If you’re finally ready to take on the world through a lens of your own, then look no further than the Nikon D3400.
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With the vast amounts of DSLRs out on the market now, it can be hard to find the best one to start out with, especially if you don’t know much about cameras. While the Nikon D3400 isn’t the best camera in the world, it certainly is the best for any burgeoning photographer.
With a strong yet conveniently portable build, a wonderful autofocus that is great for beginners, beautiful photo quality, and a consumer friendly operating system, it’s difficult for us to find any better camera at this value.
If this sounds like a camera that could spark your creativity as a photographer, we highly recommend you continue reading to find out everything you’ll need to know before making the purchase!
The Review
Specifications
- 11-point autofocus system with cross-type sensor
- 3-inch 921k dot LCD Monitor
- Polycarbonate construction
- 5fps Continuous Shooting
- 1200-shot battery life
- Bluetooth Low Energy SnapBridge Support
- Expeed 4 Processor
- Full 1080p HD video recording
- ISO100-ISO256000
- 10 special effects
- Interactive Guide Mode
Pro's
Con's
Features and Benefits
The APS-C sized sensor on this camera is pretty standard for cameras in this vein. The cool thing is the optical low-pass filter that Nikon decided to include. This essentially helps to capture more detailed photos.
The sensitivity range on the 3400 camera, which is ISO100-25,600, far outshines the 3300 which only went up to ISO12,800. In conjunction with the Expeed 4 processing engine, it allows you to record incredibly clear 60p HD video. If you want to quickly process any of your photos or videos with ease, the signature Nikon controls are still built in and can easily be accessed through the mode system. It’s definitely worth mentioning that the night vision effect can bring the sensitivity up to an incredible ISO102,400 to capture some very unique mono-style photos.
The 11 different auto focus sensors built into the camera easily allow you to shoot in single point auto focus, dynamic area, auto area, and 3D tracking, which gives you the ability to focus in live view when you’re recording videos. If you’re feeling a bit more on the advanced side, you can also switch over to manual focus. The autofocus works very quickly in good light and brings subjects to focus in a pinch. It’s a little more difficult when lighting gets low, though the built in AF lamp does help a bit.
The high-resolution viewfinder on the camera is pretty much what we would expect from a camera in this realm. Though it isn’t as large as some of the higher end DSLRs, it is still very easy to focus with and preview effects in true size. It is also very accurate when it comes to the photo colors and reproduces the photo brightly which can be very critical.
Though the 3400 model does not have built-in wi-fi, the SnapBridge Bluetooth support features make up for it. They allow you to easily connect to smart devices so you can transfer photos or videos wirelessly.
The interactive guide mode makes is an awesome feature for first time users! It is essentially a list of menus that pop up to expedite the process of capturing images under certain conditions. A “?” will also pop up if you need information on any pieces of the menu or functions on the camera.
The 3400 is made to be very lightweight and compact, yet still comes equipped with a solid grip on the right side that allows you to grab it without accidentally pressing other buttons. When compared to other models with similar specs, it actually ends up being one of the lightest cameras you can buy. The rubber grip and thumb rest are also made from the same material and offer a very soft, easy-to-handle, quality.
While we’re on the physical aspects of the camera, let’s talk about the dials and buttons. The mode dial, placed conventionally on the top, has a nice grip and is easy to set. Our favorite buttons, marked very conveniently, are the Fn button that can be assigned to three functions and the dedicated drive button to burst shoot / access the self-timer with ease.
Dealing with different kinds of exposure is also very intuitive on this camera when faced with super bright or dark areas, and the exposure compensation can easily be adjusted with the turn of a dial.
The 5fps works fairly well if you’re just out shooting things at average speeds. If you’re moving towards action or sports photography, we would recommend finding a camera with a higher fps.
The battery on this bad boy is awesome. It has been tested to work for up to three days while still retaining full bars. When compared to other cameras in the same realm, it has just about the best battery life out there, especially when you consider that the battery is also powering a solid viewfinder and LCD screen. This is an excellent feature for those who want to take their cameras on vacation or to festivals and won’t have the opportunity to constantly charge it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this a good camera for shooting wildlife photos?
Absolutely! You can shoot a range of different environments on this camera by looking through the guide mode. Searching through different modes such as portrait, landscape, close-up, night, auto, etc., paired with the ability to utilize other advanced features, make it an excellent camera to shoot in all kinds of wildlife scenarios. Don’t forget that the camera comes equipped with two solid zoom lenses. This will help when trying to capture bright and detailed shots of wildlife from afar.
Is the audio quality on the built-in mic good for shooting video?
Because you can’t add an external microphone, you probably should not be attempting to capture professional sound from this camera. However, for being a built-in monaural microphone, the sound quality is insanely clear. It also helps that the AF-P lens is super quiet so you can focus without the addition of motor noises in your video.
What are the main differences between the Nikon D3400 and D3300?
On the upside, the The D3400 comes equipped with an AF center, WB bracketing, a longer battery life, and is lighter in weight. On the downside, the D3400 is more expensive than its predecessor, does not come with a microphone port, and does not have wireless connectivity. Other than that, these cameras are almost exactly the same in terms of specs.
