Nikon D3400 Landscape Photography Settings
The Nikon D3400 is a strong pick for landscape photography, and getting the right Nikon D3400 landscape settings dialed in will make a noticeable difference in your outdoor shots. It’s built around a 24.2MP DX-Format CMOS Sensor that captures images at 6000×4000 pixels, delivering plenty of detail for prints and crops. With its SnapBridge Bluetooth connection, you can transfer images to your phone right from the field. If you’re using a 50mm lens on the D3400, keep in mind the 1.5x crop factor gives you an effective focal length of 75mm on a full-frame equivalent. For wider landscape compositions, pair it with a lens like the Nikkor AF-S DX 10-24mm or the kit 18-55mm at its widest setting.
Landscape Photography with the Nikon D3400
NIKON D3400
Lens: 35.0 mm f/1.8 at 35 mm
Shutter speed: 1/3200 sec
Aperture: f/1.8 | ISO 100
Step 1. Using Programmed Auto Mode to Get Started
If you’re new to manual camera settings, start with Programmed Auto (P) mode. The D3400 will pick the right shutter speed and aperture combination for you, giving you properly exposed images without much fiddling. This is a reliable way to shoot landscapes when lighting conditions are changing quickly or when you just want to focus on composition rather than technical settings. As you get more comfortable, you can move into the semi-manual modes below.
Step 2. Setting ISO for Clean, Detailed Images
For landscape photography, keep your ISO at 100. This is the D3400’s base sensitivity, and it produces the cleanest images with the least noise and the widest dynamic range. Auto ISO can be useful for moving subjects, but for stationary landscapes on a tripod, turn it off so the camera doesn’t push the ISO higher than necessary. If you’re shooting handheld in dimmer conditions, ISO 400 is still very usable, and you can go up to 1600 before noise becomes a real issue. The maximum Auto ISO sensitivity can be set to 3200 in the menu.
Step 3. Locking Autofocus to Your Scene
For landscape photography, configure the AE-L/AF-L button for back-button focusing by assigning it to AF-On in the camera’s custom settings menu. This separates autofocus from the shutter button, giving you more control over when the camera focuses. Once you’ve locked focus on the right point in your scene, you can recompose and shoot without the camera refocusing every time you press the shutter. Set the lens to AF-S (Single Servo) so focus locks with a single press rather than continuously tracking.
Step 4. Working with Shutter Priority Mode
When your landscape includes movement, like a waterfall, waves hitting rocks, or clouds streaking across the sky, switch to Shutter Priority (S) mode. In this mode, you pick the shutter speed and the camera handles the aperture. A fast shutter speed like 1/200 second freezes motion for sharp, crisp shots. For silky water effects, drop the shutter speed to 1/4 second or slower and use a tripod to keep the rest of the frame sharp. The D3400’s maximum flash sync speed is 1/200 sec, which matters if you’re using fill flash in a landscape setting.
Step 5. Controlling Depth of Field with Aperture Priority
Aperture Priority (A) mode is the most popular setting for landscape photographers. You choose the aperture, and the camera selects the matching shutter speed. Set your aperture to f/8 for the sharpest results on the D3400’s sensor, or go to f/11 for deeper depth of field when you need everything from foreground wildflowers to a distant mountain range in focus. Wider apertures like f/2.8 reduce depth of field and blur the background, which is better for portrait-style shots than landscapes.
Experiment with different f-stops at the same scene to see how depth of field changes the feel of your image. The D3400 makes it easy to switch between settings using the command dial.
With these Nikon D3400 landscape settings in place, you’ll be well-equipped to capture detailed, well-exposed outdoor photos. Practice with each mode and you’ll quickly develop a feel for which settings work best in different conditions.
