Nikon D3400 First Shots: Putting the compact, entry-level DSLR through its paces in the lab
posted Thursday, September 15, 2016 at 3:46 PM EDT
Unveiled about a month ago and just now appearing on store shelves, the new Nikon D3400 serves as the Japanese camera maker's latest entry-level DSLR. We recently got our hands on this new piece of kit, and given the impressive image quality of its predecessor, we were anxious to get this new model into the lab to see if Nikon could replicate its success.
Sporting many of the same or similar specs, including the main imaging pipeline as its predecessor, the D3400 maintains the same EXPEED 4 image processor and a 24.2-megapixel APS-C (DX-format) CMOS sensor. One slight change is that now the native ISO range starts at 100 and goes all the way to 25,600, whereas the D3300 stopped at 12,800 with an expanded 25,600 high ISO. Additionally, the entry-level DSLR continues the trend of removing the optical low-pass filter, so we should see some impressive detail from these files.
Aimed at new DSLR owners, the lightweight and compact D3400 has limited physical controls, but enough to get you situated into the world of DSLR cameras. Plus, the addition of Nikon's SnapBridge wireless technology will let you quickly transfer shots over to your mobile device -- the quality of your social media photos will vastly improve!
So, are you ready to see if the image quality, at least, puts the D3400 into the running for your next camera purchase? Check out our full First Shots set of lab sample images. As usual, this set of test images of our Still Life target spans the full range of the camera's ISO sensitivities and shows JPEGs (as well as RAW files) with noise reduction set to both default strength and disabled (or as minimal as the camera allows). Click here for our Nikon D3400 First Shots, or scroll down below for a couple sample comparisons showcasing the D3400 against its primary competitor, the Canon Rebel T6. As always, you can also compare our lab images from the D3400 against any other camera we've tested using our Comparometer.
