Nikon D3300 Pro Reviews

A fantastic entry-level camera with superb detail reproduction and a decent kit-lens to boot.

Outstanding photo and video quality, nippy performance and no significant drawbacks

The Nikon D3300 is an entry-level DSLR with an impressive spec list, including a 24 megapixel sensor and 1080/60p HD video recording. It provides the right level of controls for a beginner, offers a number of in-camera retouch options and boasts excellent battery life.

The Nikon D3300 is a solid entry-level camera for shooters moving up to a D-SLR, but it's not quite worthy of being named Editors' Choice.

Like the older D3200, the new Nikon D3300 easily earns our recommendation. Image quality is excellent and videos have taken a nice step forward. We still have to knock Nikon for the mono sound in 2014 and asking people to pay another $60 for Wi-Fi via an adapter. Yet, all in all, Nikon’s new entry-level DSLR is a good one and a much better option than Canon’s most affordable model.

Very good photo quality for its class plus decent performance make the Nikon D3300 A solid choice for a first dSLR.

All in all, you get an awful lot of camera for not much money with the Nikon D3300, making it an excellent choice if you're new to DSLRs. We'd like a few extra focus points for greater flexibility, but other than that there's much to like – not least of which is the price.

The Nikon D3300 is improved over the previous model, however it is also introduced with a higher price, putting it into a similar price range as cameras one step up from entry level models, including the Canon EOS 700D, and Nikon D5300, both with vari-angle screen - the D5300 also benefits from built in Wi-Fi and GPS. Although we would expect the Nikon D3300 price to fall over time, which should mean it's more affordable and, with the new lens, it is definitely one of the smaller DSLR kits available. The Nikon D3300 is, without doubt, capable of producing impressive images, with excellent noise performance. The new 18-55mm VR II kit lens delivers sharp results, whilst giving a more compact complete package. However, we can't help feel that it would have been worth Nikon including built in Wi-Fi to help justify the price, and make the camera stand out further from the crowd, although if the price drops over time, as it has done with previous models, then this camera could end up representing excellent value for money. The 24 megapixel sensor now features no optical low pass filter, which will give improved image quality when shooting with high quality lenses, and we would recommend using prime lenses to get the best out of the camera, although saying that the provided kit lens performs well. The camera is quick in operation with quick focus, shutter response, and a decent 5fps continuous shooting, although live view remains particularly slow, and is best avoided. For those with a range of Nikon lenses and accessories, the Nikon D3300 delivers sharp images, with good colour reproduction, and for those that prefer an optical viewfinder, the D3300 is a very good choice. The only main fly in the ointment is the price, with competition from Nikon's own DSLR range, with the D3200 and D5200 to choose from, or if your budget can stretch to it, then the D5300 would also make a great choice, particularly if you value GPS and built-in Wi-Fi.