Nikon D3400 vs Canon EOS M5

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Nikon D3400 vs Canon EOS M5

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APS-C 366.6mm²
24.2 megapixels
ISO 100 - 25,600

Go in depth with our full Nikon D3400 Review.
How does it shoot? Nikon D3400 in the real world.
See real-world photos taken with the D3400.
Compare Nikon D3400 image quality against competitors.
What’s the bottom line? Read our Nikon D3400 conclusion.

APS-C 332.3mm²
24.2 megapixels
ISO 100 - 25,600

Go in depth with our full Canon EOS M5 Review.
How does it shoot? Canon EOS M5 in the real world.
See real-world photos taken with the EOS M5.
Compare Canon EOS M5 image quality against competitors.
What’s the bottom line? Read our Canon EOS M5 conclusion.

Succeeded by the Nikon D3500
Compare D3400 vs D3500
Compare Nikon D3500 vs Canon EOS M5

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Differences

Nikon D3400 advantages over Canon EOS M5

Lens selection
Excellent vs Limited
Better lens selection gives you more options
Larger sensor
APS-C vs APS-C
More sensor area. Bigger is (generally) better.
Less expensive
$497 vs $899
Save money for lenses or accessories
Fast startup
~0.50 vs 1.2 sec
Faster startup lets you catch the moment
More dynamic range

More dynamic range

Cameras with more dynamic range allow you to take photos with dramatic differences in highlight and shadow areas while retaining detail in both.

Think of a brilliant sunset on a rocky beach: Bright sunset in the background, with dark rocks in the foreground. High dynamic range means more of the extremes will be faithfully reproduced.

Dynamic range test data courtesy of DxO Mark.
D3400 test data on DxO Mark EOS M5 test data on DxO Mark

13.9 vs 12.4 evs
Retain detail in highlight and shadows
Longer stills battery life
More info

Longer stills battery life

Cameras with longer battery life can take more photos before exhausting their batteries.

Special note: The measurement standard for battery life stipulates that if a camera has an internal flash, it must be used for 50% of photos taken. For this reason, comparisons of one camera with an internal flash to another without will not be comparable

1200 vs 295 shots
Capture more photos
More telephoto lens reach
83 mm vs 72 mm
Capture objects farther away with the kit lens
Lacks anti-aliasing filter
No Filter vs Filter
Enjoy sharper photos
Bigger JPEG buffer
100 vs 27 shots
Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)

Canon EOS M5 advantages over Nikon D3400

Focus peaking
Peaker vs Non-peaker
Your camera will highlight what's in focus
Touchscreen
Touch vs No touch
Interact with your camera just like your smartphone
Tiltable Screen
Tiltable vs Fixed
Tilt the screen for shooting flexbility
Built-in Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi vs None
Share your photos wirelessly
NFC
Yes vs No
Simplifies pairing your camera with supported phones
Longer video battery life
85 vs 60 minutes
Capture more video
On-sensor phase detect
Yes vs No
Usually improves live view and video AF performance
External Mic Jack
Jack vs No jack
Improved sound fidelity when shooting video
Higher-res screen
540k vs 307k pixels
More detail on the screen lets you judge focus and composition
Less shutter lag
0.14 vs 0.20 sec
Focus and take a photo quickly (wide angle)
Has anti-aliasing filter
Filter vs No Filter
Reduces unsightly moiré in photos
Wider angle kit lens
24 mm vs 27 mm
Capture more of the scene with the included lens
Faster JPEG shooting
9.2 fps vs 5.1 fps
Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
Faster RAW shooting
9.3 fps vs 5.1 fps
Faster RAW shooting in burst mode
Bigger RAW buffer
18 vs 12 shots
Larger buffer for RAW shots (burst mode)

Similarities

Common Strengths

Eye-level viewfinder
Both provide
You'll be able to frame photos even when the sun is out
Built-in Bluetooth
Both provide
Always-on wireless connectivity
Internal flash
Both provide
Useful in a pinch for fill flash
HDMI out
Both provide
Use HDMI output to monitor or review video
Hot shoe
Both provide
Off-camera flashes open new possibilities
Bulb shutter
Both provide
Hold the shutter open manually for long exposures

Common Weaknesses

Tilt-swivel screen
Neither provide
Tilt and swivel the screen for maximum shooting flexibility
In-Camera Image Stabilization
Neither provide
Reduces the effects of camera shake at slower shutter speeds
In-camera panoramas
Neither provide
Stitches multiple shots into a panoramic photo
Built-in GPS
Neither provide
Geotag your photos
Top deck display
Neither provide
Check settings with a screen on top of the camera
Dual card slots
Neither provide
Gives you more storage flexibility
Headphone jack
Neither provide
Monitor audio recording while you shoot video
Slow-motion videos
Neither provide
Shoot slow-motion videos

User reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read D3400 User Reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read EOS M5 User Reviews

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Buy the Nikon D3400

Kit with 18-55mm Lens (Black)

Kit with 18-55mm Lens (Black)
Kit with 18-55mm & 70-300mm Lenses (Black)
Kit with 18-55mm Lens (Red)

All D3400 Deals

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Buy the Canon EOS M5

Body Only (Black)

Body Only (Black)
Kit with 15-45mm f/3.5-6.3 Lens (Black)
Kit with 18-150mm f/3.5-6.3 Lens (Black)

All EOS M5 Deals

Review Excerpt

Compact DSLR camera body; Excellent image quality; Reliable single-shot autofocus; Good continuous JPEG shooting performance; New kit lens has improved AF; Great value at current prices.
SnapBridge is slow and limited; Poor continuous autofocus; No built-in Wi-Fi; Mediocre video features.
Read our Nikon D3400 Review

Enthusiast-oriented compact camera body; Good image quality in most situations; Built-in electronic viewfinder; Impressive Dual Pixel CMOS AF; Very good overall performance.
High ISO image quality and dynamic range aren't quite up to par with some of its competition; No 4K video recording; Native EF-M lens selection is still limited; Below average battery life.
Read our Canon EOS M5 Review

The Competition

Compared to Canon T6i

Nikon D3400

Canon T6i

$497
APS-C

Less expensive
Larger sensor

$699
APS-C

Tilt-swivel screen
Touchscreen

Compare Nikon D3400 vs Canon T6i

Canon EOS M5

Canon T6i

$787
APS-C

Focus peaking
Built-in Bluetooth

$699
APS-C

Lens selection
Less expensive

Compare Canon EOS M5 vs Canon T6i

Compared to Nikon D5500

Nikon D3400

Nikon D5500

$497
APS-C

Less expensive
Built-in Bluetooth

$697
APS-C

Tilt-swivel screen
Touchscreen

Compare Nikon D3400 vs Nikon D5500

Canon EOS M5

Nikon D5500

$787
APS-C

Focus peaking
NFC

$697
APS-C

Lens selection
Larger sensor

Compare Canon EOS M5 vs Nikon D5500

Compared to Fujifilm X-Pro2

Nikon D3400

Fujifilm X-Pro2

$497
APS-C

Lens selection
Less expensive

$1300
APS-C

Focus peaking
Shoot 4K video

Compare Nikon D3400 vs Fujifilm X-Pro2

Canon EOS M5

Fujifilm X-Pro2

$787
APS-C

Less expensive
Touchscreen

$1300
APS-C

Lens selection
Larger sensor

Compare Canon EOS M5 vs Fujifilm X-Pro2

Compared to Nikon D5600

Nikon D3400

Nikon D5600

$497
APS-C

Less expensive
Longer stills battery life

$898
APS-C

Tilt-swivel screen
Touchscreen

Compare Nikon D3400 vs Nikon D5600

Canon EOS M5

Nikon D5600

$787
APS-C

Focus peaking
On-sensor phase detect

$898
APS-C

Lens selection
Larger sensor

Compare Canon EOS M5 vs Nikon D5600

Compared to Canon SL2

Nikon D3400

Canon SL2

$497
APS-C

Larger sensor
Higher effective ISO

$549
APS-C

Tilt-swivel screen
Touchscreen

Compare Nikon D3400 vs Canon SL2

Canon EOS M5

Canon SL2

$787
APS-C

Focus peaking
Higher effective ISO

$549
APS-C

Lens selection
Less expensive

Compare Canon EOS M5 vs Canon SL2

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