Build and handling
Image: The small, discreet body of the D3200 is ideal for street photography
As an entry-level camera, the D3200 is built to be compact, lightweight and simple to use. Indeed, at 505g including card and battery, the camera equals the D3100 as the lightest in the Nikon DSLR line-up. Its dimensions are also virtually the same.
Lightweight does not mean poor quality, however, as the D3200’s body is a sturdy, plastic construction with faux leather hand and thumbgrips, just like the D5100, which is the next model up in the range. The D3200 also uses the same EN-EL14 battery as the D3100 and D5100.
With a smaller body and simpler layout, the D3200 gives less space to external controls. One dial is designed for adjusting exposure, namely shutter speed and aperture. In manual mode, holding down the exposure-compensation button switches the dial to aperture control rather than shutter speed. One function button is placed near the lens and is set by default to control ISO, but this can be changed to control white balance, image quality/size or Active D-Lighting.
With little direct access to key controls on the body, most (including white balance, autofocus and metering) are instead found via the ‘i’ button in the quick menu. Interestingly, though, other regularly used controls do get a direct-access button, including drive mode, for which high-speed shooting and quiet shutter are available. Another direct control activates live view, which handily allows magnification to aid precise focusing.
For those who do not own editing software – which could be a good many who buy this camera – there are a number of edits that can be made in-camera, with miniature effect, color sketch and filter effects making their way over from the D5100. By default, auto image rotation is deactivated, and portrait-format images must be rotated manually.
Image: This image is taken with the fully compatible 50mm f/1.4G lens, enabling a shallower depth of field than the kit lens and giving crisp detail
Like all Nikon DSLRs, the D3200 uses the standard Nikon F mount, so it is compatible with a host of lenses. It is not fully compatible with older lenses, however, including the AF-D type. I used both the Nikon 135mm f/2 DC AF-D and the Sigma 105mm f/2.8 Macro lens (with which we usually shoot our resolution charts) with the camera, and autofocus is not available. (Consequently, the resolution charts for this test have been recorded using the 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 VC lens.)
The pop-up flash has an output of GN 12m @ ISO 100 and can be manually adjusted from +1EV to -3EV, while the hotshoe provides compatibility with all Nikon flash units, of which the SB-400 is the most suitably sized.
