Photography is a highly stimulating and interesting hobby which can serve to improve one’s concentration, patience and eye for detail. These days, everyone is a photographer, what with cameras that come with one’s smartphones, which to be honest do click pretty good pictures.
However, for the serious photographer, nothing can beat the excitement of owning a DSLR camera. Of course there is simply no comparison between the quality of photos that are shot by a DSLR and the quality of photos that are shot by other cameras.
However, DSLR cameras can be on the pricier side and they can also be a little complicated to use for the novice photographer. This is exactly why Nikon’s D3300 is such a huge hit among beginner photographers. If you have been thinking about buying a DSLR camera, read on to find an unbiased Nikon D3300 review and decide for yourself if this camera is for you or not.
[amazon box=”B00HQ4W1QE” ]Contents
What are the best features of a Nikon D3300 24.2 MP?
The Nikon D3300 24.2 MP comes with a host of great features, such as:
- Expeed 4 processor: The Nikon D3300 runs on the Expeed 4 processor which is a powerful processing engine for a camera to work on. This robust processor ensures that the camera works at optimal speed without any unnecessary delays and it also promises great picture clarity even in conditions where light available is low. This processor makes it possible to obtain images which are true to their colour and tonal characteristics.
- 24.2 MP: Since the Nikon D3300 has a 24.2 megapixel camera, the images that are shot with it remain sharp and crisp – even if you are at a considerable distance from it. Nikon boasts of being able to bring in a lifelike realism to all photos that are shot through the Nikon D3300. You will be amazed at how wonderful the photos turn out with Nikon D3300. This camera ensures that you will be able to capture all the lovely moments in life, to be treasured and cherished forever.
- 3 inch LCD: The Nikon D3300 has an LCD screen display of 3 inches with 921K dots. Although the dot pitch of the LCD display doesn’t really make much of a difference to the final quality of your photos, one must admit that having a high resolution LCD display can make it easier for you to judge if the photos that you have shot are satisfactory or if you need to reshoot – without the need to actually wait for the photos to be transferred to another viewing device to be analysed.
- 5 frames per second continuous shooting: Obviously not every photograph opportunity that you get would involve someone standing still and posing for you. In most cases, there will be some sort of movement involved.
For instance, it could be a sports game in progress or it could be when photographing wildlife, where you cannot request the subjects to strike a pose for you. In such dynamic situations, continuous shooting or burst mode shooting comes in very handy.
The frame rate for continuous shooting determines how fast you can shoot photos in quick succession to one another. This mode will help you capture a series of photographs of your subjects in action, and you can choose which ones to keep and which ones to delete later.
- 1080HD video: Not only will you be able to shoot some awesome photos with the Nikon D3300 but you will also be able to shoot some really good videos thanks to its high definition video shooting capabilities.
- 11 AutoFocus points: The Nikon D3300 takes the hassle out of adjusting the focus of your camera since it is an auto focus model. Focusing is done automatically by the camera, so you don’t have to worry about it.
- Long battery life: There can be nothing more annoying than having the camera’s battery die down after shooting a limited number of shots. But the Nikon D3300 has a really decent battery life of 700 shots – ample time for you to shoot to your heart’s content before the battery needs recharging.
- Self-cleaning sensor: The Nikon D3300 has an inbuilt self-cleaning mechanism which helps to clean up any accumulated dust. While changing lenses when out and about, there are chances that some dust might get into the camera. It might not be possible to spot this dust with the naked eye even on the LCD display.
You might be able to see it only after you have transferred the photos to a computer or TV screen. This means that all photographs that were shot after you changed the lenses will be corrupted from the dust particles. While the self-cleaning mechanism doesn’t always do a perfect job, nevertheless this is one of the key features which adds value to the Nikon D3300.
The negative side of the Nikon D3300
While the Nikon D3300 has a lot of positive attributes, it has a few cons as well:
- No built-in Wi-Fi: In this day and age, it is surprising that a DSLR camera from such a reputed name such as Nikon actually comes with no built-in Wi-Fi which is a let-down. You could still connect to the internet using an additional accessory such as the WU-1a wireless adaptor, but it’s an extra step – and will also cost you more.
- Might need additional lenses:There is nothing to complain about in the lenses that come with the camera but if you want to try out a variety of effects and angles then you might need to buy additional lenses for the Nikon D3300.
- Not waterproof: If you were dreaming about clicking some stunning underwater pictures with the NikonD3300, please be aware that this is not a waterproof camera. Don’t be disappointed though – it doesn’t mean that you cannot take the Nikon D3300 with you into the water.
You can still use it to shoot pictures in and around water by paying extra and getting a waterproof case for it.Just factor it into the final cost of the camera. To be frank, a few drops of water that accidentally falls on the camera is not going to damage it but if you are going to use the Nikon D3300 in a swimming pool or in rainy weather do be careful with it.
- Not Shockproof: The Nikon D3300 cannot be termed as a delicate or dainty camera but it is definitely not touted to be a shockproof one. So one cannot club it into the category of tough and resistant cameras that can be used in rugged conditions and can weather hits or falls reasonably well. You will need to exercise some amount of caution and care when using the Nikon D3300 as it is not too well suited for rough use.
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How does the Nikon D3300 fare with respect to its competition?
There are a plethora of choices available in the market today when it comes to DSLR cameras. For a newbie it can get quite confusing to choose one which best suits his or her needs and preferences. Reading up reviews and expert recommendations can help you pick a camera which is apt for you.
To help clear some of your confusion, let’s compare the Nikon D3300 with other cameras in the similar range. First up, let’s look at yet another formidable name in photography – Canon. Canon’s Rebel T5 is also supposed to be a favourite among new photographers. So is it better than the Nikon D3300?
[amazon box=”B00HQ4W1QE” ]Not really. For one thing, the Nikon D3300 has 24 MP as opposed to Canon T5’s 18MP. Next, the burst mode setting only allows 3 frames per second in Canon T5, whereas it is 5 frames per second in Nikon D3300. While the LCD display size is the same in both the cameras, the dot pitch is higher in Nikon D3300; 921,000 dots as mentioned earlier but only 460,000 in Canon T5.
Additionally, while you can at least gain Wi-Fi connectivity with a wireless adapter in the Nikon D3300, there is no connectivity at all in the Canon T5, which is really sad. The battery life too is shorter in Canon T5 – only 600 shots – a 100 shots lesser than the Nikon D3300. Lastly, the Nikon D3300 is also slightly smaller and lighter than the Canon T5, apart from being super sleek and stylish as well.
The only positive edge that the Canon T5 has is that it is a little less expensive than the Nikon D3300.
How does Nikon D3300 fare when it comes to its predecessor?
Have there been any significant improvements? The Nikon D3300 is definitely a better version than the previous model D3200. It is lighter and more compact that the D3200 plus it also allows more frames per second in continuous shooting mode than the D3200.
Plus the battery life is longer with the D3300 as opposed to a battery life of only 540 shots in the previous version. Apart from these features though, there isn’t much of a change when it comes to the megapixels (24 MP in both cases), or the LCD screen (3 inches in both devices) or the viewfinder (Penta mirror in both).
When comparing the Nikon D3300 to the Nikon D5200, almost all technical specifications match up. But one huge advantage that the D5200 has is the articulated screen versus the fixed LCD of the D3300. This helps the photographer in taking selfies and also affords him the possibility of finding and setting up more flexible and creative shooting positions. However the D3300 still wins in the areas of battery life, cost and being more handy and convenient than the D5200.
Thus it becomes clear that the Nikon D3300 is definitely miles ahead of its competitors, in the entry-level, pocket-friendly DSLR camera category. It is hard to find a better DSLR camera than the Nikon D3300.
Conclusion: Should you buy the Nikon D3300?
To sum it all up, the Nikon D3300 is a dependable and trustworthy camera which can be your first step into digital photography. There is many a positive Nikon D3300 review that can be found as almost every customer who has bought and used this camera have only positive reviews to share about their experience with it.
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One can hardly find any negative reviews about the Nikon D3300 to be honest. It gives you true value for money and will reward you with some natural looking and vibrant photos without fail. It is also a camera which is easily available and in case any part gets damaged it will be easy to repair or replace due to its popularity. What’s more, the Nikon D3300 can be used as a handheld device and it can also be mounted on a tripod for longer periods of shooting.
While pro photographers might find it to be a little less than satisfactory, with its beginner guide mode feature, ease of use as well as its affordability, it can be the best choice for beginners to experiment and improve their digital photography skills.
You might need to do some fiddling around with the display menus and other settings in the beginning but don’t worry, unlike certain other DSLR cameras, the Nikon D3300 will not make you throw up your hands in frustration!
It is a camera with which you can have fun with photography and actually enjoy your hobby. For those people who are at the point of crossing over from regular point and shoot cameras into the realm of DSLR cameras, the Nikon D3300 is the answer to their dreams.
Fall in love with digital photography
Nikon has been in the business of manufacturing optical devices for a long time now and it is indeed a name that you can rely on. The Nikon D3300 will surely make you fall in love with digital photography and pretty soon you will be on the path to becoming a pro at it!Go for it! If you are still not convinced, then head over to your nearest camera speciality store to check out the Nikon D3300 for yourself; or if you have a friend who owns a Nikon D3300, try it out for yourself and you will be compelled to agree with this Nikon D3300 review.
Your friends and family will no doubt be amazed and impressed with the beautiful photos that you shoot with the Nikon D3300. Once you learn more about photography with DSLR cameras and can also spare enough money, you can probably move onto higher end and more advanced models – but for now the Nikon D3300 should be more than sufficient. Once you start using it, you too will rave about the Nikon D3300!