Do you want to know what's better Nikon D3200 or Nikon D5100? SpecsPRO has compared Nikon D3200 vs Nikon D5100: weight, battery, sensor, resolution, ISO, dynamic range and other important specifications.

Nikon D3200 vs Nikon D5100

  • 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

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

    Go to the Summary

  • Main

  • Model

    Nikon D5100

  • Price

  • Advantages

  • SENSOR Sensor size: APS-C (23.6 x 15.7 mm)

    IMAGE ISO: Auto, 100- 6400 (plus 12800, 25600 with boost)

    IMAGE Boosted ISO (maximum): 25600

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

    SCREEN / VIEWFINDER Articulated LCD: Fully articulated

    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

    Apr 5, 2011

  • Body type

  • Camera subcategory

    Compact SLR

  • Sensor

  • Effective pixels

    16 megapixels

  • Max resolution

    4928 x 3264

  • Sensor size

    APS-C (23.6 x 15.7 mm)

  • Sensor type

    CMOS

  • Processor

    Expeed 2

  • Image ratio w:h

    3:2

  • Other resolutions

    3696 x 2448, 2464 x 1632

  • Sensor photo detectors

  • Image

  • ISO

    Auto, 100- 6400 (plus 12800, 25600 with boost)

  • Boosted ISO (maximum)

    25600

  • 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

    12.00 m (at ISO 100)

  • External flash

    Yes (Hot-shoe)

  • Flash modes

    Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Slow sync, Rear curtain

  • Continuous drive

    4.0 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 (3 frames in either blue/amber or magenta/green axis)

  • AE Bracketing

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

  • Screen / viewfinder

  • Articulated LCD

    Fully articulated

  • Screen size

    3

  • Screen dots

    921,000

  • Touch screen

    No

  • Screen type

    TFT LCD monitor

  • Live view

    Yes (With contrast-detect AF, face detection and subject tracking)

  • Viewfinder type

    Optical (pentamirror)

  • Viewfinder coverage

    95%

  • Viewfinder magnification

    0.78×

  • Videography features

  • Resolutions

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

  • File Format

    MPEG-4

  • Videography notes

  • Microphone

    Mono

  • Speaker

  • Optics & Focus

  • Autofocus

    • Contrast Detect (sensor)
    • Phase Detect
    • Multi-area
    • Center
    • 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)

    560 g (1.23 lb / 19.75 oz)

  • Dimensions

    128 x 97 x 79 mm (5.04 x 3.82 x 3.11)

  • Environmentally sealed

    No

  • Battery

    Battery Pack

  • Battery details

    Lithium-Ion EN-EL14 rechargeable battery & charger

  • Battery Life (CIPA)

  • Storage

  • Storage types

    SD/SDHC/SDXC

  • Storage included

  • 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)

  • Other features

  • Orientation sensor

    Yes

  • GPS

    Optional

  • GPS notes

    GP-1

  • Timelapse recording

    Yes

  • Watch sample photos

  • Watch video reviews

  • Summary

    The Nikon D3200 highest resolution of 6016 x 4000 pixels (24 megapixels) is better than the D5100 maximum resolution of 4928 x 3264 pixels (16 megapixels). The D5100 has larger sensor compared to the Nikon D3200: APS-C (23.6 x 15.7 mm) versus APS-C (23.2 x 15.4 mm). It is the most important specification of this model because large sensor lets you to produce pictures of the higher quality.

    The D5100 is produced with articulated:articulated display which will let you to make high quality selfie photos.

    The D5100 which will help the photographer to transfer pictures wirelessly from a camera to a PC. The D3200 weighs 505g which is 55g lighter than the weight of the D5100.

    The Nikon D5100 has 6 advantages and the Nikon D3200 only 3 so the D5100 is the best choice. Check the lowest price on Amazon.