Yes, insanely so!!

I bought a Nikon CoolPix 9500 around 13 years ago for $1,000, and was just not happy with it, being a long time SLR film person with a nice darkroom.

I switched to small $150 (disposable) cameras and have been using them up until 2 months ago, when I heard about the D3200. I purchased one after seeing some pics from my brother in law's D800, and could not be happier!!

Does it do everthing? No, but Nikon would decimate higher end offerings if they gave the D3200 more features. The 3200 takes ridiculously good images at the price. I like mine so well that I bought the 18-200 Nikon lens (which cost more than the D3200 with the "kit" lens!), and the combo is a killer!!

I like it so much, that I scuttled my plans of selling the D3200 when the D600 comes out. I'll buy the D600 all right, but I'm never selling the 3200!

My suggestion is to learn the camera (agreed the "manual" that comes with it is for total newbies - open the PDF that comes on the disk with the camera, and give yourself plenty of time!), and go out and shoot, shoot, shoot! - don't get caught up on features, just enjoy the incredible images the 3200 can generate - isn't that what photography is about??

Bill