Nikon D3200 Review

The D3200 represents the latest generation of Nikon's entry-level DSLR offering. The camera's headline feature is inevitably the new 24MP CMOS sensor which makes it equal to Sony's Alpha SLT-A65, A77 and NEX-7 in offering the highest pixel count we've yet seen at the APS-C sensor size, and in terms of output resolution, second only to the full-frame professional-grade D800 in Nikon's entire range. More significant than the bare fact of the D3200's pixel count though is that it is available in camera with a starting price of $699 (the same launch price as the D3100 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-C G3, for comparison). The D3200 may not exactly be revolutionary, but it doesn't have to be. It just has to be competitive.

Pixel-count aside, the changes from the predecessor D3100 are subtle but, with 1080p30 video, a 920k dot LCD and the option to add an affordable Wi-Fi transmitter, there are clear benefits over the D3100's specification. As usual for Nikons at this level, the D3200 doesn't feature a built-in focus motor, and nor does it offer auto exposure bracketing. It also features a simplified version of the Active D-Lighting function that is now common across Nikon's DSLR range.

Also missing, oddly, are live view in-camera filter effects. Since Olympus introduced its Art Filters to the E-30 back in 2008, processing filters have become increasingly common on most cameras. And, while they're not an essential feature by any means, they're nice to have, especially in a camera at this level. Given that such effects are available in both the higher-level Nikon D5100 and the Coolpix P7100, their absence in the D3200 is unexpected. There is an option to re-process JPEGs, though, and apply several effects including simulated 'miniature' (tilt/shift) and 'selective color'.

Despite these omissions, the D3200 offers a compelling feature set for a camera in this class. We're especially pleased to see that you even have the option to trigger the shutter with an infrared remote - with the inclusion of sensors on the front and rear of the camera.

The inexorable rise of the mirrorless camera has undoubtedly put particular pressure on the entry-level end of the large sensor market. The smaller body sizes of mirrorless cameras, combined with their more compact-camera-like operation has helped win over some people who would otherwise have bought a DSLR, as well as drawing people away from high-end compacts. However, entry-level DSLRs still have a lot to offer - not least 'true' continuous autofocus that no mirrorless camera has come close to matching (aside from Nikon's own 1 V1 and 1 J1, which feature smaller 'CX' sensors).

Although its upgrades aren't necessarily the product of great leaps of ingenuity, the D3200 is a continuation of a carefully evolved - and tailored to suit its market - line of cameras, that has always offered good image quality and performance combined with well thought-out ease-of-use.

Nikon D3200 specification highlights

24MP CMOS sensor
ISO 100-6400 (plus ISO 12,800-equivalent Hi1 setting)
Expeed 3 processing
3.0", 920k dot screen
Full HD 1080p30 video (with 25p and 24p options)
Microphone socket
Twin IR remote receivers
4 frame-per-second continuous shooting
Guide mode

Compared to its peers:

Side-by-side against the Panasonic G3, it's immediately apparent the size trade-off you make to retain an optical viewfinder. In this comparison the mirrorless Panasonic has a slightly smaller sensor, but Sony's NEX and Samsung's NX models aren't much larger than the G3 while boasting APS-C sensors.

The D3200 is very similar in size to Canon's Rebel T3/EOS 1100D, with which it nominally competes. The T3, while a very likeable camera, looks very off-the-pace with its 12MP sensor, 720P movies and 230k dot screen.

Wi-Fi option (WU-1a)

Alongside the D3200, Nikon announced an optional Wi-Fi transmitter for the camera. The WU-1a clips into the USB socket of the D3200 and allows you to broadcast its images to smartphones and tablets running a Nikon app. The unit allows the camera's live view output to be streamed to the smart device and allows images to be shot remotely (at a distance of up to 49ft, but with no control over the camera's settings).

Initially an app will be available for Android phones and tablets, with an iOS version expected in fall/autumn 2012. We're told the app will allow either full-size or VGA-resolution images to be transferred from the camera, but we have yet to see how long it would take to grab a 24MP image. We would also like to see how securely the unit attaches to the camera, given that it sticks out of the side, and looks like it might be a little easy to dislodge. It also requires the port cover that reaches all the way up the camera's flank to be left hanging open all of the time that it's in use.

Nikon D3200 specifications

Price
MSRP	US: with 18-55mm VR - $699.95; UK: with 18-55mm VR - £649.99; UK: with 18-55mm VR - €699
Body type
Body type	Compact SLR
Sensor
Max resolution	6016 x 4000
Other resolutions	4512 x 3000, 3008 x 2000
Image ratio w:h	3:2
Effective pixels	24 megapixels
Sensor photo detectors	25 megapixels
Sensor size	APS-C (23.2 x 15.4 mm)
Sensor type	CMOS
Processor	Expeed 3
Color space	sRGB, Adobe RGB
Image
ISO	Auto, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200, 6400 (12800 with boost)
Boosted ISO (maximum)	12800
White balance presets	12
Custom white balance	Yes (1)
Image stabilization	No
Uncompressed format	RAW
JPEG quality levels	Fine, Normal, Basic
File format	NEF (RAW): 12 bit JPEG
Optics & Focus
Autofocus	Contrast Detect (sensor) Phase Detect Multi-area Selective single-point Tracking Single Continuous Face Detection Live View
Digital zoom	No
Manual focus	Yes
Number of focus points	11
Lens mount	Nikon F
Focal length multiplier	1.5×
Screen / viewfinder
Articulated LCD	Fixed
Screen size	3″
Screen dots	921,000
Touch screen	No
Screen type	TFT LCD with 160° viewing angle
Live view	Yes
Viewfinder type	Optical (pentamirror)
Viewfinder coverage	95%
Viewfinder magnification	0.8×
Photography features
Minimum shutter speed	30 sec
Maximum shutter speed	1/4000 sec
Exposure modes	Programmed auto with flexible program (P) Shutter-priority (S) Aperture priority (A) Manual (M)
Scene modes	Portrait Landscape Child Sports Close-Up Night portrait
Built-in flash	Yes (Pop-up)
Flash range	12.00 m (at ISO 100)
External flash	Yes (Hot-shoe, Wireless plus sync connector)
Flash modes	Auto, Red-Eye, Slow, Red-Eye Slow, Rear curtain
Flash X sync speed	1/200 sec
Drive modes	Single frame Continuous Self-timer 2s Delayed remote Quick-response remote Quiet shutter release
Continuous drive	4.0 fps
Self-timer	Yes
Metering modes	Multi Center-weighted Spot AF-area
Exposure compensation	±5 (at 1/3 EV steps)
WB Bracketing	No
Videography features
Resolutions	1920 x 1080 (30,25, 24 fps), 1280 x 720 (60, 50 fps), 640 x 424 (30, 25 fps)
Format	MPEG-4, H.264
Videography notes	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
Microphone	Mono
Speaker	Mono
Storage
Storage types	SD/SDHC/SDXC UHS-I compliant
Storage included	None
Connectivity
USB	USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
HDMI	Yes (Mini Type C)
Wireless	Optional
Wireless notes	WU-1a Wireless Mobile Adapter
Remote control	Yes (Optional)
Physical
Environmentally sealed	No
Battery	Battery Pack
Battery description	Lithium-Ion EN-EL14 rechargeable battery & charger
Battery Life (CIPA)	540
Weight (inc. batteries)	505 g (1.11 lb / 17.81 oz)
Dimensions	125 x 96 x 77 mm (4.92 x 3.78 x 3.03″)
Other features
Orientation sensor	Yes
GPS	Optional
GPS notes	GP-1

Body & Design

The D3200 body looks very similar to the D3100 but the control layout has been subtly rearranged in a couple of places. An infrared remote receiver can be seen in the front of the hand-grip and on the top rear left of the camera - a feature missing from the D3100. The D3200 also loses its predecessor's combined live view thumb switch and movie record button. Instead live view is now enabled with a button on the back of the camera, at which point the record button that's set just behind the shutter button becomes active.

From the top you can see the D3200's flash, shown here in its closed (stowed) position and the hotshoe which can accept any of Nikon's current range of Speedlight flashes. The left-hand side of the top plate is bare, but on the right of the pentamirror 'hump' you can see a cluster of control points, which are listed and explained further down this page.

Top of camera controls (right)

The top plate of the D3200 gains an extra button, compared to its predecessor - the movie record button. This sits alongside the rather under-utilized 'Info' button, which is essentially a display button, cycling through the three live view display options or turning the rear screen on and off. It's not to be confused with the <[i]> ('information edit') button or the ? button, which provides helpful information about menu settings for novice photographers.

Front of camera controls

The D3200 retains Nikon's multi-function flash button. This can be pressed to release the flash, or held down and used in combination with the control dial to change flash compensation. It gives a impressive level of simple and direct control over flash, which is unusual in a camera at this level. The Fn button, meanwhile, can be configured to control one of four settings (Image Quality/Size, ISO, White Balance, or Active D-Lighting), which are also controlled by holding the button and spinning the control dial.

Rear controls

From the back, the D3200 is again, similar to its predecessor (to the extent that someone coming from the D3100 will know their way around immediately) but not identical. The most obvious is that the D3100's large combined live view/video shooting control is gone, replaced by a simple 'Lv' button in the style of the recent D800 and D4. Unlike these higher-end cameras though, there is no modal distinction between still image and movie live view operation.

Whether this change from a unified live view/movie control to two separate buttons is good or bad depends on whether you particularly loved or hated the old-style control lever but on balance, after using the D3100 and D7000 for some time, we prefer the new approach. There was nothing wrong with the old control, but a simple button press is always going to be quicker than throwing a sprung lever. The only other change to the control points compared to the D3100 is the addition of a drive mode button, just above the delete button on the lower-left of the body.

Easily overlooked, but important, is a rear IR port on the upper left of the rear plate of the D3200 - one of two on the camera. This allows it to be remotely triggered from a position behind the camera, using an optional infra-red trigger. As we've already mentioned, the D3100 didn't offer wireless triggering, so the addition of two ports on the D3200 is very good news.

Body & Design continued

Viewfinder size and crop

One figure hidden away in every SLR's spec is the size of the viewfinder (often in a format that makes comparison between competing models impossible). The size of the viewfinder is a key factor in usability - the bigger it is, the easier it is to frame and focus your shots, and the more enjoyable and involving process it is.

Because of the way viewfinders are measured (using a fixed lens, rather than a lens of equivalent magnification), you also need to take the sensor size into account, so the numbers in the diagram below are the manufacturer's specified magnifications divided by the respective 'crop factors'.

The viewfinder of the D3200 is basically the same as its predecessor, and offers coverage of 95% and a magnification of 0.8X. These numbers might not mean much, but in normal shooting, the D3200 offers a reasonably large, bright finder which compares well to its entry-level APS-C format peers. It's very marginally larger than the Canon EOS 1100D's (0.48x) and marginally smaller than the Pentax K-r's (0.54x), but it's not a patch on the finders in Nikon's D7000 and FX-format D800, partly because the D3200 uses a pentamirror, rather than the brighter but more expensive pentaprism found in the higher-end models.

This is what 95% coverage looks like - as you can see, a portion of the image area is not shown in the viewfinder, but for normal day-to-day use, it doesn't matter much. What it might mean, however, is that every now and then, a scene element might just creep into one of the corners of your shot that you didn't see when you were taking the picture.

Body elements

	The D3200's ports are ranged down its left flank. From the top, these start with a microphone input (still relatively rare in a product at this level), followed by the USB/AV port, an HDMI connector and a GPS/wired remote socket. The optional WU-1a Wi-Fi adapter pushes into the USB/AV port, requiring the large rubber door to remain wedged open while it's in use.
	On the rear of the D3200 is the second of two IR receivers on the camera - a welcome return, following the omission of wireless triggering from the D3100.
	Unlike some entry level models, the Nikon retains a separate door for its memory card, so there's no need to fiddle around in the battery compartment every time you want to grab some pictures off the card.
	The D3200's hotshoe is compatible with all of the flashes in Nikon's current Speedlight range. Not only does this allow you to get more power than the built-in flash but it also opens up the opportunity to create and control a group of flashes wirelessly (something that the D3200 cannot do on its own).
	The D3200's battery compartment is neatly slotted inside its handgrip, and is accessible via a hinged door on the base of the camera.
	A tripod socket sits in line with the lens axis, and far enough away from the battery compartment door that changing the battery when the camera is mounted on a tripod shouldn't be a problem.
	The D3200 uses an EN-EL14 battery, offering 7.7Wh. This is rated at 540 shots per charge, according to standard CIPA testing methodology (CIPA figures may not reflect how many shots you get but are useful for comparing one camera to another)

Operation and Handling

Ever since the launch of the D40 back in 2006, Nikon has been making little entry-level cameras that are uncomplicated and easy to use, but with plenty of manual control on offer. The D3100 follows in that tradition, being a generally pleasant camera to shoot with (indeed distinctly more so than many other entry-level DSLRs). The D3200's body is a very similar size and shape to the D3100, which means it has one of the better hand grips of its small DSLR peers. The red-accented lip at the top of the grip is a little hard-edged, but generally it's a pretty comfortable shape to hold for extended periods.

	The body isn't very tall, so there's every chance that users with large hands will find their little fingers extend below the bottom of the camera. We've not found this to be a problem, but it's worth being aware of if you're put-off by such things. Unlike Nikon's higher-end DSLRs, the D3200 does not have an accessory battery grip.

In the Auto and scene modes, the D3200 behaves very much as a point-and-shoot, with very little user intervention required or allowed (you get control over focus and flash modes, but that's about it). Guide mode is a middle ground - you take control of the camera's exposure settings using a 'usage scenario' logic - but it's on switching to the PASM modes that the D3200 really comes into its own. The basic exposure parameters - shutter speed, aperture, and exposure compensation - are all handled by the well-placed rear thumbwheel in concert with the exposure compensation button, which is placed behind the shutter release for operation by your index finger. This layout makes changing these settings as quick and fluid as on any other camera in this class. We also like Nikon's dedication of the four-way controller to selecting a focus point manually - combined with the 11-point AF system this makes focusing on off-center subjects a breeze, without having to always focus and recompose for every shot.

The other shooting controls - ISO, white balance, focus mode and the like - are all set from the active control panel on the rear display, which is intuitive and well-implemented, although inevitably a little slower than direct-access buttons. Pressing the 'i' button 'activates' the control panel, and the desired function can then be selected and changed using the four-way controller. A select few options (image size/quality, ISO, white balance and Dynamic Range Optimization) can also be assigned to the Fn button for 'one touch' access. The net affect is to make the camera quick to use, with almost all the major controls at your fingertips.

Info screens

By default the Info screen is displayed on the the D3200's rear LCD screen. You can switch it off by pressing the INFO button on the camera top. It gives a good level of visibility to most of the camera's key functions and via the Setup menu you can select the information display format you prefer - Graphic or Classic (with a choice of three color schemes for each). The information shown on these displays provides an overview of pretty much all camera settings.

In both Graphic and Classic modes pressing the 'information edit' button <[i]> turns the Info screen into an interactive display panel that allows for a large degree of interaction with the camera and its settings (although if you're in Graphic view the display will jump to Classic in the process). When you select any of the options (by pressing OK), you are presented with an image representing the effect of changing the setting. You can also hold the '?' button to read a short explanation of what the setting does.

The graphic view aims to inform the novice photographer, as well as simply showing the camera's status. To this end, an aperture blade graphic illustrates the change as you alter the aperture.	The classic display uses a more traditional style and shows the current settings in number format.


The info screen is also the easiest way to get to and change certain key shooting parameters. After pressing the <[i]> button the screen becomes editable. Settings are navigated using the 4-way rocker switch to the right of the LCD, and set with the 'ok' button.

With a limited number of direct buttons on the camera these info screens remain the main interface for adjusting some key shooting parameters such as focus mode and white balance.

However, while this is great for the beginner just learning the camera, it's not the slickest control system for more experienced users. It would be nice if, when selected, you could change a setting by spinning the control dial, rather than having to press 'OK' and engage an extra level of the interface. This small change, while unlikely to have any impact on a novice, would make the camera much more pleasant to use for those who've grown more familiar with its options.

Guide Mode

Originally introduced with the D3000, 'Guide' mode is designed to simplify the operation of the camera for the benefit of those new to DSLRs, without taking all of the control away from them. When the camera is used in 'Easy Operation' mode, the photographer chooses settings based on the requirements of the situation as they understand it - such as 'distant subjects', or 'sleeping faces'. At this point they are directed towards one of a the D3200's generic 'vari-program' exposure presets. The 'Advanced' setting basically just nudges the photographer towards either aperture or shutter priority mode, although both are skinned with a simplified interface.

The Guide mode splash page appears when you first select the mode or when you press the Menu button from within the mode. It lets you choose to shoot images, view the ones you've shot or change camera settings.	From the splash page you can select easy or advanced operation. In 'Easy operation' mode you are essentially just guided towards the D3100's various pre-defined scene modes.


In 'Advanced' operation the D3200 basically presents a different graphic 'skin' to its aperture and shutter priority modes. There is small image which simulates the effect of the different settings.	A click of the OK button gives you a more detailed explanation of the mode/setting you have selected.

Overall Handling

The D3200 will be an instantly familiar camera to anyone who's ever shot with a DSLR, let alone to someone familiar with the Nikon system. It's small but still pretty comfortable to use. The interface is heavily geared towards the camera's intended audience of novice compact camera upgraders but its capabilities are anything but restrictive - enthusiasts are unlikely to be put off by a bit of extra button pressing, given how promising the image quality appears to be, and how comparatively inexpensive the D3200 is likely to be once it's been on the shelves for a while.

Having exclusively used mirrorless cameras for the past few months, it's nice to use even the D3200's small optical viewfinder again. Phase-detection AF speed depends largely on the lens you mount on the front of the camera - the 18-55mm kit zoom focusses disappointingly slowly, for instance, whereas the 17-55mm F2.8 is lightning quick -and the nine AF points feel a bit restrictive after using cameras that give you free rein over most of the image area, but these are relatively minor annoyances. The sudden drop in AF-speed in live view mode though - where the camera switches to contrast-detection focus - means the experience of moving to shooting with the rear LCD from the viewfinder isn't as seamless as we'd like, but this is still pretty common in today's DSLRs, even at the very top end.

In terms of how you use the camera, the D3200 isn't a dramatic step forward for Nikon, but it fits comfortably into a series has consistently offered some of the best beginners' DSLRs, so it's hard to blame Nikon for not wanting to change the recipe more than it has to.

One of the very few gripes we have regarding the D3200's handling when used in conventional eye-level fashion concerns setting the ISO sensitivity. This is a parameter that we think should be easy to change with the camera to your eye, using a button that's easily identified by feel alone, and without having to shift your grip on the camera with either hand. On the D3200 though, the only way to change ISO via an external control is to assign it to the 'Fn' button. This is reasonably well-placed for operation by your left thumb with the camera to your eye, but because of its close proximity and identical shape to the flash button, the two are still easily confused when working by feel alone. This means it's all-too-easy to pop the flash up by mistake when you meant to change the sensitivity. We'd be much happier to see ISO operated using the button currently assigned to 'info', which after all, is a function you never need to access with the camera to your eye.

Live View

Activating live view mode is slightly different in the D3200 than the D3100, as we've already described. But in operation, the D3200's live view mode is as good as identical to its predecessor. It offers subject-tracking and face-detection AF modes and there is an option to change the sampling rate of the live view image, to reduce screen flickering. You can change the amount and type of information on the screen by pressing the INFO button on the top of the camera. The Info screens work in the same way as in normal shooting mode.

In PAS shooting modes, the live view image will darken or brighten to reflect any exposure compensation you set, although sadly there's still no option to include a live histogram in the live view image to help judge the optimum exposure. Like on the D3100, in manual exposure mode, though, the display makes no attempt to reflect the currently-set exposure level at all. Fortunately though, it is possible to activate an on-screen exposure meter which shows exposure on a +/-2EV scale in 1/3EV increments.

Unfortunately the D3200's live view mode still shows the same odd quirk that we saw on the D3100 and had first appeared on the D300. When you enter Live View, the camera will stop down to the currently set or metered value (offering an undocumented depth-of-field preview in the process), but what it won't then do is readjust the diaphragm 'live' if you change the aperture setting. It will honour the set aperture when actually making an exposure, and indeed return to live view at that aperture afterwards; alternatively you can force it to readjust by exiting and re-entering live view. This can give a misleading impression of the depth of field you'll end up getting, and it further complicates manual focus as you have to remember to always initiate live view at an appropriate aperture (normally with the lens wide open).

This image shows the AF target (in green) and some basic shooting information. A press of the INFO button adds a grid overlay.	Another press of the INFO button gets you to this screen which gives you an overview of currently selected settings including drive mode, AF mode and Active D-Lighting.


The third view shows you the currently selected movie settings including movie size and quality and the remaining recording time on your memory card plus sound recording levels.	The D3200's live view image can be magnified in five steps, to greater than 100% (equivalent). Unfortunately though this appears just to be upscaling of a low-res sensor output, so isn't very useful for critical manual focus.

Record review & play displays

There are five display modes available in image playback, which collectively offer a comprehensive amount of information. By default, only the plain screen and luminance histogram - the first two screens shown in this selection - are made available, but shooting data, separate RGB histograms and a highlight clipping display screen can be activated individually in the playback menu.

1. Large image with key shooting information	2. Small image with histogram and additional shooting information


3: Large image with shooting data overlaid	4: Large image with flashing highlight warning

5: Small image with RGB histogram	The Nikon D3200 has ten levels of review magnification of which four are shown here, (although in common with most digital cameras, at the most extreme magnification the image is visibly pixilated). Zooming is performed using the two zoom buttons to the left of the LCD screen.

Play thumbnail index

The D3200 offers four thumbnail display screens, the final one, shown here at bottom right, being a calendar view that groups images according to the date on which they were taken. Caution is called for here though, because pressing the delete button in this mode deletes all of the images taken on whichever day is highlighted. Movie files are distinguished from stills by a film sprocket-style border.

Help Screens

As a camera aimed squarely at DSLR novices coming from compacts or even camera phones, the D3200 has to be as user-friendly as possible, without compromising on functionality. One of the ways that Nikon has approached this goal in the D3200 is by including a comprehensive database of help screens. when a menu option or setting is highlighted on the LCD screen, the ? button to the left of the LCD screen brings up a page of text, explaining the purpose of the particular setting.

Menus

	The D3200's menu system looks much the same as its predecessor's. Overall, there's an impressive level of control on offer here that's presented in a logical and easy-to-use fashion, with on-screen help available at any time by pressing the '?' button.

Playback menu

The playback menu should look very familiar to existing Nikon users - it is as good as identical to the D3100 and allows you to configure slide show and playback display options amongst other things.


Option	Values / Actions	Notes
Delete	• Selected • Select Date • All
Playback folder	• D3200 • Current • All	Sets the camera to either display all images on the memory card or only those within a specific folder
Playback display options	• Additional photo info Done None Highlights RGB Histogram Shooting Data Overview • Transition effects Slide in Zoom/fade None
Image review	• Off • On	Sets whether or not an image is displayed immediately after capture
Rotate tall	• On • Off	When enabled portrait shots appear vertically orientated.
Slide show	• Start • Image type Still images and movies Still images only Movies only • Frame interval 2 sec 3 sec 5 sec 10 sec • Transition effects Zoom/fade Cube None
Print set (DPOF)	• Select / set • Deselect all?	Images tagged with DPOF (Digital Print Order Format) are marked for direct printing via compatible printers and/or photo finishing services

Shooting menu

Again this section of the menus is pretty much identical to the D3100. The only new addition are the settings to control audio recording in movie mode.


Option	Values / Actions	Notes / Sub options
Reset Shooting Options	• Yes • No	Resets shooting menu options to factory default settings
Set Picture Control	• Standard Quick adjust (-2 to +2) Sharpening (A, 0 to 9) Contrast (A, -3 to +3) Brightness (0, -, +)* Saturation (A, -3 to +3) Hue (-3 to +3) • Neutral Sharpening (A, 0 to 9) Contrast (A, -3 to +3) Brightness (0, -, +)* Saturation (A, -3 to +3) Hue (-3 to +3) • Vivid Quick adjust (-2 to +2) Sharpening (A, 0 to 9) Contrast (A, -3 to +3) Brightness (0, -, +)* Saturation (A, -3 to +3) Hue (-3 to +3) • Monochrome Sharpening (A, 0 to 9) Contrast (A, -3 to +3) Brightness (0, -, +)* Filter (Off, Y, O, R, G) Toning (10 options) • Portrait Quick adjust (-2 to +2) Sharpening (A, 0 to 9) Contrast (A, -3 to +3 Brightness (0, -, +)* Saturation (A, -3 to +3) Hue (-3 to +3) • Landscape Quick adjust (-2 to +2) Sharpening (A, 0 to 9) Contrast (A, -3 to +3) Brightness (0, -, +)* Saturation (A, -3 to +3) Hue (-3 to +3)	- Default (3, 0, 0, 0, 0) - Default (2, 0, 0, 0, 0) - Default (4, 0, 0, 0, 0) - Default (3, 0, 0, 0, 0) - Default (3, 0, 0, 0, 0) - Default (4, 0, 0, 0, 0)
Image quality	• NEF (RAW) + JPEG fine* • NEF (RAW) • JPEG Fine • JPEG Normal ¹ • JPEG Basic	Select image quality. The D3100 now records a 'fine' JPEG alongside RAW, rather than basic
Image size	• Large ¹ • Medium • Small	- 6016x4000 / 24.1 M - 4512x3000 / 13.5 M - 3008x2000 / 6.0 M
White balance	• Auto ¹ • Incandescent • Fluorescent 1 Sodium-vapor lamps 2 Warm-white fluorescent 3 White fluorescent 4 Cool-white fluorescent 5 Day white fluorescent 6 Daylight fluorescent 7 High temp mercury-vapor • Direct Sunlight • Flash • Cloudy • Shade • Preset manual	- A-B, G-M grid to fine tune WB - " - " - " - " - " - " - " - " - " - " - " - " - " - Use photo/ program preset WB
ISO sensitivity settings	• ISO sensitivity Auto 100 ¹ 200 400 800 1600 3200 6400 Hi 1 • Auto ISO sensitivity control On / Off ¹ Maximum sensitivity 200 400 800 1600 3200 ¹ 6400 Hi 1 Minimum shutter speed 1/2000 - 1 sec
Active D-Lighting	• On • Off ¹
Auto Distortion Control	• On • Off ¹
Color Space	• sRGB ¹ • Adobe RGB
Noise Reduction	• On • Off ¹	When 'On', dark-frame removal noise reduction is applied to exposures of 10 seconds or longer. High ISO noise reduction is automatic at ISO 800 and above, but increases in intensity when 'On' is selected.
AF Area Mode	• Viewfinder Single point Dynamic area Auto-area 3D tracking (11 points) • Live View/movie Face-priority AF Wide-area AF Normal-area AF Subject-tracking AF
AF assist	• On ¹ • Off
Metering	• Matrix ¹ • Center-weighted • Spot
Movie Settings	• Frame size/frame rate 1920x1080; 24 fps 1920x1080; 25 fps 1280x720; 50 fps 640x424; 25 fps • Movie quality High Norm • Microphone Auto sensitivity Manual sensitivity Off
Flash control for built-in flash	• TTL ¹ • Manual Full 1/2 1/4 1/8 1/16 1/32

Menus (cont.)

Setup menu

Apart from a couple of new languages there are no changes here compared to the D3100. You get the usual array of options for the basic setup of your camera such as time, language and storage options. A setting you would necessary expect to find in this section of the menu are the self-timer delay options.

A green superscript one (¹) indicates the default setting.


Option	Values / Actions	Notes
Reset Setup Options	• Yes • No	Returns all setup options to default settings
Format memory card	• Yes • No
Monitor brightness	• LCD brightness -3 to +3	'Auto Dim' no longer available
Info display format	• Classic Blue Black Orange • Graphic Green Black Brown
Auto Info Display	• On • Off
Clean image sensor	• Clean now • Clean startup/shutdown Startup Shutdown Startup & Shutdown ¹ Off
Lock mirror up for cleaning	• Start	Locks mirror up for the sole purpose of manually cleaning the sensor
Video Mode	• NTSC • PAL ¹
HDMI	• Output Resolution Auto ¹ 480p (progressive) 576p (progressive) 720p (progressive) 1080i (interlaced) • Device Control Off ¹ On
Flicker reduction	• Auto • 50 Hz • 60 Hz
Time zone and date	• Time zone Select • Date and time Date set Time set • Date format yy/mm/dd mm/dd/yy dd/mm/yy • Daylight saving time Off On
Language	• Czech • Danish • German • English • Spanish • Greek • French • Indonesian • Italian • Hungarian • Dutch • Norwegian • Polish • Portuguese (BR) • Portuguese (PT) • Russian • Romanian • Finnish • Swedish • Turkish • Arabic • Ukrainian • Chinese Traditional • Chinese Simplified • Japanese • Korean • Thai • Hindi
Image comment	• Done • Input comment Text entry • Attach comment	When enabled the comment is written into the header of each image.
Auto image rotation	• On ¹ • Off
Dust Off ref photo	• Start • Clean sensor and start	Used to capture a 'dust reference image' for the 'Dust Off' feature of Nikon Capture NX/2. (RAW only).
Auto Off Timers	• Short • Normal • Long • Custom Playback/Menus Image review Live View Auto meter off	Sets the amount of time before a function or menu screen is deactivated after a period of inactivity, up to a maximum of 5 minutes (Live View), 10 minutes (Playback/Menus, Image Review) or 30 minutes (Auto meter-off)
Self-timer delay	• 2s • 5s • 10s ¹ • 20s
Remote on duration	• 1 min ¹ • 5 min • 10 min • 15 min
Beep	• High • Low¹ • Off
Rangefinder	• On • Off ¹
File number sequence	• On • Off ¹ • Reset
Buttons	• Assign Fn button Image quality/size ISO sensitivity ¹ White balance Active D-Lighting • AE-L/AF-L AE/AF lock¹ AE lock only AF lock only AE lock (hold) AF-ON • Shutter release AE lock On Off ¹
Slot empty release lock	• Release locked • Enable release
Print date	• Off • Date • Date and time • Date counter	Imprints date information at the bottom right corner of captured images
Storage Folder	• Select folder • New • Rename • Delete	Selects the preferred folder for recording images or creates a new folder on the memory card
GPS	• Standby timer On ¹ Off • Position • Use GPS to set camera clock On ¹ Off
Firmware Version	• Version No.	Information display only.

Retouch menu

The D3200 adds a few useful new features to what's already probably the most comprehensive in-camera processing suite available in this class. You can now apply a 'color sketch' or fisheye effect to your images ini addition to the functions which have been available on previous models such as distortion correction (for D- and G-type Nikon lenses only), image rotation or perspective correction.


Option	Values / Actions	Notes
D-Lighting	• Select image Normal Low High
Red-eye correction	• Select image	Corrects redeye automatically in portraits. Ignores images that do not contain faces
Trim	• Select image Zoom / Scroll Aspect ratio
Monochrome	• Black-and-white Select image • Sepia Select image Lighter/Darker • Cyanotype Select image Lighter/Darker	'Lighter/Darker' changes saturation of toning in Sepia and Cyanotype modes
Filter effects	• Skylight Select image • Warm filter Select image • Red intensifier Select image • Green intensifier Select image • Blue intensifier Select image • Cross screen Number of points Filter amount Filter angle Length of points • Soft Low Normal High
Color balance	• Select image Adjust color
Image overlay	• Image 1 • Image 2 • Preview
Resize	• Select image • Choose size 2.5M 1.1M 0.6M 0.3M 0.1M
NEF (RAW) processing	• Select image • Choose parameters Image quality Image size White Balance Exposure comp. Set Picture Control Execute
Quick retouch	• Select image • Select level Normal Low High	Automatically adjusts contrast and saturation
Straighten	• Select image Adjust	+/- 5° rotation in 0.25° increments
Distortion Control	• Auto • Manual
Fisheye	• Select image Adjust	Adjust fisheye effect (0-10 scale)
Color outline	• Select image
Color sketch	• Select image Vividness Outline	Adjust vividness and outline on a -1 to +1 scale
Perspective Control	• Select image Adjust	Adjust horizontal and vertical perspective (+/-20 scale)
Miniature effect	• Select image Adjust
Selective color	• Select image Select color
Edit movie	• Choose start point • Choose end point • Save selected frame

Recent settings/My menu

To help speed up the use of such long menus, the D3200 allows fast access to commonly-used menu options by grouping the twenty most recently used settings in the 'Recent Settings' menu. Because this menu is fluid, it is less versatile than a customizable 'My Menu'-type tab, of the sort found in Nikon's higher level DSLRs; the advantage is that it requires no user intervention.

Performance

Overall Performance

The Nikon D3200 has an updated processor compared to its predecessor, but the only area of operation where this update becomes noticeable is the continuous shooting mode. The new model is one frame per second faster than the D3100 (4 fps vs 3 fps) and while at a first glance this doesn't look like too much of an improvement it becomes more impressive if you consider the D3200's considerably larger file sizes. Despite combined JPEG and Raw file sizes of over 35MB, with a fast SD card the camera can sustain 4 frames per second continuous shooting speed for approximately 9 frames.

The D3200's AF system is the same as in previous generations. It's not the state of the art (and is considerably hobbled by the slow-focussing 18-55mm kit zoom) but very capable, and able to lock focus reliably, even in very low light. There are very few customization options but you can choose between four AF-area modes, including 3D-tracking. The latter doesn't offer the same kind of rock-solid reliability as the D800 or D4, but does a very job at tracking moving subjects, assuming the subject has some contrast. Overall the Nikon D3200 is a snappy and responsive camera that is fun to operate, and a standout performer in its class.

Continuous Shooting and Buffering

The Nikon D3200 is an entry-level DSLR, and as such, can't approach the same maximum framerates that make its higher-end stablemates so flexible but the camera's 4 frames per second is pretty much in line with what you would expect in this class of camera. It's worth noting that Nikon's semi-professional 36MP D800 also offers a maximum framerate of 'only' 4fps.

When shooting JPEGs only you can shoot at 4 fps up to 100 frames at which point you can start shooting again right away by releasing and re-pressing the shutter button. In raw mode you can shoot approximately 16 frames in one burst (9 when shooting raw+JPEG) which should be more than enough for most shooting situations. The D3200 is not meant to be a sports or action camera but it offers decent buffer size and speeds for its class.

Continuous mode

Timing	JPEG Large/Fine	RAW	RAW+JPEG Fine
Frame rate	4.0 fps	4.0 fps	4.0 fps
Number of frames	100	16	9
Buffer full rate	n/a	2.0	0.9
Write complete	n/a	2 sec	11 sec

All timings performed using a 64GB SanDisk Extreme Pro UHS-I SDHC card (90MB/s).

With the D3200's large images files it is advisable to use a fast SD memory card, especially if you are planning to shoot bursts in Raw+JPEG mode. The SD cards slot makes use of the fastest cards that are currently available but the number of images in a burst decreases with longer write complete times if you use slower cards.

Autofocus speed / accuracy

Like all of Nikon's other entry-level models, the D3200 lacks an in-body autofocus motor. This means the camera won't focus with older non-AF-S Nikkor lenses, or third party designs which lack an built-in motor; something you need to bear in mind if you choose to expand your lens collection (and which limits your options on the second-hand market). Non-AF-S autofocus lenses will fit perfectly well, and be entirely functional with the exception of focus, which will be manual.

The Nikon D3200 offers 4 different AF-area modes for focusing in both modes viewfinder shooting and live view. However, when framing your image through the viewfinder you are limited to the AF-system's 11-AF-points. Focusing in live view is slower but the contrast detect AF system allows you to move your AF point anywhere in the frame.

Other than that the camera's 11-point AF-system is the same that we have seen on the predecessor D3100 (and indeed the D3000). Despite not offering the same number of AF-points or speed than mid-level or professional cameras it locks focus very reliably, even in very dark conditions. We couldn't find any 'false positives' amongst our several hundred sample we shot while working on this review.

The Nikon D3200's 11-point AF system locks the focus reliably, even in very low light shooting situations such as in this underground dungeon.

The 3D-tracking mode is also pretty effective at tracking moving subjects which is unusual in the entry-level class. This works best in combination with one of Nikon's better AF-S lenses as the with the standard AF-S Nikkor 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 VR kit zoom, the focus speed is too slow to be really useful for shooting action.

In live view focusing is of course a totally different affair. Despite some increase in speed over earlier implementations the contrast detect system in live view is still significantly slower than the standard phase detection system. Often you'll also encounter some focus hunting, especially in low light. That said, while in early live view days the AF used to be almost prohibitively slow it is now perfectly usable and makes live view a much better shooting option.

Battery life

The Nikon D3200 comes with the same EN-EL14 lithium-ion battery pack that was used in the predecessor D3100. It's got a capacity of 1030 mAh which, according to Nikon, is good for 540 shots (CIPA standard) when shooting in single-frame drive mode. If you switch to continuous shooting mode you can even get 1800 shots out of it, measured using Nikon's own standard procedures.

In real life we found the battery life to be good enough for a typical day of stills shooting with some video capture and image review in between but you'd want to charge the battery overnight if you are planning to do the same thing again the next day. As there is no optional battery grip available from Nikon for the D3200 a spare battery might be a good alternative who shoot a lot without overnight recharging opportunities.

Active D-Lighting

Active D-Lighting is Nikon's dynamic range expansion option, which can be activated in the shooting menu. It is designed to maintain shadow detail without blowing the highlights in high contrast scenes. On the D3200 this feature has only two settings - On or Off - but when switched on ADL essentially operates in an Auto mode that adapts the intensity of the effect to a specific scene, so the results differ depending on the scene.

In the sample scene the effects of ADL are more obvious in the shadow areas of the frame which have visibly lifted than in the highlights. The blown white areas on the boat only show very marginally more detail with ADLS activated, but the light blue sky has turned a little darker, giving the image an overall more pleasant look.

ADL off	ADL on

Digital filters

The Nikon D3200 is one of the few entry-level DSLRs that does not offer any digital filters or effect at the point of capture. However, the camera's Retouch menu is fairly comprehensive and there are a few good effect options that you can apply to images on your memory card that you have already taken. In the 'Filter Effects' sub-menu you find a number of 'traditional' filters. In the pre-digital era the same effects could have been achieved with a physical filter screwed in front of your lens. This includes the Skylight, Warm, Red, Green, Blue, Cross Screen (Star) and Soft filters.

Additionally there is a range of 'digital' filters which are similar to the ones we have seen on other current entry-level DSLRs and mirrorless system cameras. These include the Color outline, Color sketch, Fisheye, Miniature effect and Selective color options. The majority of these filters don't allow for any customization but some, such as the Fisheye, Miniature and Sketch filters let you modify the intensity of the effect. Below you can see all these filters applies to a real-life image.

No filter	Skylight	Warm	Red

Green	Blue	Cross	Soft
Outline	Sketch	Miniature	Fisheye
Selective

Picture Control

The Nikon D3200 offers six Picture Control color response presets, shown in the table below.

Standard	Neutral	Vivid

Monochrome	Portrait	Landscape

These presets can be applied prior to image capture via the Q-menu or the Picture Style button, or when converting a raw file in-camera. There is also an 'Auto' setting which automatically picks the best style for a given scene and three user definable settings.

The D3200 offers the same Picture Control settings that we've seen on most Nikon DSLRs in the last few years. Once you pick a setting you can then fine-tune a number o parameters such as sharpening and contrast.

Distortion correction

On the Nikon D3200 you have the option to enable distortion correction in the shooting menu. As you can see in the images below, the feature does a good job at keeping the image from showing the barrel distortion caused by the lens. This shot was taken with the 18-55mm kit lens at its widest focal length.

Overall the distortion correction is doing an excellent job, eliminating a large portion of distortion with only a minimal loss of quality at the edge of the frame. You also loose a small portion of the frame around the edges to the correction.

Distortion Correction On	Distortion Correction Off

WU-1a Wireless Mobile Adapter

The image quality of smartphone cameras might be getting better and better but DSLRs still have the edge for serious photography. However, smartphones come with the advantage of connectivity which allows you to share your images almost instantly on social networks, via e-mail or on image hosting sites. To bridge the gap between camera and smartphone Nikon has released the optional WU-1a adapter ($60) with the D3200.

The WU-1a is a little WiFi-dongle that connects to the camera's AV port and allows you to transfer images from the camera to your smartphone or tablet and remote-trigger the camera. So far it is only compatible with the D3200 and only works with Android devices (2.3 'Gingerbread' or later). According to Nikon a version of the app for Apple's iOS-devices is on its way for fall 2012. For this test we have used a Samsung Galaxy Nexus smartphone running Android 4.1 'Jelly Bean'.

To make things work you need to install Nikon's Wireless Mobile Adapter Utility app on your device from the Google Play store. Once that is done you can plug the adapter into the AV-port and switch the camera on. At that point the camera acts as a WiFi-hotspot which you can connect your smartphone to. If You then launch the app you are offered four options on the homescreen:

Use the camera to take pictures - in this mode you take a picture as usual, by pressing the shutter button on the camera, but right after capture the image is transferred to the phone.
Take pictures remotely - in this mode the camera enters live-view mode, you can see the live-view image on your phone screen and trigger the camera remotely.
Share pictures - in this mode you can share pictures that have already been downloaded to the phone with other apps on your phone, for example Instagram, Flickr, Facebook, E-mail, Dropbox etc.
Download pictures from camera - does exactly what it says on the tin, let's you download images from the camera's SD-card to the phone via WiFi. You can choose between full-size and VGA-resolution.

In practice we found the adapter/app combination to work quite well but there is still some room for improvement - not a surprise considering this is a new type of product for Nikon. The phone occasionally disconnects from the camera, even with both devices placed right next to each other. If that happens during an image transfer it has to be restarted.

The other complaints we have are mostly minor ones. Depending on how many images there are on your SD card it can take quite a while to generate the thumbnail view in the browser. It took about 35 seconds to show the 450 images we had on our card. What makes it slightly annoying is the fact that the thumbnail-view has to be re-generated each time you leave and re-enter the download-screen (even after the phone goes into stand-by mode). The app also doesn't detect image orientation and shows all images in landscape-format.

The WU-1a is a tiny adapter that connects to the camera's AV-port. It feels a little flimsy, so you might want to disconnect it and store it safely in its case when you're not using it.

Overall the WU-1a adapter is in its current state more of a gadget rather than a professional tool. It's definitely fun to play with but its operation feels a little clunky at times. Professional users will want more 'remote control' over camera settings and operation, and we suspect that those who want to post a quick snapshot will probably find it quicker and more convenient to just use their phone camera. That said, if you need to e-mail your images or post them to the web while you are out and about the WU-1a will do the job.

Below we are showing a series of screengrabs of the Nikon Wireless Mobile Adapter Utility app to give you a better idea of its functions and operation.

The setup is easy. Once you have the adapter plugged into the AV-port and turned the camera on the D3200 basically acts as a WiFi hotspot that you can connect your smartphone to. After launching the app you can choose from the four main functions on its home screen.


The 'Take Pictures remotely' screen shows you the camera's live-view image along with shutter speed/aperture and the camera's battery status. Press the shutter button on your screen and a picture is captured.	In the 'Use camera to take pictures' mode you press the shutter on the camera. Once the image has been captured it is being downloaded to the phone.

Once an image has been downloaded you can view it on your phone screen, zoom in and out and drag it around the screen. With a decent screen on your phone this is a good way of checking critical focus and sharpness.

If you select an image for sharing a screen opens that allows you to pick the app you want to share it with. The options you get here of course depend on the apps you have installed on your phone but you can use your D3200 images in most imaging apps such as Instagram (right image), send it via e-mail, post it to Facebook or Flickr, or store it in your Dropbox or Google Drive.

This is the Image Download screen. It can take a little while for the thumbnails to be downloaded but once they're there you can select an image by pressing and holding it for a second or so. If you then press the download button the download starts. We measured about 15 seconds for a full-size JPEG image. If that's too long for you and you only want to share your images on the web you can set the app to download a VGA-sized version of the image.

The app offers a good array of options. You can select a minimum battery level, for both camera and phone, at which live-view transmission stops. You can select the image size for image download (full-size or VGA) and you can configure the app to automatically download an image after capture or to trigger the download manually. There are also fairly extensive options for the WiFi-connection that allow you to configure security settings and set a password amongst other things.

ISO Accuracy

The actual sensitivity of each indicated ISO is measured using the same shots as are used to measure ISO noise levels, we simply compare the exposure for each shot to the metered light level (using a calibrated Sekonic L-358), middle gray matched. We estimate the accuracy of these results to be +/- 1/6 EV (the margin of error given in the ISO specifications). In our tests we found that measured ISOs from the Nikon D3200 match the marked ISOs within 1/6 stop accuracy, meaning ISO 100 indicated = ISO 100 measured.

Noise and Noise Reduction (JPEG)

This is our standard studio scene comparison shot taken from exactly the same tripod position. Lighting: daylight simulation, >98% CRI. Crops are 100%. Ambient temperature was approximately 22°C (~72°F).

Note: this page features our new interactive noise comparison widget. By default, we show you the default noise reduction settings of the camera tested, and three other models of the same class. You can select from all available NR options, and from other cameras. The 'tricolor' patches beneath the familiar gray/black/portrait images are taken from the same test chart, and show how noise impacts upon blue, green and red areas of a scene.

Nikon D3200

ISO:

Lowest 100 200 400 800 1600 3200 6400 12800 25600

If you look at the noise graphs above you can see that, at default settings (NR Off), the Nikon D3200's measured noise levels are higher than some of the competition in its class, albeit pretty close to its predecessor D3100, pretty much across the entire ISO range. Noise levels increase slowly but steadily up to ISO 3200, then skyrocket at the two highest sensitivity settings. A look at the samples confirms the measured results. Image noise becomes visible at ISO 200 but stays within acceptable limits until ISO 3200. At ISO 6400 and the Hi1 setting (ISO 12800) both chroma and luminance noise levels become pretty intrusive while at the same time noise reduction is blurring most fine detail away.

There is practically no benefit to switching noise reduction on at low ISOs, a difference between the 'Off' and 'On' settings only becomes visible at ISO 1600 and higher. That said, even the 'Off' setting doesn't mean that no noise reduction at all is applied. Instead there appears to be a baseline level of mainly chroma noise reduction that cannot be disabled. The noise reduction setting controls the amount of additional noise reduction on top of this baseline level.

At higher ISOs the NR 'On' setting is the better option as it produces a visible cleaner image without a significant additional impact on fine detail. Overall up to ISO 3200 the Nikon D3200's noise levels are fairly typical for the entry-level bracket of the market albeit at the higher end of the spectrum. At the two highest settings image quality deteriorates quickly and ISO 6400 and 12800 images should be reserved for use at small output sizes only.

RAW noise (ACR 7.1, noise reduction set to zero)

Nikon D3200

ISO:

Lowest 100 200 400 800 1600 3200 6400 12800 25600

With all noise reduction switched off in raw conversion the Nikon D3200's raw noise levels are on a very similar level to the competition in the entry-level bracket and its predecessor D3100. Converting high ISO raw files and applying a customized noise reduction mix can get you better results than the out-of-camera JPEGs, as we have demonstrated in the image quality sections of this review.

Resolution Chart Comparison (JPEG and Raw)

Images on this page are of our standard resolution chart which provides for measurement of resolution up to 4000 LPH (Lines Per Picture Height). A value of 20 equates to 2000 lines per picture height. For each camera we use the relevant prime lens (the same one we use for all the other tests in a particular review). The chart is shot at a full range of apertures and the sharpest image selected. Studio light, cameras set to aperture priority (optimum aperture selected), image parameters default. Exposure compensation set to deliver approximately 80% luminance in the white areas.

What we want to show here is how well the camera is able to resolve the detail in our standard test chart compared to the theoretical maximum resolution of the sensor, which for the charts we shoot is easy to work out - it's simply the number of vertical pixels (the chart shows the number of single lines per picture height, the theoretical limit is 1 line per pixel). Beyond this limit (which when talking about line pairs is usually referred to as the Nyquist frequency) the sensor cannot faithfully record image detail and aliasing occurs.

This limit is rarely attained, because the majority of sensors are fitted with anti-aliasing filters. Anti-aliasing filters are designed to reduce unpleasant moiré effects, but in doing so, they also reduce resolution (the relative strength and quality of these filters varies from camera to camera). In theory though, a sensor without an AA filter, when coupled with a 'perfect' lens, will deliver resolution equal to its Nyquist limit. Therefore, even though it may be effectively unattainable with normal equipment in normal shooting situations, an understanding of a sensor's theoretical limit provides a useful benchmark for best possible performance. Nyquist is indicated in these crops with a red line.

On this page we're looking at both JPEG and Raw resolution. For a (more) level playing field we convert the latter using Adobe Camera Raw. Because Adobe Camera Raw applies different levels of sharpening to different cameras (this confirmed) we use the following workflow for these conversions:

Load Raw file into Adobe Camera Raw (Auto mode disabled)
Set Sharpness to 0 (all other settings default)
Open file to Photoshop
Apply a Unsharp mask tuned to the camera, here 170%, Radius 0.4, Threshold 0
Make 100% crops and save the original file at JPEG quality 11 for download

JPEG (4352 x 3264) 2.0MB	JPEG (4352 x 3264) 5.3MB

Vertical resolution

JPEG


Raw

Horizontal resolution

JPEG	Raw

With a high quality lens (such as the Nikkor 50mm F1.4 that we use for our studio tests) the D3200's 24MP pixel count results in high levels of detail. However, the out-of-camera JPEGs, while clean of artifacts, are a little soft and and only resolve accurately up to approximately 3000 lp/ph which is less than we would expect from a camera with a 24MP sensor.

Converting your raw files and applying a customized unsharp mask (170%, 0.4 radius in our case) will get you a significant amount of additional detail. In our examples, here, there is some detail (albeit not 'true' almost up to the Nyquist limit of 4000lp/ph, which is the theoretical limit of the D3200's sensor resolution. You pay for it with some moiré patterning but in real-life images this is much less of an issue than it might appear from our test-chart. As always, if detail resolution is your priority, raw files provide a much better starting point than out-of-camera camera JPEGs.

JPEG Tone Curves / dynamic range

Our Dynamic Range measurement system involves shooting a calibrated Stouffer Step Wedge (13 stops total range) which is backlit using a daylight balanced lamp (98 CRI). A single shot of this produces a gray scale wedge from the camera's clipped white point down to black (example below). Each step of the scale is equivalent to 1/3 EV (a third of a stop), we select one step as 'middle gray' (defined as 50% luminance) and measure outwards to define the dynamic range. Hence there are 'two sides' to our results, the amount of shadow range (below middle gray) and the amount of highlight range (above middle gray).

To most people highlight range is the first thing they think about when talking about dynamic range, that is the amount of highlight detail above middle gray the camera can capture before it clips to white. Shadow range is more complicated; in our test the line on the graph stops as soon as the luminance value drops below our defined 'black point' (about 2% luminance) or the signal-to-noise ratio drops below a predefined value (where shadow detail would be swamped by noise), whichever comes first.

Note: this page features our new interactive dynamic range comparison widget. The wedges below the graph are created by our measurement system from the values read from the step wedge, the red lines indicate approximate shadow and highlight range (the dotted line indicating middle gray).

Cameras Compared

Dynamic range comparison

Nikon D3200

Nikon D3200
ADL Off

Canon EOS 600D (EOS Rebel T3i / EOS Kiss X5)
HTP Off

Pentax K-r
Highlight Correction off

Nikon D3100
Active D-Lighting Off

With its Active D-Lighting feature switched off the Nikon D3200 gets just over 3.5EV of dynamic range in the highlights which puts it slightly ahead of its direct competitors in the entry-level segment such as the Canon EOS 600D or Pentax K-r. Switching on Active D-Lighting gives you marginally more highlight range and also lifts the shadow areas, creating an overall more balanced exposure in high-contrast scenes.

This feature is shared by all of Nikon's DSLRs models, but unlike models higher up the product line, the D3200 only has two settings - On or Off. The effect of Active D-Lighting differs depending on the scene, so this test, performed using our 13-stop wedge, isn't necessarily an accurate indication of 'typical' performance. It does clearly show, however, the way in which ADL is designed to work, extending the visible dynamic range by lifting shadow areas and darkening highlights, to get the most detail out of these areas in a single exposure. To get an idea of the function's impact on real-life images check out theFeatures-page of this review.

Color Modes

Dynamic range comparison

Nikon D3200

Nikon D3200
Standard

Nikon D3200
Vivid

Nikon D3200
Landscape

Nikon D3200
Portrait

Like most recent Nikon DSLRs the D3200 offers six different 'Picture Controls', which are essentially color response presets applied to in-camera JPEGs. While some of these slightly adjust the shadow range of the image they all clip highlights at essentially the same point, approximately 3.5 EV from middle gray. See the Features page of this review for a demonstration of these presets on a real-world image.

The default mode is 'Standard'. The 'Vivid' and 'Landscape' options boost image contrast by slightly reducing dynamic range in the shadow areas of the image and rendering 'deeper' black. 'Portrait' mode, on the other hand, protects shadows by maintaining detail at the darker end of the camera's dynamic range, but still clips highlights at almost the same point as the 'Standard' option.

electro review