Introduction
By all accounts, Nikon has a great year in 2011, topping both the DSLR and compact camera charts. The former came via the Nikon D3100, the company’s entry-level offering which features a 14.2 million pixel sensor and offered a great "in" for those looking to get serious about their photography.
After launching two new models at the very top of its line-up already this year, Nikon has now refreshed its beginner offering with the D3200, although interestingly not by replacing the D3100, but by introducing a new camera to sit alongside it.
Nikon says that it will continue to market and sell the D3100, offering customers the choice between a budget model, and a more sophisticated option in the D3200.
There’s lots of interesting technology crammed into the relatively small body of the D3200, including things which have trickled down from its more expensive bodies. Those include features such as the Expeed 3 processing engine, which promises to deliver quicker processing times, low noise and different frame rates for the full HD video recording.
A number of other improvements have been made to the camera, including slight ergonomic upgrades in the form of newly added buttons and an enhanced rear LCD screen.
But it is course that 24.2 million pixel sensor which is likely to be the most headline grabbing feature, coming just weeks after the unveiling of its other high resolution camera, the Nikon D800 (with 36 million pixels).
Resolution
Coming from a company that used to profess that 12 million pixels was "enough", it’s likely that some will scoff at the upping in pixel count, but Nikon is keen to point out the cropping potential that such a high resolution offers. This means that for users who are unlikely to invest in a second, longer focal length range, they can crop into images post-capture and still retain a large enough pixel count for high quality images.
Aiming itself so squarely at the entry level user, improvements made to the Guide Mode are something Nikon is understandably keen to shout about. On this model, new guides including "Reds in Sunsets" have been added, which, along with the original guides, is designed to guide users to the best possible image quality without necessarily having to have a huge amount of photographic knowledge.
Helpfully, the updated guide now has more reference images which change as the settings are adjusted to show the typical impact.
Another feature which is likely to appeal to the intended target audience, is the option to purchase an additional Wi-Fi adapter, the WU-1A, which connects the camera to smart phones and tablets for remote shooting and uploading images to social networking sites.
A number of retouch options have been included in the camera, including the capability to straighten and crop images and add digital art filters after the shot has been taken.
Build quality and handling
The D3200 takes the lead from its predecessor, but has a few improvements to ergonomics which are very helpful to the everyday shooter.
While there are limited number of direct control buttons on the D3200, commonly used functions (such as ISO), can be accessed via the "i" quick menu button on the back of the camera.
Although obviously quite a small camera, the large grip provides a good amount of purchase, while the weight of it (when combined with the standard 18-55mm kit lens) is heavy enough to give the D3200 the feel of a quality piece of kit.
The camera feels robust enough to withstand minor knocks and scrapes, although it obviously doesn’t have the higher quality of build of its bigger, more expensive brothers in the line-up.
New buttons include a dedicated Live View button, a welcome and sensible addition for novice users who may be used to shooting via an LCD if they have come from a compact or compact system camera background.
Another new addition is a dedicated movie record button, which can be found conveniently located next to the shutter release. Again, this is a sensible idea for the intended audience, who are unlikely to want to spend time fiddling about with dials and menus to reach movie record mode.
LCD
Nikon has improved the screen for the D3200, bringing it up to 921,000 dots from the D3100’s 230k dot offering. The screen is very clear and bright, and offers a good angle of view from a variety of different shooting positions.
It’s somewhat a shame that an articulating screen couldn’t be included on the D3200, but adding that would surely come at the cost of making the overall body bigger, so it’s understandable why Nikon has chosen to keep articulating screens for its larger bodied cameras.
The display orientation changes depending on whether you’re shooting in portrait or landscape mode, a nice touch which makes shooting in portrait mode a much easier proposition and is likely to impress those used to using smart phones and the like.
Of course, being an SLR, the D3200 has an optical viewfinder. Although not offering the same 100% field of view as its bigger brothers, it is none-the-less bright and clear and easy to work with.
With 11 autofocus points on offer, you can elect to have the camera choose an AF point for you, or switch to choosing it for yourself. Being a slightly more advanced operation, this option is hidden away slightly in the menu, which is a little frustrating.
Guide mode
The improvements made to the Guide menu have made the process of shooting high quality images easier, while also managing to impart some knowledge to the photographer using it.
For example, when using the new "Reds in Sunsets" mode, the camera will guide the user through altering white balance, meaning that eventually the user may come to use the camera independently, without the need for such help.
Nikon already claims that the Guide feature has been very well received by its users, and we can’t see that changing for the new model, and it’s great that these guides have been written in plain English, as well as referencing the photographic terms for educational purposes.
Performance
As we only had the opportunity to spend time with a pre-production version of the camera, we are unable to share any images taken with the D3200, and we have also been unable to examine any images shot at 100% on a computer screen.
However, initial impressions of the camera’s performance are good, and we think this camera is likely to appeal to novice shooters, while also containing a few features that enthusiasts will also appreciate.
Autofocus acquisition was quick in the majority of cases during our time with the camera, even in low light situations.
In areas of low contrast, or very low light, the autofocus did struggle a little, but overall we were impressed by its performance and will be keen to put this through its paces further when we get a full production sample in for review.
It’s worth bearing in mind that autofocus is slower when using Live View, which may frustrate some shooters who are used to the quick speeds of compact cameras.
Shooting using the auto white balance setting, the camera seemed to do a good job of measuring the scene to produce accurate results. Noise when shooting at high sensitivities also seemed to be low. It’s worth remembering however that these conclusions come from quickly examining images on the rear LCD and we will of course be keen to put it to further inspection.
By introducing a greater number of pixels to the sensor, there comes a greater risk of increased noise. Nikon says that noise levels remain roughly the same as on the 14.3 pixel D3100, but in certain rare conditions, the performance is slightly worse. Again, this is an area we will be keen to put through rigorous tests at a later date.
We were unable to review the editing and retouch options on the pre-production sample we were using, but the features included are promising. The option to straighten horizons we can see being particularly appealing to users, as well as the in-camera cropping. We would have liked to have seen the ability to add ratings from within the camera, making it easier to see which images to ditch and which to keep, but perhaps this is something Nikon could consider for future models.
Sample images
Click here to see the full resolution image.
Lots of detail has been captured by the D3200’s 24 million pixel sensor. Colours have This image has been captured with a 50mm f/1.8G lens.
Click here to see the full resolution image.
We had to select the Shade White Balance setting to get the best colour results when shooting in overcast conditions.
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ISO 3200
Shot at ISO 3200, this image shows the capability of the camera to resolve detail even at high sensitivity settings. This image shows a good level of detail, even in the shadow areas.
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ISO 6400
Again, pushing the sensitivity further has revealed an acceptable image, which would be better than not capturing an image at all.
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ISO Hi2
Even at the very highest sensitivity setting, Hi2, this image would still be acceptable for use online or printing at very small sizes.
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Another image which shows how much detail is captured by the sensor. This image was shot with the kit lens, showing the capabilities of the camera straight out of the box.
Click here to see the full resolution image.
This is an image shot with the Nikkor 50mm f/1.8G lens – showing what a relatively low priced upgrade to the standard kit lens can help you achieve, especially if you are fond of shooting portraits.
Early verdict
Nikon has delivered an entry-level camera with real photographic punch. Borrowing elements from its more expensive siblings, the D3200 should appeal to a large section of would-be photographers.
Obviously, it’s difficult to fully evaluate a camera without being able to access image quality, but early indications are pretty positive. The introduction of a 24 million pixel sensor is something that many people are likely to get excited about, and we’ll be keen to see what it can deliver in the real world.
It’s clear that Nikon is aiming for total domination of the camera market, something which it is already seemingly delivering on. By not directly replacing the D3100, but instead offering a more premium option, Nikon has widened its range and appeal and perhaps is shrewdly tapping into even more customers.
The only slight reservation we have at this point is how Nikon will educate consumers of the benefits of the 24-million pixel sensor. We also can’t help but wonder if the Nikon 1 V1 and J1 compact system cameras will begin to cannibalise the sales of entry level Nikon DSLRs, but time will tell if this becomes the case.
Overall, we are impressed by the D3200 and are very much looking forward to properly putting it through its paces when the time comes.
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