Nikon D3200

The Nikon D3200 ($699.95 direct with 18-55mm lens) is the company's entry-level D-SLR, and as such offers a wealth of features that should appeal to photographers in search of their first interchangeable lens camera. The 24-megapixel shooter improves upon the 14-megapixel resolution of the D3100 ($699.95, 4 stars) and also provides full manual shooting controls for seasoned shutterbugs. It does well in low light, and offers continuous autofocus during video recording, but doesn't quite oust our current under-$1,000 Editors' Choice D-SLR, the Nikon D5100 ($899.99, 4.5 stars),?with its broader feature set including a sharp, articulating rear LCD.

Design and Features
Even though it dwarfs point-and-shoot cameras, the D3200 ?is quite compact for an SLR. The body measures 3.8 by 5.0 by 3.1 inches and weighs an even pound (sans lens), slightly smaller than the 3.9-by-5.1-by-3.1, 1.1-pound Canon EOS Rebel T3 ($599.99, 3.5 stars). Even though the included 18-55mm (27-82.5mm equivalent) zoom lens is small compared with professional telephoto zoom lenses, it feels larger than it is when mounted on the small camera.

The biggest advantage that an SLR has over a mirrorless compact interchangeable lens camera like the Sony Alpha NEX-F3 ($599.99, 4.5 stars) is its optical viewfinder. While you do have the option of adding an EVF to many mirrorless compacts, it isn't the same as looking through the lens. However, like most other entry-level SLRs, the D3200 skimps a bit on viewfinder quality. It uses a pentamirror design, which uses a series of mirrors to direct the light captured by the lens to your eye. Enthusiast and professional D-SLRs, like the Pentax K-5 ($1,249.95, 3.5 stars) and Nikon D800 ($2,999.95, 4 stars), use a solid glass pentaprism to redirect the light, which results in a larger, brighter image. If you're accustomed to a point-and-shoot, the D3200's viewfinder will be a huge step up, but old-school photographers may be surprised at just how small the finder is compared with classic 35mm SLRs.

If you have a stable of old Nikkor lenses that you would like to put to use on a digital body, you'll be happy to know that pretty much any lens manufactured after 1977 will mount on the D3200. Most, even those that support screw-drive autofocus, will be limited to manual focus mode only?the D3200 doesn't have a focus screw to support these lenses that lack internal focus motors. Couple that with the relatively small viewfinder, and you'll quickly realize that this was not a camera that was designed with manual focus in mind. If you have autofocus Nikon lenses without internal motors, you should consider the D5100 , since it includes the hardware needed to focus them.

If, on the other hand, you're a complete novice, you'll like the D3200's killer feature?its Guide Mode. Switching the Mode Dial to Guide brings up a colorful menu on the rear display that asks you if you'd like to shoot, review photos, or configure the camera. The Shoot menu is broken up into Easy and Advanced situations which feature presets for landscapes, close ups, low light portraits, fast action, and other common photographic subjects. This, along with select number of scene modes that live on the Mode Dial, goes a long way into configuring the camera to best capture the image at hand, without the need for encyclopedic knowledge of photographic technique.

The D3200's shooting controls are scattered about its body. The Movie Record, Info, and EV Compensation buttons are located directly behind the shutter release, and you'll only find a four-way controller, Drive Mode control, Exposure Lock, and Live View button on the rear of the camera. The button to raise the flash and control its output, as well as a Function button, round out the shooting controls?they both live on the front left of the camera, right above the Lens Release button.

Aside from EV Compensation, shutter speed, and aperture, which are visible in the viewfinder, you'll need to use the rear 3-inch LCD to view settings as you adjust them. The 4:3 display is quite bright and sharp thanks to a 921k-dot resolution, but it doesn't tilt away from the camera's body like that of the Canon EOS Rebel T3i ($899.99, 3.5 stars) or the Sony Alpha 65 ($999.99, 4 stars). Hitting the I button, which is located to the left of the LCD, gives you quick access to Image Quality, White Balance, ISO, Drive Mode, Focus Mode, AF Area, Metering, EV Compensation, Flash Compensation, and Flash Mode. If you need to adjust anything else, you'll have to dive into the full menu.

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