Nikon D3400 Or Nikon D5200?

I am looking to get my first DSLR camera, these are the two ive narrowed it down to in my price range. Can anyone help me with comparing which of the two would be a better fit for their values?

 

Nikon D3400 W/ AF-P DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR $540 CND

Nikon D5200 W/ AF-S DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR $529 CND

 

I know the lens on the D3400 may be better but I can always upgrade lenses in the future and I am liking the features on the D5200.

 

Please advise and thanks in advance!

Eleven dollars difference and no difference in image quality or lens compatibility. Get the one you like better which would seem to be the 5200.

I started out with a D5100. Within a year I was wishing I had bought the D7000 instead. (They have the same 16 Mp sensor.) After three years I saved up and bought a used D7100 that is still my primary body, with the D5100 doing yeoman duty as alternate/backup. I love that my D7100 can access all essential exposure controls without going into menus, and will meter with my older (40+ years older) AI and AI-S lenses. Both of the options you list are very capable, and it will take you a long time to reach the outer limits of their capabilities. That said, if I were building a system from scratch, I would still be tempted by the D7XXX series because these bodies are adaptable to a whole range of lenses going back 40+ years. I would still even consider a used D7000 as an excellent, if dated, starter camera. I wouldn't necessarily assume an AF-P lens as essentially better than an AF-S lens. Quality of the optics is much more important than which circuitry it contains. AF-P are marketed as optimal for video, but they are not backwards compatible with all Nikon DSLR cameras. Also, you can pick up very excellent manual, AF and AF-S lenses without paying full price for the latest and greatest AF-P glass. (Note that the D3XXX and D5XXX are NOT fully compatible older manual AI and AF lenses, because they do not have an internal focus motor for the AF lenses, and they do not include a feeler for the AI aperture ring.) I also think you should consider adding an AF-S 35mm/1.8 DX to your package, available used for very reasonable prices, sometimes under $100 US. If you just want to get started, the D5200 and AF-S lens will more than meet your needs, with the D3400 being right in the same ballpark, but with fewer features.

thoughts on the nikon D5500?

I recently have got d5200. there is no doubt that the camera very good. but if you are new to digital photography like me then the learning curve might be very steep. autofocus works best. main features are discussed in detail in this video.

there are several functions which you can manipulate to get an excellent photograph but sometimes i get frustrated because i feel difficult to remember. see some of the results in my profile.

 

 

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D5500 is a further development of the D5200, with features to make it "easier" and more fun to use, but that most serious photographers would consider to be gimmicks. Some folks really like the touch screen as the biggest difference, making access to various camera controls nearly as easy as the external buttons on the D7100 and other, higher-end bodies. Autofocus and high ISO performance are essentially identical, and certainly a beginner won't see a difference in the technical characteristics in the images.