Nikon D3400 review

The Nikon D3400 is Nikon’s latest entry-level DSLR and succeeds the D3300 that came out in 2014. Despite the two-year gap between the two models, there doesn’t initially appear to be all that much to separate them, at least not in terms of their key specs.

Both models are built around a 24.2-million-pixel APS-C CMOS sensor and Nikon Expeed 4 image processor, and both employ the same 11-point AF system and pentamirror optical viewfinder that provides 95% coverage. The headline addition for the D3400 is Nikon’s SnapBridge technology, which uses Bluetooth to facilitate wireless image transfer between the D3400 and compatible mobile devices.

The D3400 also offers significantly improved battery performance over its predecessor, with Nikon claiming that the camera is able to record up to 1,200 images on a full charge, compared to 700 images on the D3300. On the flipside, the pop-up flash has a lower guide number than its predecessor (GN 7m @ ISO 100 compared to GN12), and the external microphone port has 
been removed.

Given that the D3300 is still available and around £70 cheaper, the question is, do the incremental upgrades make the D3400 worth the additional expenditure? Likewise, how does the D3400 stack up against its main rivals within the entry-level DSLR segment, namely the Canon EOS 1300D and Pentax K-50?

Nikon D3400 review: Features

The effective resolution of the D3400’s sensor remains unchanged from the D3300, as does the sensitivity range, which spans from ISO 100-25,600. If you feel the need to crank the ISO beyond this then there’s a night vision mode (accessed via the effects option on the mode dial) that allows you to capture black & white JPEGs up to the equivalent of ISO 102,400. Shutter speeds range from 30sec to 1/4000sec plus Bulb, while the flash sync speed is 1/200sec.

In terms of video, the D3400 is able to record 1920×1080 full HD video at 60p/50p/30p/25p/ 24p along with 720p HD at either 60fps or 50fps. There’s the option to adjust the sensitivity of the built-in microphone, although there’s no headphone jack to monitor audio quality in real time.

Now to the D3400’s headline feature – SnapBridge. This allows you to transfer images wirelessly from the camera to a smartphone or tablet, via an always-on Bluetooth low-energy (BLE) connection. The D3400’s SnapBridge doesn’t include Wi-Fi, so remote control of the camera from your smartphone isn’t possible – a feature that is available on the Canon EOS 1300D. However, Bluetooth is much less power-hungry than Wi-Fi.

While SnapBridge came in for some criticism at the time of its launch for being somewhat unreliable, these teething troubles appear to have been fully resolved. We encountered no problems at all setting it up, and it worked flawlessly during the course of our testing. In terms of functionality, you can choose to have SnapBridge automatically transfer all photos captured with the D3400 to your connected mobile device, or you can opt to manually select what you’d like to transfer. In addition, you can also specify whether to transfer images at their original size or limit file size 
to a maximum of 2MB per image.