Is the D3200 too old?

D-Eff

D-Eff

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Hey

I'm getting back into photograpy and I know equipment isn't everything but I have had a Nikon D3200 for years now.
I have the kit lens 18mm-55mm and a Tamron 24mm-70mm f/2.8.

It's a crop sensor and I'm not sure if the overall quality of the photos can be better with slightly more newer models.

Do you think it's time to get newer gear? I would have to sell it and can add some money but not a lot.

I'm hoping to gain some experience with family portraits and baby photos so what would you recommend?
Or do you think I should buy different lenses instead? Maybe a 35mm prime.

Thank you
 
There is nothing really wrong just using it, you could sell the body and 18-55 lens and get something like D700 which no go for nearly next to nothing to pair with 24-70mm. The choice (and money) are yours.
 
If it’s all working and you know how to drive it, I’d say keep what you’ve got and just crack on (as above!) The stuff you already own is fine without having to spend hundreds of pounds. When you want to do something that your present kit won’t allow, then look to upgrade!
 
Use it until it holds you back.

or if you’ve got cash burning a hole and an attack of GAS then get a newer one.
 
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I might try upgrade it to a full frame one - you'll achieve a shallower DoF at F2.8 which is nice for portraits - and I prefer to have two control wheels - the D3 and D5 XXX bodies just have one making manual control a bit more awkward. A D750, D780, D850 etc all have two control wheels making that easier. As do D7xxx models etc
 
For baby and people pictures maybe mirrorless could be a step forward as with mirrorless you get the ability to use face/eye detect and focus accurately anywhere in the frame (rather than just in the central area) allowing more control over framing and allowing you to concentrate on the framing and capturing the moment.

I don't know the D3200 or how old it is but if it's a bit old now maybe anything from MFT and upwards could offer a step forward not only because of the benefits of mirrorless but also for overall image quality.

Anyway, mirrorless could well be worth a look and I think doubly so for people pictures due to the advantages of eye detect and framing.
 
Thank you everyone! I will stick to this for now and think about upgrading later on. I do love shallow Dof, which I feel my camera lacks but other then that it's fine.

woof woof said:
For baby and people pictures maybe mirrorless could be a step forward as with mirrorless you get the ability to use face/eye detect and focus accurately anywhere in the frame (rather than just in the central area) allowing more control over framing and allowing you to concentrate on the framing and capturing the moment.
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I hadn't thought of getting a mirrorless, as I thought they were more expensive. I'll definitely see if that's more suitable for me, thank you!
 
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For my 2p worth for what you are wanting to shoot I would stick with what you have. I don't see a big step up being gained from a small investment in the body. I might suggest you look for a better lens. The 50mm F1.8 would be the obvious choice but maybe you can find a 24-70mm F2.8 on budget.
There have been some strides forward in editing software so you might want to upgrade that rather than the camera.
It all comes down to return on investment. For portraits some basic flash gear could be worth considering, maybe even a used two head monoblock kit (you would need a cheap hotshoe adapter or a more costly wireless trigger of course).
 
Buck said:
Look at this latest video from Nigel Danson where he compares the D3300 to his Z7

View: https://youtu.be/kQoCDv7qFig
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"the camera is an excuse" and... it's not about sensor size, dynamic range or pixels. I often cringe when people say things like this, that the gear doesn't matter as clearly sometimes it does and clearly as more technology is thrown at cameras more things become more easy to achieve and things that were once pretty much impossible become possible.

The best DSLR I had was the Canon 5D, 12mb, ISO 1,600 boosted to 3,200, 9 user focus points, 6 assist points, 3 photos per second. And the kit doesn't matter? OK. For some subjects and scenarios and end uses clearly not but for others the kit and the abilities and possibilities it brings and gives is clearly crucial. Sorry for the rant :D

I'd always advise people to start at the final image and work back from there as doing this will help to decide what kit and even what settings you need. For people shots mirrorless with eye detect or even just face detect and accurate and consistent focus at any aperture anywhere in the frame seems a real step forward and it needn't cost the earth, around £300 would get a mirrorless camera with eye detect and a f1.8 prime lens. That's maybe twice the price of a D3300 set up though.
 
ilikebowens said:
For my 2p worth for what you are wanting to shoot I would stick with what you have. I don't see a big step up being gained from a small investment in the body. I might suggest you look for a better lens. The 50mm F1.8 would be the obvious choice but maybe you can find a 24-70mm F2.8 on budget.
There have been some strides forward in editing software so you might want to upgrade that rather than the camera.
It all comes down to return on investment. For portraits some basic flash gear could be worth considering, maybe even a used two head monoblock kit (you would need a cheap hotshoe adapter or a more costly wireless trigger of course).
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I have a 24-70mm which is mostly what I use. I was thinking of getting a prime lens. Would it be better to get a 35mm over a 50mm because of the crop sensor?
 
Hello D-Eff, The real answer is to try them out and decide what, if either, works best for you. You can go in-store and try them if that is an option for you or you could hire a couple of lenses for a few days but as most business is mail order these days you are perfectly entitled to buy a thing and return it if it does not work out for you. I think most people would be reasonable about this and not buy six new lenses knowing they were going to send five back after using them at the beach for two weeks! Needless to say your best option is a legitimate UK seller if there is a chance you might wish to send something back, most manufacturers have a "where to buy" list of authorised dealers. Even if you are buying second hand this stamp of approval from Nikon or whoever should indicate a trouble free process.
For me, for portraits on a crop camera I would go for the 50mm.
 
D-Eff said:
I have a 24-70mm which is mostly what I use. I was thinking of getting a prime lens. Would it be better to get a 35mm over a 50mm because of the crop sensor?
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I find 35mm more generally useful on DX. 50mm is a bit long for general use, though it might be handy for portraits. One way to figure this out is to set either of the lenses you already have to one of these focal lengths, leave it there, and do some shooting. That should tell you pretty quickly which you'd find more useful. For the D3200 you need an AF-S lens. At f/1.8, there's one 50mm (FX) and a choice of two 35mm AF-S lenses (FX and DX). The 35mm DX is about 1/3 of the price of the FX, and is a compact high quality lens, but is of course no good for FX if you decide to switch to a full-frame body in the future.
 
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If you put the 24-70 on 35 for a while and then try it at 50 for a while you will find out what suits you.
I prefer the 50 for portraits as it is a bit longer and is reasonably priced. When I was shooting 35mm film I actually preferred a 135mm prime for portraits but you did need a lot of space.
Regarding the age of the camera, as others have said, keep using the D3200 until you find that it limits you. I have been taking pictures for about 60 years and at the moment I am still using a 14 year old D40. It has its limitations but I just work within those.
 
Retune said:
I find 35mm more generally useful on DX. 50mm is a bit long for general use, though it might be handy for portraits
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85mm. That just gives a whole different look. Walk back as necessary.
 
LongLensPhotography said:
85mm. That just gives a whole different look. Walk back as necessary.
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I like 105mm on FX, especially the DC f/2, but Nikon never made a bad 105mm lens. There's not really a direct prime equivalent of that for DX; the angle of view of an 85mm on DX isn't much wider than that of a 135mm on FX, and I can't always step back that far. The long end of the 24-70mm zoom is already a pretty good portrait range on DX, of course.
 
Traded in my D3200 and lenses for upgrade. Regretted it almost straight away, for the little I got I wish I had simply paid the extra cash and kept hold of my trusty D3200. It was a great take anywhere camera (kept in Car at all times) and gave me some very good and memorable shots. So IMHO keep your D3200, perhaps buy a used FF like the D610 and add lenses (Nikon 60mm is a real keeper) as money allows.
 
Unless you have a need for a more flexible camera or shoot fast moving things or shoot in the dark, I'd stick with what you have got. You won't get a step increase in sensor performance unless you go full frame.

Even if you want something better, I wouldn't sell it anyway. The D3000 series are great little cameras and will be smaller than any upgrade.
 
Agree with Erty. I had a D5000 then got a D7000 ('cos my wife wanted a cheap camera and they don't come cheaper than my cast-offs) but now I have a D810 and the difference in weight and size is palpable. I am a bit of a gear snob so I put up with it but for actually taking photographs, the smaller Nikons are easier to handle and the difference in quality is only really noticeable if compared side by side (unless doing big enlargements) and who does that? Most people look at a photograph and either like it or don't like it, what they don't do is say "this aspect could have been slightly sharper if you'd spent five grand on a better camera".
 
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