This purchase was a long time in the making. It starts... well I can't even remember. I have really got into taking photos ever since the iPhone has had a good camera. I love taking photos of landscapes, people, the cats, me, hahaha. I thought about getting a DSLR a few times, but kept deciding that the camera on my phone was good enough for what I wanted to do. So for a few years I stuck with my phone. However sometimes I felt like I could take a much better image if I had a camera. I also found the idea of just going out to take photos would be more...realistic if I had a separate camera. Not to mention the rate at which my iPhone battery goes down if I have the screen on taking photos.
I still argued with myself about how much I would use a DSLR and the hassle of having to carry a separate devise with me. I mean we always have our phones with us, but how likely am I to have a DSLR with me? Not very!
So I stuck with the phone camera, until I was fortunate enough to be brought one for my 30th birthday by my girlfriend at the time. I really enjoyed going out and using the camera, particularly in low light. It took photos way beyond my phones ability. It encouraged me to go out and venture around. To look for places to take great (above average for most people, haha) photos. Much like I later found with the Pokemon Go app, having the camera helped to get me outside and moving around. As someone that suffers with depression that can be a very hard thing to do. The fact I'm currently sat in bed at 13.27 maybe is a bit of an example of that.
Unfortunately that relationship ended and when it did that camera was taken back, and so I returned to using my phone. A few months later the idea of having a DSLR returned to me. I decided that when I had one I had really enjoyed using it and it was a positive thing for me to have. So I started looking online for reviews. There were some review sites that posed up, but my main sources were Amazon reviews, youtube and TechRadar. Having viewed these sites I found the Nikon D3300 seemed the closest to what I wanted and was in my price range. Ironically this was also the model that I had previously had. Showing just how much of a good present it had been...
The one thing that I wasn't too keen on was the fact that I had to take the SD card out and plug it in to transfer the images. While looking for the best deal for the D3300 I happened to come across an offer for the D3400. I had not previously looked at this model as it was out of my price range. But the offer meant through the amazon seller this model, which most importantly offered snap-bridge was only £20 more than the D3300 model.
Snap-Bridge is software that, through an app, allows me to send images from the camera to my devises by bluetooth. That was a very key selling point for me, and moved me over from I think I want to buy, to yes this one!
Now I should also mention that this model will not be for everyone. I think the two things that will put most people off are the fact that it does not have a touch screen or a moveable screen. So filming yourself isn't going to be easy. These things do not bother me, yes a moveable screen would be nice but its no real loss.
I have gradually been learning how to use the camera since I purchased it. I have been quite fortunate in that I have also spoken to someone at a recent bloggers event (Sadie, @eidaSnibleB) who has a similar camera who told me how to set the timer and remove the auto focus features. I would be lining up my image and getting the focus right then the camera would change the image because it thought I wanted to focus on something else. That was quite annoying. So learning how to take control of the camera has been really good. It also means the shots are mine, not the cameras. I have already been to the forest, beach, seafront and have plans to go into a town centre with the camera. Its been a great purchase for me, I love being creative with it and trying new things. Not every shot is good! But thats part of the fun, its about learning how to use the camera and creating your own photography. While also enjoying the location I am in.
I look forward to taking even more amazing images with my Nikon D3400.
