Adjusting Nikon D3400 Landscape Photography Settings
Nikon D3400 has a good score when it comes to Landscape Photography. If you wish to take stunning Landscape shots, we recommend it highly.
The Nikon D3400 boasts a 24.2MP DX-Format CMOS Sensor that produces images in the ratio 6000:4000 pixels.
With the advanced DX sensor, if you go with a 50mm lens on it, you’ll get the focal length equivalent of a 75mm lens on a full-frame camera. The Nikkor AF-S DX is the best Nikon D3400 landscape lens out there.
Landscape photography with Nikon D3400
NIKON D3400
Lens: 35.0 mm f/1.8 at 35 mm
Shutter speed: ¹⁄₃₂₀₀ sec
Aperture: ƒ / 1.8 | ISO 100
Step 1. Selecting the Programmed Auto mode for beginners
In this mode, the camera chooses the perfect settings for itself. The shutter speed, aperture settings, and other parameters, such as exposure compensation, are all set to optimum levels to make the image lighter or darker.
Step 2. Determining the ISO Sensitivity settings
You can choose the range of ISO settings for optimum light exposure to your landscape photo.
You can set your ISO sensitivity to 100, as this simply matches whatever ISO you’re using. Keep Auto ISO sensitivity control ON.
However, this will potentially be turning this off quite frequently, such as in tripod-based work where you always want the same ISO. Maximum sensitivity can be set to a high of 3200.
Step 3. Keeping the Autofocus lock to a scene
A photographer does a few changes with Autofocus to click a good landscape photo. Select ISO for the Assign Fn button.
A highly recommended setting is to assign the AE-L/AF-L button to AF-On. It decouples autofocus from your shutter button.
In that case, you’ll focus by pressing the AE-L/AF-L button, also called back-button focusing. Shutter-release button AE-L must be OFF.
It locks your exposure when you half-press the shutter switch. Another highly recommended setting is AF activation which should be OFF.
Step 4. Setting the shutter priority
The most important setting you should be careful about while shooting landscape images is shutter priority.
Once you choose the shutter speed, the camera selects the suitable aperture setting for good exposure. If your landscape scene has a subject in motion, then this is the best option for you.
You can select a fast shutter speed —1/200th sec or faster to get sharp images of a moving subject like a waterfall.
The maximum allowable shutter speed when using the built-in flash or an external flash is 1/200 sec.
Step 5. Selecting the aperture priority
While clicking a landscape image, you choose the appropriate aperture (f-stop) setting.
In Auto Mode, the camera selects the appropriate shutter speed that gives a good exposure but you can change it manually in Aperture Priority. It controls the depth of field of the subject in focus.
A higher f-stop number, such as f/11, allows more light to enter and simultaneously increases depth-of-field.
A smaller f-number, like f/2.8, does just the reverse. Beginners can start exploring these features when they would like to take a landscape shot with Nikon D3400.
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