Nikon D5500 DSLR Review: High Quality, Easy to Carry
Our Verdict
This lightweight, midrange DSLR is a feature-rich, speedy performer with high image quality for intermediate-level photographers.
For
- Splendid paradigm quality for its class
- Like shooting fish in a barrel-to-utilise Wi-Fi
- Responsive autofocus
- Touch on-to-focus and shoot LCD
- Light, compact design
Against
- Slow live-view autofocus
- Lacks built-in GPS of the predecessor D5300
- Limited Wi-Fi app functions
- Born mic picks up stray sounds
Tom'due south Guide Verdict
This lightweight, midrange DSLR is a characteristic-rich, speedy performer with high paradigm quality for intermediate-level photographers.
Pros
- +
Splendid image quality for its class
- +
Like shooting fish in a barrel-to-use Wi-Fi
- +
Responsive autofocus
- +
Bear upon-to-focus and shoot LCD
- +
Light, compact design
Cons
- -
Wearisome alive-view autofocus
- -
Lacks built-in GPS of the predecessor D5300
- -
Limited Wi-Fi app functions
- -
Congenital-in mic picks up stray sounds
Who it's for? Photographers stepping upwards from a point-and-shoot, bridge or entry-level DSLR photographic camera every bit well as enthusiasts looking for a highly capable DSLR without the price tag of pro-level models.
A modest update to last twelvemonth's D5300, the Nikon D5500 ($900, body just) retains the acme-notch prototype quality of its predecessor and adds a few appealing features, including a slimmed-downwards trunk, a touch-screen LCD and a larger grip. Although current D5300 users may not find enough reason to update, those looking to step upwardly from an entry-level DSLR or a span camera should take a serious look at the 24.2-megapixel D5500.
Blueprint: Small and Lightweight
A bit slimmer and lighter than its D5300 predecessor, the DX-format (mainstream-size sensor) Nikon D5500 measures 4.9 10 iii.8 x 2.8 inches and weighs 14.8 ounces. It'south nicely compact for a DSLR, particularly when combined with the small 18-55mm VR Ii retractable kit lens in a $1,000 bundle. A monocoque structure utilizing a new carbon cobweb material and magnesium alloy (similar to that of the Nikon D750) is responsible for the photographic camera'southward light weight and durability under most-daily apply.
Despite its pared-down profile, the D5500 incorporates a larger grip, which provides a more solid and balanced handhold when the camera is paired with a substantial lens, such as the AF-Southward Nikkor 16-35mm I used. In improver to the built-in wink, the D5500 has a hot shoe that'due south compatible with Nikon and some third-political party flashes. There's a single slot for an SD/SDHC/SDXC card.
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Similar the D5300, the updated model is equipped with a vari-angle 3.2-inch, 720 x 480 LCD. Nevertheless, this is Nikon's first DSLR with a touch-sensitive monitor. You can tap the screen to navigate menus as well as to focus and to actuate the shutter. (The latter can be disabled.) The screen is responsive without being overly sensitive. Yous can assign a part such every bit focus bespeak selection, ISO sensitivity or AF-area mode to the screen and only slide your finger across the screen to adjust it.
Image Quality: Solid All Around
The Nikon D5500 produced pleasing images under a diverseness of weather condition. I used the Standard (SD) Film Control setting, since its in-photographic camera processing works well with most shooting situations and produced photos with well-saturated colors, good detail and mostly balanced exposures. I shot almost all test images in discontinuity-priority mode, stopped down when possible for the best depth of field while maintaining a fast plenty shutter speed for handheld shooting.
I mainly used 2 lenses: the $i,000 Nikkor 16-35mm and the $250 Nikkor 18-55mm VR Two kit lens. Images were abrupt with both lenses, thanks in part to the lack of an optical low-pass filter over the D5500's paradigm sensor. (Nikon no longer considers that this filter, which is meant to reduce the chance of image distortions, is necessary with its latest sensors and processors.) Not surprisingly, images shot with the more expensive 16-36mm lens were sharper and exhibited more than fine detail.
Authentic exposures were the norm for the Nikon D5500. I shot the prototype beneath in the late afternoon using Nikon's Matrix metering (which averages the exposure from areas across the entire epitome). Although the sky may await slightly washed out, it's a realistic rendering of the day'south partial deject cover. The barn's slats are well-exposed and well-detailed.
Even without Nikon'south Active D-Lighting, which helps retain details in shadows and highlights, the D5500 spanned the entire dynamic range in the motion picture below, from deep, rich blacks to the clean whites and biscuit on the Empire Land Building. Details and texture are clearly visible in the brickwork of the adjacent buildings as well equally the antennas atop the belfry.
Shooting with the congenital-in flash helped illuminate these pots of pansies sitting in the shadows, revealing the D5500's ability to accurately render bright colors in the metal pots and the flowers.
Similar its predecessor, the D5500 offers a number of special furnishings, including Toy Camera (pictured below, forth with the same photograph without the special effect), Miniature Result and Selective Color, among others. Nikon has added three new effects in the D5500: Super Vivid, POP and Photo Illustration.
Low Light: Usable Up to ISO 6400
With ISO settings available from 100 to 25,600, the D5500 offers a broader light sensitivity range than its predecessor's 100 to 12,800. We rated image based on the highest-quality JPEGs the camera outputs. (For all-time results, though, I prefer processing RAW images in Adobe Photographic camera Raw to correct for noise rather than relying on the in-camera noise reduction feature.) For the cleanest images, it's all-time to keep the ISO under 3200 but, as you lot'll see beneath, it's possible to push the light sensitivity to 6400 without too many ill furnishings. Since image dissonance is more visible in shadows, the corporeality of mottling will depend on the scene and the exposure.
Shooting under dim, incandescent lighting at ISO 6400, and thanks to the 18-55mm lens's image stabilization, I was able to handhold the camera at 1/40 of a 2nd. Due to the vivid exposure, image noise is only visible on the red felt properties, while the mask's dark feathers are relatively clear of noise. As in this photograph, the D5500's motorcar white remainder delivered accurate colors, equally it did nether a range of different lighting situations in my testing.
I pushed the ISO to 10,000 in a very night room to capture this carving against dark paneling. The photo clearly shows the graininess and softening outcome at the D5500'south higher ISO settings.
Autofocus and Speed: Sluggish in Live-View Mode
Like the D5300, the D5500 utilizes Nikon's 39-betoken autofocus arrangement. AF is generally quite speedy and accurate when you use the viewfinder under bright (or relatively bright) conditions. AF speed slows a niggling nether depression low-cal but is still fast enough to capture static or slowly moving subjects.
The live-view (on-screen preview) mode's contrast-observe autofocus is fairly boring; I could see and hear the lens moving in and out while I was trying to acquire focus. Tapping the touch screen to focus seems to be a pilus faster than pressing the shutter button halfway, simply you'd be hard-pressed to focus on a moving subject in live view. It'southward better to apply the standard DSLR viewfinder mode.
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Continuous shooting on the D5500 maxes out at five frames per second (JPEG and 12-bit RAW) — the same equally the D5300.
Video Quality: Many Adjustment Options
The D5500 shoots video up to full-Hard disk 1920 x 1080p at 60 frames per 2d. Automatic, program and transmission exposure modes are available for video, as are continuous AF and touch-screen AF. While I appreciate having control over these parameters, also equally ISO, information technology's best to prepare exposure and focus prior to recording.
Colors are accurately rendered, exposures are well-balanced and clips are more often than not abrupt in this video of a stream below.
While touch focus is available during video capture, the sound of the lens focusing is mostly very noisy, and unless y'all're at a heavy-metal concert, normal ambient sounds won't camouflage the racket. In the video below, I set focus prior to recording to avoid lens noise. Just even so, you can hear a loud click of unknown origin, showing how sensitive the microphone is to noise. Y'all should plug an external mic into the D5500 for anything beyond casual clips.
The D5500's autofocus worked well when following the antics of this agile squirrel, even without a lot of contrast between the little animal and the grass. Exposure was accurate besides. As in all the videos I shot, the D5500 was gratis of rolling shutter — a common stretched, jellolike distortion of shapes when a camera pans across a scene or when a field of study moves quickly through the frame.
Other than bear upon-focus noise problems, the Nikon D5500 offers solid video-capture capabilities. But if you're serious about DSLR Hard disk drive video, you might want to check out the roughly $1,200 Canon EOS 70D (run into review). It's more expensive, but its dual-pixel AF technology in live view provides astonishingly skillful autofocus for video capture. Canon's upcoming EOS T6i (most $900) may provide a improve option for the price; we'll know subsequently it comes out and we have tested it.
Controls: Welcome Tweaks
The D5500's command layout resembles that of the D5300, with a few, mostly welcome changes. The mode punch on the top deck is less crowded. Rather than allotting space to individual scene modes, the new dial has a unmarried Scene position, later which you can cull a specific style using the control dial.
The rear control dial, which projected slightly from the back of the D5300, at present sits on the peak deck about the mode dial. I find it more comfortable to use the dial in this position to alter settings such every bit discontinuity and shutter speed.
The "i" push button on the back panel calls upward a display card for quick setting changes. Considering I am right-handed, I constitute the Card button'due south position to the left of the viewfinder to be slightly awkward, only that's a minor complaint, since the "i" button provides access to the almost of import options.
A few controls are positioned on the front-left panel, within easy reach of your left hand. Concord the pop-upwardly flash release push for admission to various flash settings such as fill flash and redeye reduction. A nearby Fn (function) push is, sadly, the D5500'due south but customizable hard command. It can be assigned a single office such every bit Image quality/size or ISO sensitivity.
Wireless: Easy Access
Setting up Wi-Fi on the D5500 is quite simple. Nikon'southward gratuitous WMU (Wireless Mobile Utility) is available for iOS and Android devices. To gear up an access point, merely download the app and enable Wi-Fi on the camera. Locate the camera network in your phone's or tablet'south settings menu, so open the WMU app. The app is limited to sharing images and using the device for remote viewing or shooting. It does not allow yous to modify camera settings such as ISO or shutter speed, but WMU comes in handy for cocky-portraits (with and without a grouping) and other situations where you need to trigger the shutter from a distance.
Although the D5500 lacks its predecessor'south born GPS, you tin can add location data to images that you transfer to your smartphone or tablet.
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Battery Life: Plenty Long
Nikon estimates that the D5500 battery lasts for nearly 820 shots per charge, based on the CIPA testing standard. That number varies, depending on how much you use the flash or the LCD, apply the Wi-Fi or capture video. In my experience, the battery exceeds that number when you're shooting by and large still images.
Lenses and Accessories: Dozens of Options
Nikon currently offers 84 DSLR lenses and a wide assortment of flashes and other accessories. You can mount a full-frame or DX lens on all cameras. Old lenses that don't have a built-in AF motor (similar my Nikon 60mm macro) yet piece of work, but they crave manual focus on the D5500.
The 18-55mm kit lens delivered some sharply focused and nicely detailed images. It retracts to 2.vi inches long when not in use; a small button unlocks the lens, allowing information technology to expand. Like most kit lenses, this model is a picayune dull, with a maximum aperture of only f/3.5 (wide) to 5.half-dozen (telephoto), simply version II of Nikon VR (vibration reduction) works quite well. I don't like to handhold a camera at a shutter speed slower than 1/125 of a second, simply I was able to take a few precipitous photos at about 1/40 of a second with this lens.
While zooming, the 18-55mm VR 2 review sample felt stiff. Although non a problem for withal images, the lens produced jerky effects when I tried to zoom while I was shooting a video.
Decision
The Nikon D5500 has a number of highly-seasoned features, and while none of them are "must haves," several bring a new level of usability and enhancement capability to midrange DSLRs.
Excellent paradigm quality, a full range of features that will satisfy enthusiasts (and aid DSLR newcomers learn new skills) and convenient updates such as a touch-screen LCD make the D5500 a solid day-to-24-hour interval camera. Information technology's and so modest and light, yous're likely to carry it with yous on a regular basis. That means you'll take more than pictures, grow your skills and have fun while you're doing it. Slow AF in live view and the mic'south sensitivity to noise when recording video may put a damper on our accolades, but we're so happy with the D5500'south characteristic set, performance and outstanding image quality, that we're more than than happy to overlook the camera's minor quirks.
Key Specs
Model proper noun: Nikon D5500
Megapixels: 24.2
Blazon: DSLR (DX format)
Price: $899.94, body only; kit options available
Shots per sec: up to v fps with AF
Sensor type: DX/APS-C CMOS
Kit lenses $999.95 with xviii-55mm f/3.5-v.6G VR Two; $1,399.95 with xviii-140mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR lens
AF points: 39 with 9 cantankerous-type points
Shutter speed range: i/4000-xxx sec, Bulb
ISO range: 100-25,600
Main video resolutions/frame rates: full Hd (1920 x 1080 at lx/50/twoscore/25/24 frames per second), HD (1280 ten 720 at threescore/fifty fps) and VGA 640 ten 424 at 30/24 fps)
Video file format: .MOV
Built-in flash: Yes
Hot shoe: Aye
Card type: single slot: SD/SDHC/SDXC
Ports: high speed USB, HDMI, accessory terminal, stereo microphone input
Shots per charge (CIPA): 820
Wireless capabilities: Wi-Fi
Image stabilization: in kit and other lenses
Dimensions and weight: 4.9 x iii.nine 10 2.75; 14.8 ounces
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Source: https://www.tomsguide.com/us/nikon-d5500-dslr,review-2746.html
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