My 13-year-old Nikon DSLR has been battered, bruised, beaten and it has survived, and it’s what made me fall in love with photography

(Image credit: Nikita Achanta / Tom's Guide)

As the old adage goes: the best camera is the one in your hands. It's something I've been told since I was a child, playing with my dad's bulky DSLR, not really knowing what I was doing with it. Now, as an adult and a tech journalist, I review the best mirrorless cameras day in and out, and it's wonderful the leaps and bounds these nifty gadgets have come.After reviewing the Fujifilm X-T50 all the way back in June 2024, I'm now the proud owner of one, and I've taken many amazing photos on it. But like they say: you never forget your first, and my first "proper" camera was the Nikon D5100 that my parents bought me when I was 16.The D5100's specs aren't much to write home about by today's standards. A 16.2MP CMOS sensor, no stabilization, an 11-point autofocus system, 1080P/30fps video, an optical viewfinder, and a 921,000-dot non-touch LCD monitor. Not the greatest specs, but frankly, I don't care. The D5100 is the camera that made me fall in love with photography, and to this day, 13 years later, I still find use in it.

Words and photos by

I review the best cameras and best drones here at Tom's Guide. I've adored photography for as long as I can remember, and when I'm not working, I love taking my Fujifilm X-T50 on a walk and capturing the sights. My favorite subjects to photograph are animals, birds, and my partner. You can follow my work on Instagram.