Clicky

Nikon D3200

 
Nikon D3200 front
 
Portability
67
Imaging
64
Features
63
Overall
63

Nikon D3200 summary

Nikon D3200 is Nikon's Entry-Level DSLR digital camera first released on July of 2012. It uses a 24 MegaPixel, CMOS APS-C sized sensor and has a max resolution of 6016 x 4000.

Nikon introduced this model in order to update the older Nikon D3100 (Read Full Comparison) & then brought out the more recent Nikon D3300 (Read Full Comparison) in an effort to replace this camera.

The D3200 places at #33 out of 80 in Entry-Level DSLR cameras & over all #274 out of 1465 for digital cameras in our collection. You should try our Advanced camera finder to see camera ratings based on your custom factors.

Sony Japan Introduces 5G Transmitter for Alpha Cameras

Here is a chart of specific factors used in the rating system.

Nikon D3200 history

The Nikon D3200 is part of a family of digital cameras. You can read the full range below.

ModelVisualizeResolutionSensor SizeMax fpsReleased
Nikon-D3500 front thumbnailNikon D3500
D3200 vs D3500
24MPAPS-C5.0 fps2018
Nikon-D5600 front thumbnailNikon D5600
D3200 vs D5600
24MPAPS-C5.0 fps2016
Europe Approves Revolutionary AI Legislation
Nikon-D3400 front thumbnailNikon D3400
D3200 vs D3400
24MPAPS-C5.0 fps2016
Nikon-D5500 front thumbnailNikon D5500
D3200 vs D5500
24MPAPS-C5.0 fps2015
Nikon-D3300 front thumbnailNikon D3300
D3200 vs D3300
24MPAPS-C5.0 fps2014
Nikon-D5300 front thumbnailNikon D5300
D3200 vs D5300
24MPAPS-C5.0 fps2014
Kodak's Tri-X Black-and-White Film Now 30% Cheaper
Nikon-D5200 front thumbnailNikon D5200
D3200 vs D5200
24MPAPS-C5.0 fps2013
Nikon-D3200 front thumbnailNikon D320024MPAPS-C4.0 fps2012
Nikon-D5100 front thumbnailNikon D5100
D3200 vs D5100
16MPAPS-C4.0 fps2011
Nikon-D3100 front thumbnailNikon D3100
D3200 vs D3100
14MPAPS-C3.0 fps2010
Nikon-D3000 front thumbnailNikon D3000
D3200 vs D3000
10MPAPS-C3.0 fps2009
Jaw-Dropping Space Capture Exposes Earth's Mesmerizing Golden Luminescence
Nikon-D5000 front thumbnailNikon D5000
D3200 vs D5000
12MPAPS-C4.0 fps2009
Nikon-D60 front thumbnailNikon D60
D3200 vs D60
10MPAPS-C3.0 fps2008
Nikon-D40X front thumbnailNikon D40X
D3200 vs D40X
10MPAPS-C3.0 fps2007
Nikon-D40 front thumbnailNikon D40
D3200 vs D40
6MPAPS-C3.0 fps2006

Nikon D3200 Pros and Cons

Below is a shortlist of pros and cons of the Nikon D3200 based on factors that are normally considered important in a digital camera.

above average minimum ISO (100)
built-in flash
comes with phase detect AF
decent sensor resolution (24 megapixels)
does have HDMI socket
features face detection focusing
features tracking autofocus
high res video (1920 x 1080 pxls)
nice clear screen (921 k dots)
nice sensor size (APS-C)
screen is a decent size (3 inch)
supports RAW formats
swap lenses (Nikon F mount)
you can focus manually
lack of image stabilization
no external microphone socket
no headphone socket
no moving screen
no Timelapse recording
screen is not selfie friendly
slow fps (4.0 frames per second)
Leica to Release Innovative Hybrid Medium Format Camera in 2 Years

Nikon D3200 Sensor details

The Nikon D3200 features the Expeed 3 processor chip. The sensor dimension in the Nikon D3200 is 23.2mm x 15.4mm (APS-C). The 357 mm² sensor is able to capture 6016 x 4000 pixels and aspect ratios of 3:2.

TikTok Developing Photo App to Challenge Instagram's Dominance

The CMOS sensor has 24 megapixels and supports a standard ISO range of 100 - 6400. This ISO can be increased digitally to a high of 12800. RAW files are supported which means that the user has wider margin for error.

The picture below shows the D3200's sensor dimensions in comparison to other popular sizes. The D3200 sensor has a crop factor of 1.6 and is showcased in green.

Nikon D3200 sensor size Photographer Triumphs in Lawsuit Over Creative Commons Image Rights

To get a sense of various aspect ratios, you can refer to the graphic below.

Camera sensor aspect ratios

Nikon D3200 dimensions

Nikon D3200 weighs in at 1.11 lbs (505g or 17.81 ounces) & has outer measurements of 125mm x 96mm x 77mm (4.9" x 3.8" x 3.0"). The weight of typical Entry-Level DSLR camera is 540g so the Nikon D3200 is very much the same as compared to its rivals.

C500 Mark II gets new Cinema RAW Light modes from Canon

Listed below is a visual of the Nikon D3200 alongside a softdrink so you can get a sense of its scale.

Nikon D3200 dimensions scale

The top view below will show the button design on the D3200.

Nikon D3200 topview buttons dials

Nikon D3200 Lens specs

The D3200 fits the Nikon F mount and has 315 lenses available to buy. Below is a small number of the lenses we have in our collection which will work with the D3200.

ModelVisualizeFocal LengthApertureStabilizedWeight
Nikon-AF-S-DX-NIKKOR-18-300mm-F3.5-6.3G-ED-VR lensNikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-300mm F3.5-6.3G ED VR18-300mmf/3.5-6.3 550g
Nikon-AF-S-DX-Nikkor-55-200mm-f4-5.6G-ED lensNikon AF-S DX Nikkor 55-200mm f4-5.6G ED55-200mmf/4.0-5.6 255g
OM System OM-1 Set to Enhance Autofocus
Sigma-100-400mm-F5-6.3-DG-OS-HSM-Nikon-F-FX lensSigma 100-400mm F5-6.3 DG OS HSM100-400mmf/5-6.3 1160g
Nikon-AF-S-Nikkor-500mm-F5.6E-PF-ED-VR lensNikon AF-S Nikkor 500mm F5.6E PF ED VR500mmf/5.6 1460g
Tokina-AT-X-Pro-11-16mm-f2.8-DX-Nikon-F-DX lensTokina AT-X Pro 11-16mm f2.8 DX11-16mmf/2.8 560g
Tamron-SP-AF-11-18mm-F4.5-5.6-Di-II-LD-Aspherical-IF-Nikon-F-DX lensTamron SP AF 11-18mm F4.5-5.6 Di II LD Aspherical IF11-18mmf/4.5-5.6 355g
AI-made Images of Food Appear More Delicious Than Real Photos
Nikon-AF-S-Nikkor-400mm-f2.8G-ED-VR-II lensNikon AF-S Nikkor 400mm f2.8G ED VR II400mmf/2.8 4620g
TikTok Developing Photo App to Challenge Instagram's Dominance

Nikon D3200 Connectivity

The D3200 has the following connectivity:

  • USB Yes
  • Wireless Yes
  • HDMI Yes
  • GPS Yes

Digital cameras that come with NFC or Bluetooth support can be used wirelessly via smartphones. You can copy files and usually change settings without the hassle of connecting directly to the camera.

Some applications even allow a Liveview and hit the shutter whenever you are not near the camera. If the camera features a HDMI port, it can be hooked up to an external display. The majority of cameras will allow you to recharge the battery pack using the USB port.

Sony Japan Introduces 5G Transmitter for Alpha Cameras

Nikon D3200 Video specs

The max video resolution in the Nikon D3200 is 1920 x 1080 and you can shoot in MPEG-4 and H.264 file format. 1080p resolution offers a decent balance in video quality versus file sizes but 1080p is not going to give you any room to downsample. The camera does not have a microphone or headphone jack which means you get little control over the sound. It is perhaps best to shop for an alternative camera if you need decent sound for your videos.

Europe Approves Revolutionary AI Legislation

Nikon D3200 Weather Sealing

There is no environment sealing on the Nikon D3200 so you need to be careful in rainy or dusty situations.

Nikon D3200 Screen and Viewfinder

The Nikon D3200 houses a 3" fixed screen supporting a resolution of 921k dots.

Unfortunately the screen isn't a touch screen.

Nikon D3200 screen and viewfinder Kodak's Tri-X Black-and-White Film Now 30% Cheaper

The View Finder specs for Nikon D3200 are below:

  • ViewFinder Optical (pentamirror)
  • ViewFinder Coverage 95 percent
  • ViewFinder Magnification 0.53x

Viewfinders can be rather helpful in bright outdoor situations which can easily make the camera screen washed out and hard to see.

Nikon D3200 Shutter specs

Nikon D3200 continuous shooting speed is 4.0 frames per second. The highest shutter speed is 1/4000 sec.

Jaw-Dropping Space Capture Exposes Earth's Mesmerizing Golden Luminescence

Nikon D3200 Flash and Hot shoe specs

Nikon D3200 features both inbuilt flash together with external flash support. The highest flash sync speed is 1/200 sec.

Nikon D3200 Autofocusing specs

Nikon D3200 features both Phase Detect Autofocus plus Contrast Based Autofocus. Phase Detection focusing is a lot more quicker and precise when compared to Contrast Based focusing. The camera boasts Face detection making it handy for taking portraits of people.

The Sensor boasts 11 focus points to select from. It also boasts Tracking Autofocus for objects on the move. Nikon D3200 features manual focusing if needed in low light situations or you want to have more exact focusing control.

Leica to Release Innovative Hybrid Medium Format Camera in 2 Years

Nikon D3200 Battery life

The battery pack (EN-EL14) on the Nikon D3200 is built to last for 540 shots according to the CIPA standards making it about average when compared to it's competition. The usual Entry-Level DSLR camera battery life is 589. Pentax K-x comes with the maximum (1900) battery life in this range of cameras.

Underneath is a listing of Entry-Level DSLR cameras that come with the strongest battery life:

Nikon D3200 for varying types of photography

The following illustration shows a outline of the Nikon D3200 for varying types of photography. To learn more, visit the specific paragraph below.

Nikon D3200 as a Portrait photography camera

The Nikon D3200 has a points tally of 78 which is very high, meaning that it is a great pick to use for portraits. Taking portrait images favors heavily to sensor resolution, RAW support and option to utilize external lighting.

C500 Mark II gets new Cinema RAW Light modes from Canon
manual focus
decent sensor resolution (24 megapixels)
sensor size is decent (APS-C)
features face detection autofocus
exports RAW formats

Street photography with Nikon D3200

With a decent rating of 60, the Nikon D3200 is somewhat adequate to use in street photography. A decent street photography camera features a perfect balance of picture quality and portability.

OM System OM-1 Set to Enhance Autofocus
good sensor size (APS-C)
saves RAW formats
fixed screen
no image stabilization

Sports photography with Nikon D3200

A very good sports photography score of 65 indicates the Nikon D3200 is a very decent fit for taking pictures of sports. A camera really should have great autofocus and fast continuous shooting for sports photography.

AI-made Images of Food Appear More Delicious Than Real Photos
good resolution (24 megapixels)
good sensor size (APS-C)
includes tracking autofocus
sensor has phase detect autofocus
max frames per second low (4.0 frames per second)
lack of image stabilization

Travel photography with Nikon D3200

Weight is really crucial in choosing a camera for travel. On the whole, the Nikon D3200 gets a reasonable 59 for a travel camera which makes it fairly suitable to purchase for your journeys.

TikTok Developing Photo App to Challenge Instagram's Dominance
decent MP (24MP)
built-in flash
lack of Time Lapse mode
screen is not selfie friendly

Landscape photography with Nikon D3200

For anyone who is planning to choose a camera for landscape photos, the most important aspect will be image quality. The Nikon D3200 at it's nice grade of 69 as a landscape camera is a fine fit amongst it's rivals.

Sony Japan Introduces 5G Transmitter for Alpha Cameras
has manual focus
switch lenses (Nikon F mount)
good sized screen (3 inches)
resolution is good (24MP)
sensor size is decent (APS-C)
exports RAW formats
does not have image stabilization
lack of Time Lapse mode

Nikon D3200 Vlogging highlights

A camera for vlogging should really posses a moving display screen, microphone input and if possible IBIS. Considering all things, the Nikon D3200 is simply not appropriate as a vlog camera as it delivers a bad rating of 27.

Europe Approves Revolutionary AI Legislation
supports face detect autofocus
video resolution high (1920 x 1080 pixels)
screen is not selfie friendly
no image stabilization
does not have mic support

Nikon D3200 Alternatives

If you want replacements to the D3200, below is a range of the top ranked cameras that fall within the class of Entry-Level DSLR.

The line chart listed below will give you a summary of the D3200 vs it's top ranked competitors mentioned previously.

Following are additional cameras you may take into account as alternative options. To read through a thorough comparison, click the "compare" link.

Kodak's Tri-X Black-and-White Film Now 30% Cheaper

Specifications

General Information
Manufacturer
Nikon
Model type
Nikon D3200
Type
Entry-Level DSLR
Revealed
2012-07-25
Physical type
Compact SLR
Sensor Information
Sensor type
CMOS
Powered by
Expeed 3
Sensor size
APS-C
Sensor measurements
23.2 x 15.4mm
Sensor surface area
357.3mm²
Sensor resolution
24MP
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio
3:2
Max resolution
6016 x 4000
RAW files
Max native ISO
6400
Max enhanced ISO
12800
Min native ISO
100
Autofocusing
Manual focusing
Touch focus
Autofocus continuous
Single autofocus
Tracking autofocus
Autofocus selectice
Autofocus center weighted
Multi area autofocus
Live view autofocus
Face detection focus
Contract detection focus
Phase detection focus
Total focus points
11
Cross type focus points
1
Lens
Lens mount type
Nikon F
Number of lenses
309
Crop factor
1.6
Screen
Screen type
Fixed Type
Screen size
3 inch
Screen resolution
921k dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch functionality
Screen tech
TFT LCD with 160� viewing angle
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder
Optical (pentamirror)
Viewfinder coverage
95 percent
Viewfinder magnification
0.53x
DXO scores
DXO Overall rating
81
DXO Color Depth rating
24.1
DXO Dynamic range rating
13.2
DXO Low light rating
1131
Features
Min shutter speed
30s
Max shutter speed
1/4000s
Continuous shutter rate
4.0 frames per second
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manually set exposure
Exposure compensation
Yes
Set white balance
Image stabilization
Inbuilt flash
Flash distance
12.00 m (at ISO 100)
Flash modes
Auto, Red-Eye, Slow, Red-Eye Slow, Rear curtain
External flash
AEB
White balance bracketing
Max flash synchronize
1/200s
Exposure
Multisegment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF area
Center weighted
Video features
Supported video resolutions
1920 x 1080 (30,25, 24 fps), 1280 x 720 (60, 50 fps), 640 x 424 (30, 25 fps)
Max video resolution
1920x1080
Video file format
MPEG-4, H.264
Microphone port
Headphone port
Connectivity
Wireless
Optional
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB
USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS
Optional
Physical
Environment sealing
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight
505g (1.11 lb)
Physical dimensions
125 x 96 x 77mm (4.9" x 3.8" x 3.0")
Other
Battery life
540 pictures
Battery type
Battery Pack
Battery ID
EN-EL14
Self timer
Yes
Time lapse shooting
Storage type
SD/SDHC/SDXC UHS-I compliant
Card slots
Single
Price at release
$530