Video
The Nikon D3200 is a still camera that can shoot video, not a video camera that takes stills. While the video performance is much better than that of cameras released just a year or two ago, it is still not perfect. The video footage shot with a dedicated video camera is still likely to be better, but many photographers are starting to get into video creation with dSLRs. The following are several reasons why:
▶ Price. Using a dSLR for video is a less expensive alternative to a dedicated video camera. The D3200 with the kit lens retails for around $700, while an interchangeable lens HD camcorder can cost more that twice as much, without a lens. This makes the cost of entry into the video world very low.
▶ Lenses. Because the Nikon D3200 is designed to use any Nikon F-mount lens, the range of focal lengths and apertures available is large. Manual focus is great for video, so you can pick up many inexpensive manual focus lenses to use for your video endeavors.
▶ Depth of field. Shooting video with a very shallow depth of field is possible for a very low cost. For example, you can get a 35mm f/1.8 Nikon lens for less than $200 or a 50mm f/1.8 lens for less than $220. Both of these lenses can autofocus on the D3200 and, with the wide f/1.8 maximum aperture, the depth of field is very shallow. Using shallow depth of field in video looks more like a professional movie for a much lower price.
Shooting video
The Nikon D3200 has a dedicated video button that starts and stops the ...
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