Everyone isn’t won over by mobile photography. In fact, having tasted it on today’s top smartphones, many want to move on to more serious photography. Rather than heading straight for an expensive DSLR, there are beginners’ options that make a good bridge between the casual and professional. Nikon’s recently launched D3400 is one of these. Intermediate or advanced shooters will have to look elsewhere.
The D3400 is a minor upgrade over the previous D3300, a compact and light DSLR. It has a plastic body, but doesn’t feel cheap. It has a chunky textured right-hand grip, much needed because it’s that light. For all that, the camera is well-built. It’s very comfortable to hold for long periods and easy to slip into a back-pack.
I used it for a full day at a time without feeling the least strain carrying it about. The feel of the camera makes it a joy to use.
The body is simple with basic controls that are easy to spot and handle. There’s on screen information and settings explanations at hand as well as a guide mode, which will help beginners.
The D3400’s LCD screen is an adequate 3-inches, but it doesn’t articulate or support touch input.
But the D3400 has something else that outweighs any features and extras. The image quality, which is superb. Sharpness, colour representation, and skin tones were all pleasing. JPEGs as well as RAW images were surprisingly good for this entry level device. While the camera does not support WiFi, it does have Bluetooth LE and along with the Snapbridge app (available for both iOS and Android) it does make shooting and viewing a breeze or should I say a snap.
The camera kit comes with the new AF-P 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 lens which is a compact light lens with a fast and silent autofocus. The kit is also sometimes sold with the AF-P 70-300mm f/4.5-6.3 lens which makes it a very versatile camera for travel and many other situations.
Overall, a great beginners camera and good value for money, with superb image quality.
Body price: ₹31,450
Love: Price, image quality, speed, battery life
Hate: Weak flash which has a mind of its own