Reviews Nikon - D3400 Dslr Camera With 18-55mm 70-300mm and 35mm Lenses Parents Kit - Red
Nikon D3400
v FPS, 24MP DX, 1080p (2016-2018)
Replaced by: Nikon D3500
Sample Images Intro Compatibility
Specifications Us Version Performance
Compared Usage Recommendations More
Nikon D3400 (xv.6 oz./442g with battery and card) and included 18-55mm VR AF-P (virtually $429 new at Amazon or nearly $250 used if you know How to Win at eBay). bigger or fit screen.
This all-content, junk-gratuitous website's biggest source of support is when you apply those or whatever of these links to approved sources when y'all get anything, regardless of the country in which y'all alive. Thanks for helping me assistance you! Ken.
August 2019 Nikon Reviews Nikon Flash Nikon Lenses All Reviews
NEW: Nikon D3500. Lighter, slightly improved version for the same depression price.
Ken Rockwell'southward Nikon D3400 User's Guide
Height, Nikon D3400. bigger.
Rear, Nikon D3400. bigger.
Nikon D3400. bigger.
Sample Images
(more at High ISOs and throughout the review)
Top Sample Images Intro Compatibility
Specifications USA Version Performance
Compared Usage Recommendations More than
Crazy Chairs, March 2017. Nikon D3400, Nikon 18-55mm VR AFP at 18mm at f/4 at 1/60 at Car ISO 100, Perfectly Articulate. bigger or photographic camera-original file.
Skylight, March 2017. Nikon D3400, Nikon xviii-55mm VR AFP at 32mm at f/nine at 1/320 at Auto ISO 100. bigger or camera-original file.
Bricks against the Heaven, March 2017. Nikon D3400, Nikon 18-55mm VR AFP at 48mm at f/9 at one/320 at Motorcar ISO 100. bigger or photographic camera-original file.
Stairway to Hell, March 2017. Nikon D3400, Nikon 18-55mm VR AFP at 28mm at f/iv.two at 1/fifty at Motorcar ISO ane,100, Perfectly Clear. bigger or full-resolution file.
Introduction
Meridian Sample Images Intro Compatibility
Specifications U.s. Version Functioning
Compared Usage Recommendations More than
New Good Bad Missing
The Nikon D3400 is a fantastic footling DSLR. It is Nikon'due south most advanced cheap super-compact DSLR ever, replacing the previous D3300. The D3400 adds a new Bluetooth system to let its images load automatically and continuously to your phone.
The D3400 includes the superb eighteen-55mm VR AF-P lens equally shown.
The D3400 is the lightest Nikon 35mm or digital SLR of all time at merely xv.6 oz. (442g) with battery and SD card.
The Nikon D3400 packs ultra-high epitome quality into a small and low-cal packet that you'll desire to carry everywhere.
The D3400 weighs nearly as little as a LEICA spiral-mountain camera, and makes LEICA's M cameras feel like pigs by comparison.
The D3400 is also very serenity and refined, a huge bonus compared to Nikon'south pro cameras when shooting candidly.
While not as fast or equally distracting as Nikon'southward professional cameras, the D3400 has more resolution than any Nikon professional person DSLR e'er! The D3400 has 24 MP compared to the $6,500 Nikon D5's mere xx MP. (The D810 has more pixels, just is a consumer camera.)
The D3400 has the same 24 MP resolution and 5 FPS frame charge per unit of the $half-dozen,500 LEICA M10 in a much smaller and more flexible parcel.
The Nikon D3400 is a wonderful camera for annihilation.
The D3400 has more than enough speed for chasing kids, school sports and theatre, and far more pixels than anyone will always need.
You need a real DSLR similar this to capture photos of motility, sports, kids and action. Smaller non-DSLR cameras similar mirrorless, micro iv/3, jail cell phones and point-and-shoots but tin't focus as fast to follow all the action.
The D3400 is for people who want slap-up pictures. More expensive cameras are for people who want fancier cameras.
While I encompass all the more than expensive Nikons which are of involvement to hard-core photographers, when my normal friends ask what camera to become, it's ever this inexpensive D3400 or the older, less expensive and most identical D3300. The but reason I often shoot fancier cameras is that I have to become into menus to prepare the advanced features of the D3400, while my bigger cameras usually have dedicated knobs or buttons to let me make those adjustments more than quickly. No worries, most people don't even know what these adjustments do, which is why the D3400 does away with the extra buttons to save u.s.a. all money — and all the features are withal there in the card organisation.
New since the D3300
● New standard 18-55mm VR AF-P kit lens focuses instantly and silently nether all conditions, a huge improvement over the former, slow eighteen-55 VR II standard with the Usa version D3300.
● Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and Nikon Snapbridge app to keep the camera connected to your phone continuously for automated pic transfers.
● ISO 100 ~ 25,600. (D3300 stopped at ISO 12,800 in normal modes.)
● Adds Vignette Command to forestall dark corners.
● Retouched images are at present saved with the same selected prefix every bit the original image, non CSC as in the D3300, but there is no more Color Balance retouch feature.
● Adds the option to set custom file names. I fix my files to be D34_1234.JPG instead of the default DSC_1234.JPG. Y'all can fix the first three characters to gustatory modality.
● Rated 1,200 shots per charge, up from 700 in D3300 — but that's because:
● Only half the built-in flash power of the D3300 . Since CIPA bombardment life is rated with the flash firing one-half the time at total ability, the weak flash of the D3400 uses much less battery power. The bombardment itself and actual battery life will exist the same every bit the D3300 in real shooting since the flash fires at any ability is needed for the right exposure. No problem, the D3400's congenital-in flash works great!
● No sensor cleaner (D3300 and every other current Nikon DSLR has this).
● No accompaniment final for use with GPS or wired remote controls (D3300 has this).
● No Mic input socket (D3300 has this).
● No analog video or audio outputs. (D3300 has this).
● No standard-definition video recording options. (D3300 has this).
● No longer uniform with any lens with an aperture ring, even if information technology's AF-Due south. (D3300 worked with AF-S and AF-I lenses with aperture rings).
● No more Panorama Mode (D3300 has this).
● 0.425 oz. (12g) lighter than the D3300.
● Time lag until scrolling starts during zoomed playback with the directional control held downwardly improved from the besides-long filibuster in the D3300.
Skilful
● Small and low-cal — as small and light as a mirrorless for a lot less money with even better performance!
● Extremely high epitome performance.
● Fast.
● Very quiet.
● Low cost.
Bad
● Nothing, actually. For the toll it's an absolutely fantastic camera for every kind of shooting, and Nikon's lightest SLR or DSLR ever.
Missing
● Built-in flash only half as powerful as other cameras or the older D3300 — but the D3400's built-in flash withal works bang-up!
● No accompaniment concluding for use with GPS or wired remote controls (D3300 has this).
● No Mic input socket (D3300 has this).
● No analog video or audio outputs. (D3300 has this).
● No standard-definition video recording options. (D3300 has this).
● No more than Panorama Mode (D3300 has this).
● No sensor cleaner (D3300 and every other current Nikon DSLR has this).
● No longer compatible with whatever lens with an aperture ring, even if it's AF-S. (D3300 worked with AF-S and AF-I lenses with aperture rings).
● No GPS.
● No WiFi; uses Bluetooth to transport images to your phone.
Amongst the means Nikon saves costs to continue the price down is to minimize the number of buttons that most D3400 users would never apply anyway. Compared to a professional person $half dozen,500 Nikon D5, the things Nikon took off to salvage money are:
● No ane-click playback zoom (pressing (+) only zooms in a footling, not all the way).
● No depth-of-field preview button.
● No 3 FPS CL fashion; only runs at five FPS in Continuous advance fashion.
● No voice notes (used past reporters to record spoken notes with the images; simply $vi,000 pro cameras have this)
● No battery percentage number, just a three-bar bombardment icon.
● No automobile LCD effulgence command, missing in most other Nikons, too.
● No piece of cake way to set Auto ISO ON/OFF or image size etc. directly; you accept to cease and await at the menus or command panels.
● The D3400's built-in wink can't work as a commander for wireless flash, but the D5 doesn't even have a flash.
● No automatic exposure bracketing (only utilise the Exposure Compensation control and make sequential shots yourself).
● No HDR or multiple exposure modes, thank goodness.
● There is a Recent Settings Bill of fare, just it doesn't have the programmable My Menu option.
● No 2nd retentivity carte slot.
For $6,000 less than the D5, I think I'll live, and the D3400 comes with a lens included and has a congenital-in flash sorely lacking in the D5. Neither the D5 nor the D3400 has Wi-Fi or GPS, thank goodness.
Paella at the Farmer's Market, 13 March 2017. (Nikon D3400, Nikon 18-55mm VR AFP at 31mm at f/7.1 at 1/l at Car ISO 100, Perfectly Clear.) bigger or full resolution.
Lens Compatibility
Top Sample Images Intro Compatibility
Specifications U.s. Version Performance
Compared Usage Recommendations More
Lens mount, Nikon D3400. bigger.
Autofocus works great with modern AF-P and AF-Due south lenses, merely only if they have no aperture ring (are "Chiliad" blazon).
The D3400 does non work well with manual focus lenses or any AF lens with an discontinuity ring. If a lens has an discontinuity ring, the D3400 volition not exist able to autofocus (turn the focus ring manually and wait for the light-green OK dot on the lower left of the finder), and information technology will non exist able to meter or set exposure (use Manual exposure and pray).
It works peachy with all kinds of lens diaphragms, both traditional and the new Due east-diaphragms.
More at Nikon Lens Compatibility.
Specifications
Top Sample Images Intro Compatibility
Specifications U.s. Version Performance
Compared Usage Recommendations More
Prototype Sensor
24 MP.
15.6 × 23.5 mm DX.
1.5:ane aspect ratio.
ane.52× ingather factor.
No sensor cleaner.
White Balance
Motorcar, incandescent, fluorescent (7 types), direct sunlight, flash, cloudy, shade, preset manual, all except preset manual with fine-tuning.
Image Sizes
6,000 × four,000 pixels native (LARGE, 24MP).
four,496 ten iii,000 (MEDIUM, 13.5MP).
two,992 ten 2,000 (SMALL, 6MP).
No crop modes.
ISO
ISO 100 ~ 25,600 and Auto ISO.
No push or pull Hi+ or Lo- modes, merely plain and simple ISO 100 ~ 25,600.
Active D-Lighting
Still Formats
JPG and/or compressed 12-fleck NEF (RAW)
sRGB and Adobe RGB.
Video
Frame Sizes and Rates
1,920 ten one,080 at 59.94, 50, 29.97, 25 or 23.976 FPS.
1,280 x 720 at 59.94 or 50 FPS.
Movie File Format & Coding
.MOV containing H.264/MPEG-4 Avant-garde Video Coding video and linear PCM audio.
Longest Take Elapsing
29:59 at normal quality, 20 minutes at High quality.
Audio
Recorded only along with video.
Mono microphone built in.
No mic-in socket.
Autofocus
11 Points.
Nikon Multi-CAM 1000 autofocus sensor module with TTL stage detection.
Rated to piece of work from LV -1 to +19.
AF-Assist light rated to help from one.5~12 anxiety (0.5 to 3 one thousand).
Finder
Lightweight pentamirror.
95% coverage.
0.85x magnification with 50mm lens (smaller than FX cameras because information technology's 80% of a smaller area).
18 mm eyepoint.
-one.7 to + 0.five diopters.
Type B BriteView Clear Matte Mark Seven screen.
Shutter
Vertical metal focal-plane.
1/4,000 ~ thirty seconds in 3rd-finish steps.
Bulb.
Time exposures with optional ML-L3 remote control.
Front and rear receivers for employ with the optional ML-L3 remote control.
Wink Sync : 1/200.
Cocky timer: ii, 5, 10, 20 seconds with 1 to 9 exposures
Frame Rates
5 FPS, in manual focus and at 1/250 2d or faster.
Slower shutter speeds or expecting autofocus to focus for each frame volition slow it downwardly.
Wink
1/200 sync speed.
i-TTL and CLS uniform.
Congenital-in Flash
Yep, pops up.
GN 22'/7m (26'/8m in manual style) at ISO 100. (The D3300 and almost other cameras are a stop amend, rated GN 39/12).
Does not control wireless flash, you'll have to purchase the SU-800 to piece of work as commander.
External Flash
Dedicated ISO 518 hot-shoe with sync and data contacts and safety lock.
No Prontor-Compur (PC) concluding; apply the built-in wink to trigger your slaves or use an AS-15 hot-shoe adapter for corded sync.
Light Meter
3D Color Matrix Meter 2, 420 RGB pixels.
8mm centre-weighted.
3.5mm spot on any of the 11 AF points.
i-TTL flash metering for use with SB-5000, SB-910, SB-900, SB-800, SB-700, SB-600, SB-500, SB-400 and SB-300.
Meter Range: LV 0~20 (spot meter: LV 2~20).
Alive View
Single-servo AF (AF-S); full-time-servo AF (AF-F) and Manual focus (MF)
Face-priority AF, Wide-area AF, Normal-area AF and Subject field-tracking AF.
Dissimilarity-observe AF anywhere in frame; the D3400 selects the focus point automatically when confront-priority AF or subject-tracking AF is selected.
LCD Monitor
3" (76 mm) diagonal.
921,000 dots VGA.
170º viewing angle.
Does not swivel.
Connectors
Type C mini-pin HDMI.
USB.
Bluetooth
v 4.1.
Rated 32 ft/10m range, line of sight.
Storage
Ane SD, SDHC or SDXC carte du jour.
Power & Battery
Rated ane,200 shots, no bluetooth, CIPA (every other shot fabricated with total-power flash).
EN-EL14a rechargeable Li-ion battery: 7.2V 1,230 mAh, 8.nine Wh.
This is the aforementioned battery and charger equally the D3300, D5500, D5300 and D5200 and is similar to the EN-EL14 of the D5200, D5100, D3100 and P7000.
EN-EL14a battery. bigger.
Nikon folding-plug MH-24 charger. enlarge.
The MH-24 charger has a folding unpolarized United states of america plug, as a charger should. Information technology'south much better than the clumsy abortions like the MH-25 we use with the D810 and D610 etc.
Optional EH-5b Air-conditioning Adapter, which also needs an EP-5A Power Connector.
Size
3.9 10 four.nine 10 3.0 inches HWD
98 x 124 x 75.5 millimeters HWD.
Weight
fifteen.580 oz. (441.seven g) with battery and card, actual measured.
Rated 15.vii oz. (445 g) with bombardment and card.
Rated 14 oz. (395 g) stripped.
Surround
Operating
0 ~ 40º C (32 ~ 104º F).
Up to 85 % RH.
Quality
Bottom, Nikon D3400. bigger.
Fabricated in Thailand.
Included
Box end, Nikon D3400. bigger.
D3400 with BF-1B Body Cap.
EN-EL14a Rechargeable Li-ion Battery with final cover.
MH-24 Battery Charger.
DK-25 Prophylactic Eyecup.
AN-DC3 Photographic camera Strap.
Announced
Midweek, 17 August 2016, 12:01 AM NYC time.
Promised for
Early September 2016.
Price, Usa
August 2019 (discontinued)
$429 new at Amazon, or nearly $250 used if you know How to Win at eBay.
January 2018
$497 with 18-55mm VR AF-P lens.
$597 as a kit with both the 18-55mm VR AF-P and seventy-300mm DX AF-P lenses.
March 2017
$497 with 18-55mm VR AF-P lens.
$597 as a kit with both the new 18-55mm VR AF-P and new 70-300mm DX AF-P lenses.
August 2016
$647 with 18-55mm VR AF-P lens.
$997 as a kit with both the new xviii-55mm VR AF-P and new 70-300mm DX AF-P lenses.
Box, Nikon D3400. bigger.
Getting a Legal United states of america Version
(for United states of america only)
Top Sample Images Intro Compatibility
Specifications USA Version Performance
Compared Usage Recommendations More than
A legal USA version has a warranty card from Nikon USA with a serial number that matches the serial number on the sticker on the lesser of your camera:
U.s.a. warranty card, Nikon D3400. bigger.
If yous got a kit with a lens or lenses, there should exist another carte for each lens, as well with a matching serial number.
The serial number on the card must lucifer the serial number of your photographic camera or lens, otherwise y'all have no warranty for that item. The series number on the box should likewise match the serial number on your camera.
In the USA, your box should say "US" later on the model number and color lawmaking above the UPC code:
Us box, Nikon D3400. bigger.
I wouldn't worry too much virtually the box, simply if you don't take cards with matching serial numbers, you got ripped off with a gray market place version from another land. This is why I never buy anyplace other than from my personally approved sources. Yous just tin can't take the run a risk of buying elsewhere, peculiarly at any retail shop, because not-USA versions have no warranty in the Usa, and you won't even be able to get firmware or service for it — even if you're willing to pay out-of-pocket for it when you demand information technology!
If a gray market place version saves you $100 it may be worth it, but for $l or less I wouldn't adventure having no warranty or back up.
Always be sure to bank check your box while you can notwithstanding render information technology, or merely don't buy from unapproved sources or at retail and so you lot'll exist able to have your camera serviced and get free updated firmware as needed.
Get yours from the same places I practice and you won't have a trouble, only if you lot have the hazard of getting yours elsewhere, be sure to check everything while you nevertheless can return information technology.
Performance
Superlative Sample Images Intro Compatibility
Specifications USA Version Functioning
Compared Usage Recommendations More than
Overall Finder Autofocus Image Quality
Exposure Flash High ISOs Auto ISO
Car Distortion Correction Ergonomics
Tranquillity Mode Movies Mechanics Drop Exam
Playback LCD Power & Bombardment Data & Bluetooth
Overall
The D3400 works fantastically well. A few years ago a camera this good would accept been unimaginable at whatever price.
The D3400 tin can make extraordinary images in the hands of someone who knows what they're doing, and has loads of internal processing ability to reach everything it does very chop-chop. It's ergonomically very well thought out and handles and operates marvelously, and even its LCD is brilliant.
Technically information technology'southward unbeaten, and ergonomically it'southward equally good equally a camera with as few real buttons in this toll range gets.
Used properly, the images expect smashing at any ISO, and auto white balance is wonderful nether almost whatsoever light.
Finder
Performance top
The D3400's finder is brilliant and sharp, especially with the boring kit lenses for which information technology is optimized. Information technology has a very precisely etched screen showing the location of the AF areas, a nice bear on.
Better than the D810, the AF zones are indicated with low-cal-upwardly LED spots that don't interfere much with the subject you're trying to come across. (The D810 uses ugly, obstructive blackness LCD squares that plow on and off instead.)
The D3400's matte field won't properly bear witness the restricted depth-of-field with lenses faster than f/4, but that'due south OK because this is how Nikon got the finder so bright.
The finder certainly isn't as huge every bit an FX camera or as big equally the D7200 because the D3400 uses a hollow, lightweight pentamirror instead of a solid glass pentaprism, which is exactly how I'd want a lightweight camera to work.
Meliorate than the D810, the D3400 shows exposure compensation to thirds of a stop on its in-finder bar graph. The D810 only shows half-stops, so they don't show when you've only got ±0.3 stops compensation set, which the D3300 does!
Autofocus
Operation top
Autofocus is fast, silent and accurate. Of course information technology'south limited by your lens; the included xviii-55mm VR AF-P uses new autofocus applied science that's equally good and fast as Nikon's best lenses ever.
Prepare to its default AF-A and Auto-Surface area select modes, the D3400 figures out where and how to focus, and just does it.
It doesn't formally accept face up recognition, but notwithstanding does a pretty practiced job of finding faces and ignoring clutter.
The selected points are shown with little LED dots. They aren't that bright, simply bright plenty to show us what'due south going on without distracting u.s..
The rear selector moves incrementally between AF areas with each click, and a center-push returns to the middle AF point.
The D3300 has AF-S (single and lock), AF-C (continuous), and AF-A (automatic pick between the previous two modes) autofocus. This is ameliorate than the D5300, D800 and D4, which no longer accept the brilliant AF-A mode.
Image Quality
Operation top
Technically, image quality is fantastic.
Color rendition is superb; the D3400 uses nevertheless motion-picture show controls, with matching results, to all the other current Nikon cameras.
Auto White Balance continues to get better with every generation of Nikon camera. With the D3400, AWB usually gets exactly the results I desire under whatsoever light.
Exposure
Performance elevation
Exposure is superb.
It's nearly always perfect in any calorie-free.
Flash
Operation top
The built-in flash is superb. A Nikon hallmark for decades, just pop up the flash and the camera does the rest to become natural, balanced images with expert fill-wink automatically.
Here's a sample. Find how warm and natural this shot in a dark kitchen looks when shot with flash:
Ryan Hacking, March 2017. Nikon D3400, FLASH ON, Nikon eighteen-55mm VR AFP at 34mm at f/v at 1/60 at Motorcar ISO 900, Perfectly Clear. bigger.
Ryan Hacking. Nikon D3400, NO Flash, Nikon xviii-55mm VR AFP at 30mm at f/iv.ii at 1/50 at Car ISO 1,100, Perfectly Articulate. bigger.
This 2nd night shot is how whatever photographic camera without wink would look. Unless you too use an external flash, this is the best yous'd get with the $six,500 Nikon D5 or LEICA M10, which have no built-in flash.
The D3400'south built-in wink let you make significantly improve pictures than these more expensive cameras in real-world conditions unless you besides hauled a large flash with the other cameras.
Lighting is the most important technical aspect of whatsoever photo, and with the always-ready built-in flash of the D3400, you'll get better photos than if you lot but had a more exotic photographic camera without flash.
The color balance of the D3400'due south flash is also beautiful.
Katie photographs Toby; Go Bruins! March 2017. Nikon D3400, flash ON, Nikon eighteen-55mm VR AFP at 18mm at f/4 at 1/lx at Auto ISO 560, Perfectly Articulate. bigger.
High ISO Performance
Performance top
High ISO performance is superb. Bravo!
The D3400 looks great at whatsoever ISO; utilize whatever ISO y'all demand to become a sharp picture.
I allow my Automobile ISO run all the manner up to ISO 25,600.
Sample Paradigm Files
Click any for the camera-original © files to explore on your computer; mobile devices rarely evidence the full resolution files properly.
These images look about the same at this web size upward to ISO 25,600; the highlights, shadows and colors match very well beyond the unabridged ISO spectrum. Some years ago this wasn't possible; higher ISOs on older cameras would look quite different from lower ISOs even at small impress sizes. Today, the D3400 looks great even at its maximum ISO 25,600. BRAVO!
As yous can run across, pretty much whatsoever ISO you need volition work well for reasonably sized web or print images.
Crops from above
These are 600 x 450 pixel crops from the original images above. They will vary in size to fit your browser window; if they are almost vi" (15cm) broad on your screen, the complete images would print at 40 x 60" (1 x 1.v meters) at this same high magnification. if they are nigh 12" (30cm) broad on your screen, the consummate images would print at fourscore x 120" (2 10 iii meters) at this aforementioned high magnification.
While images at loftier ISOs look great at reasonable print sizes, the differences are much more obvious at farthermost magnifications as shown beneath; we lose details and subtle textures at higher ISOs. Every bit ISO climbs, nosotros lose grain in the wood, the sparkles in the black wood grain, and everything gets softer. Fireplace bricks within the grille disappear first on the left then the correct, and the dust on grill vanishes.
Click any for the aforementioned camera-original © files every bit to a higher place to explore on your figurer (mobile devices rarely bear witness the full resolution files properly):
Katie checks out her new braces, March 2017. Nikon D3400, Nikon 18-55mm VR AFP at 55mm at f/5.6 at 1/100 at Automobile ISO 560, Perfectly Clear. bigger.
Katie gets braces, March 2017. Nikon D3400, Nikon 18-55mm VR AFP at 55mm at f/5.6 at 1/100 at Motorcar ISO 1,000, Perfectly Clear. bigger.
Machine ISO
Performance tiptop
Auto ISO works great. When yous utilize this characteristic (I always do), the D3400 will shoot at your selected ISO, and when the light starts to get nighttime, will automatically increase its ISO to maintain the slowest shutter speed yous've previously programmed.
The D3400 can select the slowest shutter speed based on zoom setting or lens focal length. One cannot select an start from the machine-selected slowest shutter speed as 1 can in higher-end cameras, simply just like all other Nikons with this characteristic, you always can ready the slowest Auto ISO shutter speed manually wherever you like.
The auto-selected slowest shutter speed isn't smart plenty to set itself differently based on whether or not yous accept VR on or off.
Auto Distortion Correction
Performance peak
Ameliorate than my Catechism 5D Mark III, my Nikon D3400 can right lens baloney automatically as I shoot, and fifty-fifty better, nosotros never accept to load any lens profiles. So long as yous're using a uniform lens, you 're good to go right out of the box.
To get this automatic as-you-shoot correction, just set up Carte > SHOOTING MENU (camera icon) > Machine distortion control > On. (default is off.)
Ergonomics
Performance acme
Nikon does a peachy chore with its inexpensive DSLRs — better than it does with its professional cameras!
Press the exposure compensation button and the rear LCD lights magically and then you lot tin run into to set information technology before you bring the camera to your centre. The D3400 even highlights the value to make it obvious.
The PLAY push is still on the incorrect side, demanding a second hand to striking PLAY.
With Carte du jour and many other buttons on the left, yous'll ever demand 2 hands to work the D3400.
Assigning the Fn button to select paradigm size and Quality is pointless because you've got just one punch. Therefore with this option, you lot have to spin by all the options, and commonly will get something wrong. On bigger cameras, this option allows you to utilise two dials, i for size and i for quality, but with simply one dial, forget it.
To set the Fn and other controls, these settings are all hiding at MENU > SETUP (wrench icon) > Buttons.
The Cocky Timer resets after each shot. You can set it to shoot upwards to 9 frames each time all by itself, hoping yous'll catch at to the lowest degree one shot with everyone's eyes open up.
Quiet Mode
Performance elevation
The D3400 is probably Nikon's quietest camera, even in its normal shooting modes. This is because the D3400 is minor and low-cal, so at that place's less moving effectually than in bigger Nikons. The D3400 is a neat pick when you need to be tranquility.
The D3400 is a very tranquility and refined camera.
The repose mode isn't much quieter than the usual modes. All it does is add some the shutter delay and preclude the photographic camera from charging the shutter until subsequently yous've removed your finger from the shutter button.
This splits the shutter sound into two parts, presumably so you lot could hide the photographic camera nether a jacket when you take your finger off the button, just in bodily use, all it does is make the D3400 piece of work more than slowly and make the finder stay black afterwards each photo — and information technology's not really whatsoever quieter than the regular mode.
The skilful news is that the D3400 is a very serenity camera in its regular fashion anyway, much quieter than Nikon's loud professional cameras.
Gear up the Quiet mode past pressing the disguised rectangle button on the rear lesser right of the D3400, and selecting [Q].
Movies
Performance top
Audio is mono: the built-in mic is mono, and in that location is no external mic jack.
Autofocus for movies is slow, as are most DSLRs.
Movie AF may be ho-hum, but it doesn't hunt or get lost. It focuses, but slowly, and with the included AFP lens, it'due south silent.
Mechanical Quality
Performance superlative
Nikon D3400. bigger.
Bottom, Nikon D3400. bigger.
The D3400 is mostly plastic, with a metal lens mount and tripod socket.
This is perfect: information technology's light weight, and the durable parts are still metal.
Driblet Test
Performance top
I dropped my D3400 and 18-55mm VR AF-P at a random angle from 3 feet (1 meter) onto solid concrete. Information technology bounced.
It'south fine and I can't encounter any marks.
The CF card got jostled and popped halfway out of its slot, so I had a flashing - [ E ] - ? warning in the finder and the camera wouldn't take a picture. When I pressed the ? push button as hinted by the finder, the message on the rear LCD told me that I had no SD carte. I checked inside the carte door, and voilà, the carte du jour was one-half popped-out, so I pushed the menu back in and all is fine.
Playback
Functioning summit
Playback is fast and clear, every bit we wait from Nikon.
Y'all tin can activate and conciliate dissimilar playback screen options in MENU > Playback > Playback Display Options
The Play and Zoom (+) and (-) buttons are on the wrong (left) side, requiring a 2d hand to control.
If you zoom-in with the YRGB histogram screen active, the histogram shows the values only for the area to which y'all've zoomed.
LCD
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The D3400 has a superb LCD. It'southward fixed; it doesn't move or swivel.
The D3400's LCD is big, bright, sharp and color-accurate. Y'all couldn't actually put a bigger or meliorate screen on a camera this minor.
The LCD is covered with uncoated clear plastic, non heavy anti-reflection coated glass equally on some much fancier cameras.
I love the LCD of my D3400!
Power and Bombardment
Operation meridian
The USA MH-24 charger has a folding plug for travel.
The light blinks bister while charging, and is steady when washed.
Unlike fancier cameras, the battery gauge is only a 3-segment indicator that gives not much warning when the battery gets low.
Like most DSLRs, the battery lasts forever. I can become weeks without charging. The biggest worry you should take is being lulled into forgetting to bring your charger on a long trip!
Data
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When formatted, cards are correctly titled "NIKON D3400."
The first folder is titled "100D3400."
SMALL Basic JPG files (2,992 ten two,000 pixels), the mode I shoot my D3400, have a median file size of 1 MB, and can be printed at whatsoever size. Depending on the bailiwick, they'll range from virtually 600kB to one.2 MB.
Big BASIC JPG files (6,000x 4,000 pixels) take a median size of virtually 2.6 MB, ranging from i.2 to 3.nine MB.
Bluetooth & the Snapbridge app
The Snapbridge app was the fastest and easiest image-transfer app to load and connect on my iPhone 7 Plus. Astoundingly information technology did actually capture my D3400 shots in my iPhone's photographic camera coil all by itself.
Sadly the files placed in my iPhone's Camera Roll have randomly generated file names, making it impossible to sort them out afterwards.
Worse, the whole thing stopped working afterward the first try, and never worked once more, so I gave up. If I desire a photo in my iPhone to do something with, I just shoot it on my iPhone.
Typical response afterward the first try. bigger.
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The D3300 is the aforementioned camera as this D3400, just without bluetooth. See the few differences above at New.
The D5000 serial (D5600, D5500, etc.) are also more often than not the same, with the D5000 series adding a flipping touch screen and a stereo (versus mono) microphone for video.
The D7200 , D7100 and D7000 are quite different, being much more solid and advanced cameras that tin can autofocus with former lenses and meter with manual focus lenses, and take more buttons, dials and controls for advanced users who change advanced settings often. The D3400 has the aforementioned settings, just that y'all too often have to notice them in a menu instead of merely having a button for them in the D7200.
Full-frame FX cameras similar the D610 and D750 are nearly identical to the D7200, but with a larger image sensor that requires the employ of larger and heavier lenses. The advantage of FX cameras is that they have bigger viewfinders, and if yous like soft backgrounds, tend to have shallower depth of field in like situations compared to the other cameras.
The Catechism Rebel T6 has most the same performance at the same price, only from a different brand. If one looks or feels amend to you, become information technology. Each offers the same high performance in an inexpensive, pocket-size and lightweight package. Run into also Catechism versus Nikon.
Usage
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Run into my Nikon D3400 Plain-English User's Guide and see How to Utilise the Nikon D3400's AF System.Recommendations
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The D3400 is a fantastic little camera, especially if you lot want a small DSLR that might be able ship its images to your phone.
The D3400 is modest, light, tranquility, like shooting fish in a barrel to use, has a great wink and takes nifty pictures. Information technology'due south one of my very top camera recommendations, and if toll matters, is the elevation camera today.
If you don't demand Bluetooth or don't want to send your images to your phone, and then last twelvemonth's D3300 is also a practiced choice, with a more powerful flash, external mic-in socket and a sensor cleaner, but comes with a much slower-focusing AFS lens if you become the Usa version. Bombardment life is the same in actual shooting; any improvement comes at the expense of under-exposed wink or fill up-flash photos.
I don't know that I'd depend on the Snapbridge app and Bluetooth to become images to my iPhone; I had spotty results, then either of the D3300 or this D3400 are my superlative suggestions as a basic loftier-quality photographic camera that produces fully professional results at minimum price. Become the D3300 if you can become it with the AFP lens gray marketplace, otherwise the AFP lens that comes standard with the D3400 autofocuses much better than the old AFS eighteen-55mm lens included with the USA version of the D3300.
Lenses
The D3400 comes included with a swell eighteen-55mm VR AF-P lens that focuses instantly. I dubiety you need anything more than to start. It covers broad-angle to medium telephoto, and also focuses so shut that I doubtfulness you'd demand a dedicated macro lens.
If you demand a telephoto to bring things closer, the 55-200mm VR Ii is inexpensive and excellent. The 55-300mm VR is bigger, and zooms even closer in. Neither of these two lenses focus quickly; if y'all want ultra-fast focus for activeness, the brand-new 70-300mm VR AFP is superb. I'd become the 55-200mm VR Ii for light weight and depression cost (the photos are superb), or the 70-300mm VR AFP for longer range or faster focussing.
Very few people know How to Use Ultrawide Lenses. If you practise, the Nikon 10-24mm is the best, along with the Tokina 11-20mm f/2.viii.
I got my D3400 complete with a great lens at Adorama, also in red. You lot as well can become it at B&H, as well in scarlet, go it at Amazon in all forms and become it at Crutchfield in all forms. Information technology also comes equally a kit with both the new 18-55mm VR AF-P and new seventy-300mm DX AF-P lenses at Adorama and at B&H — but I don't recommend that kit because it includes the cheap, unstabilized 70-300mm lens. You really need the stabilizer of the 70-300mm VR AFP for best results.
This advert-free website's biggest source of support is when you use those or any of these links to approved sources when you get anything, regardless of the land in which y'all alive. Nikon does non seal its boxes in any way, so never buy at retail or any other source not on my personally approved list since yous'll have no mode of knowing if you lot're missing accessories, getting a lacking, damaged, returned, store demo or used camera. I utilize the stores I do because they ship from secure remote warehouses where no one gets to bear upon your new camera before you do. Purchase only from the canonical sources I use myself for the all-time prices, service, return policies and option.
Thank you for helping me assist you!
Ken, Mrs. Rockwell, Ryan and Katie.
More Information
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Ken Rockwell's Nikon D3400 User'south Guide
How to Use the Nikon D3400's AF System
Nikon's D3400 User's Manual
Nikon'due south D3400 page
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