Introduction

Camera manufacturers are doing a really good job of offering devices that capture pure goodness at a reasonable standpoint. Most of the beginner DSLR cameras available today are capable of shooting RAW, have great battery life, large and improved sensors as well as lenses that can be swapped out for others making them extremely versatile.

The Canon EOS Rebel T6[/url] and [link url="https://amzn.to/2T8Ozr5"]Nikon D3400 are two such cameras but which of the two makes for a better camera given that they have the exact price point. To find out which of the two is better, we take a deep dive into different aspects of the cameras that will hopefully help you answer the question above.

Summary Table

For a quick summer, see our table below.  All these points are explained in more detail throughout the article:

Sensors

When we compared the sensor of the two cameras, we found that the Nikon D3400 took home the crown as its sensor was better than that of the Canon T6. Both cameras have APS-C sensors which are quite large than what is usually fitted in smartphones. Because the sensor is larger, it facilitates shooting low light shots that are much better as well as enabling users to have out of focus backgrounds in their shots. The difference between the Canon T6 and Nikon D3400 is that the megapixels of the D3400 are slightly more than those of the T6 and as such photos are slightly larger and more detailed.

Winner: Nikon D3400

Connectivity

User needs and advances in technology have resulted in connectivity options being a necessity in a lot of the devices we use today, including DSLR cameras. The Canon T6 offers its users both NFC and Wi-Fi connectivity while the D3400 offers Bluetooth connectivity.

The Bluetooth connectivity in the D3400 facilitates automatic image transfer and cloud back through the SnapBridge app; however, the files are compressed, which reduces their resolution. The lack of Wi-Fi connectivity means that users cannot transfer full-resolution files. And while Bluetooth connectivity is convenient, no one would want their beautifully shot images being compromised on, and as such we think that the Canon T6 wins on the connectivity front.

Winner: Canon EOS Rebel T6[/url]

Winner: [link url="https://amzn.to/2T8Ozr5"]Nikon D3400

Design and Ergonomics

We had a bit of difficulty trying to compare the two cameras based on their design as they look almost alike and have pretty much the same design. Both the T6 and D3400 do not have a tilting display screen. They do however have a display screen that is not a touch screen and have a few control buttons to help users manipulate the camera’s autofocus, white balance, and ISO settings amongst others.

Unlike with other expensive cameras that have a complicated control scheme, the control scheme of the T6 and D3400 is overly simple and a delight to use. With regards to the weight and dimensions the Canon T6 is slightly larger and heavier than the Nikon weighing and measuring at 17.1 ounces and 5.8 x 3.99 x 3.06 inches in comparison to Nikon’s 14 ounces and 4.9 x 3.9 x 3.0 inches. We couldn’t choose a winner in this category, and so we leave it up to you to make that decision.

Winner: It’s a Tie!

Speed and Video

If you are looking for a performance from a DSLR camera, then none of these would be the ideal option as they are beginner DSLRs and as such, they are not quite speedy. However, this doesn’t mean that they’re entirely useless as they have decent burst speeds. The burst speed is indicative of the number of images that a camera can capture in one second and for the Nikon D3400 the speed is at 5fps in comparison to the T6’s 3fps. The Nikon is the clear winner when it comes to speed as it offers its users an additional two images that they can choose from in every burst.

Nikon still retains its dominance in the video category edging out the T6 with technology that delivers sixty frames per second when shooting HD video. This number is double that of Canon’s which sits at thirty frames per second. Even though 30 fps is the normal frame rate for a lot of videos the 60 fps from the Nikon means that the videos are much smoother and seamless

Winner: Nikon D3400

Autofocus

The importance of autofocus in a camera cannot be stressed enough. A camera’s autofocus performance is more than just the number of point it has but equally about the tech specifications of the camera, which should facilitate the ability of the autofocus to work accurately.

For better autofocus accuracy, a camera autofocus point has to be plentiful. The Nikon D3400 fails to disappoint on this front with 11 autofocus points which one-up Canon’s 9 autofocus points. The two extra points in the D3400 mean that photographers have a little more wiggle room to manually position the active focus point. The Nikon D3400 has a slightly better and improved tech, which facilitates the light sensitivity that is ideal for the camera’s autofocus to function.

Winner: Nikon D3400

Final thoughts

Both these cameras are great but, if we were to make a decision on which is the better camera based on just the specifications, then we would obviously settle for the Nikon D3400. Nonetheless, there is so much more that goes into making the decision than comparing various specifications. While yes this article was about helping you figure which one between the T6 and D3400 is the better option, you could, for example, consider the T6i which compares much better to the D3400 or consider the D3500 which costs fifty dollars more but give you even better specs and features.

It’s our hope you found this article to be enlightening as you try and figure out what to get.