PUSHING THE LIMITS
Wait… entry-level DSLRs are not supposed to have 24.2 megapixels? So what is a DX-format CMOS image sensor with twice as many pixels as regular DSLRs doing in the new Nikon D3200. Well, the D3200 seems part of Nikon’s designs to push the limits for cameras. First the 36MP D800, and now this. DESIGN The D3200 is an ultra lightweight DSLR. Weighing just 505 gm with the battery and memory card, this can be very handy for amateurs. However, professionals might find it a bit too light, especially while using the zoom lenses. There is a viewfinder as well as a threeinch LCD monitor, which you can use for live view and for shooting HD videos. The menu button is at the left of the LCD and is covers almost everything you want to do with the camera. But we would have liked one touch access to the ISO and White Balance—which you now have to select after clicking the Info button. We loved the fact that the LCD display changes orientation as you flip the camera around. However, we did not like the red body option, which has a very plasticky finish. The black body, of course, retains the traditional feel of a DSLR. PERFORMANCE The new DX-format CMOS image sensor completely negates noise, certainly in the full frames. You can crop out any part of the frame to make a high-resolution picture on its own. You will see noise only at the last zoom in and that is quite ok. This is also a very fast camera, thanks to the EXPEED 3 image-processing engine. It will lock on to moving subjects with ease and keeps the focus. You see this even while shooting Full HD videos as the camera is almost always in focus. It is hard to miss the sharpness of the image, whatever the light you are shooting in. As in most new cameras, there is a Record button near the trigger to initiate video recording. EASE OF USE There is a guide mode where the camera will tell you what to do and how. Though not recommended if you are shooting in a hurry, this can be a real boon for beginners. There is also a retouch menu where you can give effects to pictures already saved. We liked the red-eye correction and image overlay option, which are usually not found in cameras.
NIKON D3200
Price:
` 37,950
(with AF-S DX 18-55mm lens)
Specs:
24.2 MP CMOS sensor; 1.5x lens focal length; 1/4,000 to 30 s; f5.3 to f36; ISO 6400; Full HD; SDHC & SDXC, Live view.