Nikon D3300

NIKON D3300: full review

When you think about an entry level camera that will remain in the annals of digital cameras, the thought can only go to the Nikon D3300 model, something like Nokia 3310 talking about mobiles at the turn of the Millennium. A classic, a guarantee. The quintessential model of a generation of cameras with relatively low price and relatively high performance.

Equipped with an APS-C CMOS sensor, Nikon D3300 has been in production since 2014. And if it’s still on the market, there’s a reason. Over the last few years, Nikon D3300 proved to be one of the best digital reflex cameras for prosumers produced by this Japanese company.

Design of the camera body of Nikon D3300

Functionality is the keyword when you talk about Nikon D3300. Compared with D3200 or D5600, there’s an improvement in terms of weight and size: it is very ergonomic, the buttons are easily reachable, without getting finger cramps. The display is 3 inches, fixed, 921k dots resolution, with good-quality but quite slow live view.

Like every camera on the same level, Nikon D3300 has a body not so pleasant to the touch, due to its “plasticky” texture. The black version is the most serious one, but Nikon D3300 is also available in red and in grey, underlining the pop nature of a digital camera that still has a decent commercial success five years after its launch.

Technical features

A 24.2 megapixels sensor means excellent image resolution, while a respectable ISO range between 100 and 12,800 gives quality photos even in low light conditions. The sensor of Nikon D3300, the same of the following D3400 model, doesn’t have the low-pass filter: this means higher image quality in terms of sharpness.

The Expeed 4 processor is the hallmark of the Nikon D3300 system: it’s its finest technical element, which made this entry level camera a big success. Indeed, it’s the same processor of D5200 and of much more expensive and professional full frame cameras like D8100 and D750.

The Autofocus is standard: 11 points with cross-centered sensor. It works well, no problem with the viewfinder, but in live view its performance is not outstanding.

The self-timer takes 5 shots per second, for real, with perfectly working AF on all frames. Such a burst is a good shot, always remaining in the same price range of entry level cameras.

Nikon D3300: video, battery and connectivity

1080/60 video is fine for an entry level camera like Nikon D3300. When it was launched in 2014, it was a professional reflex feature only. Obviously, nowadays, it is not that cutting-edge. The battery, instead, passed the time test: 700 shots are still a good score!

Regarding connectivity, sadly, the real sore points of Nikon D3300 comes from the lack of integrated Wi-Fi, but you could bypass the problem with a mobile adapter. Same issue with Bluetooth, not present. This is a significant limit, since such technology is now standard, energy-efficient and also very fast.

Taking pictures with Nikon D3300

Nikon D3300 is the classic “take, go and shoot” camera for many reasons, first of all its extremely easy handling. With such a camera body, you can take it wherever you want, without the fear of ruining it. Then it’s really fast: you turn it on and one second later you can take the first picture. It’s versatile in terms of brightness, thus getting good quality images even in not very bright conditions.

If we add that it doesn’t have too many buttons and that it’s very intuitive, then it’s clear that Nikon D3300 is an all-round camera, perfect for the first step towards a more conscious photography. Three main shooting modes are useful right to improve your technique.

Automatic mode: all you’ve got to do is focus your attention on the frame and on the subjects that are part of it. The purists of photography horrify at the thought, but I find this position quite snob: when you start, it’s important to forget about lights and to focus only on the proportions and geometry of the frame. In time, you can use the advanced modes.

Guide Mode: it has preset scenarios to choose and a touch of creative control, acting on the exposure. This is the step when you get in contact with photo effects.

Manual Mode: it’s the ultimate in customization, dosing aperture and exposure as you please. Of course, this can be used when you’ll solve some preliminary technical difficulties.

My opinion on Nikon D3300

In 2014, Nikon D3300 didn’t have big competitors, since it was a model superior to many others on the market. At the moment, even if it is a classic in its category, it shows some technical limit, especially in video and connectivity. In other words, today it looks like an old-fashioned reflex camera: the image quality is not called into question, but it’s definitely not social sharing.

Given the above, does it still make sense to buy Nikon D3300 today?

There is no univocal answer to this question. Obviously I wouldn’t suggest it to a teenager who is used to share every shot on social networks. For this purpose, Nikon D3400 or Canon 1300D and 2000D are far better, superior in connectivity and video.

It seems to me that the perfect target for Nikon D3300 might be the forty-year-old user who wants to improve its shots, moving from a compact or a bridge camera to something more consistent, like an entry level reflex. The quality is high, even if it’s not the newest in terms of social sharing. And its price is lower than the one of state-of-the-art entry level cameras.