Nikon D3400

Nikon D3400

Nikon D3400
Announced: 17 Aug 2016
Sensor Resolution: 24Mp
Sensor Type: APS-C CMOS
ISO: 100-25600
Weight: 395g
Physical Dimensions: 124 x 98 x 76 mm
Viewfinder: Optical (pentamirror)
Screen Type: 3" Fixed
Video Resolutions: 1920 x 1080
55
Overall Score
48
Image Quality
41
Speed Performance
62
Versatility
73
Comfort
Portrait

49

Portrait
Landscape

47

Landscape
Sport

52

Sport
Street

63

Street
Everyday

64

Everyday

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prospros

  • Its extraordinary color depth makes it perfect for portrait photography
  • Its wide dynamic range makes it ideal for landscape photography
  • The excellent sensor of this camera makes it perform very well in every shooting range
  • This camera autofocus is able to follow moving subjects
  • The LCD display is a convenient and almost indispensable feature
  • It has fast shutter speed, ideal for action photos

conscons

  • Warning - Nikon D3400 is not a tropicalized camera. If you use it in adverse conditions, you could ruin it.
  • Unfortunately, Nikon D3400 does not support wireless connection

NIKON D3400: full review

Launched on the marked at the end of 2016, Nikon D3400 has long been considered the reference point among the entry level cameras, the model to look at. It is still a sought-after model by those who haven’t decided for a professional camera yet, but has chosen to take a step from bridge or compact cameras.

What’s the secret of Nikon D3400’s success? It’s not the cheapest one, nor the best in terms of technology, so? Probably, at Nikon, they’ve found the best possible compromise between budget and performance, especially since the price is not impossible and the quality is unquestionable. Compared to the 3300 model, Nikon D3400 is far lighter and has longer battery life, a “sexier” design, and is also far more powerful.

Nikon D3400: its functions

With an APS-C sensor, typical of entry level cameras, Nikon D3400 has 24.2 megapixel. ISO sensitivity between 100 and 25,600 is a big quality leap compared to D3300, which stops at 12,800. The processor is always Expeed 4 with burst mode of 5 fps and Full HD video recording up to 60p.

The Autofocus system of Nikon D3400 is based on 11 points and one single cross-shaped point: continuous AF mode is possible on one subject, as well as automatic focus in live view when you record a video clip. There is also manual mode.

The pentametric viewfinder frames 95% of the scene, while the LCD display is 3” and has 921,000 dots resolution.

Unfortunately, Wi-Fi is not integrated, but with SnapBridge you can bypass the problem of broadcasting the images wireless. There is energy-efficient bluetooth, though, to send images directly to smart devices.

One thing I always appreciate is the effort towards beginners: in this Nikon D3400, the guide mode has improved, with more intuitive tools useful for those who approach the world of digital cameras for the first time.

Until now, I’ve only talked about the qualities of Nikon D3400, but there have also been a few steps backwards compared to 3300. Nothing structural, by all means. For instance, cleaning the sensors is longer and complex, with photo shooting.

The comparison with the fiercest rival, Canon EOS 1300D / Rebel T6, still holds. Despite the lack of WiFi and touch-screen display.

Camera body

Indeed, once tested, I have to say that the grip is wide enough to grab the camera body effortlessly, without the thumb being affected. The weight, 650 grams including battery and kit lens (395 grams is the camera body alone), is not too tiring. Better than Canon EOS 1300D / Rebel T6. Such a small camera body – 124 x 98 x 76 mm – doesn’t only have qualities, of course. It goes without saying that the biggest lenses create an unpleasant and not-functional imbalance. And the structure is definitely not the same of Nikon D5600.

In my opinion, however, the pros prevail in this Nikon D3400: the mode ring is easily rotatable, the buttons are stable and pleasant to the touch, the “guided-mode” button is at hand and gives you confidence.

Performance

The AF Multi CAM 1000 system at 11 points of Nikon D3400 is not new among the models of this Japanese company. It’s adequately silent, fast in focusing the subject, with Assist Lamp that makes low light conditions less problematic. It works perfectly, then.

In principle, a few minutes test is enough to see that the AF of Nikon D3400 keeps up with a moving subject in a scene. In live view it’s slower – it is renown that many Canon models are better from this point of view – but with a little exercise it won’t be so relevant.

Another thing that positively surprised me – knowing many entry level models – is the excellent exposure of Nikon D3400. Let me clarify: with dark subjects, overexposure is acceptable. The opposite, underexposure, is not quite as good, but the compensation button, together with the back ring, solves every problem in this sense. If you’re expecting something tremendous for action photography, instead, Nikon D3400 might disappoint you. The modest 5 frames per second, in fact, makes it an entry level camera fully-fledged.

I’ve found a properly bright viewfinder and a non-touch 3” LCD display – when Nikon D3400 was launched, touch-screen displays were not common – that reproduces faithfully images and details. Chapeau.

Regarding videos, they’re 2k. No demerit on this one, neither particularly impressive performance.

Instead, I’d like to praise the battery life of Nikon D3400, longer than almost all the competitors within the entry level models. After two-days test… three bars out of four.

Nikon D3400: quality of image and final opinion

The test with the standard kit with 18-55 VR lens doesn’t prove anything but the fact that basic lenses significantly reduce the quality of the images. But with high-quality lenses, Nikon D3400 is very satisfying in terms of sharpness and details able to amaze those who come from a bridge or a compact camera. And isn’t it the ultimate goal of an entry level camera?

My final opinion on Nikon D3400 is extremely positive and since mine is not a lone voice, there’s a reason for that. Considered, as it should be, an entry level camera, D3400 is more than enough for those who approach the DSLR world. With a light and easy to handle camera body, more than decent technical features and an aggressive price, it’s no surprise that this camera has become a little classic of the Japanese company.

Nikon D3400 and its rivals

Review compare Nikon D3400 with overall score Portrait
Portrait
Landscape
Landscape
Sport
Sport
Street
Street
Everyday
Everyday
Nikon D3400 Nikon
D3400
55 49 47 52 63 64 $695.00
Canon EOS 90D Canon
EOS 90D
65 54 52 66 70 75 buy on
Canon EOS Rebel SL3 Canon
EOS Rebel SL3
60 51 49 54 68 71 buy on
Canon EOS Rebel T8i Canon
EOS Rebel T8i
59 51 49 57 66 69 buy on
Pentax KF Pentax
KF
58 51 50 55 63 67 buy on

Nikon D3400: concluding remarks and technical specifications

The Nikon D3400 is a DSLR camera launched on 08/17/2016.

Technically speaking, the Nikon D3400 ranks in the average of its category, scoring 55 overall. The Nikon D3400 weights 395 gr and spans 124 x 98 x 76 mm. This means that it is particularly light and small, indeed one of the most handy options within its category.

Going into details, the Nikon D3400 behaves better than average in its category for:

  • Image Quality - Score 48, ranks in the category best 23%.
  • Speed Performance - Score 41, ranks in the category best 42%.
  • Comfort - Score 73, ranks in the category best 4%.

On the contrary, the performance of Nikon D3400 is below the category average in:

  • Versatility - Score 62, ranks among the worst 49% of its category.

However, the technical performance of your camera should be put in context. Indeed, depending on the type of photography you are interested in, each individual camera feature can impact your pictures to a different extent. This is the reason why we developed the iCamRank. iCamRank has been designed to weight all the individual technical specifications of each camera in the camerarace database, depending on different shooting conditions. Thus, here is what we suggest, depending on the photography type you like most:

  • Portrait - Good, score 49, ranks in the best 38% of its category. Nikon D3400 works well for Portrait photography, however even better options are available, which you may want to take into account.
  • Landscape - Good, score 47, ranks in the best 43% of its category. Nikon D3400 works well for Landscape photography, however even better options are available, which you may want to take into account.
  • Sport - Good, score 52, ranks in the best 43% of its category. Nikon D3400 works well for Sport photography, however even better options are available, which you may want to take into account.
  • Street - Great, score 63, ranks in the best 22% of its category. Nikon D3400 is perfect for Street photography, one of the best in its class.
  • Everyday - Good, score 64, ranks in the best 25% of its category. Nikon D3400 works well for daily photography, however other options are available too, which you may want to take into account.

Last but not least, the price. You can find the Nikon D3400 sold on Amazon for a price comprised between 695.0 USD and 1099.0 USD, which is in the average for this camera category.

Overall, Nikon D3400 is a good value for money. However, alternatives are also available, which you may want to take into consideration before taking the final decision. Click here to see alternative options.

Nikon D3400 technical specs

Sensor Type

Sensor Type

CMOS

Sensor Size

APS-C

Sensor Dimensions

23.5 x 15.6 mm

Sensor Area

366.6 mm2

Sensor Resolution

24 Mp

Max Image Resolution

6000 x 4000

Max Native ISO

25600

Min Native ISO

100

RAW Support

yes

Lens

Manual Focus

yes

Lens Mount

Nikon F

Number of Lenses

280

Focal Length Multiplier

1.5

Screen Type

Screen Type

Fixed

Screen Size

3.0"

Screen Resolution

921Kdot

Live View

yes

Touch Screen

no

Viewfinder

Viewfinder

Optical (pentamirror)

Viewfinder Resolution

None

Viewfinder Coverage

95

Viewfinder Magnification

0.56

Features

Min Shutter Speed

30s

Max Shutter Speed

1/4000s

Continuous Shooting

5fps

Shutter Priority

yes

Aperture Priority

yes

Manual Exposure Mode

yes

Exposure Compensation

yes

Custom White Balance

yes

Image Stabilization

no

Built-in Flash

yes

Flash Range

12.0

Max Flash Sync

1/200s

Flash Modes

Auto
Auto slow sync
Auto slow sync with red-eye reduction
Auto with red-eye reduction
Fill-flash
Off
Rear-curtain sync
Rear-curtain with slow sync
Red-eye reduction
Red-eye reduction with slow sync
Slow sync

External Flash

yes

AE Bracketing

no

WB Bracketing

yes

Dxo Sensor Scores

DxO Overall Score

86

DxO Color Depth

24.8

DxO Dynamic Range

13.9

DxO Low Light ISO

1192

Exposure Modes

Multi-Segment

yes

Average

no

Spot

yes

Partial

no

AF-Area

yes

Center Weighted

yes

Autofocus

AF Touch

no

AF Continuous

yes

AF Single

yes

AF Tracking

yes

AF Selective

yes

AF Center

yes

AF MultiArea

yes

AF Live View

yes

AF Face Detection

yes

AF Contrast Detection

yes

AF Phase Detection

yes

Number of Focus Points

11

Number of Cross Focus Points

0

Video Features

Video Resolutions

1920 x 1080 (60 50 30 25 24 fps) 1280 x 720 (60 50 fps) 640 x 424 (30 25 fps)

Max Video Resolution

1920x1080

Video Formats

MPEG-4 H.264

Microphone Port

no

Headphone Port

no

Connectivity

Wireless Connectivity

No

HDMI

yes

USB

USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)

Physical

Environmental Sealing

no

Water Proof

no

Dust Proof

no

Shock Proof

no

Crush Proof

no

Freeze Proof

no

Weight

395g

Physical Dimensions

124 x 98 x 76 mm

Battery Life

1200

Battery Type

Battery Pack

Battery Model

EN-EL14a

Other Features

Self Timer

Yes (2, 5, 10, 20 secs (1-9 exposures))

Timelapse Recording

no

GPS

yes

Storage Type

SD SDHC SDXC

Storage Slots

1

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