Reasons to choose D300s
Released in 2009, D300s has about 373 mm² of sensor area, 12.3 MP effective resolution, and a 938 g body. Use these values to narrow the field, not as an overall image-quality score.
Side-by-side comparison
Nikon D300s
vs Nikon D3200
VS
Sensor area
373 mm²
D300s357 mm²
D3200- Area ratio
- 1.04:1
- Absolute difference
- 16 mm²
- Relative difference
- 4.4%
The D300s has the larger sensor area. More area usually means greater light-gathering potential, though real image quality still depends on sensor architecture and generation.
These cameras were released 3 years apart. Consider sensor generation when comparing pixel metrics.
Key specification differences
D300sMetricD3200
12.3 MPEffective pixels24.2 MP
23.6 × 15.8Sensor23.2 × 15.4
5.51 µmPixel pitch3.84 µm
30.32 µm²Pixel area14.76 µm²
3.3 MP/cm²Pixel density6.77 MP/cm²
1.52Crop factor1.55
—Maximum video1,920 × 1,080
938 gWeight505 g
CompactFlash type I, CompactFlash type II, Microdrive, SDHC Secure DigitalStorageSD/SDHC/SDXC UHS-I compliant
Lithium-Ion EN-EL3e rechargeable battery Li-ion batteryBatteryLithium-Ion EN-EL14 rechargeable battery Li-ion battery
Amber marks the value that is generally preferable in this comparison context. It is not an overall camera score.
How to choose between these cameras
The D300s has the larger sensor area. The D3200 has the lighter body. The D3200 has the higher effective resolution. The D3200 is the newer release. Also consider the lens system and subjects you shoot.
Reasons to choose D3200
Released in 2012, D3200 has about 357 mm² of sensor area, 24.2 MP effective resolution, and a 505 g body. Use these values to narrow the field, not as an overall image-quality score.