Nikon D3200 vs Sony A7R II

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Nikon D3200 vs Sony A7R II

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APS-C 357.3mm²
24.2 megapixels
ISO 100 - 6400

Go in depth with our full Nikon D3200 Review.
See real-world photos taken with the D3200.

35mm 861.6mm²
42.4 megapixels
ISO 100 - 25,600

Go in depth with our full Sony A7R II Review.
How does it shoot? Sony A7R II in the real world.
See real-world photos taken with the A7R II.
Compare Sony A7R II image quality against competitors.
What’s the bottom line? Read our Sony A7R II conclusion.

Succeeded by the Nikon D3300
Compare D3200 vs D3300

Succeeded by the Sony A7R III
Compare A7R II vs A7R III

Compare NIKON D3300 vs SONY A7R III

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Differences

Nikon D3200 advantages over Sony A7R II

Lens selection
Excellent vs Good
Better lens selection gives you more options
Less expensive
$477 vs $2898*
Save money for lenses or accessories
Fast startup
~0.40 vs 1.5 sec
Faster startup lets you catch the moment
Longer stills battery life
More info

Longer stills battery life

Cameras with longer battery life can take more photos before exhausting their batteries.

Special note: The measurement standard for battery life stipulates that if a camera has an internal flash, it must be used for 50% of photos taken. For this reason, comparisons of one camera with an internal flash to another without will not be comparable

540 vs 340 shots
Capture more photos
Internal flash
Internal flash vs None
Useful in a pinch for fill flash
Has anti-aliasing filter
Filter vs No Filter
Reduces unsightly moiré in photos
Bigger JPEG buffer
100 vs 23 shots
Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)

Sony A7R II advantages over Nikon D3200

Focus peaking
Peaker vs Non-peaker
Your camera will highlight what's in focus
Larger sensor
35mm vs APS-C
More sensor area. Bigger is (generally) better.
In-Camera Image Stabilization
Yes vs No
Reduces the effects of camera shake at slower shutter speeds
Bigger pixels
~ 4.51 vs 3.86 microns
Better low-light and dynamic range (all else equal)
Shoot 4K video
4K (UHD) vs 1080p
Make sure you have a fast computer
In-camera panoramas
Yes vs No
Stitches multiple shots into a panoramic photo
Tiltable Screen
Tiltable vs Fixed
Tilt the screen for shooting flexbility
Built-in Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi vs None
Share your photos wirelessly
NFC
Yes vs No
Simplifies pairing your camera with supported phones
Higher effective ISO

Higher effective ISO

Maximum effective ISO is an estimate of the highest sensitivity at which a camera can capture excellent quality photos.

Cameras with higher effective ISO will be better choices for indoor photography, night shooting, and indoor sports photography, especially if you intend to make large prints.

You can learn more at our glossary entry.

Maximum effective ISO test data courtesy of DxO Mark.
A7R II test data on DxO Mark D3200 test data on DxO Mark

3,434 vs 1,131 iso
Take photos in low light with less noise
On-sensor phase detect
Yes vs No
Usually improves live view and video AF performance
More viewfinder magnification
0.78x vs 0.53x
Get a bigger view of the scene through the eye-level viewfinder
More pixels
42.4 vs 24.2 megapixels
Higher resolution photos
Headphone jack
Yes vs No
Monitor audio recording while you shoot video
Lacks anti-aliasing filter
No Filter vs Filter
Enjoy sharper photos
Faster JPEG shooting
5.0 fps vs 4.0 fps
Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
Faster RAW shooting
5.0 fps vs 4.0 fps
Faster RAW shooting in burst mode
Bigger RAW buffer
23 vs 12 shots
Larger buffer for RAW shots (burst mode)
Slow-motion videos
Yes vs No
Shoot slow-motion videos
Faster shutter
1/8000 vs 1/4000 sec
Shoot wide open in bright light
Higher extended ISO
102400 vs 12800 ISO
Higher extended ISO can give more low-light flexibility

Similarities

Common Strengths

Eye-level viewfinder
Both provide
You'll be able to frame photos even when the sun is out
External Mic Jack
Both provide
Improved sound fidelity when shooting video
HDMI out
Both provide
Use HDMI output to monitor or review video
Hot shoe
Both provide
Off-camera flashes open new possibilities
Bulb shutter
Both provide
Hold the shutter open manually for long exposures

Common Weaknesses

Tilt-swivel screen
Neither provide
Tilt and swivel the screen for maximum shooting flexibility
Touchscreen
Neither provide
Interact with your camera just like your smartphone
Built-in Bluetooth
Neither provide
Always-on wireless connectivity
Built-in GPS
Neither provide
Geotag your photos
Top deck display
Neither provide
Check settings with a screen on top of the camera
Dual card slots
Neither provide
Gives you more storage flexibility

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Buy the Nikon D3200

Kit with 18-55mm Lens

All D3200 Deals

Your purchases support this site

Buy the Sony A7R II

Body Only

All A7R II Deals

Review Excerpt

High resolution allows cropping; Good performance in low light; Compact and comfortable, highly portable; Fast and responsive, just begs to take pictures; Quiet shutter is great for candids.
Mediocre kit lens; Might be too small for some; No bracketing; Narrow flash coverage; Matrix metering tends to overexpose.
Read our Nikon D3200 Review

Superb image quality; Very high resolution; Surprisingly good high ISO performance; Fast autofocus; Compact, comfortable body with lots of customization potential; Bright, roomy and clear viewfinder; Tilting LCD display; Five-axis stabilization; Intuitive Wi-Fi / NFC connectivity
Movie button is poorly located; No touch screen; Not as fast to start up or shoot photos as a similarly-priced SLR; Rather slow buffer clearing; No built-in flash; Single card slot; Not weather-sealed to the same degree as some rivals
Read our Sony A7R II Review

The Competition

Compared to Sony A65

Nikon D3200

Sony A65

$477
APS-C

Lens selection
Fast startup

$798
APS-C

Focus peaking
Tilt-swivel screen

Compare Nikon D3200 vs Sony A65

Sony A7R II

Sony A65

$2898
35mm

Larger sensor
Shoot 4K video

$798
APS-C

Tilt-swivel screen
Built-in GPS

Compare Sony A7R II vs Sony A65

Compared to Nikon D5200

Nikon D3200

Nikon D5200

$477
APS-C

Bigger RAW buffer

$500
APS-C

Tilt-swivel screen
Higher effective ISO

Compare Nikon D3200 vs Nikon D5200

Sony A7R II

Nikon D5200

$2898
35mm

Focus peaking
Larger sensor

$500
APS-C

Lens selection
Less expensive

Compare Sony A7R II vs Nikon D5200

Compared to Sony A58

Nikon D3200

Sony A58

$477
APS-C

Lens selection
Fast startup

$598
APS-C

Focus peaking
In-Camera Image Stabilization

Compare Nikon D3200 vs Sony A58

Sony A7R II

Sony A58

$2898
35mm

Larger sensor
Shoot 4K video

$598
APS-C

Longer stills battery life
Internal flash

Compare Sony A7R II vs Sony A58

Compared to Sony A9

Nikon D3200

Sony A9

$477
APS-C

Less expensive
Lens selection

$2995
35mm

Focus peaking
Larger sensor

Compare Nikon D3200 vs Sony A9

Sony A7R II

Sony A9

$2898
35mm

In-camera panoramas
More pixels

$2995
35mm

Bigger pixels
Touchscreen

Compare Sony A7R II vs Sony A9

Compared to Sony A7R III

Nikon D3200

Sony A7R III

$477
APS-C

Less expensive
Lens selection

$2204
35mm

Focus peaking
Larger sensor

Compare Nikon D3200 vs Sony A7R III

Sony A7R II

Sony A7R III

$2898
35mm

In-camera panoramas

$2204
35mm

Less expensive
Touchscreen

Compare Sony A7R II vs Sony A7R III

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