Nikon D3300 Review


Pros

  • Lighter than the previous model
  • Low Price Point
  • Good picture quality
  • Great videos
  • High ISO

Cons

  • Might be too small for large hands
  • No built in Wifi
  • Average autofocus

An Overview

The D3300 is from the Nikon’s D3xxx series and it is their latest entry level digital SLR. At a quick glance, it may look exactly the same as the last model from Nikon’s SLR series, the D3200, but this new digital SLR has a much better sensor than the D3200. The improved sensor lets you shoot up to five frames per second, shoots great images even in low light and it has a higher ISO sensitivity.

The dimensions are a bit different and what is more significant is that the D3300 has no anti-aliasing filter. This new entry level camera from Nikon has an additional ISO step that is from the higher end of the spectrum; it boasts a 50p or 1080/60p video quality with an additional frame per second at a continuous shooting rate. The kit lens of the D3300 has also been redesigned and it collapses down to a slender 68mm when it is not being used.

It is fully compatible with a Nikon AF-S or AF-I teleconverters and lenses. The D3300’s card slot fits a Standard Definition (SD), a Secure Digital High Capacity (SDHC) or a Secure Digital Extended Capacity (SDXC) memory card. This Nikon digital SLR model is available in three colors that you can choose from, gray, black and red – they are all in kit form and are paired with an AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR II zoom lens that is freshly designed and made more compact than the last ones.

Available a low price, the Nikon D3300 is available with a rechargeable lithium ion battery and a charger, an Audio and Video cable wire, a camera strap, a rubber eyecup, a body cap, a hard copy of the user manual and the View NX2 software.

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D3300 Nikon DSLR cameraThe Design

As mentioned above, this appears to be the spitting image of the Nikon D3200, but look closely and you will see that they also have some slight differences. Changes were made on the body of the camera and some of the buttons were transferred on the rear part. It looks like a regular modern DSLR camera, nice and simple. On the front, you will see the lens release button, the Fn button, the pop up flash and the infrared sensor which can be found under the shutter button. On the top of the grip, the shutter button, the on and off switch, the video recording button, the record button, exposure compensation and the ifor button are all arranged neatly with enough space to make navigation much easier for you.

The Ergonomics

The Nikon D3300 is on the smaller end of the DSLR camera spectrum and if you have large hands, you may find it a bit small and hard to handle. But the camera is designed to have enough space between the base or the lens barrel and the handgrip so you won’t have a hard time holding the camera’s kit lens. The camera is light and easy to carry around if you use short lenses and of course, it becomes somewhat heavy when used with longer and heavier lenses.

The Photo Quality

The D3200 of Nikon was the company’s very first Digital SLR camera to use a 24 megapixel sensor which nearly all of the other cameras also do. Although the resolution of the D3300 was not changed, the sensor that this camera uses provides an important and noticeable upgrade. It uses the same as the one that is used with the D7100 and the D5300 and the noise levels are significantly lower as compared to the D32000. The sensor of the D3300 also omits the optical low pass filter. For an entry level DSLR camera, it produces impressive pictures that are rich in detail and high definition videos that are almost lifelike, making it stand out against other digital cameras.

Nikons Digital SLRs can capture JPEG images that are in flattering colors, and the in-camera removal of the distortions and the chromatic aberration really did help make the photos look their absolute best straight out of the camera. 

Click for some sample images of the Nikon D3300.

panorama dslr shot

The Video Mode Performance

We usually don’t give that much thought and have anything to say about a camera’s processor, but Nikon’s latest processor upgrade to an Expeed 4 chip deserves recognition. The processor upgrade allows it to take videos with a better quality at a faster rate, the D330 can shoot 1080p videos at a rate of 24 to 60 frames per second. When fitted with a much faster processor, video quality is not the only improvement, the camera’s battery life also increased from 540 to 700 shots, the kit lens and the 11 point autofocus sensor of the camera is also reliably fast, and pressing the button to capturing the frame only takes about 0.3 seconds.

The Pros

  • It is light and compact
  • Has a good still and video quality
  • Has 5 frames per second shooting rate
  • Has a high ISO performance

The Cons

  • Has no built in Wi-Fi, it is only optional
  • The autofocus is only average
  • With continuous usage, the built in flash overheats and shuts down

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Nikon D3300 VS Nikon D3200

When it comes to physical features, the Nikon D3300 and Nikon D3200 almost look identical, but in what features do these two Nikon models differ? The Nikon D3200 has a bigger buffer for raw shot or when in burst mode as compared to the D3300, it can take 12 shots while the newer model can take 7 shots. It also has an anti-aliasing filter.

But the Nikon D3300 is built to have even more advantages than its predecessor; the latest Nikon digital SLR camera can take panorama photos. It can also take better photos on low light producing images and with lesser noise, as well as capturing more photos with its longer battery life and faster autofocus sensor. The lack of the anti-aliasing filter on the newer model of this Nikon SLR photo lets you enjoy sharper photos. It also has a higher ISO so it can give you more flexibility when in conditions with low light. Photo sharing has also been made easier with the D3300 WU-1a wireless adapter along with the usual tweaks and improvements.

The video below shows a comparison of the D3300 and D3200 at high ISO



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Founder and author at Tho Dia Media, loves photography and travel.