Buying a NEW CAMERA

[Nick Aviation Photos]

Hi guys, I need advice with buying a camera. So far I've been using a Sony DSX-HX90 which is a small, NON-DSLR camera (or whatever you want to call this type of camera). I think it's time for me to upgrade to a DSLR. It is hard for me to get a good result with my current camera. For example, it is bad at low-light. Grain and heat haze is a big issue. Also, I cannot do firing mode properly because the camera does not re-focus between each shot. I've also noticed that I can get blurry photos very easily.
For example, when I take photos of a cockpit after a flight, grain and blur always occurs on my photos. Here is a PERFECT example.... (look at the top left of the photo).



Here are some other examples of bad results...



So, I'm thinking about getting the Nikon D3400. It is $799 AUD and it comes with two lenses (18-55 and 55-200). I don't wanto to spend toooo much money on this so anyway... Have any of you people had any experience with this camera? My friend has the D3200 which is two models below and he has pretty good photos, including a few on Jetphotos.
Here are the specs of the 3400...

• Megapixels (Still) - 24.2
  Colour - Black
  Image Sensor - DX CMOS
  
  Sensor size - 23.5mm x 15.6mm
  
  ISO - 100 - 25600
  Lens - NIKKOR Lens
  Lens Diameter (mm) - 64
  Lens Focal Length (mm) - 18-55
  Lens Aperture Range - f/3.5-5.6
  Lens Filter Diameter (mm) - 55
  Lens Mount Type - Nikon F Mount
  Max. Shutter Speed - 1/4000
  Built-in Flash - True
  Expandable Memory Format - Micro SD Card/Micro SDHC Card/
  Device Screen Size (Inches) - 3.0
  Rechargeable - False
  Movie Recording - Full HD
  Bluetooth - Yes
  Mini HDMI Ports - 1
  Micro USB Ports - 1
  Manufacturer's Warranty - 1 Year

[seahawk]

The sensor is good (same as the D7200) but it lacks a bit in features compared to the more expensive models. I would recommend to go for the 55-300 as it is better than the 55-200 and gives you more reach for very little extra money. But be warned the new camera would still produce the faults in your examples, as those are basic photography faults.

In the cockpit shot you were shooting a F 3.5 which means that the depth of field is very limited, which means that the outer part of the cockpit will be too close or too far away (depending on side) from the camera, so that they are outside the sharp focal plane. Furthermore many lenses show soft corners when used full open, the Nikon kit zooms do too.

The A320 is simply underexposed. You will still need to learn which metering mode to use and how to read a histogram and how to apply exposure compensation.

The Q400 is mostly heat distorted and overexposed. A new camera won´t fix that either unless you invest the time to learn some basic photographic skills. (AF modes, metering modes, F stops to use, ISO settings to use, exposure compensation, understanding a histogram)

[Nick Aviation Photos]

The sensor is good (same as the D7200) but it lacks a bit in features compared to the more expensive models. I would recommend to go for the 55-300 as it is better than the 55-200 and gives you more reach for very little extra money. But be warned the new camera would still produce the faults in your examples, as those are basic photography faults.

In the cockpit shot you were shooting a F 3.5 which means that the depth of field is very limited, which means that the outer part of the cockpit will be too close or too far away (depending on side) from the camera, so that they are outside the sharp focal plane. Furthermore many lenses show soft corners when used full open, the Nikon kit zooms do too.

The A320 is simply underexposed. You will still need to learn which metering mode to use and how to read a histogram and how to apply exposure compensation.

The Q400 is mostly heat distorted and overexposed. A new camera won´t fix that either unless you invest the time to learn some basic photographic skills. (AF modes, metering modes, F stops to use, ISO settings to use, exposure compensation, understanding a histogram)

Hi sir, thanks for your reply. I understand what you mean. So the problem is not the camera but the actual settings used? I shoot in auto all the time. I never actually choose the shutter speed, nor the aperture nor the ISO. The camera chooses it for me (I know, I should start shooting with manual settings!!!).
However, will a better camera do a better job at choosing these settings when shooting in AUTO mode??

[seahawk]

The Sony has a pretty decent automatic mode, so in full automatic mode a D3X00 will do better, but it still will not be consistent. You get a much better sensor, that will do better at higher ISO settings, but without learning at least some basic photography skills it will still be inconsistent and you will waste a lot of the capabilities of the camera. You can actually save a bit money by looking for a D3300 instead. It has the basically same sensor and a sensor cleaning mechanism, which has been removed from the D3400, in exchange for some additional social media sharing gimmicks. The scene modes might also be helpful, but can also create their own problems. (D-Lighting halos etc.)

[Nick Aviation Photos]

The Sony has a pretty decent automatic mode, so in full automatic mode a D3X00 will do better, but it still will not be consistent. You get a much better sensor, that will do better at higher ISO settings, but without learning at least some basic photography skills it will still be inconsistent and you will waste a lot of the capabilities of the camera. You can actually save a bit money by looking for a D3300 instead. It has the basically same sensor and a sensor cleaning mechanism, which has been removed from the D3400, in exchange for some additional social media sharing gimmicks. The scene modes might also be helpful, but can also create their own problems. (D-Lighting halos etc.)

Cool. Also one last question, does a better sensor mean less noise/grain on videos and photos?

[seahawk]

In the same light, yes.

[Nathaniel.S]

I have the D3400 with 18-55mm and 70-300mm lenses. I have had amazing success with it on Jetphotos. I would definitely recommend.