Nikon D3300: The right choice for beginners

Not long ago, photography used to be a way of capturing moments and stack hard copies of the pictures in one of those huge family albums. In case of elaborate events, people took the services of a professional photographer who ensured that the occurrence was well documented. And then, after a long period of time, the photographer used to send a compact disc or hard copies of the pictures with which the subjects were reminded of the moments gone by. However, things changed with the advent of compact digital cameras. Suddenly, you could see everyone roaming around with one of those digital cameras, one which provided instant photographs. But, camera makers took the game to a different level altogether when they introduced entry-level digital single lens reflex cameras (DSLR). Photography suddenly became the most appealing task for all. You can now find someone or the other carrying a DSLR wherever you go, claiming to be a professional photographer (a fact that can often be irritating). 

 

With the advanced technology and easy to use DSLRs, the craze for photography has certainly witnessed a sea of change. To maintain pace with the fast moving taste of these budding photographers, Nikon recently released D3300, a camera that sits at the bottom of the company's entry-level series, positioned as a beginner-friendly DSLRs, just below the D5300.

The camera uses a powerful 24MP APS-C sensor. It has a fixed 3.0-inch LCD. The most attractive feature of this gift of science is its collapsible 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 VR II lens. It may not shoot a 4K video or offer a curved LCD but it does represent the next generation of Nikon's very popular entry-level DSLR line. We got a chance to lay hands on the instrument. Let's find out how it fared.

 

 

Design

 

The Nikon D3300 is available in black, grey and red variants, with a collapsible 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 VR II lens. Being an entry-level model, the D3300 has a seemingly plastic shell that's not exactly a sturdy-feeling, but it does not feel cheap either. It sports a sculpted handgrip on the front and a wide thumb rest on the back, both coated in a textured leather-like finish. Just the way it is in D3200, the twin infrared sensors are positioned in the front of the hand-grip and on the top rear left of the camera. Buttons for drive mode and image delete are now stacked side-by-side below the compass switch on the camera's back panel but, aside from this re-arrangement, everything else is in step with the model before it. Without the D5300's built-in Wi-Fi, D3300 owners will need to add Nikon's WU-1 a mobile adapter for connectivity features.

 

 

Features

 

The D3300 is a pick-up-and-go DSLR, ready for shooting right out of the box with the kit lens. Its default control configuration assigns the Fn button as a direct access to ISO. Combined with the rear command dial, direct AF point selection via directional buttons and direct exposure compensation button, the D3300 feels as if it has access to the right basic controls in the right places from the very beginning. The camera's viewfinder offers 95% coverage and with 0.85x magnification it's slightly larger than the D5300's 0.82x viewfinder.

 

This kit is  light and compact, something that is highly appreciated when you are outdoors. 

 

The D3300 is an entry-level camera that provides an appropriate level of direct access to controls, a perfectly fine, collapsible kit zoom lens and 24 megapixels of resolution. They pixels help you want to crop for a slightly different composition. Though battery life isn't a terribly exciting feature, the D3300 has plenty of it - and that's a very good thing. It's just one more way that the D3300 feels reliable.

 

However, being aimed at those moving up from point-and-shoot cameras, the D3300 might let down an entry-level user in a few notable ways. The camera's slow live view may be a source of disappointment to users moving up from compacts. The camera's behavior in full Auto is another potential problem.

 

 

Performance

 

The D3300 is quick to start up and start shooting, provided the kit lens is in its expanded state. The camera overall is very responsive. Button presses activate their corresponding menus quickly, and those settings that can be changed via the rear command wheel can be accessed in a flash.

 

Auto focus is quick in good light with the kit lens, slowing down a bit in darker conditions, but never unreasonably slow for its class. All-out focus failures were rare, though in less-than-ideal light, using the focus points toward the center turned in more consistently sharp photos. Direct access to AF point is a handy feature indeed, so when conditions challenge the D3300's 11-point auto focus system, it's easy to take control and in get your subject in focus.

 

The D3300 feels well-balanced and comfortable to use. It produces good quality JPEGs, with good if not class-leading high-ISO performance. Video quality is good too, though anyone looking to take manual control over settings may find themselves perplexed and frustrated by the camera's behavior in this respect.

 

Nikon's live view auto focus lags well behind the mirrorless competition. It's works fine for static subjects and portraits, but struggles to keep up with moving subjects. 

 

The D3300 ships with Nikon's EN-EL14a rechargeable lithium-ion battery, providing a CIPA-rated life of 700 shots per charge.

 

 

Continuity and Buffering

 

Nikon claims a top burst speed of 5 fps at full resolution for the D3300, an extra frame per second over the preceding model. The camera consistently hit this frame rate. However, that it only maintains that speed for five or six frames. Continuous AF is available with viewfinder continuous shooting, but there's a momentary pause as the camera re-acquires focus on a new subject mid-burst. Continuous shooting is also available in live view - focus is fixed from the first frame, though exposure isn't. 

  

 

 

To sum it up:

 

The Nikon D3300 aims to be a beginner's DSLR and hits that mark successfully. It functions well in point-and-shoot mode and has most of the right controls for those who want to test the work with Aperture or Shutter priority mode and move beyond the basics.

 

However, those who aren't really beginners may not find the camera well suited to their needs as the inability to use the command dial in the quick menu, or that the 'Auto' ISO option requires a trip to the menu can get irritating. Also, features such as a like built-in Wi-Fi and a flip-out LCD. These aren't important to every user, and as far as basic core features go the D3300 will likely please its target audience, especially very beginners.

 

There are a few nice in-camera processing features available. In-camera retouch options abound, including the ability to straighten, adjust tone curves and add filter effects to images post-capture, and the nice part is that when there's Raw image data to work with from a Raw+JPEG capture, the camera will use it. The D3300 can offer live previews of art effects, it's much slower to focus in live view and becomes frustrating quickly.

 

Auto focus is reliable and on par with the class in terms of speed, so the odds that you'll get the shot you want in the first place are good. This camera obviously lacks the sophisticated tracking abilities of its bigger siblings but this should give it an edge over its mirrorless peers. Even so, anyone looking to the DSLR category specifically for better tracking capabilities may need to look higher up the chain, but the D3300's auto focus does as well as we expected.

 

What the D3300 can be relied upon to deliver is very good images without much fuss. Some in-camera tools for creativity and processing are provided, but the D3300's real strength is high quality, high resolution images that will more than satisfy a beginner.

 

 

Verdict

 

The D3300 does not boast of anything exceptional, but there is nothing bad about it either. Nikon aims to target beginners looking for a tool to take good photographs and this product does not let you down on that front. With its high resolution it satisfies those who crave for megapixels without skimping on image quality. At 31,999, we say this is a good buy for anyone who wants to purchase his first DSLR.

 

 

The Good:

 

24 megapixel APS-C sensor

Light, well-balanced body

Detailed, smooth 1080/60p HD video

Customisable Fn button

Battery life

 

The Bad:

 

Can't change aperture while live view is engaged

Auto mode continues to use very slow shutter speeds with flash turned off

Slow auto focus in live view

No wi-fi connectability

 

 

Specifications

 

    24.2 MP DX format (APS-C) sensor

    Expeed 4 processor

    Fixed 3.0" 921k-dot LCD

    1080/60p HD video

    5 fps continuous shooting

    700 shot battery life