Nikon D3200 vs Panasonic SZ8

Following is a detailed overview of the Nikon D3200 versus Panasonic SZ8, former is a Entry-Level DSLR while the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by manufacturers Nikon and Panasonic. There exists a substantial gap between the resolutions of the D3200 (24MP) and SZ8 (16MP) and the D3200 (APS-C) and SZ8 (1/2.3") posses different sensor dimensions.

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The D3200 was revealed 17 months before the SZ8 which makes them a generation away from one another. Both of the cameras have different body design with the Nikon D3200 being a Compact SLR camera and the Panasonic SZ8 being a Compact camera.

Before getting into a comprehensive comparison, here is a quick highlight of how the D3200 grades versus the SZ8 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a preview of the gallery photos for Nikon D3200 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ8. The full galleries are viewable at Nikon D3200 Gallery & Panasonic SZ8 Gallery.

In case you're looking to carry around your camera often, you should think about its weight and proportions. The Nikon D3200 comes with outside measurements of 125mm x 96mm x 77mm (4.9" x 3.8" x 3.0") accompanied by a weight of 505 grams (1.11 lbs) while the Panasonic SZ8 has measurements of 100mm x 60mm x 27mm (3.9" x 2.4" x 1.1") having a weight of 159 grams (0.35 lbs).

See the Nikon D3200 versus Panasonic SZ8 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you are working with at that time. Here is a front view overall size comparison of the D3200 and the SZ8.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the D3200 and SZ8 is 67 and 94 respectively.

Typically, it's difficult to visualize the gap between sensor sizes just by looking at specifications. The pic here will give you a better sense of the sensor measurements in the D3200 and SZ8.

To sum up, the two cameras have different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The D3200 with its bigger sensor is going to make achieving shallow DOF easier and the Nikon D3200 will give more detail because of its extra 8MP. Higher resolution can also let you crop pictures a bit more aggressively. The more aged D3200 is going to be behind with regard to sensor technology.