Nikon D3400 Review
The Nikon D3400 is the latest addition from Nikon Camera Singapore to the D3xxx series and follows the D3300. The series, as such, is largely meant for people who wish to have a hassle-free solution, with small and lightweight design being the prime focus. The D3400 comes with lesser weight compared to its predecessor and has also improved in certain areas that make it suitable for a newbie. Besides, there is support for an interchangeable lens system as well.
Design and handling
The Nikon D3400 comes with a polycarbonate construction and is small and lightweight. Weighing just 650 grams with the battery, lens and memory card, the combination turns to be among the lightest available in the DSLR range. However, there is enough to ensure that the shooter gets a good grip.
The face plate has only the lens release button. The mode dial is easy in terms of grip and rotation and the buttons are pretty well-sized. There is the Fn button (default for ISO) on the left behind the lens and it can be customized to offer three different functions. The power record, info, shutter release, EV buttons all sit to the right of the flash. A dedicated drive mode button is also good for burst shooting and self timer options.
To the right of the eyepiece on the rear face are the AF lock and the control dial. To the right of the LCD lie the Drive, Live View and Delete buttons and there is a four-way pad with the OK button in the center. The Play, Menu, Zoom In, Zoom Out, and i buttons can be found to the left of the LCD.
Screen
The Nikon D3400 sports a 3-cinh LCD that has 921k dots. The screen is good enough to view in bright light but does not have tough facility. However, the screen does appear to be tiltable. This is where Nikon could have done better by having a touchscreen as many entry level DSLRs do have them these days.
Sensor and processor
The sensor on the Nikon D3400 is an APS-C CMOS sensor of 24.2 MP. The megapixel count is very respectable as it is an entry-level DSLR and the sensor is same as that of its predecessor. The lack of an optical low pass filter should further help with detailed captures.
As for the processor powering this shooter, it is an EXPEED 4 processor.
Performance and image quality
The D3400 stands well on its performance. From the start to the first shot, it takes a time of just 0.7 seconds which is great. Using the optical finder, autofocus just takes 0.08 seconds and 0.5 seconds in bright and dim conditions. On using the rear LCDs, the speed slows down. The AF on the shooter is an 11-point Multi CAM 1000 system, with 1 cross-type AF point. It covers a great portion of the frame and is in a diamond formation. There is also support for 3D tracking system that locks moving objects. It is capable of keeping targets at 5.1fps. You can get 6 RAW+JPEG or 13 RAW images after which it slows down. In JPEG, you get up to 100 shots though.
Shots with the camera are pretty good right up to ISO 3200. From ISO 6400, noise can be seen but is still good for shooting in dim light. However, shooting at higher ISOs is better avoided.
The D3400 records video at 1080p at rates of 24, 25, 30 and even 50fps. Two quality levels are also available, High and Normal.
Conclusion
The D3400 is a fine shooter that offers great performance for an entry-level DSLR. It is lightweight with respectable image and video shooting qualities. SnapBridge for wireless transmission of images and Bluetooth Low Energy are added advantages. Then again, it also has a 1200 shot battery life, which is a lot.
This new entry-level Nikon DSLR has been sought after in our camera shop mainly because of its low pricing and reasonable features for a beginner.