# Nikon D3200 DxOMark score: second best APS-C camera ever



## StandingBear1983 (Jun 7, 2012)

DxOMark just released their test results for the recently announced Nikon D3200 DSLR camera ($699)  which scored the #10 spot on their overall score list (5 of the top 10  cameras are made by Nikon; there are also 3 Phase One and 2 Pentax  models).
Nikon D3200 DxOMark score: second best APS-C camera ever | Nikon Rumors
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## KmH (Jun 7, 2012)

OK. So the D3200 will stay there until the next advance in image sensor and image processor technology allows a newer design to knock it down the list.

Using Moore's law as a guage, that will happen in 2 years or so.

From a usability point of view, the D3200 still only has 1 Command wheel, few external controls (more menu diving), only 1 cross-type AF point (11 total), the tiny 420 pixel metering sensor, only 95% pentamirror viewfinder, no CLS Commander mode, but they did add Bulb mode.


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## Nikon_Josh (Jun 7, 2012)

StandingBear1983 said:


> DxOMark just released their test results for the recently announced Nikon D3200 DSLR camera ($699)  which scored the #10 spot on their overall score list (5 of the top 10  cameras are made by Nikon; there are also 3 Phase One and 2 Pentax  models).
> Nikon D3200 DxOMark score: second best APS-C camera ever | Nikon Rumors
> ​



No doubt about it, this is impressive stuff!

But this has made me question the way DXO mark review things, how the hell can the d3200 have the same sensor performance as a 5D MK3 when the Canon full frame has twice the ISO performance of the D3200? Something very strange about how they get their overall scores! :er:


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## mjhoward (Jun 7, 2012)

KmH said:


> OK. So the D3200 will stay there until the next advance in image sensor and image processor technology allows a newer design to knock it down the list.



Unless that newer design is Canon's.  

RELAX, IT WAS JUST A JOKE!


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## mjhoward (Jun 7, 2012)

Nikon_Josh said:


> No doubt about it, this is impressive stuff!
> 
> But this has made me question the way DXO mark review things, how the hell can the d3200 have the same sensor performance as a 5D MK3 when the Canon full frame has twice the ISO performance of the D3200? Something very strange about how they get their overall scores! :er:



ISO performance isn't the only metric by which to evaluate an imaging sensor.  D3200 apparently has the 5DMKIII beat by 1.5 stops in Dynamic Range.  The 5DMKIII beats the D3200, apparently, by only 1 stop.  I can only assum they weight ISO heavier than Dynamic Range, but there is the bulk of your difference.


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## jaomul (Jun 7, 2012)

Does this mean all nikon d7000 users have to upgrade?


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## Nikon_Josh (Jun 7, 2012)

KmH said:


> From a usability point of view, the D3200 still only has 1 Command wheel, few external controls (more menu diving), only 1 cross-type AF point (11 total), the tiny 420 pixel metering sensor, only 95% pentamirror viewfinder, no CLS Commander mode, but they did add Bulb mode.



Yes and the D3200 is a camera designed for entry level users who will only use the Auto mode, so none of these things matter to the targeted market.


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## Jeatley (Jun 7, 2012)

jaomul said:


> Does this mean all nikon d7000 users have to upgrade?



or dare I say downgrade?


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## jrizal (Jun 7, 2012)

Nikon_Josh said:


> KmH said:
> 
> 
> > From a usability point of view, the D3200 still only has 1 Command wheel, few external controls (more menu diving), only 1 cross-type AF point (11 total), the tiny 420 pixel metering sensor, only 95% pentamirror viewfinder, no CLS Commander mode, but they did add Bulb mode.
> ...



It would also be nice if other models would have similar upgrades. I must agree, the usability is still limited in the D3200. Main reason reason I stuck with my D3100. For the same price as the D3200, I got my D3100 with the 55-200mm lens. Albeit, IQ is arguably much better.


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## Solarflare (Jun 7, 2012)

Hmm.

This list is pretty funny. Rating cameras by only 3 parameters ?

The only reason the D3200 beat the D7000/D5100(*) is because it has 24.1 bit color depth vs 23.5 bit. An advantage that will be gone in anything but ISO 100, since the D3200 has a lot more noise. In the other two categories, the D3200 is much behind.

Quite frankly if the D5200 has the exact same body as the D5100, except it get the fotochip of the D3200, I will prefer my good old D5100 by far.


(*) D7000 and D5100 have the same fotochip, thats because this list claims they are "same quality".


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## StandingBear1983 (Jun 7, 2012)

Nikon_Josh said:


> KmH said:
> 
> 
> > From a usability point of view, the D3200 still only has 1 Command wheel, few external controls (more menu diving), only 1 cross-type AF point (11 total), the tiny 420 pixel metering sensor, only 95% pentamirror viewfinder, no CLS Commander mode, but they did add Bulb mode.
> ...



NO DSLR is designed to only shoot in Auto..thats BS...low grade P&S is for people that want to stay in Auto mode...or don't bother...or stay at home mummies that want to shoot blurry pics of there family .

Stop comparing the D3200 to a 5000\7000 series DSLR...different beasts...the D3200 is a 'noob' DSLR, still, its one heck of a 'noob' camera as you can see .

What are you saying that Doxmark has connections with Nikon? - maybe you can't handle the fact that Nikon Kicked ass this year and chewed Canon's bubblegum .


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## mjhoward (Jun 7, 2012)

StandingBear1983 said:


> maybe you can't handle the fact that Nikon Kicked ass this year and chewed Canon's bubblegum .



Are you suggesting that a guy with the name "Nikon" in his alias might somehow be a Canon "fanboy"???


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## Nikon_Josh (Jun 8, 2012)

StandingBear1983 said:


> Nikon_Josh said:
> 
> 
> > KmH said:
> ...



At what point did I say the D3200 was not a good camera? It's one heck of a camera, I was actuallly defending the D3200 in a strange kind of way. There is no doubt about it, the camera is aimed at newbie users who generally will be shooting using Auto functions. That's why their is so much menu digging involved on these cameras! 

And your saying I am a Canon fanboy when my name is ''Nikon_Josh''?? I am completely unbiased actually, I love Nikon products and much prefer them but I don't get caught up in fanboyism.


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## Nikon_Josh (Jun 8, 2012)

mjhoward said:


> StandingBear1983 said:
> 
> 
> > maybe you can't handle the fact that Nikon Kicked ass this year and chewed Canon's bubblegum .
> ...



I am glad you see the funny side too!


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## matthewo (Jun 8, 2012)

It might have a decent sensor but it still feels cheap and little in hand


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## Solarflare (Jun 8, 2012)

Personally I think Dynamic Range is the most important of the three parameters. The dynamic range of our eyes is about 24 steps. The dynamic range of chemical film is about 16 to 18 steps. The dynamic range of the D7000/D5100 chip is 12 at ISO 100, so theres still plenty of room for improvement, and thats why there is HDR, after all.

Low light tolerance is the second most important, since it allows to photograph under bad light conditions. Obviously there is no limit on how much you can improve. I am already amazed how bright pictures I manage with my D5100 + 35mm/1.8 DX, though. Brighter than what I see with my own eyes.

Color depth, I dont want to talk it down, but I think there are simply dimishing returns with this one. JPEG and most other picture formats dont support more than 8 bit per color channel. For all I know, you need 8 bit for red and blue, and 9 bit for green - thats all the eyes themselves can master. So yeah, 23.5 bit of the D7000/D5100 is not optimal yet. But its something you'll have a hard time to actually see. You'll need a very soft distribution of green to actually see the difference between D3200 and D7000/D5100. The picture might change a bit though with HDR since that obviously has to remap colors, so more color precision means less error.


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## StandingBear1983 (Jun 8, 2012)

*Solarflare* - just out of curiosity here, what is the camera with the most steps? (you said 24 is the human eye), about the D5100 with a 35mm 1.8G in low light, i totally agree...i have that combo exactly and it rocks my socks and almost never failed to get pictures even in very low light...like bars and stuff like that...


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## mjhoward (Jun 8, 2012)

matthewo said:


> It might have a decent sensor but it still feels cheap and little in hand


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## sovietdoc (Jun 8, 2012)

According to DxO D3200 has a better sensor than my 5D III.  Except RAW files made by 5D III at almost any ISO are significantly larger than the raw's made by D3200, although D3200 has more megapixels.  All that information in 5D's file sure must be garbage.


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## darrenberk (Jun 15, 2012)

sovietdoc said:


> According to DxO D3200 has a better sensor than my 5D III.  Except RAW files made by 5D III at almost any ISO are significantly larger than the raw's made by D3200, although D3200 has more megapixels.  All that information in 5D's file sure must be garbage.



time to replace your 5d III eh?


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## Solarflare (Jun 15, 2012)

StandingBear1983 said:


> *Solarflare* - just out of curiosity here, what is the camera with the most steps?


 Sorry, didnt saw your posting until now.

According to DxOMark - Camera Sensor Ratings the current record for this is the Nikon D800 with 14.4 stops (interestingly this list also claims the D7000 would manage 13.9 and the D5100 would manage 13.6 - much better than what I read from other sources and inconsistent with the fact that D7000 and D5100 actually have the exact same fotochip and should thus be equal in this parameter).


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## Patrice (Jun 15, 2012)

Solarflare said:


> Hmm.
> 
> This list is pretty funny. Rating cameras by only 3 parameters ?



Yeah really. As someone else said in this thread, there are other parameters to include when rating cameras. Any one camera can have very many different end ratings depending on which features the rater deems important. 

Personally, I'd like to see how many stitches are in the supplied neck strap.


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