Nikon D3200 24.2 MP CMOS Digital SLR with 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 Auto Focus-S DX VR NIKKOR Zoom Lens (Black) (OLD MODEL)

Although I know my review will fall between the other high-rated ones eventually, I thought i'd share my positive experiences with this camera.PROS:-Price. $500 is cheap in comparison to other similar (albeit lower quality) cameras, like the Canon Rebel T3i, 60D, or even the newer T5i.-Build Quality. This camera is built in Thailand to the extent of my knowledge but the quality control on mine is absolutely incredible. Doesn't feel cheap or flimsy. Has nice grips and a comfortable weight to it. Not an overly bulky camera either.-Image quality/sensor. At $500, you get a true 24.2 megapixel DSLR camera. SnapSort in their comparison of the D3200 vs its direct competitor, the Canon Rebel T3i 18 megapixel DSLR, stated that the image quality on the D3200 is over 20% better as attributed to the D3200's 10% larger image sensor and higher true megapixel count, which accounts for 30% more detail in photos. The image sensor is very high quality and this camera consistently takes incredible pictures. I'm not a professional photography by any means, this is simply a great hobby of mine, but I am a perfectionist about pictures. The ability to easily take awesome pictures with this camera is second to none.-Ease of use. I am an amateur photographer who was looking for a nice upgrade and I made sure to do my homework when it came to selecting a camera. I ended up on this camera because of what everybody else said, it's ease of use was a major selling factor in the purchase. I've had this camera for a few weeks and I still haven't even figured out everything it's capable of-- there's quite a bit! But the guide mode helps you with some basic and advanced photography.-Nice lens kit. Out of the box I'll admit the 18-55mm is quite limited in what it can do, especially as somebody who enjoys macrophotography, but it'll be able to do most of the shots you'd like to take. The VR feature is nice as well.-Nikon brand quality. As always, Nikon has delivered a high quality product. I've owned a few Nikon products before and they've never failed me. I prefer Nikons to Canons in the world of DSLRs anyway.-Ability to save as JPG/Raw.-Out of the box: comes with body, lens, strap, battery and charger, etc.CONS:-I can't really seem to think of any that aren't dumb little nitpicks.Final thoughts: This camera is perfect for the beginner and good enough for the master. It does it all!

I have to say that I did some research and talked with a friend of mine that is very much into photography. As an entry level model and for what I needed the D3200 had all the features I was looking for. I received this camera and started taking pictures right off, and I was very, very pleased with the results. The Nikor 18-55mm lens is a very good all round lens and takes some very good pictures. I love the action feature on the D3200 and have shot a few nice action pictures. There was no blur, and the pictures were clear and crisp. For the price I paid i was very pleased as well. I looked at several stores and online wen I came across this deal it was too good to pass up. The camera is easy to use and can function as a pint and shoot or use it in the manual mode, either way is just as easy. I will say this, invest in a UV filter for you lens. These filters are only a few dollars and I would highly recommend using one. If you scratch the lens filter you are only out a few dollars, compared to a few hundred dollars for a new lens. Believe me you will nit regret buying one, but you will be crying if you scratch your new lens. The camera itself is light weigh enough as not be bulky and has a great feel. The other thing I have learned about Nikon cameras is that all Nikor lens will fit a Nikon body. While some lens functions may not work with the camera, however this is what the manual functions come into play. So it is possible to get older camera lens in great shape for a lot less money. This was another selling point that I liked about the Nikon over Canon. There are several filters that you can add to the lens like ND, and polarizing filters that will give you nice effects. I really can not say enough about this camera, if you are looking to break into digital photography then this is a really great camera. It has all the features I was looking for and then some. I would recommend shooting in RAW format. This was recommend by my friend who knows digital photography and sells some of his work. I do not remember all the details behind the reason for this but this is quality I shoot in. For someone who use to shoot only film, this was my entry into quality digital photography and I am very impressed with the Nikon D3200. I am a amateur photographer at best and I really wanted to get back into taking pictures. This setup was at a great price point and is a really good rig for the amateur photographer or someone looking to start off in photography and needs a good camera to start off with without spending a arm and a leg. I hope this review will help someone who is thinking about what camera they should buy or someone who may be on the fence about jumping into a digital SLR camera.