Author Archives: Administrator

BENQ launches a Monitor for Professionals

BenQ disclosed a new 4K UHD 27” professional monitor for photographers–Photovue SW271 which has HDR10. It covers 99% of Adobe RGB, 93% DCI-P3, and 100% of both sRGB and Rec. 709. The monitor delivers the colour accuracy of Delta E2 with its 10-bit IPS panel and 14-bit 3D lookup table (LUT). Equipped with USB Type-C, it features customisable colour characteristics with X-Rite or Datacolor calibrators and BenQ Palette Master Element software.


“We want to make professional tools accessible to everyone, whether you’re just starting out or you’re a pro upgrading an old monitor, the SW240 is the perfect choice,” says BenQ Product Manager Jason Lee. “It fits in our professional lineup with pristine color accuracy and without the hefty price tag of similar professional monitors.”


The Adobe RGB, sRGB, as well as Black and White modes can be switched between using the addition of SW271’s Hotkey Puck. The GamutDuo mode feature enables users to simultaneously work on picture-by-picture in the two different colour spaces. The monitor has adjustable height, an SD card reader, USB 3.1 (Gen 1), HDMI 2.0, and DisplayPort 1.4 ports. The most important feature for this “value monitor” is its price, and that’s where BenQ may have missed the mark. The SW240 monitor is available now for $400 by itself and the optional shading hood will cost you an additional $100, or you can purchase the monitor and hood in a bundle for $450.

DJI ACTION CAMERA REPORTEDLY LEAKED TO COMPETE WITH GOPRO

GoPro is an American technology company founded in 2002 by Nick Woodman. Founded as Woodman Labs, Inc, the company eventually focused on the connected sports genre, developing its line of action cameras and, later, video editing software. It developed a quadcopter drone, Karma, released in October 2016. In January 2018, Karma was discontinued and the company hired JPMorgan Chase to pursue options of selling the company. However around February 2018, CEO denied to sell the company and continue its business in action cameras. Karma was discontinued because of DJI Drones, as they were a tough competitor to fight. Since Dji had many variations in Drones and features, people automatically moved on to it.


GoPro launched its new action camera GoPro Hero7 on October, 2018 with some amazing features for a great comeback in market and it performed pretty well. DJI is planning to keep a hand small camera section as well. After releasing the Dji Osmo Pocket, which was a great success and lot of customers moved from GoPro Hero 7 to DJI Osmo Pocket, and according to rumors soon DJI is moving into action camera as well. It’s interesting that DJI now may be encroaching into GoPro’s market after GoPro failed miserably to break into DJI’s. Since the current level of GoPro is down, DJI’s attempts to cross into a new market will be much more successful. Well this will have a new and tough competitor for GoPro in market and can lead a great loss for them.

                 


According to the rumors DJI will transform its Osmo Pocket into a new action camera with a wide angle lens, it may also include a dual LCD screen (front and back), that it will shoot 4k upto 60 fps and 1080p at 120fps and will have a rectilinear wide angle to produce a more pleasing look. Still there’s no news when DJI might announce its action camera because they haven’t confirmed they are working on it or no. Though GoPro is the first name whicch strikes the mind when you hear action camera, they’re still struggling, and who knows how longer they’ll survive in the market?

Travel Engineer – Eric Rubens

Eric Rubens is a San Diego Area, Southern California based self-taught photographer photographer, filmmaker, traveler and electrical engineer who enjoys traveling the world. Eric joined instagram in 2012 and he has built an audience of over 400,000 followers on his Instagram channel @erubes1 along with hundreds of thousands of followers across his other social channels. He loves travelling the beautiful world, meeting new people, and the experience of living every day like it’s the last day. He shoots a lot of lifestyle, swimwear, portraits and adventure photography, His clients include Disney, BMW, LG, Ritz-Carlton Hotels, AT&T, Coachella Music and Arts Festival, Mercedes Benz, Toyota USA and many others.


  1. How did you get into photography being a full time engineer?

    I was working as an electrical engineer and looking for a creative outlet everyday after I got off work. Luckily I worked about 15 minutes from the beach in San Diego which made it easy to catch the sunset every day. I’d go for a run, surf, or just shoot almost every day! I was pretty fortunate to start sharing my work on Instagram and before I knew it, people were sharing my sunset shots all throughout Southern California. What started as an after work hobby somehow snowballed into the job I have today doing photo and video projects around the world.



  2. Does the engineer in you have an affect on the photography you shoot?

    Even though engineering and photography seemingly use different sides of the brain, Ive always thought there were more parallels than people realized. Looking for angles, lines, and calculating settings and their effects on the picture all require a bit of a technical understanding. One of the things I love most about photography is how everyone views the world differently. Taking photos is my way to share the vibrancy and electric energy I feel each time I visit a location.



  3. What are your sources of inspiration?

    I’m inspired by the people and landscapes which make each destination unique from one another. When I’m on the beaches at home, there’s a genuine enjoyment amongst the people around me and it’s my job to try to capture that energy in a photo. Same goes for when I travel. I love trying to convey the feeling of the destination through my work. In terms of outside inspiration, I’m drawn to those who have a unique eye. I enjoy following photographers who are able to visit a place I’m familiar with, but through their creative eye capture it in a new way.



  4. As a content creator, how much time you spend on planning, shooting, and editing?

    When it comes to planning out pictures, I spend less time than most others in my field. When I’m traveling to a new destination, there’s obviously quite a bit of effort that goes into researching which places to visit and what the best times to go are. When I’m at home, I wing it almost every time. There’s too many variables that I have no control over like surf conditions, changing light, subjects in shots, etc. which make planning a shot not really realistic. I also think the more you plan an exact picture and have expectations for an outcome, the more likely you’re letdown if conditions aren’t how you thought they’d be. I have a really run and gun style. I very rarely shoot with a tripod and I love running around and getting as many different looking pics from a variety of angles as I can. Editing is when I have the real fun. I love pushing the boundary of light and color in my work. I’ve always been drawn to neon colors and trying to recreate that energy in my pictures is always the goal!



  5. What are the three new things you learnt in the past year about photography?

    I’m always learning new things about photography as I travel. I’ve learned that expectations doom trips. Go in with an open mind and eagerness to explore and you’ll never be letdown! I also learned that the people you surround yourself with are more important than the destination. I’ve had the best times ever in mediocre destinations and conversely trips to bucket list locations that weren’t that fun due to the people on the trip. Always build memories with those you care about! Finally, I learned to be appreciative of where I call home. I’ve been to remote islands and on top of some of the wildest mountains in the world, but I’d still pick a beach day at home with my friends and family.



  6. What are the best memories behind some of your favourite photographs?

    I love capturing my friends and families in travel photos. Having a person in the scene really helps me remember the people I was able to share my experience with. Sometimes when I’m home and can’t find someone to shoot with, I’ll default to landscape photography. As fun as it is capturing a sunset photo at the beach, I’d much rather grab the pic with a subtle human element to it.



  7. In order to be a good travel photographer what are the other areas of knowledgethat are critical apart from photography?

    One of the most important things is the ability to be flexible and adapt to changes quickly. Very rarely do trips go exactly as planned. There’s road closures, random thunderstorms, language barriers, and a myriad of other challenges that stand in the way of you and getting the shots you’re hoping for. You have to be able to pivot quickly from original plans and make new ones instantaneously. This all goes back to the important of having fewer expectations and living in the moment.



  8. What’s the story that you like to communicate with your pictures and how do you get your photographs to do that?

    One thing I like to preach is the beauty in each day. Whether it’s a morning walk, taking a break in the middle of the day, or even just catching the sunset after work, I think it’s important to take a few minutes to yourself each day. There’s enough stressful things in life and I don’t think we all take the time to relax and take a deep breath. I try to have my photography be a visual escape for someone having a stressful day. Whether someone scrolls by for a quick second on Instagram or takes a minute to look at the scene, I hope to help people unwind a bit from the business of life and provide inspiration for anyone who needs it. I try to push my edits a bit more surreal to capture this. I emphasize light and color and try to transport someone to a relaxing and dreamy world.



  9. What are the top 3 things you look for in a great travel photograph?

    I think it’s important to tell a story. Anyone can take a photo, but there a far fewer people who can captivate you with their work and make you think for a second. Building on that point, I look for photos that make me pause. We live in a world of quick attention spans and people scroll so fast through their phones. Photos that make me stop and think are the ones I always come back to. Finally, I look for creativity. Everyone knows the view at Moraine Lake in Banff National Park or Tunnel View in Yosemite National Park. I don’t think people should stop visiting these locations just because they’re overshot but I love it when someone can capture that view in a refreshing and creative way.



  10. What are a few tips you would give someone who wants to pursue travel photography

    Start local and grow from there. Your own backyard is a great launching pad into the world. Next, go on road trips with your friends. This is an easy way to break in the feeling of being gone for days and the challenges of travel (keeping gear charged, being adaptable, chasing golden hour, etc.) Once you have a hang of some closer trips, it makes staying organized while traveling internationally that much easier.



  11. What is your weapon of choice (Equipment)?

    As an engineer, I’m in love with everything Sony does. I think from a product evolution and evolving technology standpoint, they are progressing faster than all their competitors. I shoot with the Sony a7riii and also use the Rx0ii. I mainly shoot with the Sony 24-70mm f2.8 GM lens but also use the 24mm f1.4, 12-24mm f4, 16-35mm f4, and 35mm f1.4. I also use a DJI Mavic Pro 2 for aerial work since the quality you get in that size can’t be beat.



Sony announces new feature upgrades in α9, α7R III and α7III cameras

Sony India recently announced a major upgrade to its α9 mirrorless camera that will be available to the users through a firmware updates. Sony’s α9 camera will receive several major enhancements to its autofocus (AF) performance and image quality, as well as a variety of new features that are designed to improve the overall workflow for professional photographers. In addition, new firmware updates for α7R III and α7 III will be available that update these cameras with the latest enhancements including Real-time Eye AF performance and add interval recording capacities.

 

Hiroyuki Tokuno, Head of Digital Imaging Division, Sony India said, “The new firmware upgrades to Sony’s acclaimed α9 to enhance its key features is an outcome of our commitment to the fact that we strive to offer nothing less than a premium experience to our customers. Their voice is critical to everything we do and being able to provide our customers with new capabilities is a source of great pride for Sony.”

The upgrades include Evolved Eye AF with half press activation and right and left selection; Real Time Tracking to capture subject with extreme precision; Real-time Eye AF for Animals for Wildlife photography; Interval Record Functionality for time-lapse movies; Improved Features and Imaging Edge Mobile applications support for professional photographers

 

In addition to the several new capabilities, the firmware also adds compatibility with Sony’s new ‘Imaging Edge Mobile’[iv] application – the successor to the PlayMemories Mobile application. The new Imaging Edge Mobile application features a ‘Transfer & Tagging add-on’[v] to assist professional workflow. This allows photographers to transfer images from their camera to their smartphone simultaneously using the FTP transfer functionality[vi],and adds support for including IPTC metadata[vii] on transferred images.

 

The new system firmware update version 5.0 and version 3.0 is already available. A variety of exclusive stories and exciting new content related to all of Sony’s exciting announcements can be found at alphacommunity.sony.co.in. The new content will also be posted directly at the Sony Photo Gallery and the Sony India Channel on YouTube.

Panasonic unveils the S1 and S1R mirrorless full-frame cameras in India

Panasonic unveiled their much awaited S1 and S1R mirrorless full-frame cameras in India recently under the banner of ‘Futurography’. The S1R features a 47-megapixel sensor whereas the S1 features a 26-megapixel. The cameras are priced at 2.99 lac (body only) and 1.99 lac (body only) are the company’s foray into the full frame mirrorless market, aimed at the professional photographers looking to push the boundaries in the full frame segment. The 3 biggest plays that the manufacturer is banking on is the ‘Pixel Shift’ technology, 4K with 60p and also new M mount, which with the help of the Sigma adapter allows users to use any lens on the cameras. ‘We’ve been waiting to launch a product like this’ said Manish Sharma, President and CEO, Panasonic India & South Asia. The S1R is aimed at the professional with a 47-megapixel camera while the S1 is aimed at the more affordable range. In terms of video both cameras shoot 4K and offer frame rates of up to 60 FPS. And that seems good considering that both offer Dual Stabilization, in-body as well as lens. And also the camera features the highest resolution EVF in the industry currently, giving a resolution of 5.7 million dots at the refresh rate of 120 FPS. The new cameras also come along with the new M mount lenses that are jointly developed with Leica and Sigma. Along with the cameras Panasonic debuted the 50 mm F/1.4, the 70-200mm F4 with OIS and also the 24-105 mm F4 Macro with OIS. Over time the M mount is expected to universally allow users to use other manufactures lenses on the Panasonic bodies. 

Fujifilm X-T30 Full Review

Fujifilm has dubbed the X-T30 the “Little Giant” – a small camera with big performance. It’s the successor to the X-T20, and it’s a kind of cut-down version of the company’s flagship X-T3 model which shares a lot of that camera’s technological advances. You’d still pick the X-T3 for speed, handling with bigger lenses and high-end 4K video, but the X-T30 is ideal if you want a sophisticated, high-performance mirrorless camera that’s also small and not too expensive.  This makes the X-T30 a great little all-round camera that’s right at the cutting edge of APS-C mirrorless camera technology, but well under the Rs 1,00,000 price barrier. If you’re a first-time Fujifilm user and you need a kit lens to go with it, that will probably push it over that figure.


Canon EOS RP Full Review


Canon EOS RP is the Canon’s latest offering in the full-frame mirrorless segment. A smaller version of Canon EOS R with a compact and light-weight body, Canon has launch EOS RP for the users looking for some budget friendly full frame mirrorless camera. In terms of dimensions, Canon EOS RP is nearly 30% smaller and almost 200 grams lighter than Canon EOS R. The EOS RP really is impressively smaller than many of Canon’s DSLRs that have smaller APS-C sensors. Despite this, Canon has made sure the controls aren’t constricted, the grip is comfortable, and both the viewfinder and screen are nice and big.




Canon EOS RP Key Specifications

 

  • 26.2MP Dual Pixel CMOS sensor

  • 4K/24p (from 1.7x crop region)

  • 4 fps continuous shooting with continuous AF (5 without)

  • Pupil detection AF in continous/Servo AF mode

  • AF rated to -5EV

  • Digic 8 processor

  • 2.36M dot OLED viewfinder

  • Fully-articulated 1.04M dot touchscreen

  • Twin command dials



Look, Body and Feel

The Canon EOS RP comes with a 7.62-cm Vari-angle OLED touch panel and DIGIC 8 image processor with Dual Pixel CMOS AF. The offering weighs 485grams with dimensions 132.5 x 85.3 x 70.0mm. It carries a special Feature Assistant which helps users with navigation. The offering also has an RF lens mount which was introduced in the EOS R and it has a short focal length of 20mm. Users can also use their existing collection of EF and EF-S lenses via an optional mount adapter. The Canon EOS RP is kitted with a 26.2MP Full-Frame CMOS sensor with an ISO range of 100-40,000 and it can be expanded to the range of 50-1,02,400. The Auto Lighting Optimizer feature of the camera helps in balancing the darkest and brightest parts of a picture for better low-light results. The Digital Lens Optimizer corrects distortions, and the CMOS sensor provides Optical Image Stabilisation. Additionally, the Dual Pixel CMOS AF provides autofocus speed of up to 0.05 seconds. There are 4,779 selectable AF positions and the Eye Detection AF which works in Servo AF mode focuses on the subject’s eyes even when it is in motion. The camera is also capable of shooting videos with 4K resolution at 24p/25p and the Combination IS provides stable footage even without a tripod. It has an LP-E17 battery and along with that, the camera can be charged by the optional USB Power Adapter PD-E1 through its Hi-Speed USB 2.0/ Type C Interface. One can also transfer data via Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Low Energy technology. The product also performs network-related functions using Canon Camera Connect app for mobile devices. The continuous shooting speed of the camera is 5fps in One-Shot AF and 4ps in Servo AF.

Compared to the existing EOS R, the RP is a bit more ‘compact’ and significantly slimmed down, against other full-frame interchangeable lens cameras, only Sony’s original A7 is lighter. Despite its light weight, the RP’s all-plastic body feels reassuringly solid, with little in the way of creaks or obvious signs of cost-cutting in its build. It’s at a price point where we can’t really complain about the lack of weather-sealing, but at least the RF lenses so far have a covering to keep dust and moisture entering around the mount. The grip on the RP is quite comfortable, and it may not be comfortable for use with larger lenses, the optional grip extender will help here. Though a fractionally larger grip that could have also accommodated a larger battery was much needed in EOS RP. The RF 24-105mm F4L IS USM which came with the camera works good, but is not up to mark as the lens is bit heavy which makes the hold uncomfortable. The control on the EOS RP are well implemented than Canon EOS R. The touch bar form EOS R is missing in EOS RP, which is a good point. Customization buttons are provided by Canon, giving you plenty of flexibility with some buttons. If you want to use the four-way controller for AF point placement instead of the touchscreen, there’s still no option to make your chosen AF area move faster, which we would really like to see on EOS RP and the EOS R. The rear screen provides and excellent and responsive touchscreen experience. The electronic viewfinder has loer resolution than Canon EOS R but it still provides good colours and contrast.



Image Quality

The Canon EOS RP has a 26.2 megapixel full-frame sensor. The images look nice and colourful. The exposures were correctly exposed and had a good result in terms of sharpness. The Canon EOS RP does not have an in-body stabilisation system built in which is a major miss on the Canon EOS RP. The depth of field in the images are quite good and smooth as the ditance between the lens the sensor is less, which is a plus point for Canon EOS RP. Looking at the low light images, Canon EOS RP performed pretty good with colours, though it had a liitle reddish tinge in the images. The low light portrait captured on EOS RP resulted with good colours and sharpness.




ISO Performance

The ISO performance of this camera isn’t bad. We really liked how the camera handled ISOs upto 6400 well. While other mirrorless cameras in this category might be a better perfomer or the same, this camera is by no means any less competent. The camera faulters a bit at ISO 12800 and shows signs of grains and becomes almost unusable at ISO 12800 as the picture loses edge sharpness.



Video Quality

The video quality of Canon EOS RP isn’t bad, but there are few points which needs to be noticed. The Eye Auto Focus Tracking in EOS RP is ok in comparison with other full-frame mirrorless camera, though it had lag in focusing the eye when the subject is moving. While the focusing speed is fast and smooth in the videos. Canon EOS RP is missing in-body stabilisation system and the stability is totally dependent on the lens. While shooting the video with turning off the stabilisation on lens, the camera performed the same as other full-frame mirrorless camera do. The major part to notice in video section of Canon EOS RP is that it shoots Full HD on 60fps which link to the missing of slow mo in the camera as there is no 120fps available and it also shoots 4k with 1.7x crop frame of the sensor at 25fps only.


Conclusion

 

The Canon EOS RP is priced at Rs 1,10,495 for the body only, which is much more lower than the other full frame mirrorless camera. However, The Canon EOS RP misses out on a few things than the other full frame mirrorless camera like in-built stabilisation system and joystick. However, the images from the Canon do not dissapoint when it come to quality and colour reproduction. The images along with he ISO performance is definiltly something you can look forward to if you have a lower budget for a full-frame mirrorless.

Sony announces new RX0 II

Sony has announced the RX0 II, what they are billing as the “smallest and lightest premium ultra-compact camera.” A waterproof, dustproof, shockproof, crushproof and extremely small “premium” camera, the RX0 II is capable of internal 4K recording and now includes a flip-up screen that tilts upwards 180 degrees and downward 90 degrees (for selfies, as you could guess).



The main featured specifications actually look really good on paper:

  • Superb image quality delivered by 1.0-type stacked 15.3MP image sensor condensed into waterproof, rugged, highly compact body
  • Features a ZEISS Tessar T* 24mm f/4 fixed wide-angle lens
  • Movie shooting with 4K internal recording and new image stabilization solutions
  • Advanced functionality for stills photography, including up to 1/32000 sec. anti-distortion shutter and up to 16fps continuous shooting
  • Diverse range of shooting scenes enabled by waterproof 180-degree tiltable LCD panel and Clear Image Zoom
  • Multi-camera solution that enables creative video expression from various viewpoints



The RX0 II offers 4Kp30 internal movie recording with full pixel readout and no pixel binning to collect approximately 1.7x the amount of data required for 4K video. By oversampling this data, the moire and jaggies is reduced to deliver clean, high-quality 4K footage with exceptional detail and depth. The RX0 II introduces in-body electronic stabilization for steady footage, even when shot handheld. This can be enhanced even further when footage is exported to a smartphone or tablet running Sony’s “Movie Edit add-on” application, where the additional information captured during filming can be processed to produce a video with gimbal-like smoothness. Additional movie features of the RX0 II include Super Slow Motion recording at up to 1,000 fps, uncompressed 4K HDMI output and simultaneous proxy movie recording. But more than video, the RX0 II promises a high-quality photo taking experience. It boasts an anti-distortion shutter of up to 1/32,000 sec. and can shoot at up to 16 fps. Rating and Protect functions can also be applied in-camera and a grouped display of continuously shot images can be viewed on the camera. Sony’s Eye AF, which is proving hugely popular with portrait photographers across the world, has been upgraded on the RX0 II. The speed, accuracy and operation of the Eye AF are improved to make it even easier to capture a stunning portrait; a simple half-press of the shutter button will lock-on to the eye of the subject.

Nikon D3500 vs Nikon D3400 Review

Nikon D3500 vs D3400 Review




Many of you have been asking us to review the Nikon D3400 against the new D3500 since a while. And if you already have bought the older generation cameras like the D3100, 3300 or the 3400, then this is a question that must be on top of your head. But you aren’t alone, there are many like you and this article is focused specially on people like you. 


If you aren’t much of a reader and would like to see a video instead then you can log onto our YouTube Channel and see a complete comparison.


Similar Features:


So while there is much to deliberate when it comes to the new D3500. It has literally taken Nikon two whole years to launch the new update. And that is fair since the new product cycle in the photography industry is approximately that. But what is important to note is that there are many similarities between the two cameras.



  • Same size sensor: Both the cameras feature the same size sensor, which is 24.2 megapixel and are powered by the Expeed 4 processor. Unfortunately the new D3500 still doesn’t support in-body image stabilization. But while the specs of the sensors are the same, according to Nikon the sensor on the D3500 has been tweaked slightly as compared to the 3400 in order to give better performance. So whether this has an effect on its performance and the output is something that we will check later. 


  • ISO capability and FPS: They both have an ISO range of 100-25,600 and shoot at 5 fps. They also feature the same 11-point focus system that has been around in the D3400 since years. At the back it has the 3-inch LCD screen with features 921k resolution. 


So largely the D3500 features the specs as the D3400. The D3500 comes at Rs. 34,500 approximately with the 18-55mm lens. On the other hand the D3400 has been discontinued by Nikon and might be difficult to find in the Nikon authorised stores. But on aggregator platforms like Amazon and Flipkart one can easily find a deal for the camera at approximately Rs. 30,000 (which might include a dual lens kit). 


So what are the Key Differences?


The first thing you notice is that the D3500 it is lighter a slightly compact than the D3400 (it is 30 grams lighter than the 3400). Next, all the buttons have moved to the right making it easy to operate. And since these buttons have moved to the right and the body is more compact, the screen seems a lot bigger.


The camera also features a deeper grip as compared to the D3400. But this deeper grip also means that your fingers might get stuck in the 3500, especially for someone which has bigger hands. The plus point however is that it offers a much more handy grip even when you attach and use more heavier lenses.


One of the key improvements in the 3500 is the increased battery life. The battery life has been improved by over 30% in the 3500 as compared to the 3400. As per the CIPA ratings a single charge can now give 1550 shots as opposed to the 1200 pics that the 3400 could give using the same battery.



What’s missing?


But where they have improved all of these things I felt that they should’ve also worked on some of the things to improve from the D3400.


For instance:


  • No external microphone input: The camera still doesn’t come with an external microphone input. Now this was not there in the D3400 also, but in today’s day and age with users migrating towards using the cameras as video recording devices, I think this is a must have.


  • Less customisable buttons: The D3500 unfortunately has less customisable buttons as compared to the D3400. In the previous camera, there was a Fn button on the front-left side of the body. But this has been removed in the D3500 in order to give the front a cleaner look. While that might be great, a quick customisable button usually proves very useful for consumers who want to toggle and change settings quickly. 


  • No swivel screen: And as the other cameras in this category, the 3500 doesn’t have a swivel screen. Now this is something that you can still live with. But not have a touch screen at the back is not great. With more and more users looking to upgrade from their smart devices to the entry-level segment, a touch screen is an important feature to have. 


Performance:


With both the cameras featuring the similar specs one might think that the performance of the cameras might be the same. But there certain changes in the performance that are noticeable. 


Daylight Pic:



In terms of the performance of the cameras in daylight conditions, there’s hardly any difference in the pictures between the 2 cameras. The image of the flower that we have shot here is well saturated, sharp and also reproduces the colours accurately. Although the image from the D3500 seems slightly brighter and better exposed. But the difference between the two cameras is marginal.



As for the picture of the props and toys, the colour is also poppy, well-rounded and overall nearly similar. But in this case as well the sharpness and details in the D3500 is slightly higher than the D3400.


Daylight portrait:



It is nearly the same with the portraits as well during the day. All the images shot with both the cameras are shot on the exact same settings. And again the pictures are good. But the overall images in the 3500 seemed slightly more saturated as compared to the 3400. The image also has a slightly warmer cast than the 3400.


Low-light pictures:



In terms of the low-light images, whether portrait or otherwise we can see slight changes in the images. For instance the biggest one is the use of the older lens on the 3400, you can see a lot of lens flaring in the images from the 3400 as compared to the images from the 3500.



But as for the images again there wasn’t much to choose from. The images are nearly identical and one can hardly tell the difference.


Video Performance:


The video performance for the cameras was what differentiated things for me. While both cameras seemed to have a slight focus tracking problem, the 3500 was a lot better than the 3400. And while you don’t have a swivel screen making it easy for your to use it as a vlogging camera, there is enough there to make the cut in this department. 


Conclusion:


So what is the overall answer then? Should you go for the D3500 if you are a new user or if you have an older camera like the D3100, 3300 or 3400? Well this is a mixed bag for me honestly. If you are in the market to buy a new camera then yes surely you should buy the D3500. 


But if you are using an older camera like the 3300 or the 3100 then there are a lot of formidable upgrades that make the D3500 interesting enough for you. And if you already using the D3400 and are thinking of upgrading then this is a question best answered by you. If you see the specs then the specs are same, but there are small tweaks that have made the performance of the D3500 slightly better. So if you have the extra money and can afford that upgrade then you could go with the D3500.


But for the new users I would also suggest that you look at some of the other mirrorless options in the market around the same price range since that is where the future is heading according to us.


Text: Bhavya Desai