Photography News 06

Camera review

NikonD3300 The Nikon D3300 may well be an entry-level camera, but is it also a way for advanced photographers to get top image quality at bottom price? ON TEST

reliable. Even when the light drops to very low levels, it has little trouble in focusing quickly, particularly when using the central point. The sensor is paired with Nikon’s very latest EXPEED 4 processor, first seen in the D5300. This powers a top continuous shooting speed of five frames-per-second, equal to the D5300’s top rate, and only one frame-per-second behind the D7100 – impressive for a camera of this price. Of course, there are areas where the D3300 has lower specifications, and one is the metering system. While both the D5300 and D7100 use 2016 pixel RGB metering sensors, the D3300 features a more limited 420 pixel RGB sensor. In practice, I found there was an overall tendency to err on the side of underexposure, and a little compensation was often necessary. Trickier lighting situations also caused some problems; for example it was quick to underexpose when the background was bright.

Of course, you can shoot Raw to give you room for post-capture exposure adjustments, although here it’s slightly more limited than its bigger brothers too – you only have the option of 12-bit compressed Raw files, while the D5300 offers the option of 14- bit, and the D7100 allows uncompressed files too. Technically, this limits the colour and dynamic ranges that can be recorded, although in most situations, it’s unlikely to be a practical concern. The auto white-balance left images a little cool for my liking, although I have to admit, that’s the case with most Nikons. The temperature of the LCD didn’t help though – everything seemed much cooler on the back of the camera than on the computer monitor, and the LCD temperature can’t be changed. In the hand As you’d expect from a camera of this level, the build isn’t as robust as more expensive models. Does that

Words by Ian Fyfe

Aimed squarely at those looking for their first DSLR, the Nikon D3300 is easy to dismiss at first glance if you’re serious about your photography. It includes a beginner’s Guide mode that talks you through camera technique, preset scene modes and fun creative effects – hardly what serious photographers are looking for. But wait a moment. It also has a sensor that matches the best in Nikon’s DX format range, includes Nikon’s latest processor technology, and it’s fast as well as small and light. Whether you’re in the market for something more compact, or you’re looking for a backup body on a budget, the D3300 may well be worth a second look. Highest resolution The core technology inside the D3300 is equal to the rest of the Nikon DX line-up. The sensor has the same 24-megapixel resolution as the D5300 and D7100, and what’s more there’s no optical low- pass filter – a first for Nikon’s entry-level model, and it means that in terms of resolution, the D3300 is capable of producing images indistinguishable from even the flagship DX, the D7100, especially if you combine it with highly specified lenses. It’s an excellent way to get the highest resolution images at a superb price. Focusing is relatively simplistic – there are just 11 AF points, and only the centre one uses a cross-type sensor. The next Nikon up, the D5300, has 39 AF points, so frame coverage is much more sparse with the D3300 – not in terms of total coverage, but in the density of points. This is significant for the dynamic area AF mode, designed to use peripheral AF points to keep a moving subject in focus – the points are so far apart in the 11-point system, it’s just not as effective. For single shot AF though, it is quick and RIGHT The D3300 is light and portable enough to keep with you at all times while performance is good enough for critical use.

SPECS

PRICE £499 CONTACT www.nikon.co.uk SENSOR 24.2 megapixels with EXPEED 4 IMAGE DIMENSIONS 6000x4000 pixels ISORANGE ISO 100-12,800 (25,600 expanded) AUTOFOCUSMODES Single-point, dynamic- area, 3D-tracking, auto-area EXPOSURE Matrix, centre- weighted, spot SHOOTING SPEEDS Single, continuous, quiet shutter release, self-timer, delayed remote LCD SCREEN 3in with 921k dots STORAGEMEDIA SD, SDHC, SDXC (UHS-I compatible) DIMENSIONS (WXHXD) 124x98x75.5mm WEIGHT 460g (including battery and memory card) ± COMPENSATION +/-5EV in 1/3 steps SHUTTER 30secs-1/4000sec METERING PATTERNS

Photography News | Issue 6