Nikon D3200 vs D5200

[Tia]

Hi,

I am considering buying either of these two & after a thorough comparison of the specs, they are very similar except that D5200 is newer, has a vari-angle monitor, 39 auto-focus points & wifi remote control. It also has greater ISO sensitivity, more active d-lighting options & bracketing. Otherwise they are both 24MP and have expeed3. The D3200 with a 18-55mm costs $549 whereas a D5200 with 18-55mm costs $814. Also is it worth buying a 55-200mm lens with them too?

I am a new Australian photographer at 22, but am definitely determined to become a professional. I am keen to pursue newborn & family photography & will try my hand at events & occasionally nature & landscape. Please reply if you are able to help! Any advice, links, tips & information would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

[siggi]

Depending on your budget I would seriously consider a D7000 with a 50mm prime and an 18-200mm lens,your type of photography requires studio lights which is another chapter altogether.I recommend this body because of the two dials,in manual you can quickly change shutter speed and aperture and it will work with lenses without internal motors.At events you hardly have the time to change lenses hence 18-200mm will cover all that,the 70-300mm is great but you will miss a lot of shots if you're unable to take 5 steps back.The vari angle monitor should not influence your buying decision.I have 6 Nikon bodies,12 lenses and by the info you have given that's the best advice I can give you before going full frame where you'd consider the D600.

[siggi]

Also the 55-200mm lens is so akward you'd constantly be changing lenses

[Shadowman]

Also the 55-200mm lens is so akward you'd constantly be changing lenses

What is so awkward about the 55-200mm lens? I own it and I know when it is the only lens i have with me, 55mm usually doesn't cover my needs and sometimes find myself against the wall trying to get everything in the frame, but I supposed that could be a good thing sometimes. I am usually better prepared when I have my 18-55mm lens with me also. Just wondering what your experience is with the lens.

[Manfred M]

If you are looking at turning pro, you should look at either camera as a starting point that you will replace in a few years as you upgrade to "pro" level gear. When I look at the specs, the D5200 is slightly better, but I'm not sure if it warrants the price differential, based on where you are coming from. If I were in your shoes, I might be tempted to go to the lower priced camera and invest in better lenses. Neither camera is going to be something that you are going to use professionally, and the same comment likely goes for the lenses. These are APS-C sized sensors and the pros are shooting full frame, so even the lens choice (unless you are willing to invest in full-frame lenses) are going to need to upgrade to "go pro".

The local community college in town has a photography program and the MINIMUM camera is either the Nikon D7000 or the Canon T3i. The recommended cameras are the Nikon D800 / D800E or Canon 7D, all with at least f/1.8 50mm lens.

Just as an aside; I have both the 18-55mm and the 55-200mm lenses. I bought the 18-55mm when I got my crop-frame D90 and picked up the 55-200mm a few months later. I still use them, even though I generally shoot with a full-frame D800 now. These lenses are not terribly robust (they have plastic, rather than metal lens mounts), but are super light weight and are fun to shoot with. When I am out walking around or hiking, they are a lot easier to carry around than the pro lenses that are large and weigh a lot.

[siggi]

What is so awkward about the 55-200mm lens?A lot of the time one just cannot step back far enough to get the shot at 55mm,that's why the 18-200 lens is the most versatile lens.

[rawill]

What is so awkward about the 55-200mm lens?A lot of the time one just cannot step back far enough to get the shot at 55mm,that's why the 18-200 lens is the most versatile lens.

That is what is annoying about the 70-300, the 28-200 signa is not enough sometimes, and I don't want to or haven't got time to change lenses, say at motorsport.

[Manfred M]

What is so awkward about the 55-200mm lens?A lot of the time one just cannot step back far enough to get the shot at 55mm,that's why the 18-200 lens is the most versatile lens.

I understand where you are coming from, but definitely do not agree with your conclusion.

I have the 18-55mm and the 55-200mm, while my wife has the 18-200mm lens; which we both use on our D90 bodies. She is busily shooting way, while I am changing lenses. On the other hand, she spent about twice as much money as I did on the one lens as I did on the two lenses. My cheaper lenses actually deliver better quality images, but they are not nearly as well-built and will probably not last as long as her lens. As in anything in life, there are trade-offs; in chosing the 18-200mm lens, you have a "jack of all trades" type of lens. You have a wide range, but at a cost of some complex distortion and softness at the long end of the range. I have to change lenses to get certain shots, but with a bit of planning, this really does not interfere with my shooting. I am shooting a DSLR, not a cross-over camera, so changing lenses is part of my workflow. If I can't step back far enough, chances are that I am using the wrong lens.

That being said, I also shoot the pro lenses; the f/2,8 14-24mm, the f/2.8 24-70mm and the f/2.8 70-200mm on my D800. Neither Nikon nor Canon make any pro level lens that has a zoom factor even as high as 3x, so serious amateurs and pros are changing lenses (or carrying extra camera bodies) all the time. This design choice was made to provide maximum image quality, but the user is paying for it; these lenses are very expensive and quite heavy.

[jassminnadia]

Hi Tia (Nikon D3200 vs Nikon D5200):
You almost know lot of information about the two Digital SLR cameras.
the major differents is the "Rotate screen" that allow you to take shoots when you can't get behind your camera as in corners and flor, so if you think you need this screen buy Nikon D5200.
- Other thing, you said that you are beginner in photography and maybe to DSLR technology, so this can help you in making a choice, i suggest allwas Nikon D3200 for beginners to DSLR tecnology see here why Nikon D3200 is best Digital SLR camera for beginners to photography or DSLR technology.
- Other thing, a DSLR camera is noting without its lenses, so if your budget is limited be sure that it is allow you to buy at less one lens (standard one 18-55 mm works great with any body) but i am not sure if it is good for landscape.
hope i offer some kind of help; Good luck Tia

[thecraig]

Hi Tia,

I'm afraid I can't comment on the D5200 but I have got a D3200 with both the 18-55mm and the 55-200mm lens. I got the 55-200mm lens from a fella who was selling online and picked it up 2nd hand for £70. As well as that, I picked up a 50mm f1.8 prime lens for £100 on ebay. So I have managed to pick up a 'dream team' of lens for around £500 (or $894 in AUS$ according to google). So there are savings to be made if your keep your eyes peeled.

As for the D3200, I love it. It feels so light in my hands and it just seems to fit my grip. And the photos I've managed to take surprise me. It is the perfect camera for the beginner in photography.

However, I am biased as I own a D3200 but save your money and go for the D3200 and use the money saved on lenses.

[Peeshan]

Hi Tia,
I would advise the D5200, or better the D7000 as grumpy driver said.
I'm afraid you're not looking at the important things in you're comparison: the megapixels are the last thing important unless you're doing macro or giant prints. The biggest difference I noticed between 3200 and 5200 is the autofocus system: as you said, 39points vs 11, but more importantly 9 cross-type vs 1. Wich means a much better and usable autofocus system.

Then you have the non-quantitative things, like ergonomy - I haven't tried the d3200 but it's little brother the d3100 is terrible to handle in comparison to the D7000, so I assume it's not far. If you need 10min to navigate through your menu to change a couple of settings your clients won't last long...
Now you should keep in mind that the D7000 as been replaced by the D7100, wich means you can find it for cheap, personnally I paid the same for a D7000 body + 35mm DX f1,8 than I would have for the D5200+kit lens. All you have to do is check and compare as much stores as possible, because there is imprtant price differences.

Speaking of lenses, I would recommend either the 35mm F1,8 (on crop sensor =52mm, so "portrait qualified") or 50 (=75)mm F1,8 as prime lens, (large aperture > good for interior scenes and blurred backgrounds). Both have manual focus override wich can be useful when shooting people. Then a used wide-angle (as wide as possible because of the crop factor) for family photos and landscape.

Also, tip: since you want to do portaits/people photography, you should put an external flash on your list - sometime there is even special offer where you get the flash unit with the camera.

[Donald]

Did you notice, guys, this thread started in early 2013? I suspect Tia has already got a new camera.

[thecraig]

I was posting at 0045 after three nightshifts...

That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it.

[Donald]

I was posting at 0045 after three nightshifts...

That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it.

Okay, in that case you can stay!!