NikonD3300 24.2 MP CMOS Digital SLR with Auto Focus-S DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR II Zoom Lens (Black)

Having used a Canon Powershot SX100 IS for the last six years, I decided it was finally time to switch over to DSLR cameras. I considered sticking with Canon at first, but I did not want a camera with an articulating LCD screen. I just cannot justify paying the extra price for video features that I will probably never use. I also thought it was unwise to invest in Canon's advanced and professional level cameras considering I do not have much experience with DSLRs. That left me with the Canon T3 and the SL1, but in the end I decided to go with the D3300.The first thing that caught my attention with the D3300 out of the box was how light and comfortable it feels in your hands. The camera grip is very smooth and big enough to allow enough friction for a secure grip. I also like how the lens retract, allowing the camera to be more compact and take up less space in your camera bag. The camera's menus and functions are very easy to use even when not using GUIDE Mode. I will admit that I studied the manual before using the camera, but even then I found the menus more accessible and less confusing than those of my old point-and-shoot camera.So far I have only taken pictures indoors in low-light conditions but the results have been very impressive. I turned Auto ISO sensitivity control off and set the ISO to 800 to see how the camera would handle low light situations without relying on using high ISO settings. The images looked sharp and crisp even though the camera used very slow shutter speeds without a tripod (Note: I had VR and noise reduction enabled). Granted, if your subject will require fast shutter speeds you will have to raise the ISO anyway unless you use another lens with a wider aperture. According to Snapsort the D3300 has better image quality than the Canon 70D, T5i, and SL1. I cannot confirm this myself though since I do not have any of those DSLRs to make a side-to-side comparison.I also tested the different release modes available but did not notice a significant difference between single frame and quiet shutter release mode. Maybe it is just me, but they sound the same to me. Continuous release mode has a maximum of 5 fps and up to 100 photographs can be taken in succession. The autofocus feature is fast and very easy to use. However, I should mention that thus far I have only taken pictures using Single-servo AF with Single-point AF.Overall I am very satisfied with my decision to go with the D3300. It is very lightweight, user-friendly, and most importantly, takes pictures with excellent image quality.

It's been a long time since I've bought myself a new camera, and I wanted something a step up from the super-zoom bridge cameras I've been using. I purchased the D3300, and I'm happy with my decision. The camera comes with the usual set of accessories, and an Auto Focus-S DX NIKKOR 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR II Zoom Lens. The camera itself seems well built despite being largely rubberized plastic. The tripod mount is thankfully made from metal. The 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR II Lens is pretty good for a kit lens. Again there's a lot of plastic on the outside, but it has very good glass as I'm having very good results with it. Together with the camera, it's a fairly lightweight combo for a DSLR. The camera is on the small side which I consider a positive thing. It has good ergonomics, and the controls are laid out well. I'm still getting used to the Nikon menus, and fine tuning the settings. After charging the battery which took little over an hour, I took several dozen pictures and some HD video using the default camera settings just to get an idea what kind of results to expect. I shot in Program Mode and JPEG (Fine). For the most parts the results ranged from excellent to good. Shots taken outside in good lighting conditions were excellent all around. Colors were vibrant and accurate. Reds were slightly exaggerated, but only slightly and no big deal to me. Also all the pictures seemed a little "soft" to me. This was easily corrected/improved though by bumping up the camera's Sharpness Setting a couple of steps. Changing it from the default +3 to +5 (on a scale of 0 to +9) made the pictures look much better. So far that's the only change I've need to make to be almost totally satisfied with my outdoor results. My indoor/poor lighting pictures are a work in progress. By no means were my results poor though. They were actually pretty good, but I know there's room for improvement. Even using the default settings though, the results surpassed anything my bridge cameras produce. I'm still learning how to get the best results with my new Nikon D3300, but the fact it can still produce good results right out of the box tells me things will only get better. As for my video results, they were very good too. I actually have little interest in taking video with this camera, as it isn't the reason I purchased it. But I wanted to test it anyway. HD Video was clear and smooth using a very fast 633x 32GB SDHC UHS-I/U3 Card. I believe people planning on using it for video taking will be happy with it. Finally, the battery life seems very good too. I took over 200 pictures with and without the flash on, and several videos. I've also spent a lot of time with the screen on messing around in the menus. The battery is still showing about 25% left. I'm sure under normal usage I could get over 500 shots on a single charge. Here is a summary of the Pro's and Con's that I've found so far with the Nikon D3300. I've also attached a low light/no flash ISO 800 picture to show the camera can still take good pictures even in poor lighting conditions.Pro's:Price.Excellent image and video quality.Small and lightweight.Well built.Very good kit lens with image stabilization.Easy to use.Good battery life.Auto Mode works well for novices.Cons:Only has 3 resolutions and 1 aspect ratio (4:3).A lot of plastic.No in-camera battery charging.Fixed non-touch LCD screen.WiFi requires an external adapter.