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Author Topic: With so much attention on the D800 has anyone tried the 24 MP Nikon D3200?  (Read 13703 times)

Justan

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Sensor

D3200 24.2MP SENSOR

Now a days, mega pixels are often disregarded. We nearly have done a 180 and forgotten the importance of pixels. Sure many of us feel that 12MP is plenty, and this is true for some. However, detail is still important. Further, the ability to crop an image, and still retain a decent amount of resolution, is quite useful. The D3200 offers an extraordinary 24MP sensor. Not more than one year ago, the $8000 D3X was the only Nikon camera that offered the equivalent resolution. Now the D3200 provides this on a DX sensor at less than a tenth of the cost! Sure the D3X had great dynamic range, but the D3200 still retains an impressive dynamic range.

The sensor measures 23.2 x 15.4 mm. It is a CMOS sensor with a built in sensor cleaning feature. It has a extensive ISO range from 100 – 6400. Sony developed the D3200’s sensor, and it is the same fundamental design as the Sony NEX-7 sensor, but with Nikon’s own requirements imposed! Nikon is notorious for working with Sony sensors, and does a great job at improving their performance beyond what Sony can.


from: http://www.btobey.com/nikon/d3200-review.php

GuzziRob

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Got to admit, this is tempting me as a back up body - I had planned to go with the D7000 but funds are looking tight so the 3200 may get it (unless I take the used route as I am with most/all the glass for the current rig).

Ideally I would get a second D800 to go with the E which has just landed at the dealer (but which I am being forced to wait another 10 days for!) but I really can't run to such extravagances at the moment!
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Wayne Fox

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and it is the same fundamental design as the Sony NEX-7 sensor, but with Nikon’s own requirements imposed! Nikon is notorious for working with Sony sensors, and does a great job at improving their performance beyond what Sony can. [/i]


He doesn't quote his source ... which makes me believe he doesn't have one so he's just speculating.  While I agree Nikon seems to get more out of a Sony sensor than Sony, this could easily be explained by better processors in their camera and a better understanding of raw data.

Raw data isn't the pure data from the sensor, and what's done to that data before it reaches the raw state could easily be the reason Nikon gets more out of the sensors.

I'm not saying Nikon isn't involved in the design of the sensor (because I don't know and I've never seen any official word on it), but Sony sensor expertise is what has enabled Nikon to move to the front of the class.  Whether Nikon has contributed or is just benefiting I'm not sure. Certainly the relationship seems to be beneficial to both companies ... something Canon should pay attention to.

Our first d3200 just arrived.  Hope to fire it up against a NEX 7 today.  Looks like a great camera for the price.
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LesPalenik

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So, what do you think, Wayne?
How does it compare with NEX-7?
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dhale

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I have been shooting a Nikon 3200 for three weeks now with three Nikkor lenses.  AF-S 70-200mm 1:2.8 VR II, AF-S Micro 105mm 1:2.8, and a AF-S 16-35mm  1:4.

I sold a D7000 in February.  The D3200 is to use until my D800e gets here in two weeks.  I'll take the D3200 over the D7000 any day because of the price and weight.  There is a gain in resolution, and no down side in capabilities for me.  When the D800e gets here, thanks to Amazons amazing customer service I know when, I will use the D3200 without reservations.  The images I am getting are as good or better than the D7000.
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Ray

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When companies bring out same-size sensors with an increased pixel count, one hopes that there has been some technological improvement so that the smaller pixel has equal or similar performance to the larger pixel of the previous generation, so that there is no loss in quality in any respect when the larger file is downsampled for comparison purposes.

To have the benefits of increased resolution with no downside such as increased noise, is a very worthwhile improvement.

It so happens that DXOMark have now released their test results for the D3200. Comparing those results with the D7000, it seems that the D3200 is a backward step regarding DR.

SNR at 18%, Tonal Range and Color Sensitivity are all on a par with the D7000, but DR at base ISO is almost 2/3rds of a stop worse, at equal print size, and at the pixel level almost one stop worse. (The precise figures are 0.65EV and 0.93EV worse).

This is not a big deal because the D7000 has such stellar DR, and the advantages of the lighter weight, lower cost and higher resolution, compared with the D7000, will still make the D3200 an attractive buy for many. The D3200 still has significantly better DR than the Canon 5D3, although worse SNR at 18%, as one would expect. Larger sensors usually have a noise advantage in the midtones.
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BernardLanguillier

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I'm not saying Nikon isn't involved in the design of the sensor (because I don't know and I've never seen any official word on it), but Sony sensor expertise is what has enabled Nikon to move to the front of the class.  Whether Nikon has contributed or is just benefiting I'm not sure.

At least Nikon did clearly contribute by funding 90% of development cost and manufacturing cost by being by very far the largest seller of Sony APS sensors.

We need to understand here that Sony's APS camera volume is not high enough to justify the investements made by Sony Semi-Conductors (a different company than Sony Imaging).

So there would probably be no Exmor technology and no Exmor sensors available for sales if Nikon had not been there to commit to sell in huge numbers cameras using them.

A technology like Exmor is not a commodity. It can of course not be looked at in total isolation from the other fundamental research done at Sony semi-conductor, but it is specific enough that billions of dollars of investements were probably required. You just don't do that without somebody signing the check in advance, and tha somebody is Nikon.

What we do not now is the details of the agreement between the 2 companies in terms of IP ownership.

Cheers,
Bernard
« Last Edit: June 06, 2012, 09:58:32 pm by BernardLanguillier »
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thierrylegros396

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Sorry, but after viewing 3 reviews (Tech-Radar, CameraLabs, DPReview), it appears that in all cases (Raw and Jpeg, Low and High ISO) Green is really unnatural and yellowish, just like first Nikon 10 years ago.

Very sad because other parameters are good.
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LesPalenik

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When you look at the CameraLab picture comparison between NEX7, T2i, and D3200, there is very little difference in the apparent resolution.
Compared with the other two cameras, I didn't find that D3200's green looked more yellowish.

When I compared D3200 24MP sample images to Canon's T2i 18MP using dpreview's Studio Scene comparison tool, the T2i images (raw and JPG) actually looked more contrasty and sharper.

One would presume that all sample images were shot using the kit lenses. It would be interesting to see how both sensors perform with a 50mm prime lens.
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Colorado David

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Dredging up this topic from page three or four.  I'm interested if anyone has any experience with it yet?  I'm still thinking of getting one to keep under the seat in the truck or as more of a full-time back-up body.  Michael? Anyone?

dhale

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I have had one for about a month.  I had a D7000 before the D3200.  I sold it when the D800e was announced.  The D3200 is great camera.  I prefer it to the D7000 because it is so light and small.  I will use it when I want a small light body or the 1.5 magnification factor instead of using a TC 1.7e on my D800e.  My wife uses it all the time.  It works for me when my D800e is too much camera.
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LesPalenik

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Dpreview just published Full review of D3200.
The reviewer compares it mainly with the previous D3100 model, but in their Studio comparison, you can substitute D3100 with D5100 (or another model), and compare the IQ between the two cameras. They acknowledge, and it has been also my experience, that on pixel level, D3200's output is slightly soft. I found D5100's output sharper.

They awarded to D3200 total score of only 73%, as compared with 76% for D5100 and 79% for NEX-5N.

 
« Last Edit: July 25, 2012, 11:51:18 pm by LesPalenik »
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dhale

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DXOMark has a significantly different story to tell.  The D3200 outscores the D7000, D5100, and D3100.  The science is in favor of the D3200 in resolution.  I find my D3200 and D800E to be just as DXOMark reports them to be.

Have a great day.
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Deardorff

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It sounds very good if you are going to go with new lenses.
Won't work well with AI or AIS lenses.
Not sure about Mirror lock up cabilities.

This won't concern many but I have my older lenses that are good performers and I still use them. Manual focus and a mirror that stays locked up while I trip the shutter with a cable release is one thing I need.

We'll see how the expected D600 fares.
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LesPalenik

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I don't think D3200 offers a mirror lock up. With that high pixel density it would help considerably.
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DaveL

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I wish I had gone this route, rather than spending too much time and money with a SONY NEX5 system.
DaveL
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MoreOrLess

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It sounds very good if you are going to go with new lenses.
Won't work well with AI or AIS lenses.
Not sure about Mirror lock up cabilities.

This won't concern many but I have my older lenses that are good performers and I still use them. Manual focus and a mirror that stays locked up while I trip the shutter with a cable release is one thing I need.

We'll see how the expected D600 fares.

Personally I'd be a little worried as to how any lens fares on it, pretty much all the lenses Photozone tested on the NEX 7 had issues, espeically with boarder sharpness.

To me it seems like ASPC may have hit its resolution ceiling for landscape work at around 16-18 MP just as FF seems to have with the D800.
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