2 Best DSLRs To Buy from £350 to £3500
Small but welcome improvements make the Nikon D3400 the best entry-level SLR on the market
Pros
Class-leading image and video quality
Solid performance
Competitive price
Cons
Controls are relatively basic
Bluetooth transfers could be more reliable
Digital SLR is a relatively mature technology, so finding something new and exciting to put into entry-level models isn’t easy. It’s debatable whether Nikon has risen to this challenge with the D3400. In appearance there's very little to tell the D3400 apart from the Nikon D3300; it even has the same physical measurements, although it has shed 15g of weight.
There’s a new kit lens with a stepping motor for smoother focussing during video capture, plus Bluetooth for wireless transfers. Battery life is up from 700 to 1,200 shots, which an impressive achievement considering it’s the same battery as before. This could be because the updated sensor is more energy-efficient, but it might just be because the flash range has dropped from 12m to 7m. That’s more than a third down on the power of the D3300’s flash.
Nikon has also done away with the D3300’s microphone socket, and there’s no longer an ultrasonic cleaning function that shakes dust from the sensor. I doubt many people will miss the microphone socket, as without a headphone socket to monitor the results it isn’t a whole lot of use. Keen videographers are better off using a separate audio recorder and syncing the video and audio files in editing software. The lack of ultrasonic cleaning is more worrying but it’s not something I can test objectively. If you only ever use the kit lens you’ll have no need to remove it, so the sensor should never get dusty.
Nikon D3400 review: Wireless and performance
The Nikon D3300 lacked Wi-Fi for wireless transfers to smartphones and tablets, which is a shame as it’s likely to be quite a popular feature for consumers to the click-and-share convenience of a smartphone. As such, it’s good to see wireless transfers included on the D3400. There’s no Wi-Fi, though; it’s all handled via Bluetooth.
Bluetooth consumes less power than Wi-Fi and this allows the camera to maintain a permanent connection and transfer all photos (or 2-megapixel copies) rather than simply transferring on demand. There’s also an option to continue with transfers while the camera is switched off. There’s no wireless remote control function, though.
The wireless facility worked well in my tests – at least at the start – with photos appearing on my Android phone shortly after capture. The SnapBridge app was also able to use the phone’s GPS radio to geotag photos, both on the transferred copies and the originals still in the camera. Various Wi-Fi cameras offer this function but it’s not normally this effortless.
However, after successfully transferring 200 photos, both camera and app ceased all communication and it took a lot of poking around both devices’ settings to get them talking again. User reviews on the iTunes and Google Play stores suggest such experiences are quite common. I also found that selecting the Send While Off option caused the camera’s battery to run down when not in use.
Other aspects of the D3400’s design and performance are in line with the D3300, but that’s no bad thing. It was consistently fast to focus when using the viewfinder and managed a shot every 0.4 seconds in normal use.
Continuous shooting lived up to the claimed 5fps speed and lasted 21 JPEGs or nine RAW exposures before slowing to the speed of the card. Autofocus in live view mode was impressively fast, too, but there was a two-second delay before the camera was ready to take another shot. Live view is unavailable in continuous drive mode.
Nikon D3400 review: Controls
The physical controls are relatively simple for an SLR but you do get dedicated buttons for exposure compensation and drive mode, plus a customisable Fn button that accesses ISO sensitivity by default, while pressing the "i" button provides quick access to 12 commonly used settings.
There are a few annoying quirks common to previous Nikon SLRs, including how its Auto ISO mode is only available via a submenu, and how the self-timer resets after each exposure. The new kit lens has no switches on its barrel either, so selecting manual focus requires a trip to the menu as well.
Subject tracking autofocus is available but with just 11 autofocus points in fixed locations, it isn't terribly effective. Pricier SLRs with more autofocus points let you focus precisely on your subject’s eyes, for example, whereas with this camera you may have to line up the subject’s eye with an autofocus point, half press the shutter button and then reframe the composition to your liking before taking a shot. This isn't too arduous but a potential reason you might consider paying more.
Nikon D3400 review: Video and photo quality
The D3300’s video mode was mostly excellent but autofocus was a little clunky and the soundtrack was spoiled by robotic whirrs from the autofocus motor. The D3400 is much better, with decisive adjustments that were barely audible in the soundtrack.
It doesn’t focus continuously during capture, and instead only updates focus when the shutter button is half-pressed. That may lead to subjects drifting out of focus, but I like being able to keep focus fixed and only update it on demand.
Video autofocus wasn’t perfect in my tests, with a tendency to overshoot slightly and then correct itself. The Canon EOS 750D is a better option for video capture but the D3400 easily outperforms the EOS 1300D in this respect. As with previous Nikon SLRs, details were crisp and colours exhibited the same flattering tones as the camera’s JPEG photo output.
Photo quality is a significant step up from the Canon EOS 1300D, too. Its 24-megapixel sensor captured sharper details than the Canon’s 18-megapixel sensor and it also exhibited much less noise at ISO 3200 and above. The D3400 showed a small but welcome improvement in noise levels compared to the D3300, evident both in JPEGs and unprocessed RAW files. Colour rendition was up to Nikon’s usual high standards, and the kit lens did a respectable job of delivering sharp focus across the frame at various focal lengths.
Nikon D3400 review: Image quality
^ This wide-angle shot has lots of fine detail without looking over-processed and shadows and highlights are both handled well. Focus is a little soft at the edges but it’s a minor issue. (1/160s, f/6.3, ISO 100, 27mm equivalent)
^ The long end of the zoom is even better, with crisp focus picking out lots of detail in the dense undergrowth. (1/160s, f/6.3, ISO 100, 82mm equivalent)
^ Backlit trees are a tough test for chromatic aberrations but there are no signs of problems here. (1/200s, f/7.1, ISO 100, 52mm equivalent)
^ Skin tones are handled well but autofocus isn’t quite pin-sharp on the face. This is probably down to the location of the autofocus point used. (1/50s, f/5.6, ISO 100, 82mm equivalent)
^ ISO 800 produces clean skin, hair and fabric textures with lots of fine detail. (1/30s, f/3.5, ISO 800, 27mm equivalent)
^ Image quality is holding up well at ISO 2000. Shaded skin tones are a little grainy but this is imperceptible at normal viewing sizes. (1/50s, f/4.2, ISO 2000, 42mm equivalent)
^ Household artificial light has pushed the sensitivity up to ISO 6400. There’s quite a lot of noise but it’s good enough for social media. (1/80s, f/4.5, ISO 6400, 30mm equivalent)
^ Noise levels at fast ISO speeds are significantly lower than from the Canon EOS 1300D and a little lower than the Nikon D3300 too. (1/1250s, f/8, ISO 12800, 60mm equivalent)
Nikon D3400 vs Canon EOS 1300D and verdict
The Nikon D3400's key rival in this space is the Canon EOS 1300D. Both are entry-level SLRs with broadly similar features. The Canon has more labelled buttons for quick access to key photographic settings, although the downside is that accessing the autofocus point requires an additional button press. The Canon’s Wi-Fi functions are preferable to Nikon’s Bluetooth implementation, too.
The Nikon D3400 hits back with a larger viewfinder (0.58x compared with the Canon's 0.5x), a faster continuous shooting mode, superior video autofocus, better detail levels and less noise. Both cameras take attractive photos but overall the Nikon D3400 is the clear victor here.
The D3400 also has competition from compact system cameras (CSCs), but the market for sub-£500 CSCs has dried up in the last couple of years so you’ll probably have to pick up an end-of-life discounted model. Considering that the D3400 costs a mere £439 at launch, it’s a great choice for anyone who wants a proper camera but doesn’t want to spend too much.
Click Here To Learn More About Nikon D3400 + AF-P 18-55VR Black Digital SLR Camera and Lens Kit - Black.
2. Canon EOS 70D review A great all-rounder
A few minor niggles but still a consummate all-rounder – still our favourite enthusiasts' SLR
The Canon EOS 70D is the company's latest enthusiast-oriented SLR. It replaces the Canon 60D, and has various enhancements that distinguish it from the likes of the Canon EOS 700D. The viewfinder is significantly larger, there are lots of single-function buttons, a passive LCD screen on the top plate and a command dial and rear wheel for direct access to exposure settings. It's faster than both the 700D and the 60D, with a 7fps continuous mode that lasted for 108 JPEGs or 16 RAW frames before slowing to the speed of the card.
When we originally reviewed the 70D it cost £999 for the body only. The price has steadily decreased since its initial release, but after reaching a low price of £697, that price has gone up once again to around £800 from both Jessops and Park Cameras. This means the price difference between the 70D and Canon's full-frame offering, the 6D, is a mere £260, as the 6D now costs £1,250 from the same retailers.
If you're looking to keep your budget below £1,000, however, the price of the 70D still leaves plenty leftover to pick up a decent lens. It’s considerably cheaper than the newer Canon EOS 80D, which is £1,000, body only.
We haven’t written a full review of the 80D yet, but in summary, it gains a new, higher resolution sensor with a slightly improved autofocus system, and canon has also added the ability to use continuous autofocus during live view stills capture and a 60fps mode for 1080p video. There’s still a lack of professional video features such as zebra stripes and clean HDMI out, however, and still no 4K capability. Is the 80D worth the extra money? Only if you really need the live view autofocus, otherwise stick with the 70D.
Equally, now that the 7D has been upgraded with a 7D MKII version, you can get the original as a body only for even less - and in some places less than the cost of a 70D body. While the 70D has more pixels, an articulated screen and is a newer camera, the 7D has more professionally-minded controls, an LCD display on the top of the body and a lower price. If you've already bought into the Canon lens system and don't need to buy a body with a kit, the 7D could be a bigger step up in terms of manual controls than the 70D. For everyone else, though, the 70D will still be the Canon camera of choice.
PHASE DETECT
The 20-megapixel resolution is Canon's highest to date for an APS-C sensor, and the sensor design is radically different to anything we've seen before. Each pixel not only measures the intensity of light, but also the direction, with each one made up of two photodiodes facing left and right. This helps the sensor to perform phase-detect autofocus, determining not just whether the image is in focus, but also, if not, by how much. It means the lens can jump straight into focus rather than shuttle back and forth in search of a sharp picture.
Phase-detect autofocus is already available in all modern SLRs when using their viewfinders, but in most cases it's disabled in live view mode. The 70D's ability to perform phase-detect autofocus directly on the sensor makes it much faster than the 60D to focus in live view mode.
We've seen this technique a few times before, most recently on the EOS 700D. However, previous implementations have been limited to a few dedicated phase-detect points dotted across the sensor. What's special about the 70D is that almost every pixel can contribute to phase-detect autofocus. The active area is quoted as 80 per cent of the frame, horizontally and vertically – you can't place the autofocus point right at the edge of the frame.
Testing with the 18-135mm STM lens, the benefit was immediately obvious. It took around half a second to focus and capture a photo in live view mode, rising to around one second in low light. That's twice as fast as the 700D, and about five times faster than the 60D.
It's a superb result, but we can't help wondering if it could have been even faster. It typically took less than 0.2 seconds from when we pressed the shutter button to hearing a double-beep to confirm that focus was achieved, but then it took another 0.3 seconds for the shutter mechanism to kick in. Half-pressing to focus and then fully pressing to capture removed this shutter lag, though. We measured 2.1 seconds between shots in live view mode, which is much slower than the 0.4 seconds it achieved when using the viewfinder. It delivered 7fps continuous shooting in live view mode, but focus was fixed and the screen was blank during bursts.
Still, the bottom line is that live view mode is far more useful than on any other Canon (or Nikon or Pentax) SLR. It helps that the screen is articulated, with a side-mounted hinge that allows it to tilt up, down, to the side and right around for self-portraits – a feature that's conspicuously absent from the Nikon D7100 and Canon and Nikon's full-frame SLRs.
The 70D's screen is touch-sensitive too, so moving the autofocus point in live view mode couldn't be easier. Subject tracking is available but we weren't bowled over by its reliability. The touchscreen also speeds up navigation of the Q menu, which gives quick access to a wider array of functions than are covered by the dedicated buttons. The touchscreen provides an alternative way to navigate the main menu, but we found it quicker to use the command dial and rear wheel to jump to a particular setting.
The 70D is fastest when using the viewfinder, so it's good to see some improvements here too. The 60D's 9-point autofocus sensor has been ditched in favour of the 19-point sensor first seen in the EOS 7D. All 19 points are cross-type for increased sensitivity, and they were fast and accurate even in extremely low light. There's a new button next to the command dial for expanding the active area. The largest area encompasses all 19 points, and when used in conjunction with the AI Servo autofocus mode, allows for some basic subject tracking. It can't match the sophistication of the 3D Tracking mode in the Nikon D7100, though.
IT'S ALL 'APPENING NOW
Wi-Fi is built in, with the same functions that we saw on the Canon EOS 6D. They include remote control via the accompanying iPhone and Android apps, with access to exposure settings and the ability to move the autofocus point using the smartphone or tablet's touchscreen. While the 6D had to make do with lethargic live view autofocus, the 70D was much more responsive when shooting remotely. The app can also access the camera's card to view full-screen previews with EXIF metadata, apply star ratings and instigate transfers.
We appreciate how both the remote shooting and image browsing modes are accessible without locking up the camera's controls. Photos appeared in the app within two seconds of being captured, letting us use an iPad to review shots in more detail that the camera's 3in screen allows. However, previews and transfers are limited to 2.5 megapixels, so it's not so useful for checking focus. Enabling Wi-Fi disables the USB port and video capture, so a tablet can't be used as a remote video monitor.
The iOS app worked fine in our tests but we could only connect our Nexus 4 smartphone via an existing network rather than make a direct connection. We've heard others have made direct connections with different handsets, but if this is an essential feature to you it might be worth popping along to a retailer and testing it with your own device.
FOCUS ON VIDEO
The new autofocus technology is great news for photographers, but it's potentially even more exciting for videographers. The 70D's video autofocus was the most responsive we've ever seen from a large-sensor camera, adjusting in less than a second when we moved the autofocus point using the touchscreen. There was no sign of focus hunting, and face detection and subject tracking helped us follow moving subjects – although once again, it was a little unreliable.
Even so, when we tapped on a subject to focus on, more often than not, focus would remain locked as it moved nearer or further. We've always maintained that manual focus is the only way to achieve polished results, but for the first time, here's a video autofocus system that we can envisage being used in professional productions. With a choice of 24, 25 or 30fps capture at 1080p, clips up to 30 minutes and an All-Intra mode that encodes at 75Mbit/s to avoid compression artefacts, it all looks pretty promising for serious video production.
It's a shame, then, that details in the 70D's videos aren't a little sharper. Its footage looked decent enough in isolation, but the Panasonic GX7 and Panasonic GH3 were able to resolve fine details with greater fidelity. We also noticed a tendency for moiré interference on repeating textures such as fabric and bricks. The full-frame Canon 5D Mark III showed big improvements in video detail compared to previous EOS cameras, but it seems that these advances haven't been built into the 70D. We achieved better results by selecting the Neutral Picture Style and sharpening up the footage in software, but this didn't get rid of the moiré interference.
It will bother some more than others, but the Panasonic GH3 (left) has a clear advantage over the 70D (second from left) for details in videos. The 70D's details can be improved by rolling off the sharpness and contrast and then sharpening in software, but it still can't quite match the GH3 - click to enlarge
Another hurdle for serious video production is the lack of a headphone socket, which limits the usefulness of the microphone input. The HDMI output can stream a live feed but it's not a clean feed to send to an external recorder. Despite the 70D's superb autofocus performance, the Panasonic GH3 remains our top choice for video production. The 70D isn't too far behind, though. For more casual users who still demand high quality, its more responsive video autofocus may tip the balance in its favour.
IMAGE QUALITY - CLICK SAMPLES TO ENLARGE
We've fewer complaints about the 70D's photographic output. Automatic exposures were expertly judged, and JPEGs benefited from automatic correction of vignetting and chromatic aberrations. Details were precise, although as usual, the best results came from shooting RAW and processing in software such as Lightroom.
This dense foliage has come out well, and we can forgive the over-exposed swan considering how small it is in the frame
The JPEG is no match for Lightroom's handling of the RAW file, though, both for fine detail and highlights. Note the chromatic aberrations around the swan in the unprocessed RAW image – both the JPEG and Lightroom have successfully removed these artefacts
The 7fps burst mode is great for capturing moving subjects, and the main 19-point autofocus sensor does a fine job of keeping up
The new sensor doesn't deliver a great leap for noise levels compared to existing APS-C sensors. It shows a small improvement over the 700D but it's slightly noisier than the Nikon D7100. It fell a long way short of the Fujifilm X-M1, which currently leads the field for APC-S sensors (along with various other Fujifilm cameras that use the same sensor). The 70D's ISO 1600 output was roughly in line with the EOS 6D at ISO 6400 – there's still no substitute for full frame if high-ISO shooting is a priority. Noise levels were lower than from the GH3 and 60D, though.
This is a decent result at ISO 5000 – there's a bit of grain and some stripes of chroma noise, but they won't show up too strongly at typical viewing sizes
This ISO 12800 shot is a borderline pass – fine when resized to a modest resolution
The top ISO 25600 setting is for emergencies only
The Nikon D7100 has a slight advantage for noise levels at ISO 6400 (here comparing their RAW output before and after noise reduction), but the 70D beats the Panasonic GH3
CONCLUSION
The Canon 70D is an extremely impressive camera, and the sensor-based autofocus technology is a significant leap forward. Its closest rival is the Nikon D7100, but we prefer the Canon's longer-lasting continuous performance, articulated touchscreen, superior live view and video autofocus and integrated Wi-Fi to the Nikon's 51-point autofocus.
The full-frame EOS 6D and Nikon D600 aren't much pricier, but while their low-light performance is in another league, their autofocus systems are somewhat under-specified, they're slower in continuous mode and they lack articulated screens.
The Panasonic GH3 beats the 70D for serious video work but the 70D comes top for photo quality. Neither is far behind the other, though, so it's a simple matter of priorities. If your main priority is taking photos, out of all of these cameras our top pick is the 70D.
To Read More About Canon EOS 70D Camera (20.2 MP, 18-55 mm IS STM Lens, 3.0 inch LCD) - Black Click Here.
