Nikon COOLPIX 3200 3.2-megapixel digital camera

Features
Inputs and Outputs Notes
Supplied Software

Features

LCD Monitor: The Coolpix 3200 has a 1.6" low temperature polysilicon TFT LCD monitor featuring approximately 80,000 pixels and a five-level brightness adjustment. The LCD monitor has approximately 97% horizontal and vertical coverage in the shooting mode.

Viewfinder: In addition to the LCD monitor, the camera has a 3/8" real-image zoom viewfinder with LED indicators and magnification of 0.34x to 0.94x. The viewfinder has approximately 82% horizontal and vertical coverage. The viewfinder should be used when you want to save power, or when bright ambient light makes it difficult to see the LCD monitor.

Optics: All Coolpix digital cameras feature the exclusive Zoom-Nikkor lens for superb image quality. Every aspect of the lens manufacturing process is controlled by Nikon. Each Zoom-Nikkor lens is designed for the specific camera and CCD combination. The Coolpix 3200 has a 3x Zoom-Nikkor lens that is equivalent to a 38-115mm lens in 35mm photography. Coupled with a digital zoom of 4x, the Coolpix 3200 has a total zoom of 12x.

Multi-Selector: The multi-selector, a round 4-way button on the back panel, allows you to navigate through the camera's menus and make selections for most camera settings.

Image Sensor: The Coolpix 3200 features a 1/2.7", high-density CCD imager with a total pixel count of approximately 3.34-million pixels. The effective pixel count is 3.2 million.

Built-in Memory: The camera has a built-in 14.5MB internal memory for storing still images and movies with sound.

Optional Recording Media: In addition to the built-in memory, images can be recorded onto SD (Secure Digital) Memory cards. When an SD Memory card is inserted in the camera, the images are automatically recorded onto the card. When no card is inserted, the images automatically record to the internal memory.

Image Size: The Coolpix 3200 records still images in JPEG format, and movies in QuickTime format. You have a choice of 5 still image size options and 3 movie size options:

Image Quality:  Images can by recorded in 2 image quality options:

• High (1:4 compression): suitable for enlargements or high-quality prints (for 2048 x 1536 images only)
• Normal (1:8 compression): suitable for most applications (for all image sizes)

Shooting Modes: Using the top-mounted rotary mode dial, you can set the camera to suit your level and style of photography. The shooting mode choices include:

• Auto Mode: The Auto Mode is a simple point-and-shoot mode in which the majority of camera settings are controlled by the camera. This mode is recommended for first-time users of digital cameras. While in the Auto Mode, the following settings can be adjusted: Image Mode, White Balance, Exposure Compensation, Continuous (shooting), Best Shot Selector (BSS), and Color Options. (See below for more on each setting)
• Scene Mode: The camera gives you the option of 11 Scene Modes. The camera settings are automatically adjusted to suite the selected scene. The Scene Modes include:
  • Party/Indoor: Shots include details of the background behind the main subject, or to capture the effects of candlelight and other indoor background lighting
  • Beach/Snow: Vividly captures the brightness of subjects such as snow fields, beaches or sunlit expanses of water
  • Sunset: Preserves deep hues seen in sunsets and sunrises
  • Dusk/Dawn: Preserves the colors seen in the weak natural light before sunrise and after sunset
  • Night Landscape: The slow shutter speed is used to produce stunning night landscapes
  • Close Up: Used to capture vivid colors in close-up shots of flowers, insects and other small objects, with the background artistically blurred
  • Museum: Use indoors where flash photography is prohibited or in other settings in which you do not want to use flash
  • Fireworks Show: Slow shutter speeds are used to capture the expanding burst of light from fireworks
  • Copy: Provides clear pictures of text or drawings on a white board, business card or in other printed matter
  • Back Light: Use when light is coming from behind your subject or when your subject is in the shade but the background is brightly lit
  • Panorama Assist: Use to take a series of photographs that you will later join to form a single panoramic scene
• Assist Modes:
  • Portrait Assist: Main subject stands out clearly while background details are softened, lending the composition a sense of depth
  • Landscape Assist: Use for vivid landscape shots that enhance outlines, colors and contrast in such subjects as skyscrapers and forests
  • Sports Assist: High shutter speeds freeze motion for dynamic sports shots
  • Night Portrait Assist: Provides a natural balance between the main subject and the background when shooting portraits against a backdrop of night scenery
• Movie Mode: Make movies at a rate of 15 frames per second with sound. You can select TV Movie (640 x 480), Small (320 x 240), or Smaller (160 x 120).
• Setup Mode: This mode allows you to display the setup menu to perform the following tasks:
  • Welcome Screen: choose the welcome screen displayed and sound played back when the camera is turned on
  • Date: set the time and date
  • Monitor Settings: hide or display the monitor indicators
  • Date Imprint: imprint pictures with the date and/or time of recording
  • Brightness: adjust monitor brightness
  • Sound Settings: adjust volume of button, shutter, and start-up sounds
  • Blur Warning: choose whether or not to perform a camera shake check
  • Auto Off: choose how long the camera will remain on before turning off to save power
  • Format Memory/Card: formats internal memory or memory cards for use in the camera
  • Language: choose a language for camera menus and messages
  • USB: choose "PTP" or "Mass Storage" according to your computer's operating system
  • Video Mode: choose standard for video output from NTSC or PAL
  • Reset All: reset camera settings to their default values
  • Battery Type: choose the type of batteries inserted in the camera
  • Firmware Version: displays the current firmware version

Sensitivity (ISO): The camera has a sensitivity roughly equivalent to film with an ISO 50 rating. When lighting is poor and the flash is off, the camera will automatically increase sensitivity, permitting faster exposures, and minimizing blur caused by inadvertent camera movement. The automatic gain is equivalent to two or four times normal sensitivity, up to an equivalent of ISO 200.

White Balance: White balance is used to preserve natural colors under different types of lighting. In the Auto Mode, the white balance can be set to: Auto, Preset (measured by the camera for the current lighting condition), Daylight, Incandescent, Fluorescent, Cloudy, and Speedlight (with flash).

Exposure Compensation: You can alter the exposure from the value suggested by the camera, making pictures brighter or darker. You can adjust the exposure from -2.0 to +2.0 EV in 1/3 steps.

Continuous Shooting: You can choose one of three continuous shooting modes:

• Single: The camera records one picture each time the shutter release button is pressed.
• Continuous: The camera takes pictures continuously while the shutter release is held down. Pictures are recorded at a rate of about 3 frames every 2 seconds. About 5 pictures can be recorded in sequence at Normal image quality and 3M image size.
• Multi-Shot 16: Each time the shutter release button is pressed, the camera takes 16 consecutive "thumbnail" images at a rate of about 3 frames every 2 seconds, and arranges them into 4 rows of 4 images in a single frame measuring 2048 x 1536 pixels. Up to 5 series of images can be taken.

Best Shot Selector: The BSS is recommended for situations in which inadvertent camera movement can produce blurred pictures, or when parts of the image are prone to under- or over-exposure. When BSS is on, the camera takes shots while the shutter-release button is pressed, to a maximum of ten. The images are compared and the sharpest picture is saved to the memory card.

Color Options: Special effects, called Color Options, can be added to your pictures. You can choose the following Color Options: Standard Color, Vivid Color, Black & White, Sepia and Cyanotype (blue cast). When an option other than Standard Color is chosen, an icon appears in the viewfinder.

Focus Range: The focus range is 12" to infinity in normal mode, and 1.6" to infinity in Macro close-up mode.

Flash Modes: The Coolpix 3200 has a built-in Speedlite flash with a range of 1' 4" to 11' 2" (W) and 1' 4" to 6' 6"(T). You can choose from the following flash modes:

• Auto: flash fires automatically when lighting is poor

• Auto with red-eye reduction: red-eye reduction lamp fires before main flash to reduce red-eye effect

• Flash cancel: flash will not fire, even when lighting is poor

• Anytime (fill flash): flash will fire whenever a picture is taken

• Slow Synch: auto flash combined with slow shutter speeds

Metering: The Coolpix 3200 uses 256-segment matrix metering linked to the AF (autofocus) area.

Blur Warning: In the setup menu, you can activate a blur warning that appears after inadvertent camera movement caused a blurred picture to be taken. A message appears that states that the image just taken is blurred, and asks if you want to keep the image.

Playback Menu: The playback menu contains the following options:

• Print Set: Select pictures for printing on a DPOF-compatible devices, specify number of copies and information to be included on each print.
• Slide Show: View pictures in the internal memory or on the memory card in an automatic slide show with about three seconds between pictures.
• Delete: Delete all or selected pictures
• Protect: Protect selected pictures from accidental deletion
• Small Pic: Create a small copy of a picture. You can choose the size of the new picture.
• Auto Transfer: Mark all pictures for transfer to a computer; turn on/off auto transfer marking
• Copy: transfer images from internal memory to memory card or vice versa

Thumbnail Playback: During playback, you can view multiple thumbnail images (4 or 9) at a time. While these "contact sheets" are displayed, you can use the multi-selector to highlight individual pictures. Highlighted pictures can be deleted, if desired.

Playback Zoom: During playback, you can zoom in on a single photo from 1.0x to 6.0x in 0.2x increments, and from 7x to 10x in 1x increments. Once the image is zoomed, you can use the multi-selector to scroll around to non-visible portions of the image. You can record a new picture of the cropped image by pressing the shutter button.

Voice Memo: Using the camera's built-in microphone, you can record a voice memo by pressing the shutter release while an image is being played back. The voice memo is recorded until the shutter release is released, up to approximately 20 seconds.

Printing Pictures: You can print pictures stored in the internal memory or on the memory card by using the Print Set option in the playback menu. Using DPOF (Digital Print Order Form), you can designate which images to print, and how many copies to print. Pictures can be printed as followed:

• Printer or Photo Lab: insert the memory card into a printer, or take the memory card to a digital photo lab.
• PictBridge-compatible Printer: connect the camera to a PictBridge-compatible printer via USB cable
• Transferring to Computer: transfer the images to a computer before printing them

Power Requirements: The Coolpix 3200 comes with 2 "AA" alkaline batteries. Optional rechargeable EN-MH1 batteries or an EH-62B AC adapter can also be used to power the camera. The supplied batteries provide power for shooting approximately 140 frames in succession, while the EN-MH1 rechargeable batteries last for approximately 320 frames. Note: Battery life specifications taken from standard Nikon test conditions.

Optional AC Adapter: The optional EH-62B AC adapter features a module that fits into the battery compartment with a wire that plugs into the AC/DC converter. A spring-loaded cover makes room for the adapter cord to allow you to close the battery compartment door. The AC adapter should be used whenever you are using the camera continuously for extended periods.

Auto Off: When the camera is operated on battery power, the Auto Off mode will automatically turn off the monitor to reduce the drain on the batteries if no operations are performed for the length of time specified in the Auto Off menu. The time limit for the Auto Off mode can be set to 30 seconds, 1 minute, 5 minutes or 30 minutes. When powered by an optional AC adapter, the camera will enter standby mode if no operations are performed for 30 minutes.

Inputs and Outputs Notes

USB/Video Output: The Coolpix 3200 features a single proprietary jack for connecting either the supplied USB cable or Video cable. This one output allows you to download your photos to your computer via USB, or view your photos on a TV. Note: The video output is NTSC or PAL compatible.

Supplied Software

System Requirements: The Coolpix 3200 is equipped with Nikon View Version 6.2 for Windows and Macintosh. In order to use Nikon View 6.2, your computer must have the following minimum requirements:

One-Touch Red-Eye Fix: The Nikon View 6.2 software features One-Touch Red-Eye Fix which allows you to correct photos with the red-eye phenomenon without having to "box-in" or "paint" red-eye away. The software automatically finds the red eye and fixes it.