# any Nikon camera owners out there



## DSChief (Feb 13, 2013)

thinking of retireing my kodak z650.

costCo is running a 2 lens package deal

They have a D5200 bundled with a 18-55 & a 55-300

also a D3200 bundled with a 18-55 & a 55-200

both are listed at 24.x MP; and the price diff. is about 170.00

question is : is the D5200 worth 170.00 more than the D3200 & Why


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## Dream Burls (Feb 14, 2013)

I have a D80 so I'm a little behind the time as far as advances in digital cameras are concerned. The internet is a great place to research these kinds of things. Just google Nikon D5200 vs D3200 and I'm sure you'll find your answers. The two lenses sound great for a package, of course that depends on what type of photography you're into. Good luck.


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## Duckfat (Feb 14, 2013)

You can go to the Nikon forum @ Fred Miranda or try Nikonians.com for dedicated Nikon chat.

http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/board/7


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## DSChief (Feb 14, 2013)

Found a couple of online reviews, The 5200 stores higher resolution RAW files 14 bit vs, 12 bit for the 3200.
The 5200 has better sound & auto focus. Plus the 55-300 lens packaged with the 5200, retails for 150.00 more than the 55-200
that comes with the 3200. so it seems that the D5200 package is a better deal.


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## Dream Burls (Feb 14, 2013)

I knew you'd figure it out. What kind of photography are you into?


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## knyfeknerd (Feb 14, 2013)

I just got a D3100 for xmas this year. It's my 1st DSLR and I still have a lot to learn. I think David(The Boardsmith) had a D5000 for sale that was a great deal. Maybe try contacting him. 
Good luck with your purchase, let us know what you end up with.


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## Timthebeaver (Feb 14, 2013)

I have a D5100. Here in the UK, it is about 30% cheaper than the D5200, which isn't worth the extra cash, IMO.


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## mkmk (Feb 14, 2013)

I've been shooting Nikons for 20+ years, sometimes paid, mostly not.

The D3200 and D5200 are built on the same basic platform, so they're more alike than different. Both are the smallest body style, which is great if you want something compact and light (when you move up to the bigger bodies, you get a better viewfinder and more intuitive mechanical controls). The key advantages of the D5200 over the D3200 are a bit faster frame rate, slightly better sensor, better AF system, and the articulating flip-out screen. The tele zoom in the D5200 is a bit better, too. 

If the price difference isn't too hard to take, I'd choose the D5200. To save a bit more, I'd be inclined toward a D5100, rather than the D3200.

+1 to FredMiranda.com. Great forum.


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## DSChief (Feb 14, 2013)

Dream Burls said:


> I knew you'd figure it out. What kind of photography are you into?



Nothing special, no commercial use or special effects. just spur of the moment tourist stuff. It seemed that the price
point of the D5200 package was a good , since I could upgrade to 24 MP from the 6.1 MP of the Z650 & get a 55-300 lens
as well.


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## mkmk (Feb 14, 2013)

I think you'll find either one to be a major upgrade from your older point and shoot. The pixel count is really the least of it.

Especially if you want to try shooting RAW rather than JPEG, you might consider picking up Adobe Lightroom. It's a complete photo management system, with excellent image processing, too.


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## EdipisReks (Feb 14, 2013)

the D5200 is worth the extra cost, if only for the better auto-focus performance.


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## Duckfat (Feb 14, 2013)

DSChief said:


> It seemed that the price
> point of the D5200 package was a good , since I could upgrade to 24 MP from the 6.1 MP of the Z650 & get a 55-300 lens
> as well.



Just a word of caution before you leap from 6MP to 24. Make sure you have the RAM, hard drive space, processor speed, software and post processing chops to get the most out of your images. Just looking at stats and price point is only a small part of the equation. It makes zero difference what brand you shoot as the rubber really hits the road in post processing. I'd much rather have one standard zoom with a fixed app than two kit lenses but that's personal preference.
BTW Costco is usually not a very good deal due to tax. You may want to look at prices at B&H or Canoga Camera.


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## DSChief (Feb 14, 2013)

Duckfat said:


> Just a word of caution before you leap from 6MP to 24. Make sure you have the RAM, hard drive space, processor speed, software and post processing chops to get the most out of your images. Just looking at stats and price point is only a small part of the equation. It makes zero difference what brand you shoot as the rubber really hits the road in post processing. I'd much rather have one standard zoom with a fixed app than two kit lenses but that's personal preference.
> BTW Costco is usually not a very good deal due to tax. You may want to look at prices at B&H or Canoga Camera.



system specs should be ok.
Q9550 CPU
8 G ram
500 G. HD.
Win 7 Pro 64 bit
GTX-560Ti Vid.


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## eaglerock (Feb 14, 2013)

If you are just starting with DSLR then pick the cheaper option and see if you need a better one later. for a normal user i don't think you will notice the difference between the two.


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## Dream Burls (Feb 14, 2013)

DSChief said:


> Nothing special, no commercial use or special effects. just spur of the moment tourist stuff. It seemed that the price
> point of the D5200 package was a good , since I could upgrade to 24 MP from the 6.1 MP of the Z650 & get a 55-300 lens
> as well.



If you're not used to it the 55-300 may feel big to you. Make sure to check it out and see how it feel to carry around before you buy. If you're using mostly as a tourist you might want something lighter and more compact.


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## Duckfat (Feb 14, 2013)

DSChief said:


> system specs should be ok.
> Q9550 CPU
> 8 G ram
> 500 G. HD.
> ...



The bottlekneck there is your HD. Once you get to files this size a great set up is to run your OS/programs/Lightroom on a small SSD and use a 1TB Caviar black etc. for storage. 
If you don't have Lightroom consider it a must have unless of course you are already fluent with Photoshop. If you are trying to save some $$$ you may want to see if that camera is supported by LR3.


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## DSChief (Feb 14, 2013)

I don't think storage is going to be an issue


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## franzb69 (Feb 14, 2013)

dschief, you sir a man after my own heart. lol.

i had like 12 hard drives last year. sold off a couple to cut down on space. lol. i had like 3 rigs running, electricity bill was killing me. now i'm just running on one.


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