Is the Nikon D5100 better than the newer D3200?

Question

I've weighed them out, looked at plenty reviews for each. At first the D3200 appealed to me a lot(no, not for the pixels), because of what people said about the images, it's ease of use, . However the D5100 has almost won me over because it's $100 bucks less expensive, I've found plenty of 3rd-party accessories(remote shutters, batteries, chargeres) that are said to work with it. Also what would make me choose the D5100 over is because the D3200 just came out and there's little to no imput on what works with it and it's performance.
So, I just want some public opinion.
D3200, or D5100?

Answer 1

For me the Nikon D5100 is the clear winner. Read this review to know why:



http://www.amazon.com/review/R3RXULR8A4H60T/ref=cm_cr_pr_perm?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B004V4IWKG&nodeID=&linkCode=&tag=faurms-20



This camera is currently ranked as number 3 in the top 100 DSLR cameras on amazon and the D3200 is at number 13. I can compare the 2 in detail for your benefit.



A couple of advantages of the Nikon D5100 over Nikon D3200:



1.Has a flip-out screen Yes vs No

2.Has in-camera HDR Yes vs No

3.Longer battery life 660 shots vs 540 shots

4.Better boost ISO 25,600 ISO vs 12,800 ISO

5.Larger sensor APS-C 23.6x15.6mm vs APS-C 23.2x15.4mm

6.Slightly larger viewfinder 0,51x vs 0,50x

7.Slightly cheaper



Best price for Nikon D5100 from my research:



http://www.amazon.com/Nikon-16-2MP-Digital-18-55mm-3-5-5-6/dp/B004V4IWKG/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1337288989&sr=1-1&tag=faurms-20



Best price for Nikon D3200 from my research:



http://www.amazon.com/Nikon-Digital-18-55mm-3-5-5-6-NIKKOR/dp/B007VGGFZU/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1337289589&sr=1-1&tag=faurms-20

Answer 2

The only time megapixel count should be in consideration is when you're going to actually print really big or crop a lot. So the high megapixel count has its place, but I guess not for you. An image is mostly based on lens quality. Just simply go with the D5100 of the two. I find the D3200 for a "specialized" crowd. As a college student taking photography class, the D3200 would be a huge benefit for me since we make large prints. But I shot with a camera with 15mp and limited myself to a 20 inch print.



There are other things that the D3200 bring to the table to be able to instantly send photos somewhere (I forgot where, computer/facebook?). The D5100 is still a nice camera, and since you're at the stage of still asking which camera is better, I think it's better to go for the cheapest one. Really no camera is better than the other until you start to specialize in a type of photography. Your investment should be in lenses. Don't overlook the D3100 and D5000. Both still great cameras. Don't think the more recent or more expensive a camera is, the better.

Answer 3

Go with the 5100. The image sensor will deliver cleaner images. The 24 megapixel sensor is coming from the Sony A65 and A77 cameras (Nikon uses Sony image sensors) and it's pretty good, but it's too dirty in low light.



So if you never shoot in low light, it should be OK, but in reality, we all shoot in low light at some point. Also, the D3200 does have a Wi Fi dongle that you plug in, but you have to pay extra for it, and I don't like how it sticks out. Something to know going in.



And finally, when the official sensor scores come out from DxOmark.com, they might score the sensor in the D3200 as being better than the current 3100 and 5100, but don't be fooled by this. High MP sensors usually score higher because DxOmark reduces all images down to 8MP and scores the noise based on that.



The Sony image sensor in the D5100 scores just about the same as the Nikon D7000, probably because they use the same sensor. So, don't get caught up in the MP of the 3200, only go for it if it has features that you will actually make use of. Expeed and all the other bells and whistles don't make better photos.

Answer 4

D3200 is better in picture quality . Even at higher ISO levels D3200 performs better. Movie mode and auto focusing in movie mode is much better in D3200. Even though the actual pixel size is bigger in D5100 , the image quality is better in the D3200 thanks to the more powerful processor. Also D3200 does not have bracketing and HDR, but those features are rarely used and can be done post shooting , in any computer software. The main advantage of D5100 I guess is the swivel screen, which is a real advantage if you shoot at high or low angles.

Answer 5

My choice would D3200. Not because it has more megapixels. Because it is new, newer technology Expeed 3 which is the same as D700 which is expensive camera. Rest specification are same as D3100. which is 3rd most selling camera in the world. If D3100 is so popular, so how can D3200 can go wrong?



D5100 is my favourite camera. But it cost me more. The main advantage of D5100 is that it has the same sensor as D7000 which is expensive camera. Image quality is same as D7000. And it is newer than D3100.