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Nikon D3400 vs Nikon D5600 Comparison

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Nikon D3400

24 MP | APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) CMOS Sensor

Nikon D3400
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Nikon D5600

24 MP | APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) CMOS Sensor

Nikon D5600
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Nikon D3400 vs Nikon D5600 Comparison Overview

In this review, we will be comparing D3400 and D5600, two Entry-Level DSLR cameras by Nikon. Nikon D3400 was introduced to market in August 2016 and Nikon D5600 was launched in November 2016. There is only 3 months difference between D3400 and D5600 so we are expecting this to be a fair comparison regarding age and technology level.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Nikon D3400 and Nikon D5600 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Nikon D3400 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2016-08-17
  • 24MP - APS-C CMOS Sensor
  • No Anti-aliasing (AA) filter
  • ISO 100 - 25600
  • Nikon F Mount
  • 3.00" Fixed Type Screen
  • Optical (pentamirror) viewfinder
  • 5.0fps continuous shooting
  • Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • 395g. 124 x 98 x 76 mm
  • Replaced Nikon D3300 Compare

Nikon D5600 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2016-11-10
  • 24MP - APS-C CMOS Sensor
  • No Anti-aliasing (AA) filter
  • ISO 100 - 25600
  • Nikon F Mount
  • 3.20" Fully Articulated Screen
  • Optical (pentamirror) viewfinder
  • 5.0fps continuous shooting
  • Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 465g. 124 x 97 x 70 mm
  • Replaced Nikon D5500 Compare

Nikon D3400 was replaced by Nikon D3500. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Nikon D3500 vs Nikon D3400
Nikon D3500 vs Nikon D5600

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Nikon D3400 and Nikon D5600 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.


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Reasons to choose Nikon D3400 over Nikon D5600
Viewfinder Magnif.
0.56x vs 0.55x Larger Viewfinder
Battery Life
1200 shots vs 820 shots 380 more frames with a single charge
Weight
395 g vs 465 g 70 g lighter
Color Depth
24.8 vs 24.1 higher color depth
CHECK D3400 PRICE


Reasons to choose Nikon D5600 over Nikon D3400
Wireless Connection
Built-In vs Optional Better connectivity
LCD Screen
Fully Articulated vs Fixed Type Flexible shooting positions
Touch Screen
Yes vs No Easy control of camera functions
Number of Focus Points
39 vs 11 28 more focus points
Number of Cross Type Focus Points
9 vs 1 8 more cross type focus points
LCD Screen Size
3.2 vs 3" 0.2 inches larger display
LCD Resolution
1.037k dots vs 921k dots 12% higher resolution screen
Microphone Port
Yes vs No High quality audio recording option
Timelapse Recording
Yes vs No creative shooting
Flash Coverage
12.0m vs 7.0m 5m longer range
Dynamic Range
14.0 vs 13.9 higher dynamic range
Low Light ISO
1306 vs 1192 better High ISO performance
AE Bracketing
Yes vs No Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
Selfie & Vlogger LCD
Yes vs No Rotate LCD for taking Selfies
NFC Connection
Yes vs No Easy wireless connectivity with compatible devices
CHECK D5600 PRICE

Common Strengths of Nikon D3400 and Nikon D5600
Bluetooth Connection
Yes vs Yes Connect to other devices via Bluetooth
Built-in Flash
Yes vs Yes Useful in low-light
External Flash Shoe
Yes vs Yes Better for flash photography
Viewfinder
Yes (Optical) vs Yes (Optical) Better framing and control
RAW Support
Yes vs Yes Better image quality
Face Detection Focus
Yes vs Yes very handy for portraits
Max Resolution
24 MP vs 24 MP Bigger prints and more details
LCD Screen Size
3.20" vs 3.20" Large display
LCD Screen Resolution
921k dots vs 1.037k dots High resolution screens
Smartphone Remote
Yes vs Yes Remote control your camera with a smartphone
UHS Card Support
UHS-I vs UHS-1 Read/Write in High Speeds
Common Weaknesses of Nikon D3400 and Nikon D5600
In-body Image Stabilization
No vs No No Built-in stabilization
Environmental Sealing
No vs No not suitable for tough conditions
Optical Viewfinder Type
Pentamirror vs Pentamirror not as bright as Pentaprism Viewfinders
AF Micro Adjustment (Fine Tune)
No vs No no option to fine tune Auto focus
Nikon D3400 vs Nikon D5600: Physical Specs and Body features Comparison

Size and weight is a big decision factor when you are trying to find the ideal camera for your needs. In this section, We are going to illustrate Nikon D3400 and Nikon D5600 side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Nikon D3400 has external dimensions of 124 x 98 x 76 mm (4.88 x 3.86 x 2.99″) and weighs 395 g (0.87 lb / 13.93 oz) (including batteries). Nikon D5600 has external dimensions of 124 x 97 x 70 mm (4.88 x 3.82 x 2.76″) and weighs 465 g (1.03 lb / 16.40 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Nikon D3400 and Nikon D5600.

Nikon D3400 vs Nikon D5600 Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Nikon D3400 and Nikon D5600 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Nikon D3400 and Nikon D5600.

Nikon D3400 vs Nikon D5600 Camera Size Comparison - Back View
Comparison image of Nikon D3400 and Nikon D5600 Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Nikon D3400 and Nikon D5600.
Nikon D3400 vs Nikon D5600 Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of Nikon D3400 and Nikon D5600 Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Nikon D3400 is significantly lighter (70g ) than the Nikon D5600 which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

Also keep in mind that body weight is not the only deciding factor when comparing two interchangeable camera bodies, you have to also take into account the lenses that you will be using with these bodies. Since both Nikon D3400 and Nikon D5600 have the same Nikon F lens mount and APS-C sized sensors, lenses will not be a differentiator on total size of the system.

Weight Comparison

DSLR Cameras

D3400
D5600
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

DSLR Cameras

D3400
D5600
Min
Average
Max

Weather Sealing

Unfortunately neither Nikon D3400 nor Nikon D5600 provides any type of weather sealing in their body, so you have to give extra care especially when you are shooting outdoors. If weather sealing is a must-have feature for you, check these sections:
Top DSLR Cameras with Weather Sealing

LCD Screen Size and Features

Nikon D5600's 3.20" LCD screen is slightly larger than Nikon D3400's 3" screen.

Moreover, Nikon D5600 sports a Fully Articulated screen which you can change the angle and position of the screen almost freely, making it possible to shoot from waist or over the head levels, and especially very useful for shooting selfies and video. On the other hand, Nikon D3400 has a fixed type screen which provides almost no flexibility in shooting positions compared to D5600.
Nikon D3400 vs Nikon D5600: Sensor Comparison

Both Nikon D3400 and Nikon D5600 have APS-C sized 24.0 MP resolution sensors so sensor size and resolution is not a differentiator between these two cameras.

Another similarity between these two cameras is that both Nikon D5600 and Nikon D3400 sensors lack anti-alias (Low-Pass) filters. Removing anti-alias filter increases the sharpness and level of detail but at the same time, it increases the chance of moire occurring in certain scenes.

Below you can see the D3400 and D5600 sensor size comparison.

Nikon D3400 vs Nikon D5600 Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Nikon D3400 and Nikon D5600 Cameras


Nikon D3400 and Nikon D5600 have the same sensor sizes so they will provide same level of control over the depth of field when used with same focal length and aperture.

DxOMark Sensor Scores

Both Nikon D3400 and Nikon D5600 sensors have been tested by DxoMark. DxoMark scores camera sensors for color depth (DXO Portrait), dynamic range (DXO Landscape) and low-light sensitivity (DXO Sports), and also gives them an overall score. Of the two cameras that we are comparing, D3400 has scored 86, 2 points higher than D5600.

Model Overall Color Depth Dynamic Range Low-light ISO
Nikon D3400 86 24.8 bits 13.9 Evs 1192 ISO
Nikon D5600 84 24.1 bits 14.0 Evs 1306 ISO
Nikon D3400 vs Nikon D5600 Comparison of Available Lenses
Which camera has more lenses?

Number of available lenses is a big decision factor while choosing your interchangeable lens camera. Nikon D3400 and Nikon D5600 have the same Nikon F lens mount and currently there are 316 native lenses available for these cameras.

Another important factor is the availability of image stabilization. None of these bodies have sensor based image stabilization so you have to buy lenses with Optical stabilization feature. Currently there are 107 lenses with Image stabilization for Nikon F mount.

Lens Type # of Nikon D3400 Lenses # of Nikon D5600 Lenses
Standard Zoom 33 33
Standard Prime 22 22
Wideangle Zoom 33 33
Wideangle Prime 50 50
Telephoto Zoom 54 54
Telephoto Prime 46 46
SuperZoom 30 30
Wideangle Fisheye Prime 8 8
Macro Prime 26 26
Perspective Control Prime 11 11
Telephoto Mirror Prime 1 1
TOTAL 316 316

Here are some of the most popular Nikon F Mount Lenses on Camera Decision:

Popular Nikon F Mount Lenses for D3400 and D5600
Model Coverage Weight Focusing Street Price
Sigma 300-800mm F5.6 EX DG HSM Lens Sigma 300-800mm F5.6 EX DG HSM
35mm FF 5880gr AF Amazon B&H Photo
Nikon AF Nikkor 70-300mm f4-5.6G Lens Nikon AF Nikkor 70-300mm f4-5.6G
35mm FF 425gr AF Amazon B&H Photo
Nikon AF Nikkor 80-400mm f4.5-5.6D ED VR Lens Nikon AF Nikkor 80-400mm f4.5-5.6D ED VR
35mm FF 1340gr AF Amazon B&H Photo
Nikon AF-S Nikkor 70-300mm f4.5-5.6G VR Lens Nikon AF-S Nikkor 70-300mm f4.5-5.6G VR
35mm FF 745gr AF Amazon B&H Photo
Tamron SP 150-600mm F5-6.3 Di VC USD Lens Tamron SP 150-600mm F5-6.3 Di VC USD
35mm FF 1951gr AF Amazon B&H Photo
Nikon AF-S Nikkor 200-500mm F5.6E ED VR Lens Nikon AF-S Nikkor 200-500mm F5.6E ED VR
35mm FF 2300gr AF Amazon B&H Photo
Nikon AF-S Micro-Nikkor 105mm f2.8G IF-ED VR Lens Nikon AF-S Micro-Nikkor 105mm f2.8G IF-ED VR
35mm FF 720gr AF Amazon B&H Photo
Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 35mm f1.8G Lens Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 35mm f1.8G
APS-C / DX 200gr AF Amazon B&H Photo
What types of Photography are Nikon D3400 and Nikon D5600 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Nikon D3400 and Nikon D5600 for five different photography types in order to make your decision process easier in case you are specifically interested in one or more of these areas.

Nikon D3400 for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE

Nikon D5600 for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 24.0MP
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
Read the details
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 24.0MP
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Nikon D3400 for Street Photography

AVERAGE

Nikon D5600 for Street Photography

GOOD
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
No Image Stabilization
Large Body
Read the details
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Fully Articulated LCD Screen
No Image Stabilization
Large Body
Read the details

Nikon D3400 for Sports Photography

GOOD

Nikon D5600 for Sports Photography

GOOD
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
1 Cross Type Focus sensors
11 Focus Points
Good Battery Life: 1200 shots
Good Low Light ISO
Average Continuous Shooting: 5.0fps
No Image Stabilization
Environmental Sealings
Read the details
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
9 Cross Type Focus sensors
39 Focus Points
Good Battery Life: 820 shots
Good Low Light ISO
Wireless Connection
Average Continuous Shooting: 5.0fps
No Image Stabilization
Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Nikon D3400 for Daily Photography

GOOD

Nikon D5600 for Daily Photography

GOOD
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Large Body
395g
Body Thickness 76mm
Read the details
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Large Body
465g
Body Thickness 70mm
Read the details

Nikon D3400 for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE

Nikon D5600 for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 24.0MP
Live-view
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 24.0MP
Live-view
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Nikon D3400 vs Nikon D5600: OUR DECISION

You may have already made your decision about which camera suits better for your needs and your budget so far but in case you wonder how we rated Nikon D3400 and Nikon D5600, below you can find their scores in five different aspects. Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 69 different specs, current price and DxO Mark scores (where possible) in order to make a more objective and consistent comparison.

Here is a summary of how Nikon D3400 and Nikon D5600 scores compare:

Nikon D3400
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #31 out of 79 in Compact SLR cameras
Ranked #255 out of 1244 in all Cameras
Nikon D5600
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #6 out of 79 in Compact SLR cameras
Ranked #134 out of 1244 in all Cameras

Nikon D5600 has a higher Overall Score than the Nikon D3400 and would be our choice if we have to decide between these two cameras.

Nikon D3400
Nikon D3400
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Nikon D5600
Nikon D5600
CHECK PRICE

CHECK PRICE

Nikon D5600 vs Nikon D3400 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Nikon D3400 Nikon D5600
Brand Nikon Nikon
Announced 2016-08-17 2016-11-10
Body Type Compact SLR Compact SLR
Sensor
Type CMOS CMOS
Size APS-C APS-C
Dimensions 23.5 x 15.6 mm 23.5 x 15.6 mm
Area 366.60mm2 366.60mm2
Megapixels 24 megapixels 24 megapixels
Max Resolution 6000 x 4000 6000 x 4000
Max Native Light sensitivity 25,600 ISO 25,600 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity 100 ISO 100 ISO
RAW Support
Autofocus
AF Touch
AF Continuous
AF Single
AF Tracking
AF Selective
AF Center
AF Multi Area
AF Live View
AF Face Detection
AF Contrast Detection
AF Phase Detection
Number of Focus Points 11 39
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount Nikon F Nikon F
Number of Available Lenses 316 316
Screen
Type Fixed type Fully Articulated
Size 3.00" 3.20"
Resolution 921k dots 1,037k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Optical (pentamirror) Optical (pentamirror)
Viewfinder Coverage 95% 95%
Viewfinder Magnification 0.56x 0.55x
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter 1/4000s 1/4000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Built-in Image Stabilization No No
Built-in Flash
Flash Range 7.00 m (at ISO 100) 12.00 m (at ISO 100)
Max Flash Sync 1/200s 1/200s
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 5.0 fps 5.0 fps
Multi-Segment Metering
Average Metering
Spot Metering
Partial Metering
AF-Area Metering
Center Weighted Metering
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution 1920 x 1080 1920 x 1080
Video Formats MPEG-4, H.264 MPEG-4, H.264
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity Optional Built-In
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 395g 465g
Dimensions 124 x 98 x 76mm 124 x 97 x 70mm
Battery Life 1200 shots 820 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS Optional Optional
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score 86 84
DxO Color Depth 24.8 24.1
DxO Dynamic Range 13.9 14.0
DxO Low Light ISO 1192 1306
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