Do you want to know what's better Nikon D3200 or Nikon D90? SpecsPRO has compared Nikon D3200 vs Nikon D90: weight, battery, sensor, resolution, ISO, dynamic range and other important specifications.

Nikon D3200 vs Nikon D90

  • Main

  • Model

  • Price

  • Advantages

  • launch

  • Announced

  • Body type

  • Camera subcategory

  • Sensor

  • Effective pixels

  • Max resolution

  • Sensor size

  • Sensor type

  • Processor

  • Image ratio w:h

  • Other resolutions

  • Sensor photo detectors

  • Image

  • ISO

  • Boosted ISO (maximum)

  • White balance presets

  • Custom white balance

  • Image stabilization

  • Uncompressed format

  • JPEG quality levels

  • Photography features

  • Minimum shutter speed

  • Maximum shutter speed

  • Aperture priority

  • Shutter priority

  • Manual exposure mode

  • Subject / scene modes

  • Built-in flash

  • Flash range

  • External flash

  • Flash modes

  • Continuous drive

  • Self-timer

  • Metering modes

  • Exposure compensation

  • WB Bracketing

  • AE Bracketing

  • Screen / viewfinder

  • Articulated LCD

  • Screen size

  • Screen dots

  • Touch screen

  • Screen type

  • Live view

  • Viewfinder type

  • Viewfinder coverage

  • Viewfinder magnification

  • Videography features

  • Resolutions

  • File Format

  • Videography notes

  • Microphone

  • Speaker

  • Optics & Focus

  • Autofocus

  • Digital zoom

  • Manual focus

  • Number of focus points

  • Lens mount

  • Focal length multiplier

  • Physical

  • Weight (inc. batteries)

  • Dimensions

  • Environmentally sealed

  • Battery

  • Battery details

  • Battery Life (CIPA)

  • Storage

  • Storage types

  • Storage included

  • Connectivity

  • USB

  • HDMI

  • Wireless

  • Wireless notes

  • Remote control

  • Other features

  • Orientation sensor

  • GPS

  • GPS notes

  • Timelapse recording

  • Samples

  • Videos

  • Main

  • Model

    Nikon D3200

  • Price

  • Advantages

  • SENSOR Effective pixels: 24 megapixels

    SENSOR Max resolution: 6016 x 4000

    SENSOR Sensor photo detectors: 25 megapixels

    IMAGE ISO: Auto, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200, 6400 (12800 with boost)

    IMAGE Boosted ISO (maximum): 12800

    SCREEN / VIEWFINDER Screen dots: 921,000

    VIDEOGRAPHY FEATURES Resolutions: 1920 x 1080 (30,25, 24 fps), 1280 x 720 (60, 50 fps), 640 x 424 (30, 25 fps)

    PHYSICAL Weight (inc. batteries): 505 g (1.11 lb / 17.81 oz)

    Go to the Summary

Nikon D90
  • Main

  • Model

    Nikon D90

  • Price

  • Advantages

  • SENSOR Sensor size: APS-C (23.6 x 15.8 mm)

    PHOTOGRAPHY FEATURES Flash range: 17.00 m (at ISO 100)

    PHOTOGRAPHY FEATURES Continuous drive: 4.5 fps

    PHOTOGRAPHY FEATURES WB Bracketing: Yes (2 or 3 frames in either blue/amber or magenta/green axis)

    PHYSICAL Battery Life (CIPA): 850

    CONNECTIVITY Wireless: Eye-Fi Connected

    Go to the Summary

  • launch

  • Announced

    Apr 19, 2012

  • Body type

  • Camera subcategory

    Compact SLR

  • Sensor

  • Effective pixels

    24 megapixels

  • Max resolution

    6016 x 4000

  • Sensor size

    APS-C (23.2 x 15.4 mm)

  • Sensor type

    CMOS

  • Processor

    Expeed 3

  • Image ratio w:h

    3:2

  • Other resolutions

    4512 x 3000, 3008 x 2000

  • Sensor photo detectors

    25 megapixels

  • Image

  • ISO

    Auto, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200, 6400 (12800 with boost)

  • Boosted ISO (maximum)

    12800

  • White balance presets

    12

  • Custom white balance

    Yes (1)

  • Image stabilization

    No

  • Uncompressed format

    RAW

  • JPEG quality levels

    Fine, Normal, Basic

  • Photography features

  • Minimum shutter speed

    30 sec

  • Maximum shutter speed

    1/4000 sec

  • Aperture priority

    Yes

  • Shutter priority

    Yes

  • Manual exposure mode

    Yes

  • Subject / scene modes

    Yes

  • Built-in flash

    Yes (Pop-up)

  • Flash range

    12.00 m (at ISO 100)

  • External flash

    Yes (Hot-shoe, Wireless plus sync connector)

  • Flash modes

    Auto, Red-Eye, Slow, Red-Eye Slow, Rear curtain

  • Continuous drive

    4.0 fps

  • Self-timer

    Yes

  • Metering modes

    • Multi
    • Center-weighted
    • Spot AF-area

  • Exposure compensation

    ±5 (at 1/3 EV steps)

  • WB Bracketing

    No

  • AE Bracketing

  • Screen / viewfinder

  • Articulated LCD

    Fixed

  • Screen size

    3

  • Screen dots

    921,000

  • Touch screen

    No

  • Screen type

    TFT LCD with 160° viewing angle

  • Live view

    Yes

  • Viewfinder type

    Optical (pentamirror)

  • Viewfinder coverage

    95%

  • Viewfinder magnification

    0.8×

  • Videography features

  • Resolutions

    1920 x 1080 (30,25, 24 fps), 1280 x 720 (60, 50 fps), 640 x 424 (30, 25 fps)

  • File Format

    MPEG-4, H.264

  • Videography notes

    Frame rates of 30p (actual frame rate 29.97 fps) and 60p (actual frame rate 59.94 fps) are available when NTSC is selected for video mode; 25p and 50p are available when PAL is selected for video mode; Actual frame rate when 24p is selected is 23.976 fps

  • Microphone

    Mono

  • Speaker

    Mono

  • Optics & Focus

  • Autofocus

    • Contrast Detect (sensor)
    • Phase Detect
    • Multi-area
    • Selective single-point
    • Tracking
    • Single
    • Continuous
    • Face Detection
    • Live View

  • Digital zoom

    No

  • Manual focus

    Yes

  • Number of focus points

    11

  • Lens mount

    Nikon F

  • Focal length multiplier

    1.5×

  • Physical

  • Weight (inc. batteries)

    505 g (1.11 lb / 17.81 oz)

  • Dimensions

    125 x 96 x 77 mm (4.92 x 3.78 x 3.03)

  • Environmentally sealed

    No

  • Battery

    Battery Pack

  • Battery details

    Lithium-Ion EN-EL14 rechargeable battery & charger

  • Battery Life (CIPA)

    540

  • Storage

  • Storage types

    SD/SDHC/SDXC UHS-I compliant

  • Storage included

    None

  • Connectivity

  • USB

    USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)

  • HDMI

    Yes (Mini Type C)

  • Wireless

    Optional

  • Wireless notes

    WU-1a Wireless Mobile Adapter

  • Remote control

    Yes (Optional)

  • Other features

  • Orientation sensor

    Yes

  • GPS

    Optional

  • GPS notes

    GP-1

  • Timelapse recording

  • Watch sample photos

  • Watch video reviews

  • launch

  • Announced

    Aug 27, 2008

  • Body type

  • Camera subcategory

    Mid-size SLR

  • Sensor

  • Effective pixels

    12 megapixels

  • Max resolution

    4288 x 2848

  • Sensor size

    APS-C (23.6 x 15.8 mm)

  • Sensor type

    CMOS

  • Processor

  • Image ratio w:h

    3:2

  • Other resolutions

    3216 x 2136, 2144 x 1424

  • Sensor photo detectors

    13 megapixels

  • Image

  • ISO

    Auto, 200 - 3200 (plus 6400 with boost)

  • Boosted ISO (maximum)

    6400

  • White balance presets

    12

  • Custom white balance

    Yes (5)

  • Image stabilization

    No

  • Uncompressed format

    RAW

  • JPEG quality levels

    Fine, Normal, Basic

  • Photography features

  • Minimum shutter speed

    30 sec

  • Maximum shutter speed

    1/4000 sec

  • Aperture priority

    Yes

  • Shutter priority

    Yes

  • Manual exposure mode

    Yes

  • Subject / scene modes

    Yes

  • Built-in flash

    Yes (pop-up)

  • Flash range

    17.00 m (at ISO 100)

  • External flash

    Yes (Hot-shoe, Wireless)

  • Flash modes

    Auto, On, Off, Front curtain, Rear curtain, Red-Eye, Slow Sync

  • Continuous drive

    4.5 fps

  • Self-timer

    Yes (2, 5, 10 or 20 sec)

  • Metering modes

    • Multi
    • Center-weighted
    • Spot

  • Exposure compensation

    ±5 (at 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV steps)

  • WB Bracketing

    Yes (2 or 3 frames in either blue/amber or magenta/green axis)

  • AE Bracketing

    (2, 3 frames at 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV, 2/3 EV, 1 EV steps)

  • Screen / viewfinder

  • Articulated LCD

    Fixed

  • Screen size

    3

  • Screen dots

    920,000

  • Touch screen

    No

  • Screen type

    Super Density TFT color LCD with wide-viewing angle

  • Live view

    Yes

  • Viewfinder type

    Optical (pentaprism)

  • Viewfinder coverage

    96%

  • Viewfinder magnification

    0.96×

  • Videography features

  • Resolutions

    1280 x 720 (24 fps), 640 x 424 (24 fps), 320 x 216 (24 fps)

  • File Format

    Motion JPEG

  • Videography notes

  • Microphone

    Mono

  • Speaker

  • Optics & Focus

  • Autofocus

    • Contrast Detect (sensor)
    • Phase Detect
    • Multi-area
    • Selective single-point
    • Single
    • Continuous
    • Face Detection
    • Live View

  • Digital zoom

    No

  • Manual focus

    Yes

  • Number of focus points

    11

  • Lens mount

    Nikon F

  • Focal length multiplier

    1.5×

  • Physical

  • Weight (inc. batteries)

    703 g (1.55 lb / 24.80 oz)

  • Dimensions

    132 x 103 x 77 mm (5.2 x 4.06 x 3.03)

  • Environmentally sealed

    No

  • Battery

    Battery Pack

  • Battery details

    Lithium-Ion EN-EL3e rechargeable battery & charger

  • Battery Life (CIPA)

    850

  • Storage

  • Storage types

    SD/SDHC

  • Storage included

    None

  • Connectivity

  • USB

    USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)

  • HDMI

    Yes (Mini Type C)

  • Wireless

    Eye-Fi Connected

  • Wireless notes

  • Remote control

    Yes (Optional ML-L3 or MC-DC2)

  • Other features

  • Orientation sensor

    Yes

  • GPS

    Optional

  • GPS notes

    GP-1

  • Timelapse recording

    Yes (by USB cable and PC)

  • Watch sample photos

  • Watch video reviews

  • Summary

    The Nikon D3200 highest resolution of 6016 x 4000 pixels (24 megapixels) is better than the D90 highest resolution of 4288 x 2848 pixels (12 megapixels). The D90 is equipped with larger sensor than the Nikon D3200: APS-C (23.6 x 15.8 mm) versus APS-C (23.2 x 15.4 mm). This is the most important specification of this model because large sensor lets the photographer to take pictures of the more professional quality. The Nikon D3200 offers a wider ISO range of 100-6400 than 200-3200 ISO range of the D90. Such ISO range allow you to take good quality pictures in dim light situations.

    The Nikon D3200 display is better as it offers more number of screen dots 921,000 in compare to 920,000 dots of the D90 screen. The higher dot count display is better for reviewing images on your camera.

    The D90 which will help the camera owner to transfer pictures quick and easy. The D90 battery life is better than the Nikon D3200 battery life. In accordance with CIPA standards the photographer will be able to produce 850 photos with the D90 and only 540 with the D3200. The D3200 weighs 505g that is 198g lighter than the weight of the D90.

    The D3200 has 8 advantages and the D90 only 6 so the D3200 becomes the best choice. Check the list of the best offers on Amazon.