Nikon D3400 vs Nikon D500 – Comparison

Here’s our Nikon D3400 vs Nikon D500 comparison. It’s not really fair since the D500 is bigger, better and more expensive, but if you own the D3400 right now and want to see what advantages the D500 offers, this post is exactly for you.

Our comparison table below covers all the important specifications of each camera. Below that, we specifically talk about the new improvements and which model is better suited for your needs.

	Nikon D3400	Nikon D500
Megapixels	24.2	20.9
Sensor Type	CMOS	CMOS
Sensor Format	APS-C (DX)	APS-C (DX)
Crop Factor	1.5x	1.5x
AA Filter	None	None
Image Resolution	6000 x 4000	5568 x 3712
Body Image Stabilization	No	No
Lens Mount	Nikon FX/DX	Nikon FX/DX
ISO	100 - 25,600	100 - 51,200
Expanded ISO	No	50 - 1,638,400
AF Points	11	153
Cross-type AF Points	1	99
Continuous Mode	5fps	10fps
LCD	3.0" - Fixed	3.2" - Articulating
LCD Resolution	921,600 dots	2,359,000 dots
Touchscreen	No	Yes
Focus Peaking	No	No
Top LCD Display	No	Yes
Viewfinder Type	Optical	Optical
Viewfinder Coverage	95%	100%
Viewfinder Magnification	0.85x	1.00x
Video Resolution	1920x1080 (60/50/30/25/24p)	3840x2160 (30/25/24p)
	1280x720 (60/50p)	1920x1080 (60/50/30/25/24p)
Microphone Jack	No	Yes
Headphone Jack	No	Yes
Memory Card Type	SD	SD + XQD
Dual Card Slots	No	Yes
SD UHS Support	UHS-I	UHS-II
Fastest Shutter Speed	1/4000	1/8000
Slowest Shutter Speed	30"	30"
Bulb Mode	Yes	Yes
JPEG Buffer Size	100	200
RAW Buffer Size	12	200
Time Lapse	No	Yes
Built-in Flash	Yes	No
Max Flash Sync Speed	1/200	1/250
Startup Time	0.5s	0.3s
Built-in Wi-Fi	No	Yes
Built-in GPS	No	No
Built- in NFC	No	Yes
Bluetooth	Yes	Yes
USB Type	USB 2.0	USB 3.0
Environmentally Sealed	No	Yes
Battery Life (CIPA)	1200 shots	1240 shots
Battery Included	Yes (EN-EL14a)	Yes (EN-EL15)
Weight	15.17 oz (430g)	30.2 oz (856g)
Size	4.9 x 3.9 x 3.0"	5.8 x 4.5 x 3.2"
Price	Amazon	Amazon
Release Date	2016	2016

Nikon D3400 Advantages:

• Megapixels – 3.3 more megapixels. It’s a small difference and you won’t notice it unless printing really big.

• Built-in Flash 

• Weight – The Nikon D3400 weighs 426g less.

• Size – The Nikon D3400 is noticeably smaller.

• Less Expensive – The D3400 costs around $1500 less than the D500’s body.

The D3400 is smaller and lighter, as well as a lot cheaper, but that’s pretty much it. Those extra 3 megapixels won’t make a difference since both cameras offer more resolution than most people will ever need.

You can buy it at Amazon or read more reviews.

Nikon D500 Advantages:

• ISO – 1,638,400 vs 25,600. Higher maximum ISO sensitivity.

• AF Points – 153 vs 11. More means you have a lot more focus points to choose from to perfectly frame your subject.

• Cross-Type AF Points – 99 vs 1. Cross-type AF points are much more accurate and faster in low light.

• Continuous mode – 10fps vs 5fps. More is better for sports and wildlife since you have more chances of getting a tack sharp shot.

• LCD – 3.2” vs 3.0” and it’s fully articulated too.

• LCD Resolution – Higher resolution.

• Touchscreen Support

• Top LCD Display – When shooting in semi-auto/manual modes, you can quickly preview all of your settings.

• Viewfinder Coverage – 100% vs 95%.

• Viewfinder Magnification – Higher magnification.

• Video Resolution – 4K video available.

• Microphone Jack – If you’re going to record videos where audio quality is important, a microphone jack is super helpful.

• Headphone Jack – Useful for previewing your audio quality straight out the camera.

• Dual Card Slots – More room for extra photos, or simply for backup.

• UHS-II – Faster writing speeds than UHS-I, but you need a memory card that can handle such speeds.

• Faster Max Shutter Speed – 1/8000 vs 1/4000.

• JPEG Buffer Size – 200 vs 100. Useful for long bursts.

• RAW Buffer Size – 200 vs 12.

• Time-Lapse

• Max Flash Sync Speed – 1/250 vs 1/200.

• Built-in Wi-Fi

• Built-in NFC

• USB 3.0 – Faster file transferring out the camera.

• Environmentally Sealed – The Nikon D500 is much more protected for shooting outdoors in difficult terrain and bad weather conditions.

The Nikon D500 is a beast and is hands down the best APS-C DSLR available today. It beats the D3400 pretty much everywhere; superior AF system, 4K video, 10fps, dual memory card slots (including XQD) and a 200 shots buffer for JPEG and RAW. If you need what the D500 provides then it’s worth every dollar.

You can buy it at Amazon or read more reviews.