In summary
Like its predecessor, the D3300 offers plenty of desirable features for photographers wanting to upgrade from fixed-lens point-and-press cameras. Not only does it include many more adjustable functions, it also supports the essential P, A, S and M shooting modes and its larger sensor and 24-megapixel resolution will deliver much better image quality.
Potential purchasers should note that only AF-S lenses will autofocus on this camera (the lack of a body-based screw-drive means you can’t use older AF lenses). Nikon has enough AF-S lenses in its line-up to satisfy most potential users. Motorised lenses from Sigma, Tamron and Tokina will also support autofocusing with the D3300.
The electronic range finder can be switched on to assist with manual focusing. It only works with lenses that have maximum apertures of f/5.6 or faster and isn’t available in the M shooting mode or with Live View.
Full review
The D3300 is the latest of four entry-level Nikon DSLRs, which started with the 10-megapixel D3000 in late July, 2009. Physically, all models are remarkably similar, although successive iterations have become lighter. Internally, the sensor resolution has risen to 24-megapixels in the last two models and the D3300 gains the most recent EXPEED 4 processor. A new 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 lens is bundled with it.
Angled view of the D3300 (red version) with the new 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 lens. (Source: Nikon.)
Like its predecessors, the D3300 is offered in traditional black or a smart and shiny maroon-red colour. It’s available as body-only and in single- and twin-lens kits Buyers of the single-lens kit can choose between the new AF-S DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VRII and the AF-S DX Nikkor 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6 ED VR lenses, while the twin-lens kit adds the AF-S DX Nikkor 55-300mm f/4.5-5.6 VR lens. All the lenses are black in colour.
The twin-lens kit with a black camera body. (Source: Nikon.)
Who’s it for?
Being an entry-level model, the D3300 is designed for ease of use and has the same straightforward control suite as its predecessors. For a DSLR it is relatively small and light, although not as small and light as Canon’s EOS 100D, its nearest rival. Key features of both cameras are compared in the table below.
|
|
Nikon D3300 |
Canon EOS 100D |
|
Effective resolution |
24 megapixels |
17.9 megapixels |
|
A/D processing |
12-bit |
14-bit |
|
Focal length crop factor |
1.5x |
1.6x |
|
Max. image size |
6000 x 4000 |
5184 x 3456 |
|
Max movie resolution |
1920 x 1080 at 60p/50p |
1920 x 1080 at 30p |
|
Shutter speeds |
30 to 1/4000 sec |
|
|
Max. burst speed |
5 fps |
4 fps |
|
Bracketing |
No |
Exposure, WB |
|
AF points |
11 |
9 |
|
ISO range |
ISO 100 to 12800 with extension to ISO 25600 |
|
|
Monitor resolution |
921,000 dots |
1.04 million dots |
|
Viewfinder type/coverage |
Pentamirror / 95% |
|
|
Viewfinder magnification |
approx. 0.85x |
approx. 0.87x |
|
Battery / capacity |
EN-EL14a / 700 shots |
LP-E12 / 380 shots |
|
Dimensions |
124 x 98 x 75.5 mm |
116.8 x 90.7 x 69.4 mm |
|
Weight (with battery & card) |
432 grams |
407 grams |
Potential purchasers should note that only AF-S lenses will autofocus on this camera (the lack of a body-based screw-drive means you can’t use older AF lenses). Nikon has enough AF-S lenses in its line-up to satisfy most potential users. Motorised lenses from Sigma, Tamron and Tokina will also support autofocusing with the D3300.
The electronic range finder can be switched on to assist with manual focusing. It only works with lenses that have maximum apertures of f/5.6 or faster and isn’t available in the M shooting mode or with Live View.
Build and ergonomics
Entry-level cameras usually contain a high percentage of plastic and the D3300 is no exception. Its body materials are listed as ‘carbon fibre composite’, which should make it more robust than the all-plastic body of the D3200. It’s slightly smaller and about 45 grams lighter than the D3200 but, aside from some minor cosmetic adjustments, external differences between the cameras are minimal.
Front view of the D3300 in black with no lens fitted, showing the metal lens mount. (Source: Nikon.)
Back and top views of the D3300 body in black. (Source: Nikon.)
The control layout is largely unchanged since the D3200, which we reviewed in November 2012. The pentamirror viewfinder remains mostly unchanged, except for a slight increase in magnification (up to 0.85x), although its eyepoint and coverage are the same as in the previous two models.
Also unchanged is the monitor size and resolution as well as the built-in pop-up flash. The 3.5 mm external microphone jack is retained and is still located on the left hand side panel with the HDMI and USB/AV ports and accessory (wired remote or GPS) connector. Two rubber covers replace the single flap used on the D3200.
The memory card retains its own compartment in the right hand side panel. All D3*** cameras use the SD card format, with the latest models including SDXC UHS-1 support.
The battery compartment is located within the grip moulding and accessed via a hinged, hard plastic cover on the base plate. Battery capacity has more than doubled since the D3200 with the new camera supporting approximately 700 shots/charge. Also on the base plate is a metal-lined tripod socket, which is in line with the lens axis.
What’s new?
Measuring 23.5 x 15.6 mm, the sensor in the D3300 is marginally larger than the 23.2 x 15.4 mm chip used in the D3200 but its resolution remains the same. Sensor resolution is unchanged at 24 megapixels effective, which means image sizes are the same as the D3200’s.
The new sensor is partnered with the latest EXPEED 4 processor, which is faster than the previous model’s EXPEED 3 chip. This has allowed the D3300 to support continuous shooting at 5 fps (up from 4 fps) and native sensitivity values up to ISO 12800 (up from 6400), with extension to Hi1 (equivalent to ISO 25600). Full HD movie recording is available at 50p (PAL) or 60p (NTSC).
The GUIDE mode interface. (Source: Nikon.)
The remaining changes are more like small tweaks to improve accessibility or performance, rather than new features. The GUIDE mode (shown above), which was introduced with the D3000 to help novice users understand camera controls has been refined in the latest camera but still serves the same purpose.
The Shooting section of the GUIDE menu is split into Easy and Advanced options, with the Easy sub-menu comprising an Auto setting (which presumably includes scene recognition) plus nine scene pre-sets. The Advanced sub-menu also provides nine options which include settings for softening/sharpening backgrounds, freezing/blurring motion, reducing blur and producing high or low key exposures.
Aside from that, this mode essentially duplicates the menu settings for shooting, playback and in-camera editing, albeit in a ‘prettier’ format. We can’t see the point of it for most potential users since it involves more button pressing than simply using the menu and basic camera controls.
Two options for the Info and Quick Settings displays, showing different colour choices. (Source: Nikon.)
The Info display and Quick Settings panel have become slightly less cluttered but retain the same functionality. The Quick Settings panel now runs across the lower third of the screen instead of down the right hand side.
Users can still choose between the Classic and Graphic displays in three colours: black, blue-green and brown. Different options can be selected for the Auto/Scene /Effects modes and P/S/A/M modes.
A wind noise reduction filter has been added to the Movie Settings sub-menu. In the Setup menu, the Eye-Fi upload function has been replaced with a Wireless Mobile Adaptor function that supports Nikon’s optional GP-1 GPS or WU-1a WiFi adapter (the only way to these functions to the camera).
Key controls thate remain the same throughout all four models include: shutter speeds (1/400 to 30 seconds), flash synchronisation (1/200 second), autofocusing, metering, exposure compensation and the built-in flash. The Scene presets are also the same as the D3200’s and comprise portrait, landscape, child, sports, close up and night portrait modes. Picture Style options are also unchanged.
What’s missing?
The most significant omission in a camera at this level is the lack of a touch-screen interface, which is provided on Canon’s EOS 100D. Ideally, you need an adjustable monitor to capitalise on this feature but the EOS 100D doesn’t have one, proving it’s not absolutely necessary. However, when the major CSC manufacturers put touch screens on their entry-level cameras it confirms the need for this technology at entry level.
Bracketing is still not available in the D3*** series cameras, another feature that is commonly available ““at least as AE bracketing. Some manufacturers also provide bracketing of other functions like white balance, flash exposures and special effects.
Unlike most competing interchangeable-lens cameras at the entry level, the D3300 lacks a dedicated ISO button. You can assign this function to the single programmable button but that prevents it from being used for other purposes. Photographers who want to move beyond the basics really require a quick and easy way to change ISO settings.
Built-in Wi-Fi is becoming a routine inclusion in entry-level cameras, with some manufacturers implementing it better than others. Having it only available via an add-on device is not a particularly ‘modern’ look and Nikon’s Wireless Mobile Utility (WMU) app is pretty basic.
Less surprising are the omission of depth-of-field preview (which is found on Canon and Pentax entry-level DSLRs) and the lack of a top panel LCD data display. It’s also normal for entry-level models to have only one command dial (although some CSC manufacturers provide two).
Live View and video
Aside from the addition of a 1080/50p mode (60p for NTSC countries), movie recording options are unchanged from the D3200. Like all cameras with optical viewfinders, the D3300 can only record movies in Live View mode, which requires the monitor screen to be used for framing shots. Pressing the Live View button raises the reflex mirror, engaging live viewing and enabling video recording to take place.
Recordings are started and stopped by pressing the movie-record button. A recording indicator and the time available are overlaid on the monitor screen. The contrast-based AF system lets you choose from Face-priority, Wide-area, Normal-area or Subject-tracking modes.
Playback and software
The software disk supplied with the review camera contained ViewNX2, Nikon’s standard bundled software. It includes a basic raw file converter that is less powerful than ouir preferred converter, Adobe Camera Raw, which we used to process the raw files shot in our tests.
Playback options are standard Nikon fare and include full-frame and thumbnail (4, 9, or 72 images or calendar) playback with playback zoom, movie playback, photo and/or movie slide shows, histogram display, highlights, auto image rotation, and image comment (up to 36 characters).
The kit lens
The AF-S DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VRII lens supplied with the review camera is an update to the AF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G lens, which we reviewed in April 2009. Like that lens is had a plastic mount but it’s considerably smaller and lighter than its predecessor, thanks to its ‘collapsing’ design.
Pressing a prominent button on the outer barrel lets you extend the inner barrel, allowing the lens to be used. If you switch the camera on before you’ve extended it, the camera will display the following message: Before taking photos rotate the zoom ring to extend the lens. It takes a second or so to react to this instruction and have the camera ready to shoot.
At the 18mm focal length it adds roughly 22 mm to the length of the lens, which is its longest position. Zooming to between the 24mm and 35mm pulls the barrel in by about 5 mm before it is restored to its 22mm length at 55mm.
The only things gained with the new lens are a small reduction in diameter and a 70 gram reduction in weight. The overall length is roughly the same as the previous lens when the new lens is in use. These ‘benefits’ come at the expense of convenient handling: collapsing lenses are slower and less convenient to use than non-collapsing ones because the camera can’t shoot until the lens is fully extended.
Aside from that, the key design parameters are largely unchanged. Both lenses consist of 11 elements in eight groups, with one aspherical element. Both have Silent Wave Motor AF drives and focus to within 28 cm of subjects. Both take 52 mm filters. Lens hoods are optional add-ons.
Imatest showed the supplied lens to be capable of exceeding expectations for the camera’s 24-megapixel sensor with both JPEG and raw files. Best performance was around f/5.6 with the 24mm focal length, as shown in the graph of our test results below.
Edge softening was evident at wider apertures, particularly with longer focal lengths. Diffraction steadily reduced resolution from about f/8 on without introducing any dramatic drops at the smallest aperture settings.
Lateral chromatic aberration was mostly negligible, slipping into the ‘low’ band (indicated by the red line in the graph below) at the 18mm focal length for apertures between f/3.5 and f/5. There was no evidence of coloured fringing in test shots, although automatic correction may have been applied by the camera. (There’s nothing in the menu to indicate is does/doesn’t happen.)
The review lens was reasonably flare resistant and the camera handled backlit situations well. Bokeh (out-of-focus blurring) was as you would expect from a kit lens. Neither the f/3.5 maximum aperture at 18mm nor the f/5.6 maximum aperture at 55mm was wide enough to produce smooth background blurring that obscured other elements in close-up shots. There was also some outlining of highlights in shots taken with longer focal lengths.
Camera Performance
JPEGs straight out of the camera were reasonably colour accurate, although with a slight bias towards warm hues that was confirmed by out Imatest testing. Imatest also showed the slight boost in overall saturation that typifies entry-level cameras. Raw files converted into TIFF format with Adobe Camera Raw were generally colour-accurate with a very slight reduction in saturation.
Imatest showed the expected slow but steady decline in resolution as sensitivity was increased, with raw files retaining their advantage over JPEGs at all ISO settings. The graph below shows the results of our tests.
Long exposures at night confirmed the results of our Imatest tests. Little noise was evident in shots taken at ISO settings up to 3200, with a gradual increase in noise visible thereafter. Edge sharpness was retained reasonably well right up to the Hi1 setting (ISO 25600 equivalent), although granularity was obvious and colour shifts and artefacts affected test shots taken with this setting. Shots taken at ISO 12800 were noticeably less affected.
Flash exposures at ISO Hi1 showed very little noise but were slightly softened and lacking in contrast. Flash shots were between 1/3 and one stop under-exposed at ISO settings up to 800 and slightly over-exposed with the two highest sensitivity settings.
White balance performance was similar to other Nikon cameras we’ve tested. The auto setting delivered neutral colour rendition under both fluorescent and flash lighting but failed to correct the warm cast imparted by incandescent lights. The incandescent pre-set produced a good correction but the various fluorescent presets over-corrected. The flash pre-set barely changed colour rendition. Manual measurement produced neutral colour rendition with both incandescent and fluorescent lighting.
Metering was accurate in most situations, provided we selected the appropriate metering pattern. The Matrix pattern worked well for most types of subject but was often unable to cope with backlighting, particularly when more than 60% of the frame was relatively bright. The system appeared to work equally well for shooting stills and recording movie clips.
Autofocusing was generally excellent, particularly when the phase-detection system was used, as it is for shooting stills. The review camera locked on quickly to subjects in the centre of the frame in all types of lighting and we recorded relatively brief delays before the shutter would trigger when taking shots at night.
Live View autofocusing, which uses contrast detection was noticeably slower when recording video clips of moving subjects that changed their distance from the camera. Subject tracking performed quite poorly, particularly if subjects were more than a couple of metres from the lens.
Hunting was common in dim lighting. The camera also tended to prioritise focus on subjects close to the camera in movie mode. Consequently, movie clips recorded with the review camera were a mixed bag.
In bright outdoor lighting, most clips were acceptably sharp (when they were in focus). Resolution declined in situations with lower light levels and reduced contrast because the compression of the image tended to produce artefacts that lowered resolution. Soundtracks were of acceptable quality ““ but nothing to write home about.
Our timing tests were carried out with a 32GB SanDisk Extreme Pro SDHC U1 memory card, which claims a transfer speed of 45 MB/second. When we unlocked the lens before switching the camera on, the review camera took just under a second to power-up ready for the first shot. It took roughly a second to switch from the viewfinder to the live view mode.
Capture lag was negligible when the viewfinder was used but extended to an average of 2.1 seconds in live view mode. This could be reduced to 0.5 seconds by pre-focusing. Shot-to-shot times averaged 0.6 seconds with the viewfinder and 4.1 seconds in live view mode.
With flash exposures, shot-to-shot times averaged 1.3 seconds. Combining flash with Live View resulted in shot-to-shot times of almost five seconds on average. The average processing time for Large/ Fine JPEGs was 3.5 seconds, which extended to 4.4 seconds for each NEF.RAW file and 5.6 seconds for each RAW+JPEG pair.
With the fastest continuous shooting mode, the review camera could record a burst of 10 Large/ Fine JPEGs in 1.9 seconds, which is very close to specifications. It took 2.6 seconds to process this burst. Frame rates remained the same for raw file capture, although the capture rate slowed after seven frames. It took 10.1 seconds to process these files.
Only five RAW+JPEG pairs could be recorded before the buffer memory filled. Processing this burst took approximately 10 seconds.
Conclusion
Like its predecessor, the D3300 offers plenty of desirable features for photographers wanting to upgrade from fixed-lens point-and-press cameras. Not only does it include many more adjustable functions, it also supports the essential P, A, S and M shooting modes and its larger sensor and 24-megapixel resolution will deliver much better image quality.
However, there’s not much incentive to upgrade if you alreadyhave a D3200 that does everything you want since differences between the cameras are relatively small. Some people might find the improvements to the D3300’s user interface suit them better.
The D3300’s much greater battery capacity may not justify the investment unless you use the flash a lot by setting the camera to one of the automated shooting modes or if you add Nikon’s external Wi-Fi or GPS accessories. But it could be worthwhile for travellers.
Owners of older Nikon cameras with lower resolution will certainly benefit by upgrading to the D3300 since it provides more resolution to work with and the latest image processor. But they may also require higher-capacity memory cards to accommodate the larger files it produces.
SPECS
Image sensor: 23.5 x 15.6 mm CMOS sensor with 24.78 million photosites (24.2 megapixels effective)
Image processor: EXPEED 4
A/D processing: 12-bit
Lens mount: Nikon F mount (with AF contacts)
Focal length crop factor: 1.5x
Image formats: Stills ““ NEF.RAW, JPEG (DCF V. 2.0, Exif V. 2.3), RAW+JPEG; Movies ““ MOV (H.264/MPEG-4 Advanced Video Coding with Linear PCM audio)
Image Sizes: Stills ““ 6000 x 4000, 4512 x 3000, 3008 x 2000; Movies: 1920 x 1080, 60p/50p/30p/25p/24p, high/normal 1280 x 720, 60p/50p, high/normal 640 x 424, 30p/25p, high/normal
Image Stabilisation: Lens based
Dust removal: Image sensor cleaning, Image Dust Off reference data (optional Capture NX 2 software required)
Shutter speed range: 1/4000 to 30 seconds in steps of 1/3 EV plus Bulb and Time; X-synch at 1/200 second
Exposure Compensation: +/- 5EV in 1/3EV increments (P, S, A, and M modes)
Exposure bracketing: Not available
Self-timer: 2 s, 5 s, 10 s, 20 s delay options; 1-9 exposures
Focus system: Nikon Multi-CAM 1000 autofocus sensor module with TTL phase detection, 11 focus points (including one cross-type sensor), and AF-assist illuminator (range approx. 0.5-3 m)
Focus modes: Single-servo AF (AF-S); continuous-servo AF (AF-C); auto AF-S/AF-C selection (AF-A); predictive focus tracking activated automatically according to subject status; Manual focus (MF): Electronic rangefinder can be used
Exposure metering: TTL exposure metering using 420-pixel RGB sensor; Matrix metering, Centre-weighted metering: Weight of 75% given to 8-mm circle in centre of frame Spot metering: Meters 3.5-mm circle (about 2.5% of frame) centred on selected focus point
Shooting modes: Auto modes (auto; auto, flash off); programmed auto with flexible program (P); shutter-priority auto (S); aperture-priority auto (A); manual (M); scene modes; special effects modes
Scene presets: Portrait; landscape; child; sports; close up; night portrait
Special effects: Night vision; super vivid; pop; photo illustration; colour sketch; toy camera effect; miniature effect; selective colour; silhouette; high key; low key; HDR painting; easy panorama
ISO range: Auto,ISO 100-12800 in steps of 1 EV; extension to ISO 25600 equivalent available
White balance: Auto, incandescent, fluorescent (7 types), direct sunlight, flash, cloudy, shade, preset manual, all except preset manual with fine-tuning
Colour space: sRGB and Adobe RGB
Flash: Built-in flash (GN 12 m/ISO100)
Flash modes: Auto, auto with red-eye reduction, auto slow sync, auto slow sync with red-eye reduction, fill-flash, red-eye reduction, slow sync, slow sync with red-eye reduction, rear-curtain with slow sync, rear-curtain sync, off
Sequence shooting: Max. approx. 5 shots/sec.
Buffer memory depth: 100 JPEGs, 7 raw files, 5 RAW+JPEG
Storage Media: Single slot for Memory Stick PRO Duo or SD/SDHC/SDXC memory cards; UHS-1 compliant
Viewfinder: Eye-level pentamirror with approx. 95% FOV coverage, 18 mm eyepoint, Type B BriteView Clear Matte Mark VII screen, -1.7 to +0.5 dioptre adjustment
LCD monitor: Fixed 3-inch TFT LCD with 170 ° viewing angle, approx 921,000 dots
Live View shooting: Yes
Playback functions: Full-frame and thumbnail (4, 9, or 72 images or calendar) playback with playback zoom, movie playback, photo and/or movie slide shows, histogram display, highlights, auto image rotation, and image comment (up to 36 characters)
Interface terminals: USB 2.0, Micro HDMI (Type C), accessory terminal for optional WR-1, WR-R10 remote controllers, MC-DC2 cords, GP-1/GP-1A GPS units
Wi-Fi function: Requires optional WU-1a Wireless Mobile Adapter
Power supply: EN-EL14a rechargeable lithium-ion battery; CIPA rated for approx. 700 shots/charge
Dimensions (wxhxd): Approx. 124 x 98 x 75.5 mm
Weight: Approx. 410 grams (body only)
TESTS
Based on JPEG files.
Based on NEF.RAW files converted with Adobe Camera Raw.
SAMPLES
Auto white balance with incandescent lighting.
Auto white balance with fluorescent lighting.
Auto white balance with flash illumination.
30-second exposure at f/5, 35mm focal length, ISO 100.
10-second exposure at f/5, 35mm focal length, ISO 800.
6-second exposure at f/5.6, 35mm focal length, ISO 1600.
4-second exposure at f/11, 35mm focal length, ISO 6400.
2-second exposure at f/11 35mm focal length, ISO 12800.
1-second exposure at f/11, 35mm focal length, ISO Hi.1.
Flash exposure at ISO 100;55mm focal length, 1/60 second at f/5.6.
Flash exposure at ISO 800; 55mm focal length, 1/60 second at f/5.6.
Flash exposure at ISO 1600; 55mm focal length, 1/60 second at f/5.6.
Flash exposure at ISO 6400; 55mm focal length, 1/80 second at f/8.
Flash exposure at ISO 12800; 55mm focal length, 1/125 second at f/10.
Flash exposure at ISO Hi.1; 55mm focal length, 1/160 second at f/11.
18mm focal length, ISO 100, 1/250 second at f/8.
55mm focal length, ISO 200, 1/320 second at f/10.
Close-up at 18mm; 1/2000 second at f/3.5, ISO 100.
Close-up at 55mm; 1/640 second at f/5.6, ISO 100.
An example of the warm colour bias in JPEGs; 48mm focal length, ISO 100, 1/250 second at f/8.
55mm focal length, ISO 200, 1/500 second at f/7.1.
34mm focal length, ISO 400, 1/640 second at f/9.
55mm focal length, ISO 800, 1/1000 second at f/6.3.
Backlighting; 28mm focal length, ISO 100, 1/400 second at f/10.
Nine frames from a burst of JPEGs, taken with the high-speed setting. 55mm focal length, ISO 400, 1/250 second at f/8.
Still frames from movie clips showing differences in resolution with different types of lighting:
Full HD 1080/50p.
Full HD 1080/25p.
Full HD/1080/24p.
HD 720/50p.
SD 640 x 424 pixels.
Rating
RRP: n/a ARP: $700; US$650
- Build: 8.5
- Ease of use: 8.5
- Autofocusing: 8.5
- Still image quality JPEG: 8.8
- Still image quality RAW: 9.0
- Video quality: 8.5
