addition to offering higher detail images as a result of a new 14.2MP sensor. If you&amp;#039;re looking to take great pictures, with an occasional video interspersed, the D3100 is a good choice, but if videos are paramount, still consider buying an HD camcorder. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/institute/a16811/nikon-d3100-slr-video-auto-focus/>