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The D3200 is Nikon’s new entry level SLR with an outstanding nominal resolution of 24MP. The camera uses an APS-C sized CMOS sensor 23.2 x 15.4mm in size, Nikon’s DX format.

The camera offers a lot of help to beginners; just like the forerunner D3100, the D3200 offers a special “Guide” mode. When using this mode and starting the D3200, it will ask the user whether he or she wants to shoot, to review or to setup the camera menu. If the choice is to shoot the camera“asks” whether the user is an absolute beginner and needs “easy operation” or an advanced user who wants “advanced operation.” If an absolute beginner, the D3200 presents short descriptions of some typical photographic situations and sets up all parameters accroding to how the photographer responds.

The Litepanels MicroPro Hybrid does double duty as both a constant light source and a flash. The light itself is made of black plastic and is fairly small, at 5.5x3.75x1.5”, and weighs only about a pound when you include the mounting bracket and six AA batteries (standard or rechargeable, and there is an optional AC adapter available). The top has a knurled knob to turn things on and acts as a dimmer so you can control output in stepless fashion. Vents are located around all sides. The battery door, flash ready light, flash sync, and input for the optional power adapter are all located on the back. The bottom is threaded so you can attach it to a light stand or to the (included) nicely made aluminum ball joint with a bottom end that slides into your camera’s shoe mount. Also included is a very short PC cord to be used when using the flash mode, plus there are warming, diffusion, and tungsten conversion filters that snap in easily over the front panel. All this fits into a nicely padded zippered bag.

The Nikon V1 camera is designed and sized like a compact camera. It offers a new lens mount system for the new Nikon 1 lenses and offers two viewfinder systems—an EVF (electronic viewfinder) with very high resolution (1.44 million RGB dots), which delivers a very brilliant and crisp image. Alternatively, users can work via a large and bright LCD on the back, which also offers high resolution (921,000 RGB dots). The sensor will switch automatically between viewfinder systems when the photographer looks through the ocular. This differs from the camera’s sibling, the J1, which offers LCD viewing only.