Nikon D3200 vs D3500
The Nikon D3200 and the Nikon D3500 are two digital cameras that were announced, respectively, in April 2012 and August 2018. Both are DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) cameras that are equipped with an APS-C sensor. The D3200 has a resolution of 24.1 megapixels, whereas the D3500 provides 24 MP.
Below is an overview of the main specs of the two cameras as a starting point for the comparison.
Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Nikon D3200 and the Nikon D3500? Which one should you buy? Read on to find out how these two cameras compare with respect to their body size, their imaging sensors, their shooting features, their input-output connections, and their reception by expert reviewers.
Body comparison
The side-by-side display below illustrates the physical size and weight of the Nikon D3200 and the Nikon D3500. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three consecutive views from the front, the top, and the rear side are shown. All width, height and depth measures are rounded to the nearest millimeter.
The D3200 can be obtained in two different colors (black, red), while the D3500 is only available in black.
If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Nikon D3200 and the Nikon D3500 are of equal size. However, the D3500 is markedly lighter (18 percent) than the D3200. In this context, it is worth noting that neither the D3200 nor the D3500 are weather-sealed.
The above size and weight comparisons are to some extent incomplete since they do not consider the interchangeable lenses that both of these cameras require. In this particular case, both cameras feature the same lens mount, so that they can use the same lenses. You can compare the optics available in the Nikon Lens Catalog.
Concerning battery life, the D3200 gets 540 shots out of its Nikon EN-EL14 battery, while the D3500 can take 1550 images on a single charge of its Nikon EN-EL14a power pack.
The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the two cameras alongside a broader set of comparators. If you would like to visualize and compare a different camera combination, you can navigate to the CAM-parator app and make your selection from a broad list of cameras there.
Camera Model |
Camera Width |
Camera Height |
Camera Depth |
Camera Weight |
Battery Life |
Weather Sealing |
Camera Launch |
Launch Price (USD) |
Street Price |
||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Nikon D3200 | 125 mm | 96 mm | 77 mm | 505 g | 540 | n | Apr 2012 | 599 | ebay.com | |
2. | Nikon D3500 | 124 mm | 97 mm | 70 mm | 415 g | 1550 | n | Aug 2018 | 429 | ebay.com | |
3. | Nikon D3000 | 126 mm | 97 mm | 64 mm | 536 g | 500 | n | Jul 2009 | 599 | ebay.com | |
4. | Nikon D3100 | 124 mm | 96 mm | 75 mm | 505 g | 550 | n | Aug 2010 | 599 | ebay.com | |
5. | Nikon D3300 | 124 mm | 98 mm | 76 mm | 430 g | 700 | n | Jan 2014 | 499 | ebay.com | |
6. | Nikon D3400 | 124 mm | 98 mm | 76 mm | 445 g | 1200 | n | Aug 2016 | 499 | ebay.com | |
7. | Nikon D5100 | 128 mm | 97 mm | 79 mm | 560 g | 660 | n | Apr 2011 | 749 | ebay.com | |
8. | Nikon D5200 | 129 mm | 98 mm | 78 mm | 555 g | 500 | n | Nov 2012 | 749 | ebay.com | |
9. | Nikon D5300 | 125 mm | 98 mm | 76 mm | 480 g | 600 | n | Oct 2013 | 799 | ebay.com | |
10. | Nikon D5500 | 124 mm | 97 mm | 70 mm | 470 g | 820 | n | Jan 2015 | 899 | ebay.com | |
11. | Nikon D5600 | 124 mm | 97 mm | 70 mm | 465 g | 970 | n | Nov 2016 | 699 | ebay.com | |
12. | Sony A58 | 129 mm | 95 mm | 78 mm | 492 g | 690 | n | Feb 2013 | 599 | ebay.com | |
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders. | |||||||||||
Any camera decision will naturally be influenced heavily by the price. The manufacturer’s suggested retail prices give an idea on the placement of the camera in the maker’s lineup and the broader market. The D3500 was launched at a markedly lower price (by 28 percent) than the D3200, which puts it into a different market segment. Usually, retail prices stay at first close to the launch price, but after several months, discounts become available. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down.
Sensor comparison
The size of the sensor inside a digital camera is one of the key determinants of image quality. A large sensor will generally have larger individual pixels that offer better low-light sensitivity, provide wider dynamic range, and have richer color-depth than smaller pixels in a sensor of the same technological generation. Furthermore, a large sensor camera will give the photographer more possibilities to use shallow depth-of-field in order to isolate a subject from the background. On the downside, larger sensors tend to be associated with larger, more expensive camera bodies and lenses.
Both cameras under consideration feature an APS-C sensor, but their sensors differ slightly in size. The sensor area in the D3500 is 3 percent bigger. They nevertheless have the same format factor of 1.5. Both cameras have a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 3:2.
Technology-wise, the D3500 uses a more advanced image processing engine (EXPEED 4) than the D3200 (EXPEED 3), with benefits for noise reduction, color accuracy, and processing speed.
Despite having a slightly smaller sensor, the Nikon D3200 offers a higher resolution of 24.1 megapixels, compared with 24 MP of the Nikon D3500. This megapixels advantage comes at the cost of a higher pixel density and a smaller size of the individual pixel (with a pixel pitch of 3.85μm versus 3.91μm for the D3500). Moreover, it should be noted that the D3500 is much more recent (by 6 years and 4 months) than the D3200, and its sensor will have benefitted from technological advances during this time that further enhance the light gathering capacity of its pixel-units. Coming back to sensor resolution, it should be mentioned that the D3500 has no anti-alias filter installed, so that it can capture all the detail its sensor resolves.
The Nikon D3200 has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 6400, which can be extended to ISO 100-12800. The corresponding ISO settings for the Nikon D3500 are ISO 100 to ISO 25600 (no boost).
Technology-wise, both cameras are equipped with CMOS (Complementary Metal–Oxide–Semiconductor) sensors. Both cameras use a Bayer filter for capturing RGB colors on a square grid of photosensors. This arrangement is found in most digital cameras.
For many cameras, data on sensor performance has been reported by DXO Mark. This service assesses and scores the color depth ("DXO Portrait"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports") of camera sensors, and also publishes an overall camera score. The adjacent table reports on the physical sensor characteristics and the outcomes of the DXO sensor quality tests for a sample of comparator-cameras.
Camera Model |
Sensor Class |
Resolution (MP) |
Horiz. Pixels |
Vert. Pixels |
Video Format |
DXO Portrait |
DXO Landscape |
DXO Sports |
DXO Overall |
||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Nikon D3200 | APS-C | 24.1 | 6016 | 4000 | 1080/30p | 24.1 | 13.2 | 1131 | 81 | |
2. | Nikon D3500 | APS-C | 24.0 | 6000 | 4000 | 1080/60p | 24.0 | 13.4 | 1851 | 83 | |
3. | Nikon D3000 | APS-C | 10.0 | 3872 | 2592 | none | 22.3 | 11.1 | 563 | 62 | |
4. | Nikon D3100 | APS-C | 14.2 | 4608 | 3072 | 1080/24p | 22.5 | 11.3 | 919 | 67 | |
5. | Nikon D3300 | APS-C | 24.0 | 6000 | 4000 | 1080/60p | 24.3 | 12.8 | 1385 | 82 | |
6. | Nikon D3400 | APS-C | 24.0 | 6000 | 4000 | 1080/60p | 24.8 | 13.9 | 1192 | 86 | |
7. | Nikon D5100 | APS-C | 16.1 | 4928 | 3264 | 1080/30p | 23.5 | 13.6 | 1183 | 80 | |
8. | Nikon D5200 | APS-C | 24.0 | 6000 | 4000 | 1080/60i | 24.2 | 13.9 | 1284 | 84 | |
9. | Nikon D5300 | APS-C | 24.0 | 6000 | 4000 | 1080/60p | 24.0 | 13.9 | 1338 | 83 | |
10. | Nikon D5500 | APS-C | 24.0 | 6000 | 4000 | 1080/60p | 24.1 | 14.0 | 1438 | 84 | |
11. | Nikon D5600 | APS-C | 24.0 | 6000 | 4000 | 1080/60p | 24.1 | 14.0 | 1306 | 84 | |
12. | Sony A58 | APS-C | 19.8 | 5456 | 3632 | 1080/60i | 23.3 | 12.5 | 753 | 74 | |
Note: DXO values in italics represent estimates based on sensor size and age. |
Many modern cameras are not only capable of taking still images, but also of capturing video footage. Both cameras under consideration are equipped with sensors that have a sufficiently high read-out speed for moving images, but the D3500 provides a faster frame rate than the D3200. It can shoot movie footage at 1080/60p, while the D3200 is limited to 1080/30p.
Feature comparison
Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a variety of features. The D3200 and the D3500 are similar in the sense that both have an optical viewfinder. The latter is useful for getting a clear image for framing even in brightly lit environments. The viewfinders of both cameras offer the same field of view (95%), but the viewfinder of the D3500 has a higher magnification than the one of the D3200 (0.57x vs 0.53x), so that the size of the image transmitted appears closer to the size seen with the naked human eye. The following table reports on some other key feature differences and similarities of the Nikon D3200, the Nikon D3500, and comparable cameras.
Camera Model |
Viewfinder (Type or 000 dots) |
Control Panel (yes/no) |
LCD Specifications (inch/000 dots) |
LCD Attach- ment |
Touch Screen (yes/no) |
Max Shutter Speed * |
Max Shutter Flaps * |
Built-in Flash (yes/no) |
Built-in Image Stab |
||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Nikon D3200 | optical | n | 3.0 / 921 | fixed | n | 1/4000s | 4.0/s | Y | n | |
2. | Nikon D3500 | optical | n | 3.0 / 921 | fixed | n | 1/4000s | 5.0/s | Y | n | |
3. | Nikon D3000 | optical | n | 3.0 / 230 | fixed | n | 1/4000s | 3.0/s | Y | n | |
4. | Nikon D3100 | optical | n | 3.0 / 230 | fixed | n | 1/4000s | 3.0/s | Y | n | |
5. | Nikon D3300 | optical | n | 3.0 / 921 | fixed | n | 1/4000s | 5.0/s | Y | n | |
6. | Nikon D3400 | optical | n | 3.0 / 921 | fixed | n | 1/4000s | 5.0/s | Y | n | |
7. | Nikon D5100 | optical | n | 3.0 / 921 | swivel | n | 1/4000s | 4.0/s | Y | n | |
8. | Nikon D5200 | optical | n | 3.0 / 921 | swivel | n | 1/4000s | 5.0/s | Y | n | |
9. | Nikon D5300 | optical | n | 3.2 / 1037 | swivel | n | 1/4000s | 5.0/s | Y | n | |
10. | Nikon D5500 | optical | n | 3.2 / 1037 | swivel | Y | 1/4000s | 5.0/s | Y | n | |
11. | Nikon D5600 | optical | n | 3.2 / 1037 | swivel | Y | 1/4000s | 5.0/s | Y | n | |
12. | Sony A58 | 1440 | n | 2.7 / 460 | tilting | n | 1/4000s | 5.0/s | Y | Y | |
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one. |
Concerning the storage of imaging data, both the D3200 and the D3500 write their files to SDXC cards. Both cameras can use UHS-I cards, which provide for Ultra High Speed data transfer of up to 104 MB/s.
Connectivity comparison
For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Nikon D3200 and Nikon D3500 and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.
Camera Model |
Hotshoe Port |
Internal Mic / Speaker |
Microphone Port |
Headphone Port |
HDMI Port |
USB Port |
WiFi Support |
NFC Support |
Bluetooth Support |
||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Nikon D3200 | Y | mono / mono | Y | - | mini | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
2. | Nikon D3500 | Y | mono / mono | - | - | mini | 2.0 | - | - | Y | |
3. | Nikon D3000 | Y | - / - | - | - | - | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
4. | Nikon D3100 | Y | mono / mono | - | - | mini | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
5. | Nikon D3300 | Y | mono / mono | Y | - | mini | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
6. | Nikon D3400 | Y | mono / mono | - | - | mini | 2.0 | - | - | Y | |
7. | Nikon D5100 | Y | mono / mono | Y | - | mini | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
8. | Nikon D5200 | Y | stereo / mono | Y | - | mini | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
9. | Nikon D5300 | Y | stereo / mono | Y | - | mini | 2.0 | Y | - | - | |
10. | Nikon D5500 | Y | stereo / mono | Y | - | mini | 2.0 | Y | - | - | |
11. | Nikon D5600 | Y | stereo / mono | Y | - | mini | 2.0 | Y | Y | Y | |
12. | Sony A58 | Y | stereo / mono | Y | - | mini | 2.0 | - | - | - |
It is notable that the D3200 has a microphone port, which is missing on the D3500. Such an external microphone input can help to substantially improve the quality of audio recordings when a good external microphone is used.
Both the D3200 and the D3500 have been discontinued, but can regularly be found used on ebay. The D3200 was replaced by the Nikon D3300, while the D3500 does not have a direct successor. Further information on the features and operation of the D3200 and D3500 can be found, respectively, in the Nikon D3200 Manual (free pdf) or the online Nikon D3500 Manual.
Review summary
So how do things add up? Is the Nikon D3200 better than the Nikon D3500 or vice versa? The listing below highlights the relative strengths of the two models.
Reasons to prefer the Nikon D3200:
- Better moiré control: Has an anti-alias filter to avoid artificial patterns to appear in images.
- Better sound: Can connect to an external microphone for higher quality sound recording.
- More heavily discounted: Has been available for much longer (launched in April 2012).
Arguments in favor of the Nikon D3500:
- Maximized detail: Lacks an anti-alias filter to exploit the sensor's full resolution potential.
- Better jpgs: Has a more modern image processing engine (EXPEED 4 vs EXPEED 3).
- Better video: Provides higher movie framerates (1080/60p versus 1080/30p).
- Larger viewfinder image: Features a viewfinder with a higher magnification (0.57x vs 0.53x).
- Faster burst: Shoots at higher frequency (5 vs 4 flaps/sec) to capture the decisive moment.
- Less heavy: Has a lower weight (by 90g or 18 percent) and is thus easier to take along.
- Longer lasting: Gets more shots (1550 versus 540) out of a single battery charge.
- Easier wireless transfer: Supports Bluetooth for image sharing without cables.
- More affordable: Was introduced into a lower priced category (28 percent cheaper at launch).
- More modern: Reflects 6 years and 4 months of technical progress since the D3200 launch.
If the count of relative strengths (bullet points above) is taken as a measure, the D3500 is the clear winner of the contest (10 : 3 points). However, the relative importance of the various individual camera aspects will vary according to personal preferences and needs, so that you might like to apply corresponding weights to the particular features before making a decision on a new camera. A professional wedding photographer will view the differences between cameras in a way that diverges from the perspective of a travel photog, and a person interested in cityscapes has distinct needs from a macro shooter. Hence, the decision which camera is best and worth buying is often a very personal one.
How about other alternatives? Do the specifications of the Nikon D3200 and the Nikon D3500 place the cameras among the top in their class? Find out in the latest Best DSLR Camera listing whether the two cameras rank among the cream of the crop.
In any case, while the specs-based evaluation of cameras can be instructive in revealing their potential as photographic tools, it remains incomplete and does no justice, for example, to the way the D3200 or the D3500 perform in practice. At times, user reviews, such as those published at amazon, address these issues in a useful manner, but such feedback is on many occasions incomplete, inconsistent, and unreliable.
Expert reviews
This is why hands-on reviews by experts are important. The table below provides a synthesis of the camera assessments of some of the best known photo-gear review sites (amateurphotographer [AP], cameralabs [CL], digitalcameraworld [DCW], dpreview [DPR], ephotozine [EPZ], photographyblog [PB]). As can be seen, the professional reviewers agree in many cases on the quality of different cameras, but sometimes their assessments diverge, reinforcing the earlier point that a camera decision is often a very personal choice.
Camera Model |
AP score |
CL score |
DCW score |
DPR score |
EPZ score |
PB score |
Camera Launch |
Launch Price (USD) |
Street Price |
||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Nikon D3200 | 5/5 | + + | .. | 73/100 | 4.5/5 | 4.5/5 | Apr 2012 | 599 | ebay.com | |
2. | Nikon D3500 | 4/5 | .. | 4/5 | 75/100 | 4/5 | 4.5/5 | Aug 2018 | 429 | ebay.com | |
3. | Nikon D3000 | .. | + | .. | 72/100 | 4/5 | 4.5/5 | Jul 2009 | 599 | ebay.com | |
4. | Nikon D3100 | 5/5 | + + | .. | 72/100 | 4.5/5 | 4.5/5 | Aug 2010 | 599 | ebay.com | |
5. | Nikon D3300 | 3/5 | + | .. | 77/100 | 4.5/5 | 4.5/5 | Jan 2014 | 499 | ebay.com | |
6. | Nikon D3400 | 4/5 | + | 4/5 | 76/100 | 4/5 | 4.5/5 | Aug 2016 | 499 | ebay.com | |
7. | Nikon D5100 | 5/5 | + + | .. | 76/100 | 4.5/5 | 4.5/5 | Apr 2011 | 749 | ebay.com | |
8. | Nikon D5200 | 4/5 | + + | .. | 79/100 | 4.5/5 | 4.5/5 | Nov 2012 | 749 | ebay.com | |
9. | Nikon D5300 | 4/5 | + + | .. | 79/100 | 4.5/5 | 4.5/5 | Oct 2013 | 799 | ebay.com | |
10. | Nikon D5500 | 5/5 | + | .. | 79/100 | 4.5/5 | 4.5/5 | Jan 2015 | 899 | ebay.com | |
11. | Nikon D5600 | 4/5 | .. | 4/5 | 79/100 | 4.5/5 | 4/5 | Nov 2016 | 699 | ebay.com | |
12. | Sony A58 | 3/5 | .. | .. | .. | 4.5/5 | 4.5/5 | Feb 2013 | 599 | ebay.com | |
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available. |
Care should be taken when interpreting the review scores above, though. The ratings were established in reference to similarly priced cameras that were available in the market at the time of the review. A score, therefore, has to be seen in close connection to the price and market introduction time of the camera, and comparisons of ratings among very different cameras or across long time periods have little meaning. Also, kindly note that some of the listed sites have over time developped their review approaches and their reporting style.
Other camera comparisons
Did this review help to inform your camera decision process? If you would like to see a different side-by-side camera review, just use the search menu below. Alternatively, you can follow any of the listed hyperlinks for comparisons that others found interesting.
- Canon 1D C vs Nikon D3200
- Canon SX500 vs Nikon D3200
- Fujifilm GFX 100 vs Nikon D3500
- Fujifilm XP140 vs Nikon D3500
- Nikon D3200 vs Olympus E-PL2
- Nikon D3200 vs Olympus XZ-2
- Nikon D3200 vs Panasonic G5
- Nikon D3200 vs Samsung NX500
- Nikon D3500 vs Nikon Z6
- Nikon D3500 vs Olympus E-PL5
- Nikon D3500 vs Panasonic G6
- Nikon D3500 vs Sony HX400V
Specifications: Nikon D3200 vs Nikon D3500
Below is a side-by-side comparison of the specs of the two cameras to facilitate a quick review of their differences and common features.
Camera Model | Nikon D3200 | Nikon D3500 |
---|---|---|
Camera Type | Digital single lens reflex | Digital single lens reflex |
Camera Lens | Nikon F mount lenses | Nikon F mount lenses |
Launch Date | April 2012 | August 2018 |
Launch Price | USD 599 | USD 429 |
Sensor Specs | Nikon D3200 | Nikon D3500 |
Sensor Technology | CMOS | CMOS |
Sensor Format | APS-C Sensor | APS-C Sensor |
Sensor Size | 23.2 x 15.4 mm | 23.5 x 15.6 mm |
Sensor Area | 357.28 mm2 | 366.6 mm2 |
Sensor Diagonal | 27.8 mm | 28.2 mm |
Crop Factor | 1.5x | 1.5x |
Sensor Resolution | 24.1 Megapixels | 24 Megapixels |
Image Resolution | 6016 x 4000 pixels | 6000 x 4000 pixels |
Pixel Pitch | 3.85 μm | 3.91 μm |
Pixel Density | 6.74 MP/cm2 | 6.55 MP/cm2 |
Moiré control | Anti-Alias filter | no AA filter |
Movie Capability | 1080/30p Video | 1080/60p Video |
ISO Setting | 100 - 6,400 ISO | 100 - 25,600 ISO |
ISO Boost | 100 - 12,800 ISO | no Enhancement |
Image Processor | EXPEED 3 | EXPEED 4 |
DXO Sensor Quality (score) | 81 | .. |
DXO Color Depth (bits) | 24.1 | .. |
DXO Dynamic Range (EV) | 13.2 | .. |
DXO Low Light (ISO) | 1131 | .. |
Screen Specs | Nikon D3200 | Nikon D3500 |
Viewfinder Type | Optical viewfinder | Optical viewfinder |
Viewfinder Field of View | 95% | 95% |
Viewfinder Magnification | 0.53x | 0.57x |
LCD Framing | Live View | Live View |
Rear LCD Size | 3.0inch | 3.0inch |
LCD Resolution | 921k dots | 921k dots |
LCD Attachment | Fixed screen | Fixed screen |
Shooting Specs | Nikon D3200 | Nikon D3500 |
Focus System | Phase-detect AF | Phase-detect AF |
Continuous Shooting | 4 shutter flaps/s | 5 shutter flaps/s |
Shutter Life Expectancy | 100 000 actuations | 100 000 actuations |
Fill Flash | Built-in Flash | Built-in Flash |
Storage Medium | SDXC cards | SDXC cards |
Single or Dual Card Slots | Single card slot | Single card slot |
UHS card support | UHS-I | UHS-I |
Connectivity Specs | Nikon D3200 | Nikon D3500 |
External Flash | Hotshoe | Hotshoe |
USB Connector | USB 2.0 | USB 2.0 |
HDMI Port | mini HDMI | mini HDMI |
Microphone Port | External MIC port | no MIC socket |
Wifi Support | no Wifi | no Wifi |
Bluetooth Support | no Bluetooth | Bluetooth built-in |
Body Specs | Nikon D3200 | Nikon D3500 |
Battery Type | Nikon EN-EL14 | Nikon EN-EL14a |
Battery Life (CIPA) | 540 shots per charge | 1550 shots per charge |
Body Dimensions |
125 x 96 x 77 mm (4.9 x 3.8 x 3.0 in) |
124 x 97 x 70 mm (4.9 x 3.8 x 2.8 in) |
Camera Weight | 505 g (17.8 oz) | 415 g (14.6 oz) |
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