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Nikon Coolpix 3200
Reviewed by
David D. Busch
on 10/07/2004
camera on top back sides

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The good: Decent image quality; autofocus-assist lamp; simple operation; solid macro capabilities.

The bad: No memory card or rechargeable batteries in the box; few manual controls; slow shot-to-shot time with flash; no diopter adjustment; slow autofocus in dim light.

The bottom line: This easy-to-use Nikon is a good starter camera for the new digital photographer, but it lacks most manual controls more-experienced shooters demand, and both the memory card and the rechargeable batteries cost extra.

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CNET editors' review

  • CNET editors' rating: 3.5 stars Very good
    Detailed editors' rating
      Design : 8.0
      Features : 6.0
      Performance : 6.0
      Image quality : 7.0
      Overall score: 7.0 (3.5 stars)
  • Reviewed by:
    David D. Busch
  • Edited by:
    Aimee Baldridge
  • Reviewed on: 10/07/2004
  • Released on: 03/15/2004
The Nikon Coolpix 3200 eases the first-time buyer's transition to digital photography by combining lots of fun features that are easy to use with acceptable 3.2-megapixel image quality, a pocketable design, and an affordable price. There are almost no manual settings to confuse the neophyte and only a handful of buttons to worry about. If you're looking for an inexpensive compact digital camera to give to someone who's terrified of digital photography, this might be a good choice. (And if 2-megapixel resolution is sufficient for your needs, you can pick up the otherwise nearly identical Coolpix 2200 for about $100 less.) This Coolpix is best suited to photographers who will benefit from digital training wheels. More-experienced shutterbugs looking for a bargain-priced camera can find better options.The Nikon Coolpix 3200's 3.5-by-2.6-by-1.5-inch, 7-ounce, silver-toned plastic body fits comfortably in your grip for one- or two-hand shooting. The camera body is clean and uncluttered, and every control is well labeled and its function unambiguous. The top surface of the camera has only two buttons: a recessed on/off control and a raised shutter release. There's also a green power LED, which flashes when the camera enters power-saving standby mode, and two sets of tiny holes for the built-in microphone and speaker.


Nikon keeps the camera-top controls simple, with just a shutter release and a power button.

The back panel is punctuated by the optical viewfinder and a 1.6-inch LCD on the left and a cluster of six controls on the right that includes a mode dial, a zoom rocker, a menu button, a picture-review key, a Trash key, and a four-way controller pad with an embedded OK/Set button. You can press the pad in the up direction to adjust flash options, down to switch to macro mode, or left to activate the self-timer. Nikon clearly expects this camera to do most of the thinking for you. Adjustments that some other cameras put on the back panel, such as burst-mode controls and exposure compensation, are tucked away out of sight in the menu system.


Both the zoom toggle and the mode dial are easily accessible with your right thumb.

The four-way controller lets you navigate LCD menus and access a few basic settings.

The Nikon Coolpix 3200 actually has quite a few different menus, all carefully segregated by function to avoid confusing the neophyte. For example, press the menu key when reviewing photos, and a playback menu appears, with choices for deleting photos, watching a slide show, selecting a photo for printing, and other functions. In recording mode, the menu key invokes a shooting menu, where you can choose resolution, set white balance, enter exposure-compensation settings, or activate burst mode. With the mode dial on Setup, five screens of camera settings are available. There's also a separate Scene menu for choosing among 15 scene modes, 4 of which have menus of their own with four to seven different options. All those choices sound confusing, but they're not.


Put an SD/MMC card on your shopping list with the Coolpix 3200; you won't find one in the box.

While the Nikon Coolpix 3200 makes a decent first camera, it's unlikely to be the owner's last. The abundance of scene modes can handle everything from sunsets to sports to fireworks, but an enthusiastic digital photographer will soon outgrow this Coolpix's feature set and want a little more resolution, a zoom lens with a better-than-3X range for a wider or longer view, and a lot more control over the results.

Nikon kept the price low by transforming some essentials into options. The camera ships without an SD memory card, and the built-in 14.5MB of flash memory is good for only 9 maximum-resolution shots. If you want rechargeable batteries and a charger, you'll have to buy them, too; only a pair of alkaline cells comes in the box.

The Coolpix 3200's 3X zoom lens is fairly basic, offering the 35mm-camera equivalent of a 38mm-to-115mm range. Autofocus will take you as close as 1.6 inches in macro mode, but you'll need to use the LCD to compose your shot.

The most-useful features revolve around the 15 different scene modes, which simplify some typically vexing shooting situations. For example, shooters who stay up late or get up early will find a sunset/sunrise mode and a separate dusk/dawn mode, along with night-landscape and fireworks-show modes. There's a panorama setting, too, to help you stitch together several pictures into one.

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Reviews from around the WebPowered by alaTest

  • alaTest.com

    Editors' rating: 84

    Summary: alaTest has collected and analyzed 620 reviews of Nikon Coolpix 3200 from international magazines and websites. Experts rate this product 73/100 and users 84/100. Comparing these reviews to 540866 other Digital Compact Cameras reviews gives this product an overall alaScore™ 84/100 = Very Good.

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  • dcresource.com

    Summary: Something else you'll need to buy are batteries, as the camera includes two alkaline batteries that will quickly find their way into the trash (please recycle them if you can!). So pick up a four pack of NiMH rechargeable batteries (and a charger), ...

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  • digitalcamerainfo.com

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  • pcmag.com

    Editors' rating: 50

    Summary: The Nikon Coolpix 3200 is an entry-level compact digital camera that's easy to use, with an emphasis on scene select modes for foolproof shooting. The camera's image quality is acceptable for an entry-level camera.

    Read full review

Nikon Coolpix 3200

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