Superb entry-level performance

At around $500, this Nikon D3200 kit, with two vibration-reduction (VR) zoom lenses is a great kit to get you into professional-level capabilities without breaking the budget. The kit comes complete with everything you need EXCEPT A MEMORY CARD. Be sure you buy a card with a fast transfer speed (the speed at which data can be written to the card). The fast speed will make a difference if you shoot sequence shots (the D3200 shoots up to 4 frames per second in sequence mode). I shoot in manual modes, so can't attest to the automated settings, but this camera has all the popular presets, from "Portrait", "Sports" or "Landscape" preset modes, to operation in Shutter Priority or Aperture Priority. The VR works great shooting long telephoto shots, and the autofocus is amazingly fast and accurate. I've had this camera about 9 months now, and have used it in all 4 seasons. It has never let me down, produces beautiful images, it's light in weight, and the battery will last a week or more, has lasted me all day while out & about shooting pics. The camera also shoots video, and has a number of features I am yet to learn and explore. Be aware the DX format has a "compact" image capture device (CCD), which is slightly smaller than a "full-size" 35mm imager. Read up about it. So far, it seems to make no difference to me. Bottom line is there is a smaller "viewing" area you're capturing. Like a narrower "field of view" in binoculars. Secondly, be aware the camera is designed for AF-S lenses, meaning the servo motor for auto-focus is within the lens. (AF format lenses are for cameras that have the servo motor in the camera body). This just means you want AF-S DX lenses to work seamlessly with your camera. A standard Nikon N-mount, you can use other lenses, including those without servos, you just may need to make adjustments manually. A Nikon owner all my life, I was little disappointed to see the gear is manufactured in China, not Japan, but it has Nikon's good name on it, so I hope the quality follows suit. So far so good. No experience with warranty repair (a good thing- no malfunctions so far), though I have had experience with Nikon USA Service & Repair for an auxiliary lens, and found their response (while not inexpensive) very fast. All around, a great, powerful camera in a small, light, reasonably-priced package. I would highly recommend the Nikon D3200, particularly with the VR lenses. Scott O'Connor.Read full review

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