The Best Nikon D3200 Photography Tips
When Nikon introduced the D3200, a lot of people including myself did not really know the potential that the camera brought to the table. I can even go as far as saying that most of us thought that the camera would be dead on arrival and would not be able to survive in a market where the competition is only getting tougher and tougher by the minute. However, we were all wrong as the Nikon D3200 went on to become one of the best cameras from Nikon, with countless people using the camera even today.
Even if you ask me right now about a great camera for beginners, I would wholeheartedly suggest the Nikon D3200 simply because for a very little amount of money, you can go ahead and get some great experience in photography. You will need a good lens, though but aside from that, you are getting a camera that is excellent in almost every regard.
For now, we are just going to focus on some Nikon D3200 photography tips that will help everyone. So, let’s not waste time and have a look, shall we?
Nikon D3200 Photography Tips
Is Nikon D3200 Good for Photography?
I will be honest here. As a photographer, the one question that I get all the time is people asking me just how good the Nikon D3200 is like a camera, and my answer never really changes because I know that this is one excellent camera that I have been using for as long as I can remember. So, if you have been using a good camera, this is the way to go as it will not really let you down in any case, and you will get your hands on something that works just fine.
Sure, you are going to need a good lens, to begin with, especially if you are looking to take good photos. The best part is that the Nikon D3200 supports a multitude of lenses that you can easily get and be on your way to take some stunning pictures without too much hassle. It is a delight to use and something that you can never really overlook.
The camera is going to work really, really well in most of the situations, so if you are worried that you might be getting something that simply cannot perform, keep that thought out of your mind.
Is Nikon D3200 Good for Portrait Photography?
We are all aware of the fact that the Nikon D3200 is a camera that has been around a long, long time. So, normally, when you run into something of that kind, a lot of people are wondering if they are going to get something that will be good because let’s be honest, older technologies do not work as well as most people might think and that is a concern that a lot of people have voiced in the past.
Is the Nikon D3200 good for portrait photography? Well, I thought it would not manage to hold on its own but after using the camera for some time, I have come to the conclusion that the camera is an excellent device for portrait photography.
Honestly, aside from a great sensor, a large part of the magic lies within the lens you are using. I would highly suggest you are using a 50mm or an 85mm lens with an f/1.8 aperture and you are good to go. The best thing is that these lenses are not going to cost you a lot of money, either. So, if you are worried that you might end up not getting a good value, then that should not be a concern.
Best Settings for the Nikon D3200
Next up, we have something that almost everyone as a photographer has gone through and this is more or less about the camera settings that people are going to use with their cameras. The thing is that most people are under the impression that every time they have to get a new camera, they will have to go through the settings process but that is not at all the case as you can just get something that genuinely is good and you will be all good.
With camera settings, you do not really have to repeat the settings time and again with various cameras that you are going to get. This means that you can just use the current camera settings on various cameras and things will work just fine, in almost all the cases.
With that said, let’s go ahead and have a look at the best settings for Nikon D3200 that you should use.
1- Manual Mode is the Way to Go
Now, I do understand just how overwhelming manual mode can be, especially if this is your first time experiencing it on a camera but what you must understand is that manual mode is always the way to go. For the simplest reason that it is going to make it infinitely easier for you to take the pictures you want and the way you want to. I do know that it is going to come with a steep learning curve, but in most of the cases, you will not have any complications and you will be able to take some amazing pictures, too. That is what I would always suggest that you go for.
2- Keep the ISO Lower
ISO is something that can be a bane of all the good photos out there. Sure, modern cameras are more than capable of handling higher ISO ranges, but for entry level and beginner cameras, it does not always happen. Still, for anyone who is looking for a cleaner image and something that looks excellent in almost all the situations, going for a lower ISO is always the way to go because the pictures you are going to get will be excellent in almost every case.
The suggested range for the Nikon D3200 is around 100 to 200 and I know that it is really low, but the experience you will get out of this is going to be worth it.
3- Faster Shutter Speed
I know there are a lot of times when people start wondering whether they should be using a slower shutter speed, but to be honest, it never really is the right choice. Sure, if you are taking pictures at night and you have access to a tripod them using a slower shutter speed is the right thing to do. However, if that is not the case, then always use a faster shutter speed.
For those wondering, I would always suggest that you are going for shutter speeds ranging from 1/100th and higher as that is a much better range overall to take pictures and you will not be disappointed, either.
With a faster shutter speed, you should be using a lens that has a wide-open aperture so you can have an easier time taking the pictures you want.
4- Wider Aperture is a Life Saver
I know it might be a hard time for a lot of people to understand but if you genuinely want to take pictures that are good, it is always better that you are looking at a wider aperture because it generally helps. The wider the aperture is, the more light it will let in, and you will be able to take pictures that are brighter, with great depth of field, too.
However, if you feel like you need less light and sharper pictures, you can always increase the aperture and close it down for the perfect result.
The point here is that one must be fully aware of how to handle lenses and aperture so they can take the pictures that are perfect. Additionally, the combination of aperture, shutter speed, and ISO will work together to determine the exposure level of your pictures and is also known as the exposure triangle.
5- Don’t Overlook the Lens
I still remember my first camera and how I ended up with an affordable lens that was not even good. I hated my camera for the longest time I can remember and then I realized that it was all because the lens I was using was not good enough.
I quickly upgraded the lens and that just changed my camera forever. The point here is that if you are wondering that you are camera is not operating as well as it should, the best thing that you can do is invest in a good lens and that should get the job done and you will get the results that you want.
Never overlook which lens you are going to use because you will end up with a lackluster experience.
Frequently Asked Questions
Conclusion
I understand that operating a camera can be a difficult ordeal for a lot of people and it is always something that a lot of us have gone through. But if you have been spending some time trying to figure out the best Nikon D3200 photography tips and you are still confused, well, don’t worry as this whole guide is made for people who are confused and just want a way out.
The purpose of this guide is to ensure that you are not going to run into any issues as far as the performance is concerned. With this guide, you can easily make the most of your Nikon D3200.
