Nikon D3400 vs D3500 Comparison

It’s often hard to decide between the newer model of the camera and its predecessor because we aren’t really sure how improved the newer model is and is it worth the extra money.

Here we have Nikon D3400 and Nikon D3500 we are going to make a detailed comparison in order to help you decide whether you are going to go with the newer model or with the older one.

Nikon D3500

The Nikon D3500 is an update to the popular D3400. It is designed to be a consumer-friendly DSLR which improves on the previous model in a few areas like an updated 24.2 MP sensor, improved battery life, as well as ergonomic improvements.

It retains some beginner-friendly features, like the “?” function for each of the settings, which actually explains what the setting is and what it does.

All of that comes in a small and lightweight body which is really convenient for carrying around. It isn’t incredibly fast but it provides great image quality even in low light all the way up to the ISO 1600.

D3500 Pros

• No optical low pass filter for sharper images
• Excellent noise performance
• 5 fps continuous shooting
• Improved battery life

D3500 Cons

• No Environmental sealing
• Lack articulating LCD
  

Nikon D3400

This one is the predecessor to the D3500. It shares the same goal – to be an entry-level consumer-friendly DSL. It has some useful features like built-in Bluetooth for instant transfer of images, but unfortunately no Wi-Fi.

The image quality excellent and overall performance is better than much of the competition in its range.

It focuses and shoots quickly while you are using the viewfinder, but everything slows down when using the live view, so try to avoid that as much as you can.

D3400 Pros

• Excellent noise performance
• Good  battery life
• Built-in guide
• Bluetooth 
• 5 fps continuous shooting

D3400 Cons

• No Wi-Fi
• Slow LiveView AF and shutter 

Differences between the D3400 and D3500

• Sensor: Both have 24.2 MP sensor; D3500 is a newer design
• Battery Life: D3500 is rated for 1550 shots vs 1200
• Size/Weight: D3500 is slightly lighter and has a few mm smaller body
• Design: The D3500 has an updated button layout on the backplate
• Price: Both sell for a similar price, depending on the package.

Detailed Specification Comparison

Sensor

Both cameras have the same resolution of 24.2 MP and neither of them has the anti-aliasing filter which allows the cameras to provide sharper images.

The D3500 uses a slightly updated sensor compared to the D3400, so it has a slight advantage in this category.

ISO

Both D3400 and D3500 provide great images even in low light. At ISO 100 and ISO 200, they both show practically no noise which increases, of course, with each higher ISO value but it is still barely visible even at ISO 1600, where the details are very good.

Up to ISO 12800, both still provide usable images, especially if you resize the JPEG or process the RAW files. This is a marked improvement compared to the previous generation D3300 where noise is dominant at the ISO 12800 setting, for example.

Shooting at ISO 12800 is tough for most cameras. With each higher stop beyond that, the noise becomes stronger which makes the details and colors suffer a lot, so I wouldn’t recommend using this setting.

While both cameras show great results, the newer model, D3500 still comes out as the winner in this category.

White Balance Presets

We use White Balance Presets, depending on the light, to get the real color of an object that we are shooting. The more presets we have the better because that gives us more control over light temperature.

Both cameras have 8 types of white balance presets, with 7 settings for the fluorescent mode.

Since both of our cameras here have the same number of presets, this category is a tie.

AF Points

The number of AF Points gives an image sensor a probability in identifying the right area of the scene to focus on. With more AF points you can easily focus precisely on even the smallest details in a scene.

In this case, both of our cameras have the same number of focus points (11), which gives us another tied category.

LCD Screen

When it comes to the LCD screen, these two cameras show no difference at all, again. Both cameras have the 3 inches fixed type screen with 921 600 dots resolution. This leaves us with another tied category.

Video Resolution

Both cameras can record videos up to 1080p which are the resolution of 1920 x 1080, which is actually the HD and they both shoot them at 60fps.

Both cameras have a built-in monaural microphone, but no external mic port.

This category is a tie as well.

Dimensions

Whenever you have to carry your camera around you realize that smaller and lighter is always better.  Also, maneuvering is a lot easier when your camera is smaller. The D3500 is a few mm smaller than the D3400 and is also 30g lighter, which makes it the winner in this category.

Built-in Flash

Even though it creates undesirable shades when we use it, flash can be a good thing for low-light environments and night time shots. Most of nowadays cameras have it and so does these two but with the slight difference in the usable range.

The D3500 has the usable range of 8 meters (26 ft) at ISO 100, while the older model D3400 has the usable range of only 7 meters (23 ft.).

It looks like the Nikon D3500 is the winner in this category. 

Available Lenses

Both of these cameras have the same Nikon F lens mount and at the moment there are 287 native lenses available for these cameras, but neither of the bodies has the sensor-based image stabilization, so you would have to get the lens that has the Optical Stabilization feature.

They are pretty much identical, so another tied category. 

Microphone Port

A microphone port allows connecting external high-end or specialized microphones that prevent motor noise from appearing on your recording. Neither model includes this option, so if you primarily shoot video this may be an important feature that is missing.

Continuous Shooting

If you are a sports, action or wildlife photographer you are probably the most concerned about the continuous shooting which won’t wow you in any case.

Both cameras have 5 fps continuous shooting capability, which is adequate for many tasks except fast-action photography.

Battery Life

This is one especially important category to me because there is nothing more annoying than having to charge your battery after every 100 shots.

The long battery life is particularly important when you are shooting outside, away from any power source. Luckily, you won’t have this kind of problem with any of these cameras, but still, one is better than another.

The D3400 has an excellent battery life of 1200 shots, but the D3500 outshines it with 1550 shot capability.

D3500 is the clear winner in this category.

Shutter Speed

When it comes to shutter speed, both cameras have the same specs: From 30 seconds for long exposures to 1/4000 of a second for freezing any motion in front of the camera. Since there isn’t any difference it has to be a tie in this category, again.

Weight

Just as you want your camera to be as small as possible, you want it to be the lightest possible too. The D3400 is respectable at 395g, but the slightly lighter Nikon D3500 takes the prize in this category.

Viewfinder

In cases when viewfinder doesn’t have the 100% coverage it doesn’t represent the whole picture which makes you crop the photo in order to make it look perfect.

The D3500 has 100% coverage which improves upon the 95% coverage viewfinder of the D3400.

Advantage D3500.

Check price of the Nikon D3500 on Amazon.

Check price of the Nikon D3400 on Amazon.

How good are these cameras for certain types of photography?

Portrait photography

Cameras with large sensors provide shallow depth of field and blurry background while the large resolution gives you more space for cropping, which is just great for portrait photography. According to the table above, both cameras are great candidates for this photography type.

Street photography

With the face detection focus, you can concentrate on framing and other adjustments while the camera handles the focus for you and with both live-view and viewfinder, you have the ability to choose which one you want to use according to the situation you find yourself in.

Also, the large sensor ensures good light in all lighting situations. However, it would be even better if any of these cameras had the articulating screen which would give you more flexibility for shooting in some more difficult positions.

Based on the features in the table above, both cameras are good candidates for street photography.

Sports photography

What you need for sports photography is a really fast camera. The most important features are fast shutter speed, a lot of focus points and good continuous shooting in order to track and capture the subject.

Now both cameras have the same specs when it comes to this; the shutter speed is fast and they both have 11 focus points, but the continuous shooting is just average.

As we have seen before, the D3500 has similar continuous shooting as the D3400, but still, neither is considered really fast. However, when it comes to sports photography both cameras are good candidates.

Daily photography

When it comes to daily photography what you want is the smallest and the lightest camera possible with a large sensor.

However, both cameras have a large sensor, but that’s about it for this category, because they are both heavy and too bulky for you to carry them the whole day.

According to that, neither camera is a good candidate for this photography type.

Landscape Photography

While shooting landscapes you want to capture as many details as possible, that’s why you need a large, high-resolution sensor that provides high pixel quality. With the live-view, you can adjust the focus more precisely than while using the viewfinder.

However, there is one thing missing and that is the environmental sealing that you want to have while shooting landscapes because that kind of photos are taken outdoors and you would want to be prepared for all kinds of weather conditions.

Even without the environmental sealing, both cameras are good candidates for landscape photography; just try not to use them during the storm.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Nikon camera should I buy a D3500 or a D5300?

The D5300 has been superseded by the D5500. It’s definitely a step up from the D3500. You can learn more in our comparison.

Should I get Nikon D3300 instead of Nikon D3400?

The specs are close, but the D3300 was launched in 2014, so it’s getting a little long in the tooth. D3400 is newer, so I would go with that or the D3500 over the D3300.

What is the difference between Nikon D3300 and Nikon D3400 DSLR cameras?

The D3400 is slightly lighter and offers better image quality and shooting performance. The D3500 is a further improvement.

Which camera is better a Nikon D5600 or D3400?

Both use similar sensors and lenses, but the D5600 is more advanced. It has better low light performance and features an articulating LCD touch screen. We published a comparison of the D5600 with the D7500, which covers the D5600 specs in more depth.

Conclusion

These cameras do have a couple of differences on paper but the bottom line is that both of them will give you good and pretty much equal image quality. However, as we’ve seen, the newer model, Nikon D3500, has slightly better specs than its predecessor, and the price is about the same as the older D3400.

Learn more about the D3500 on Amazon.

References

D3400 Specifications – Nikon USA

D3500 Specifications – Nikon USA