Nikon d3400 or canon t6?

Nikon d3400 or canon t6?

Canon t6

I'm not a fan of the D3xxx series from Nikon simply because it lacks an internal AF motor. This limits the number/types of lenses that you can use, and it makes buying used & new lenses much more complicated. Nikon has 5 different lens mounts that will technically "fit" the D3xxx series of camera, but not all will meter automatically (if at all) and not all will auto focus.

Then there's the files. Nikon's D3xxx series of cameras shoot in RAW just like all other Nikon & Canon DSLRs. However, only the D3xxx series shoots 12-bit as opposed to the 14-bit files out of ALL Canon and all other Nikons. The bit depth is the number of tones from pure white to pure black and it's logarithmic and not linear. To formula used to calculate the number of tones any bit-depth can provide is very simple: 2 ^X where X = the number of bits. So in a JPEG which is an 8-bit file, the number of tones is 2^8 or 256 per RGB channel. A 12-bit file has 2^12 or 4,016 tones, and a 14-bit file has more than 16,000 tones.

This greater bit depth will be noticeable when editing the file. A 14-bit file will have far more dynamic range since the limit of dynamic range is in part limited by the color depth. The dynamic range can't be greater than the bit depth. This is realized when editing images and trying to bring up the shadows or bring down the highlights.

VIDEO: No Nikon DSLR with the exception of the D500 is recommended for video use. Simply because Nikon uses an old and antiquated AF system when in video mode. This results in inaccurate and inconsistant focusing that causes the camera to loose focus. This even happens on Nikon's $6,000 D5 which gets absolutely horrible reviews when it comes to video capabilities.

In contrast, the T6 doesn't suffer from this problem as Canon's video capabilities are significantly more advanced than Nikon - but not as good as Panasonic or Sony. Plus, unlike any other brand, you can download and use the Magic Lantern firmware upgrade with Canon DSLRs which adds a ton of must-have videocentric features to any Canon DSLR.

Both the T6 and the D3xxx series only come with the 18-55mm kit lens. These lenses are fine for a beginner, but there are many other lenses that are significantly better options.

When comparing the T6, D3400 to the Pentax K-70, there really isn't one. Yeah, the K-70 is about $640 with a kit lens while the T6 is only around $400, but you can choose to buy the K-70 body only. Plus, the difference in image quality and capabilities is far greater than just about anything from Canon or Nikon at any price. For one, the K-70 has 4.5 stops of in-body image stabilization - No Canon or Nikon has in-body image stabilization. This means that you can use any lens since 1975 and still have a stabilized image. This is primarily important for anyone who wants to shoot hand-held in low light without a flash.

One thing I like about Pentax's 14-bit RAW files is that you have the option to save them as DNG files as opposed to some proprietary RAW file format. Canon and Nikon only allow you to save RAW files in their proprietary file format. The difference is that DNG files can be opened by just about any photo editing app, but in order to open Canon/Nikon RAW files, you have to use first convert the CR2 or NIF files to DNG just so that you can edit them which can be a big pain.

The K-70 has an articulated screen while the T6 and D3400 have fixed screens. This makes it more difficult to make videos or shoot low or high.

The K-70 has a viewfinder that shows 100% of the image while the Canon and Nikon bodies only show 95%. Doesn't sound like a big deal until you realize that all of your shots that you took of that waterfall have a distraction on the edge.

The K-70 shoots at 6fps vs 5fps on the D3400 and just 3fps on the T6, and it has faster shutter speeds, too. For sports and wildlife, the K-70 is a better camera.

Here's a side-by-side comparison of the T6, D3400 and Pentax K-70

Any will do. You'll get the same picture no matter which. To make a more valid choice, ask where each service center is. Pick the one that's closer to you. To complicate things, see the waterproof Pentax K50.

Pentax K-70.