Nikon D3500 Review

 Nikon D3500: Technical Review, specifications and more

The Nikon D3500 isn't just one of the best entry-level DSLRs you can buy – it's also one of the cheapest.

This Nikon D3500 is designed specifically for beginners, with simplified controls and a built in Guide Mode to help new users learn the basics. But it’s also compatible with a wide range of F-mount Nikon lenses, from Nikon and third-party makers, and has a good enough specification to please enthusiasts as well as beginners. So is this one of the best cheap cameras you can get.

Nikon D3500 specs at a glance:

Camera type: DSLR

Lens mount: Nikon F

Sensor: 24.2MP APS-C CMOS 4, 23.5 x 15.6mm

Full frame: No

In-body image  stabilization (IBIS): No

Image processor: EXPEED 4

AF points: 11-point AF, 1 cross-type

ISO range: 100 to 25,600

Max image size: 6,000 x 4,000px

Metering zones: 420 pixel RGB sensor

Video: 1920 x 1080 at 60p, 50p, 30p, 25p, 24p

Viewfinder: Optical pentamirror, 95% coverage

Memory card: SD/SDHC/SDXC UHS I

LCD: 3.0-inch fixed, 921K dots

Max burst: 5fps

Connectivity: Bluetooth

Size: 124 x 97 x 69.5mm (body only)

Weight: 415g (body only, with battery and memory card)

Key Features: Inside, the D3500 has a 24.2-megapixel APS-C 'DX' sensor. It might be a beginner-level camera, but that’s as high as most APS-C cameras go. It also has an unusually good 5fps continuous shooting speed, where most rivals in this price bracket can only manage 3fps.

Nikon does not use in-body stabilization in its DSLR cameras, but many Nikon lenses, including the AF-P 18-55mm lens bundled with this camera, come with Nikon’s VR (Vibration Reduction) system. There are cheaper kits on sale with a non-VR lens, but we think it's worth paying the extra.

You don’t get 4K video capability with this camera, but it can shoot full HD 1920 x 1080 video at up to 60/50fps. You don’t get Wi-Fi, either, but built-in Bluetooth does let you transfer images to your smart device and, in this latest model, fire the shutter remotely using your smartphone.

Performance: The D3500's live view autofocus is much faster and more responsive than we'd expect from a simple contrast-based AFf system.

The D3500 feels very responsive. The autofocus beep is a bit loud, but the AF-P lens’s autofocus is so swift and quiet that you need some audio feedback to let you know it’s focused.

In viewfinder shooting, the 11 AF points are clustered towards the middle of the frame, but if your subject is near the edge it’s easy enough to focus and then reframe before shooting. You can let the camera choose the focus point automatically or select it yourself; either way it’s very fast, and very positive.

In live view mode you can select a focus point anywhere on the screen. In the absence of touch control you have to use the four-way buttons on the back of the camera to move the AF point, which is a bit slow. The live view autofocus itself, though, is surprisingly fast. Nikon does not use on-sensor phase-detection autofocus in its DSLRs, relying on slower contrast-based autofocus instead.

Or at least it should be slow. But somewhere along the line Nikon has found a way to make the D3500’s live view AF feel almost as responsive as a mirrorless camera’s, and we think it’s down to the AF-P autofocus technology in its kit lens. Swapping to one of Nikon’s AF-S lenses confirms that it’s the AF-P system that’s providing the speed.

Verdict: The Nikon D3500 does have its limitations, obviously, because of its price and its intended audience, but we think it's easily the best DSLR for beginners right now – and because mirrorless cameras with viewfinders tend to cost more, we'd say it's the best camera for beginners all round.