Nikon D3400 vs Sony A7 III

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Nikon D3400 vs Sony A7 III

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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.

35mm 847.3mm²
24.2 megapixels
ISO 100 - 51,200

Go in depth with our full Sony A7 III Review.
How does it shoot? Sony A7 III in the real world.
See real-world photos taken with the A7 III.
Compare Sony A7 III image quality against competitors.
What’s the bottom line? Read our Sony A7 III conclusion.

Succeeded by the Nikon D3500
Compare D3400 vs D3500

Succeeded by the Sony A7 IV
Compare A7 III vs A7 IV

Compare NIKON D3500 vs SONY A7 IV

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Differences

Nikon D3400 advantages over Sony A7 III

Lens selection
Excellent vs Good
Better lens selection gives you more options
Less expensive
$497 vs $1498
Save money for lenses or accessories
Fast startup
~0.50 vs 1.7 sec
Faster startup lets you catch the moment
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 710 shots
Capture more photos
More telephoto lens reach
83 mm vs 70 mm
Capture objects farther away with the kit lens
Internal flash
Internal flash vs None
Useful in a pinch for fill flash
Lighter weight
645g vs 945g
Lighter weight
Lacks anti-aliasing filter
No Filter vs Filter
Enjoy sharper photos

Sony A7 III advantages over Nikon D3400

Focus peaking
Peaker vs Non-peaker
Your camera will highlight what's in focus
Larger sensor
35mm vs APS-C
More sensor area. Bigger is (generally) better.
In-Camera Image Stabilization
Yes vs No
Reduces the effects of camera shake at slower shutter speeds
Bigger pixels
~ 5.93 vs 3.92 microns
Better low-light and dynamic range (all else equal)
Shoot 4K video
4K (UHD) vs 1080p
Make sure you have a fast computer
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
Higher effective ISO

Higher effective ISO

Maximum effective ISO is an estimate of the highest sensitivity at which a camera can capture excellent quality photos.

Cameras with higher effective ISO will be better choices for indoor photography, night shooting, and indoor sports photography, especially if you intend to make large prints.

You can learn more at our glossary entry.

Maximum effective ISO test data courtesy of DxO Mark.
A7 III test data on DxO Mark D3400 test data on DxO Mark

3,730 vs 1,192 iso
Take photos in low light with less noise
Longer video battery life
115 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
More viewfinder magnification
0.78x vs 0.57x
Get a bigger view of the scene through the eye-level viewfinder
Dual card slots
Yes vs No
Gives you more storage flexibility
Headphone jack
Yes vs No
Monitor audio recording while you shoot video
Has anti-aliasing filter
Filter vs No Filter
Reduces unsightly moiré in photos
Faster JPEG shooting
9.9 fps vs 5.1 fps
Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
Bigger JPEG buffer
163 vs 100 shots
Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)
Faster RAW shooting
9.7 fps vs 5.1 fps
Faster RAW shooting in burst mode
Bigger RAW buffer
33 vs 12 shots
Larger buffer for RAW shots (burst mode)
Slow-motion videos
Yes vs No
Shoot slow-motion videos
Faster shutter
1/8000 vs 1/4000 sec
Shoot wide open in bright light
Higher extended ISO
204800 vs 25600 ISO
Higher extended ISO can give more low-light flexibility

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
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 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

User reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read D3400 User Reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read A7 III 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 Sony A7 III

Body Only

Body Only
Kit with 28-70mm Lens

All A7 III 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

New 24MP sensor offers excellent image quality; Outstanding high ISO performance and dynamic range; Improved JPEG colors; Improved build quality; Fast autofocus; Excellent 4K video; Very good battery life.
Buffer clearing can be slow even with fast UHS-II cards; UHS-II support only on one card slot; No losslessly compressed RAW option; Dedicated battery charger not included; Menus are still confusing; No built-in flash.
Read our Sony A7 III 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

Sony A7 III

Canon T6i

$1531
35mm

Focus peaking
Larger sensor

$699
APS-C

Lens selection
Less expensive

Compare Sony A7 III 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

Sony A7 III

Nikon D5500

$1531
35mm

Focus peaking
Larger sensor

$697
APS-C

Lens selection
Less expensive

Compare Sony A7 III vs Nikon D5500

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

Sony A7 III

Nikon D5600

$1531
35mm

Focus peaking
Larger sensor

$898
APS-C

Lens selection
Less expensive

Compare Sony A7 III 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

Sony A7 III

Canon SL2

$1531
35mm

Focus peaking
Larger sensor

$549
APS-C

Less expensive
Tilt-swivel screen

Compare Sony A7 III vs Canon SL2

Compared to Nikon Z6

Nikon D3400

Nikon Z6

$497
APS-C

Less expensive
Fast startup

$1396
35mm

Focus peaking
Larger sensor

Compare Nikon D3400 vs Nikon Z6

Sony A7 III

Nikon Z6

$1531
35mm

Less expensive
NFC

$1396
35mm

Top deck display
More dots on screen

Compare Sony A7 III vs Nikon Z6

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