Image Quality
The photos out of the D3400 are very high in quality. In fact, image quality is one of the main reasons to buy this camera in the first place. Nikon’s 24 megapixel DX sensor is one of the best in the world for its size, with impressive detail and very good high ISO performance as well.
Indeed, the images out of the D3400 are at the same level as photos from the $1900 Nikon D500 (with the D3400 slightly ahead at lower ISOs, and the D500 slightly ahead at higher ISOs). That fact – along with the camera’s light weight – is why the Nikon D3400 is such a good choice for travel photography or hiking to distant landscapes, where you need top images from a package that doesn’t take up too much space or weight.
Here are sample pictures from the Nikon D3400 at its entire range of ISO values, from ISO 100 to ISO 25,600. These are all 100% crops of RAW photos, taken from a very small area of the D3400’s sensor (click to see the ISO values of each photo):
This is a very good result. I would be comfortable using the D3400 up to ISO 1600, and even ISO 3200 or 6400 if necessary. ISO 12,800 and 25,600 are just there for the sake of better specifications. They aren’t usable except in the most drastic of cases.
Of course, to get the most image quality and sharpness out of the D3400, you need to know how to use it. Start right by learning about the manual camera settings that create your exposure. Then, see our article on taking sharp pictures.
Up next is the comparisons section of this review, where the D3400 faces off against its closest competitors, both DSLR and mirrorless. Although it fares pretty well, there are many other options at this price, some of which are also quite good.
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