There was a big announcement from Nikon introducing brand-new, full-frame mirrorless cameras (Nikon Z6 and Z7) but for those who aren't quite so advanced with their photography, or don't have the budget to stretch to a few thousand pounds, Nikon also introduced a new entry-level DSLR - the D3500. This is our guide to the differences between the D3400 and D3500.

The D3500 is the successor to the popular Nikon D3400 that was introduced a few years ago and even though quite a bit of the inner-workings of the new Nikon D3500 are similar to the D3400, there are some notable changes we thought we'd mention.

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On paper, a noticeable difference is the slightly reduced size compared to the Nikon D3400, and the Nikon D3500 DSLR is 45g lighter. There are noticeable design changes, too, with a deeper grip appearing on the front of the camera and buttons having a move around. 

If you look at the below image which shows the rear of each DSLR, you can see that all of the buttons from the left are now positioned to the right, alongside all of the other buttons, so everything is in easy reach and instead of a LiveView button, there's now a LiveView switch. The Info button has been moved from the top to the back, and the flash button is also on the back, rather than the side. The Grip is also slightly bigger on the new D3500 which should make the camera more comfortable to hold. 

The other main difference between the two entry-level DSLRs is the battery life with the D3500 having a battery rating of 1550 shots which is 350 more shots than the D3400 can capture. 

There's also an in-built Guide Mode - useful for DSLR beginners and Bluetooth can now be used to shoot remotely with the help of the SnapBridge application. 

That's pretty much it for 'what's new' and 'what's better', because as you can see from the quick comparison table, quite a bit of the specs are the same (specs in bold are improved/different):

Quick comparisson table: 

Nikon D3500 DSLR Summary Of Key Features:

• 24.2 MP DX-format APS-C CMOS sensor
• Wide ISO range of 100–25600
• 5fps continuous shooting
• Better battery
• Improved grip 
• New button layout
• 1080p video at 60fps
• Guide Mode to help new users
• 3-inch LCD screen
• Bluetooth for image transfer via Nikon's SnapBridge app (which can also be used as a remote trigger) 

The new DSLR is available in two kits: D3500 + AF-P DX 18-55mm VR and D3500 + AF-P 18-55mm with RRPs of £499 (with VR) and £479 (without VR). VR is Nikon's name for optical image stabilisation, and stands for Vibration Reduction, which helps you get sharper shots at slower shutter speeds.

You can compare more of the specs in the table below and have a look at the sample images captured with both cameras in the galleries here: 

Nikon D3500 Sample Photos

Nikon D3400 Sample Photos

Read our full Nikon D3400 DSLR Review.
Read our full Nikon D3500 DSLR Review.