This is the long awaited review, now that I have some down time (thanks to medical leave) and not on vacation anymore (also thanks to medical leave), I can finally review my new camera. I have taken a lot of picture with my iPhone but always wanted a really good camera because enough though my phone takes great pictures, I think I could be really good with a good camera. Several years ago an ex-boyfriend (that bought stuff to make up for bad behavior) got me a camera I did wonders with but I really wanted a DSLR so I could change lenses and do more with it.
The past couple months I started reviewing cameras and finally a few weeks ago I came across one that looked great for the price. I did a lot of research on it, asked some good photographers I know, and determined that for the price, this was the perfect camera for me. I didn’t want something too expensive, but wanted something that could grow with me too. I ended up getting the Nikon D3200, one of their new cameras. You can google search for hours and get thousands of reviews on this camera and more.
Before I review it, here are the specs from Nikon’s website.
Nikon Digital SLR Camera D3200 Specifications
Type Type Single-lens reflex digital camera Lens mount Nikon F mount (with AF contacts) Effective angle of view Approx. 1.5x lens focal length (35 mm format equivalent); Nikon DX format Effective pixels Effective pixels 24.2 million Image sensor Image sensor 23.2 x 15.4 mm CMOS sensor Total pixels 24.7 million Dust-reduction System Image sensor cleaning
Image Dust Off reference data (optional Capture NX 2 software required) Storage Image size (pixels) 6,016 x 4,000 [L], 4,512 x 3,000 [M], 3,008 x 2,000 [S] File format
- NEF (RAW): 12 bit, compressed
- JPEG: JPEG-Baseline compliant with fine (approx. 1:4), normal (approx. 1:8) or basic (approx. 1:16) compression
- NEF (RAW)+JPEG: Single photograph recorded in both NEF (RAW) and JPEG formats
Picture Control System Standard, Neutral, Vivid, Monochrome, Portrait, Landscape; selected Picture Control can be modified Media SD (Secure Digital) and UHS-I compliant SDHC and SDXC memory cards File system DCF (Design Rule for Camera File System) 2.0, DPOF (Digital Print Order Format), Exif (Exchangeable Image File Format for Digital Still Cameras) 2.3, PictBridge Viewfinder Viewfinder Eye-level pentamirror single-lens reflex viewfinder Frame coverage Approx. 95% horizontal and 95% vertical Magnification Approx. 0.8x (50 mm f/1.4 lens at infinity, -1.0 m-1) Eyepoint 18 mm (-1.0 m-1; from center surface of viewfinder eyepiece lens) Diopter adjustment -1.7 to +0.5 m-1 Focusing screen Type B BriteView Clear Matte Mark VII screen Reflex mirror Quick return Lens aperture Instant return, electronically controlled Lens Compatible lenses Autofocus is available with AF-S and AF-I lenses; Autofocus is not available with other type G and D lenses, AF lenses (IX-NIKKOR and lenses for the F3AF are not supported) and AI-P lenses; Non-CPU lenses can be used in mode M but the camera exposure meter will not function
The electronic rangefinder can be used with lenses that have a maximum aperture of f/5.6 or faster Shutter Type Electronically-controlled vertical-travel focal-plane shutter Speed 1/4,000 to 30 s in steps of 1/3 EV; Bulb; Time (requires optional ML-L3 Remote Control) Flash sync speed X=1/200 s; synchronizes with shutter at 1/200 s or slower Release Release mode(single frame),
(continuous),
(self-timer),
(delayed remote),
(quick-response remote),
(quiet shutter release)
Frame advance rate Up to 4 fps (manual focus, mode M or S, shutter speed 1/250 s or faster, and other settings at default values) Self-timer 2 s, 5 s, 10 s, 20 s; 1 to 9 exposures Exposure Metering TTL exposure metering using 420-pixel RGB sensor Metering method
- Matrix metering: 3D color matrix metering II (type G and D lenses); color matrix metering II (other CPU lenses)
- Center-weighted metering: Weight of 75% given to 8-mm circle in center of frame
- Spot metering: Meters 3.5-mm circle (about 2.5% of frame) centered on selected focus point
Range
(ISO 100, f/1.4 lens, 20°C/68°F)
- Matrix or center-weighted metering: 0 to 20 EV
- Spot metering: 2 to 20 EV
Exposure meter coupling CPU Mode Auto modes (auto;
auto [flash off]); scene modes (
portrait;
landscape;
child;
sports;
close up;
night portrait); programmed auto with flexible program (P); shutter-priority auto (S); aperture-priority auto (A); manual (M)
Exposure compensation -5 to +5 EV in increments of 1/3 EV Exposure lock Luminosity locked at detected value with(
) button
ISO sensitivity
(Recommended Exposure Index) ISO 100 to 6400 in steps of 1 EV; can also be set to approx. 1 EV above ISO 6400 (ISO 12800 equivalent); auto ISO sensitivity control available Active D-Lighting On, off Focus Autofocus Nikon Multi-CAM 1000 autofocus sensor module with TTL phase detection, 11 focus points (including one cross-type sensor) and AF-assist illuminator (range approx. 0.5 to 3 m/1 ft 8 in. to 9 ft 10 in.) Detection range -1 to +19 EV (ISO 100, 20°C/68°F) Lens servo
- Autofocus (AF): Single-servo AF (AF-S); continuous-servo AF (AF-C); auto AF-S/AF-C selection (AF-A); predictive focus tracking activated automatically according to subject status
- Manual focus (MF): Electronic rangefinder can be used
Focus point Can be selected from 11 focus points AF-area mode Single-point AF, dynamic-area AF, auto-area AF, 3D-tracking (11 points) Focus lock Focus can be locked by pressing shutter-release button halfway (single-servo AF) or by pressing(
) button
Flash Built-in flash,
,
,
,
: Auto flash with auto pop-up
P, S, A, M: Manual pop-up with button release Guide number Approx. 12/39, 13/43 with manual flash (m/ft, ISO 100, 20°C/68°F) Flash control TTL: i-TTL flash control using 420-pixel RGB sensor is available with built-in flash and SB-910, SB-900, SB-800, SB-700, SB-600 or SB-400; i-TTL balanced fill-flash for digital SLR is used with matrix and center-weighted metering, standard i-TTL flash for digital SLR with spot metering Flash mode Auto, auto with red-eye reduction, auto slow sync, auto slow sync with red-eye reduction, fill-flash, red-eye reduction, slow sync, slow sync with red-eye reduction, rear-curtain with slow sync, rear-curtain sync, off Flash compensation -3 to +1 EV in increments of 1/3 EV Flash-ready indicator Lights when built-in flash or optional flash unit is fully charged; flashes after flash is fired at full output Accessory shoe ISO 518 hot-shoe with sync and data contacts and safety lock Nikon Creative Lighting
System (CLS) Advanced Wireless Lighting supported with SB-910, SB-900, SB-800 or SB-700 as a master flash and SB-600 or SB-R200 as remotes, or SU-800 as commander; Flash Color Information Communication supported with all CLS-compatible flash units Sync terminal AS-15 Sync Terminal Adapter (available separately) White balance White balance Auto, incandescent, fluorescent (7 types), direct sunlight, flash, cloudy, shade, preset manual, all except preset manual with fine-tuning Live View Lens servo
- Autofocus (AF): Single-servo AF (AF-S); full-time-servo AF (AF-F)
- Manual focus (MF)
AF-area mode Face-priority AF, wide-area AF, normal-area AF, subject-tracking AF Autofocus Contrast-detect AF anywhere in frame (camera selects focus point automatically when face-priority AF or subject-tracking AF is selected) Automatic scene selection Available inand
modes
Movie Metering TTL exposure metering using main image sensor Metering method Matrix Frame size (pixels)
and frame rate
- 1,920 x 1,080, 30p (progressive)/25p/24p, ★ high/normal
- 1,280 x 720, 60p/50p, ★ high/normal
- 640 x 424, 30p/25p, ★ high/normal
- Frame rates of 30p (actual frame rate 29.97 fps) and 60p (actual frame rate 59.94 fps) are available when NTSC is selected for video mode; 25p and 50p are available when PAL is selected for video mode; Actual frame rate when 24p is selected is 23.976 fps
File format MOV Video compression H.264/MPEG-4 Advanced Video Coding Audio recording format Linear PCM Audio recording device Built-in monaural or external stereo microphone; sensitivity adjustable ISO sensitivity ISO 200 to 6400; can also be set to approx. 1 EV above ISO 6400 (ISO 12800 equivalent) Monitor Monitor 7.5-cm/3-in., approx. 921k-dot (VGA) TFT LCD with 160° viewing angle, approx. 100% frame coverage, and brightness adjustment Playback Playback Full-frame and thumbnail (4, 9 or 72 images or calendar) playback with playback zoom, movie playback, photo and/or movie slide shows, histogram display, highlights, auto image rotation and image comment (up to 36 characters) Interface USB Hi-Speed USB Video output NTSC, PAL HDMI output Type C mini-pin HDMI connector Accessory terminal MC-DC2 Remote Cord (available separately), GP-1 GPS Unit (available separately) Audio input Stereo mini-pin jack (3.5-mm diameter) Supported languages Supported languages Arabic, Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hindi, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese (Portugal and Brazil), Romanian, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian Power source Battery One EN-EL14 Rechargeable Li-ion Battery AC adapter EH-5b AC Adapter; requires EP-5A Power Connector (available separately) Tripod socket Tripod socket 1/4 in. (ISO 1222) Dimensions / weight Dimensions
(W x H x D) Approx. 125 x 96 x 76.5 mm/5.0 x 3.8 x 3.1 in. Weight Approx. 505 g/1 lb 1.8 oz (with battery and memory card but without body cap); approx. 455 g/1 lb (camera body only) Operating environment Temperature 0 to 40°C/32 to 104°F Humidity Less than 85% (no condensation) Accessories Supplied accessories
(may differ by country or area) EN-EL14 Rechargeable Li-ion Battery, MH-24 Battery Charger, DK-5 Eyepiece Cap, DK-20 Rubber Eyecup, UC-E17 USB Cable, EG-CP14 Audio Video Cable, AN-DC3 Camera Strap, BF-1B Body Cap, BS-1 Accessory Shoe Cover, ViewNX 2 CD-ROM
- Microsoft and Windows, Windows 7 are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.
- Macintosh and QuickTime are registered trademarks or trademarks of Apple Inc. in the United States and/or other countries.
- The SD, SDHC and SDXC logos are trademarks of the SD Card Association.
- PictBridge is a trademark.
- HDMI, the HDMI logo and High-Definition Multimedia Interface are trademarks or registered trademarks of HDMI Licensing, LLC.
- Google, Android and Google Play Store are registered trademarks or trademarks of Google Inc.
- Products and brand names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.
- Images in viewfinders, on LCDs and monitors shown in this website are simulated.
Memory card capacity
The following table shows the approximate number of pictures that can be stored on a 8 GB SanDisk Extreme Pro SDHC UHS-I card at different image quality and size settings. Note that buffer capacity drops at ISO sensitivity of 1600 or higher.
Image quality Image size File size1 No. of images1 Buffer capacity2 NEF (RAW) + JPEG fine3 Large 31.9 MB 171 10 NEF (RAW) – 20.4 MB 259 18 JPEG fine Large
Medium
Small 11.9 MB
7.4 MB
3.8 MB 509
853
1600 80
100
100 JPEG normal Large
Medium
Small 6.2 MB
3.7 MB
1.9 MB 1000
1600
3200 100
100
100 JPEG basic Large
Medium
Small 3.0 MB
1.9 MB
1.0 MB 1900
3200
6300 100
100
100
- 1All figures are approximate. Results will vary with card type, camera settings, and scene recorded.
- 2Maximum number of exposures that can be stored in memory buffer at ISO 100. Drops when noise reduction or auto distortion control is on.
- 3Image size applies to JPEG images only. Size of NEF (RAW) images can not be changed. File size is the total for NEF (RAW) and JPEG images.
Approved memory cards
The following SD memory cards have been tested and approved for use in the D3200. Cards with class 6 or faster write speeds are recommended for movie recording. Recording may end unexpectedly when cards with slower write speeds are used.
SD memory cards SDHC memory cards2 SDXC memory cards3 SanDisk 2 GB1 4 GB, 8 GB, 16 GB, 32 GB 64 GB Toshiba 2 GB1 4 GB, 8 GB, 16 GB, 32 GB 64 GB Panasonic 2 GB1 4 GB, 6 GB, 8 GB, 12 GB, 16 GB, 24 GB, 32 GB 48 GB, 64 GB Lexar Media 2 GB1 4 GB, 8 GB, 16 GB, 32 GB – Platinum II 2 GB1 4 GB, 8 GB, 16 GB, 32 GB – Professional 2 GB1 4 GB, 8 GB, 16 GB, 32 GB, 64 MB, 128 MB – Full-HD Video – 4 GB, 8 GB, 16 GB –
- 1Check that any card readers or other devices with which the card will be used support 2 GB cards.
- 2Check that any card readers or other devices with which the card will be used are SDHC-compliant. The camera supports UHS-I.
- 3Check that any card readers or other devices with which the card will be used are SDXC-compliant. The camera supports UHS-I.
Note: Other cards have not been tested. For more details on the above cards, please contact the manufacturer.
The one thing that appealed the fact that this camera has 24.2 megapixels and it’s only $699. Most with this cost well into the thousands or more! I started looking into the other features of it too and decided that this was just going to be the perfect camera for a beginner like me. I went to the store to hold it and it felt great in my hand too. A lot of the “cheaper” DSLR cameras out there have a small frame, which is fine for me because I have small hands. However my man does not, so I wanted something he could use to because I’m getting him into photography as well, the larger grip on this camera made it comfortable for him too. The lens that comes with it includes the vibration reduction feature which is helpful as well when on the move. So I bought it that day and don’t regret it one bit!
The next day I had to work so I took the camera with me and tested it out. On my previous post you can see just a few pictures I took in the early morning hours testing the camera’s quality. That evening we also tested it with the sunset as well and this camera really preforms! It does great on portraits as well but you’ll have to wait for those pictures because I need to do a little editing. Right now I’m using Photoshop to edit because I just really like that program. My mom’s work had more copies so I got to add it to my computer, score! But it’s an older edition, either way it still works great for me!
For the price, quality, features, and everything on this camera I am VERY happy with my purchase! I will be sure to post many pictures as I take them. Let me know what you think. : ) I always love hearing back from my readers.