Nikon

Nikon D3500 DX-Format DSLR Body

24.2MP
APS-C
5 fps
1,550 shots
365 g

About this camera

24.2 MP APS-C CMOS sensor, native ISO 100-25,600
Guide Mode explains each setting while you change it — built for learning
5 fps continuous shooting with an 11-point autofocus system
Full HD 1080/60p video — there is no 4K mode on this body
1,550 shots per charge and just 365 g, the lightest camera we cover

Check price on Amazon →

Price and availability change often on Amazon, so we do not publish them here.

Read the full guide Best settings, the honest downsides, and a free 2-page guide for your phone

Carrying this body all day is a different question from buying it. See the HiiGuy strap

The lightest camera on this site at 365 g, with a battery rated for 1,550 shots and Nikon's Guide Mode, which teaches the camera while you use it. It is an honest beginner body and does not pretend otherwise.

Key specifications — the numbers that matter

Type	DSLR
Sensor	APS-C
Resolution	24.2 MP
Max native ISO	25600
Burst	5.0 fps
Autofocus	11 points
Video	Full HD 1080/60p
Stabilisation	Lens only (VR)
Lens mount	Nikon F
Weight	365 g with battery and card
Dimensions	124 x 97 x 69.5 mm
Card slots	1 no in-camera backup
Battery	1550 shots (CIPA)
Announced	2018

Specifications verified against the manufacturer’s published data on 7 September 2026.

365g Body weight

Light enough to wear all day. The strap in the box will do; a wider one mostly buys you comfort on long walks.

Both lengths carry any body on this page. Pick 44" if you are tall or broad, 32" otherwise — that choice is about you, not the camera.

See the HiiGuy strap

Is this camera for you?

An honest read on who this body suits, and who should look elsewhere.

Absolute beginners Great fit Guide Mode explains what each setting does while you change it, which no other body here offers.
Travel and hiking Great fit 365 g is less than half what most cameras on this site weigh, and 1,550 shots means the charger stays home.
Students and first-time buyers Great fit The cheapest route into Nikon F glass, and that glass moves with you when you upgrade.
Family and everyday photography Great fit Light enough to actually bring, which is the only specification that matters if the camera stays in a drawer.
Portraits Workable The sensor is excellent; eleven focus points means you will be recomposing rather than picking an eye.
Sport and wildlife Look elsewhere Five frames a second and eleven focus points will not track a moving subject reliably.
Anyone shooting video Look elsewhere Full HD only. There is no 4K mode at all on this body.

What it does well

365 g
The lightest body we cover. A third of a D850, which is why it gets carried.
1,550 shots on a charge
Three times what an entry mirrorless manages. A week of holiday on one battery is realistic.
Guide Mode
The camera explains aperture and shutter while you change them. It is a genuinely good teacher and unique to Nikon's entry bodies.
24.2 megapixels
The same resolution as bodies costing several times more. Nikon did not cut the sensor to hit the price.

What to know first

No 4K video, at allMatters if you’re shooting video
Full HD 1080 at 60p is the ceiling. If video matters even a little, this is the wrong body.
Eleven autofocus pointsMatters if you’re shooting anything that moves
Compare that to 51 on the D7500 and 153 on the D850. For a still subject it is fine; for a running child it is not.
No weather sealingMatters if you’re shooting outdoors in bad weather
Nikon does not seal this body. Rain means a bag, not a wipe.