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Hands-on with Nikon's new D5500

Published Jan 6, 2015 | dpreview staff

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Hands-on with Nikon's new D5500

Nikon's D5500 is, on the face of it a pretty minor update to the D5300, but with the key addition of a touch-sensitive rear LCD screen and slightly altered ergonomics. In almost every other respect the D5500 is a compact, lightweight 24MP entry-level DSLR cut from almost exactly the same cloth as its predecessor. We're at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, where we got our hands on a pre-production camera.

Click through this slideshow for some pictures.

Tags: cameralens-features, ces2015, hands-on

Comments

Total comments: 290

Its a great camera, I love the touchscreen, very fast to navigate through menus.
and it takes great photos no complaints

0 upvotes

I like the idea of having a small, light, nice reflex camera.
I hate the small viewfinder and the absence of older af lens compatibility.

Give me those two and I'll buy tomorrow.

Edited 2 times; latest 37 seconds since posting

1 upvote

I have the D5200 and it's pure awesomeness. I don't care about touch screens and similar cosmetic nonsense. It'll be quite a while before I upgrade to a full frame. What I love about Nikon is their exquisite performance in high iso situations, and generally the colour and contrast are brilliant.

Until the upgrade it's all about glass, the right one. So, once I switched my kit lens with the gorgeous Nikkor 35 mm f1.8 everything else suddenly became irrelevant.

Those looking for a new camera I'd advise to check few comment articles rather than reviews only.Your camera is only as good as the lens in front, always bear that in mind.

1 upvote

Why not read the "upgrade myth" article on DPR before wasting any money on full frame. You sound like you are onto a winner.

0 upvotes

Looking to buy a new camera absolutely loved my 40-year old OM2n
Got to make the jump into digital and was thinking about the Nikon D5500 camera any comments on how you would compare it to Sony a7?

Full frame versus non-full frame is not a big thing to me I don't quite understand that anyway. I do like the idea of more light getting to the chip/processor thingy whatever you call it.

I want a fairly rugged (so is mirrorless more rugged) camera that's excellent in lowlight situations a reasonable degree of lens (Sony a7??) options easy to operate in the automatic mode with full features for being creative in the other modes (took about 40 years to figure out everything on my last one) I do like the smaller body Cameras most of my stuff is Jeeping, hiking, hunting & sightseeing/vacation if it's too big I just don't take it.

Between those two (or add another) what your thoughts? Of course the Nikon would be a little easier on the pocketbook?

Edited 2 minutes after posting

1 upvote

Small rugged and cheap? I use a micro 4/3 format Panasonic G5 (something like a reflex camera but no mirror) on holidays and can confirm how well-made it is after falling sideways onto granite paving and hearing the camera clatter along with me. Damage was two tiny scratches in the paint and a mark on the edge of the lenshood. It works as well as when it was new a couple of years ago.
Philip

0 upvotes

The D5500 would be a good option for you because of its overall list of features and performance. The only downside to the D5500 is that its articulating screen eliminates all of the buttons that would normally be to the left of the screen, making certain important settings less readily available.
It comes down to your budget. If you wan't more room to grow as a photographer and be more creative, get a D5300/D5500. If you want what the D5300/D5500 offer in a more robust and heavy duty body, then get a D7100 or D7200.
And lastly, if you want the rugged, weather-sealed body of the D7100 with the focusing capabilities of the D5300/D5500 but be able to take good photos in any light, and can afford to spend up to $2,000 for the body and a lens or two, then get the D610.

0 upvotes

When will DPREVIEW do a review of the D5500? I was skeptical regarding this camera but I picked it up in a camera store and it it felt terrific in my hand and the touch screen was very responsive. DPREVIEW just did a movie for the Sony a6000 which was reviewed many months ago, a new movie on the Olympus OM-D E-M5 II and there have been some articles on the Canon Rebels coming in April the T6s and T6i. Why nothing on the D5500? When it comes to cameras Nikon is number 2 in sales and yet it appears that DREVIEW keeps focusing it's attention on Sony, Olympus and Canon cameras. Presently I'm search for a new interchangeable lens camera with an apsc sensor and I looked at the Sony a6000 and I wasn't impressed, I'm more impressed with the Nikon D5300 and D5500. The Canon T5i was also nice but it's bulkier and doesn't have wifi.

I hope DPREVIEW posts something soon on the Nikon D5500.

0 upvotes

I had the Sony a6000 & Metabones adapter for almost 7 weeks over Christmas time but being a current Nikon user, with several nice Nikon lenses and a D90, chose to send it back. I read all these comments with a HUGE grain, just for grins really, and actually TRY the camera out. Returned the Sony and bought the D5500, to complement, not replace, my D90. So far I really like the features it has. Built in WiFi, articulating 3.2 inch screen (love that), high resolution, no OPF and very, very light and ergonomic. WiFi with Nikon's app allows for remote, live view shooting. The touch LCD is very responsive, easy and intuitive to use. Or not. You can use either the touch screen or the pad. Touch to autofocus AND shoot is a neat feature, quite fast. For me, it is a winner... and a keeper.

1 upvote

Hi Munchmeister
I have a D90 and am ready to move to another camera. In comparison could you comment on the D5500 in terms of IQ, DR, ISO performance etc. compared to your D90?
Thanks

0 upvotes

Well, first of all, shots at ISO 1600 and even 3200 are better than my D90 at 800. I have only had it a 2-3 weeks but I'm very, very happy with the higher ISO shots. As for image quality, I think it is also exceptional. Again, I have not done any "tests," just general shooting and have not set up comparisons but the IQ is excellent. I used Active D-Lighting on the D90 and the D5500 has that, as well as a 2 shot "automatic" HDR feature which you can set from Auto to Extra High to Low and, of course, off. Works well, though it just gives you the final pic, not the two exposures shot. But you can still set up bracketing. I'm keeping the D90 so it complements it, not replaces it. D90 has Commander mode for flash which the D5500 does not. But the D5500 has many other things such as built in WiFi, Intervalometer, etc. I don't think you'll be disappointed but check the feature set. It is my main camera now and the D90 will be a backup.

0 upvotes

I just don't understand why people use the crop factor for FX cameras. It's simple physics that to focus on a smaller sensor, viewing angle decreases which gives an apparent increase of focal length.

0 upvotes

People can hate on a camera like this all they want for missing this feature or that feature or not being groundbreaking but the fact is that cameras like this nowadays are capable of incredible results that could feature on the cover of any magazine or hang on the walls of any gallery. Not to mention they are capable of higher image quality than bodies that cost thousands more a few years ago. We are living in a golden age for photography.

4 upvotes

For the quality of picture I can perfectly carry my D90 while hiking, no problems. For me it's not the camera weight that makes it uncomfortable, and the D90 is small enough and light. It's the size of the lens that makes it odd. If we could have something similar to Sony's E 16-50mm F3.5-5.6 PZ OSS, than I wont be looking at something compact to buy. For SMALLER HANDS the D5500 and similar DSLR's would be even better - more compact and light-weight.

0 upvotes

They have an 18-55mm kit lens that collapses to take up less room. If it's as good optically as the old kit lens it will be well worth having.

0 upvotes

At this price point they take out the control for of camera flashes? That's an unnecessary dumbing down of a camera that needs that to work with nikons own flash system. Nasty.

0 upvotes

IMHO touch screens that small are a major annoyance, unless you have Lilliputian fingers... Heck, even the first smartphones had such small screens, they were barely usable. Personally, I've only used phablets since they became available four years ago.

2 upvotes

the grip look bigger than the previous

1 upvote

Bad Noise on the detail pics (eg 2) :-(
What did you use to make them if I may ask? Or were they provided by Nikon?

0 upvotes

http://puu.sh/f9DG5/a38efc7ca8.jpg

Most amateur-ish of nikon! No tripod and too high shutter speed. A shutter speed of 1/20 or 1/30 could've worked after a couple of tries (since that is a zoom lens and most zoom lenses now have VR).

0 upvotes

Would tthe Autofocus work with Nikon Telecoverter added and and aperture slower than f5.6 ? eg f8 as in Nikon Df

Thanks

0 upvotes

At first, the touch screen seems like a good idea, but to use the viewfinder you have to essentially press the touch screen against your face. That doesn't seem very sanitary. I also wonder how they prevent the touch screen from being operated by the user's face during viewfinder photography. I'm not against touch screens - I welcome the rich user interface experience they can provide, but I hope Nikon and other camera manufacturers always provide a button-based alternative for those of us who wear gloves for much of the year.

0 upvotes

Proxemity sensor.The same sensor that switches off the screen when you look through the viewfinder.

1 upvote

I have the Samsung NX300 and the touchscreen can be disabled easily in the menu. I suppose the same feature will be in the Nikon D5500.
In my personal experience (I use my cameras only for stills), I don't find the touch screen useful, for that reason I never activate it (when it is active is prone to make mistakes). That said, it could be an attractive and useful feature for some users, definitely more interesting in video. The D5300 and the D5500 are excellent cameras for both, videos and stills, then it is a welcome add.

Edited 2 minutes after posting

1 upvote

There is a sensor that turns off the touchscreen, when you look through the viewfinder

0 upvotes

I'm a D3200/D5300 user and All I can say is that they're excellent cameras fo the price.my only doubt is:why to chase Canon in this stupid fight to touchscreens war?On the field you can use tilting screen and direct access controls,but the only thing about touchscreen is a lot of dirty fingerprints on the screen.You can use the touchscreen of your Android/IOS device to control some featues and that's all.
Put in depth of focus button and AF micro adjust controls,instead!Who cares about Canon little gimmjicks?

2 upvotes

From DPR's review of the Canon T5i/700D:

"Integrating touchscreen control is one thing. Designing an interface which is both easy and efficient to use is quite another. We're happy to report that Canon has done an outstanding job of combining form and function, with a clean, intuitive interface that in many instances lets you accomplish tasks faster than using external controls. And rest assured, that if touchscreen operation holds no appeal for you, you can simply ignore it and use the physical buttons as you always have."

1 upvote

Of course every brand is free to add EVERYTHING functional to the DSRL...,still From Nikon I expect to perform serious adds on (dof button,micro AF adjust...) to their DSRLs.The question is:why to add something You can not ever use and not something Very Important to serious photogaphy?
Everyone is aware that DX cameras have MORE DoF than FX,so DoF preview button is almost vital.
A lot of third part lenses are not well calibrated to obtain a perfect focus,so is almost vital to have control on this.An out of focus picture or one with the wrong bokeh,are worst than having or not a touch screen

1 upvote

As justmeMN says, if you don't like the touchscreen, then don't use it. But if that is the case, then why bother buying the 5500 when the 5300 offers virtually the same features at a now much lower price point? I have to agree with claudio on this one; don't bother chasing Canon, create your own set of features and benefits and get them to chase you.

1 upvote

picked up a 100$ D70s, not bad not bad
who buys all these new dslrs for $$$$$ anyways?

2 upvotes

because the Illuminati want us to do it.

2 upvotes

The only thing that is stopping me to buy one is lack of AF microadjustment. Pentax includes this function in their beginner level cameras.

1 upvote

Otherwise, D5xxx series are really good now with D7000's AF system, articulated screen, 24MP AAless sensor, WiFi etc..

1 upvote

No more Nikon 1 (?) after Nikon made transformers alike V3 with add-on Grip, EVF, GPS modual, Flash.

Nikon can consolidate all V3's added-on together (back to V2?), and add touch/articulated LCD + SONY sensor. A V4 is born.

Edited 4 times; latest 8 minutes since posting

1 upvote

When will Nikon start migrating ALL their lenses to electronic diaphragm? If they want to be truly competitive with mirrorless on liveview and video, they needed this yesterday. They had the capability many years ago. And here is yet another new package lens for the new body that doesn't have it.

0 upvotes

Because that is impossible with the F-mount they have been using since the 60's

Canon scrapped their entire FD mount and went all electronic a long time ago. Pentax has the same issues. I am not sure about the Sony A-mount.

Edited 19 seconds after posting

0 upvotes

It would break compatibility with old bodies, but Nikon have never been shy about that. However, it would fit right into everything else Nikon have done; the new camera bodies are -- or can be made -- compatible with almost all lenses, old or new, with the higher end bodies maintaining more features. The only limitation is that Nikon needs to continue to include an aperture control pin on the lens mount of all their bodies, in case of use of old lenses.

Edited 2 minutes after posting

0 upvotes

@ BarnET - it isn't impossible. The new Nikon 300mm F4 employs a fully electronic diaphragm as do a couple of the recent long tele primes, I believe.

1 upvote

I see that it has, essentially, unlimited # of photos for time lapse and, this is new (to me) "exposure smoothing." Anybody know what that is and why we would need it for time lapse?

0 upvotes

It could be something to avoid for big changes in exposure between shots. Maybe can save a little bit in time in post. May have to make changes in exposure in post, but maybe smaller changes?

Edited 14 seconds after posting

1 upvote

I think it's similar to slower shutter effect, when each frame are motion-blurred because of slower shutter speed. This effect makes movie run smooth from frame to frame. Try to pause a dvd move while watching, you'll see that most of them (single frames) more or less are blurred.

Edited 3 times; latest 12 minutes since posting

1 upvote

It's not the shutter speed. "Exposure smoothing" reducing flicker in time-lapse clips.

0 upvotes

How *dare* millions of people continue to buy DSLRs, defying the Mirrorless Jihad. :-)

4 upvotes

Nikon and Canon with 3nd parties have VAST amount of of lenses to select from.

4 upvotes

I know one thing for sure. This entry level Nikon camera will be better than the next 3 generations of the entry level Canon Rebel cameras. None of them offer the bang for the buck that mirror-less does especially if you shoot video as well. However, Nikon is at least trying to make their products remotely competitive.

3 upvotes

Looking at reviews on Nikon vs Canon cameras I've noticed that even the entry-level Nikons have better quality and specs compared to even professional Canons. Looking on snapsort and dxomark, Nikon cameras are miles ahead of Canon. One in particular is the D810 vs 1DX where the Nikon is rated 97 to 91 of the Canon but the Canon is twice the price? Why would you pay more for less? When I bought my D5200 it was 12th on dxomark and the nearest Canon was double or more and I love my camera!

5 upvotes

@mjckwack
Cameras are more than just sensors and IQ. If you want to photograph stills/test charts, then the D810 is better for your. The 1DX outperforms the D810 easily when it gets to performance (animal/sports/etc), customization (especially continuous autofocus configuration) and dynamic range on ISO above 640 (on less ISO the D810 is better). The cameras are so different that you really can't compare them. The D4 is the one that should be compared with the 1DX because those both are made for the same purpose.

And don't forget, dxo is biased and their calculations are somewhat odd (pmpix; normalized data they show you by default,..). I trust more the sites which offer raw files of the same test scene. Just to remind to don't trust only one source giving you just normalized numbers.

Anyways I don't care if it is canon or nikon, I sometimes have borrowed Nikon equipment but can't see the great difference DXO shows (except when I take photos of testcharts, but whose hobby is that?).

3 upvotes

@PredatorsPrey
I agree fully that the single DxOMark score is nearly useless. However, the DxO site posts graphs of all their measurements that allow you to make a much more informed decision. For instance, based on the DxOMark score the D7100 would appear to be a far better camera than the 7DII. But if you dig into the dynamic range measurements at higher ISOs where the birders and sports shooters are likely to be photographing, you see the sensors perform pretty much the same, making the 7DII's buffer and autofocus that much more compelling for those types of shooters.

2 upvotes

DxoMark is overrated and Im saying this owning an A5100 which is one of the top scoring APS-C cameras

0 upvotes

Is it mirrorless yet? Sarcasm aside, this camera line (D5xxx) is just begging to go mirrorless. Try liveview in a mirrorless camera. Seamless. Liveview in a dslr? Not so much so. Electronic viewfinder? Most of the naysayers have probably never used one. Yeah for those professional sports shots optical is probably the way to go, but for the rest of us EVF offers features OVF users can only dream of. Two separate focusing systems in a DSLR (because of that flip up mirror)? Why not just have one (as in mirrorless). Makes more sense to me. Until Nikon goes to a mirrorless line I'll continue to happily use my Lumix G5. BTW, I did come from a D5100, which now sits unused in it's original box, though a Nikon mirrorless D5500 would certainly get my attention...

Edited 1 minute after posting

4 upvotes

Does the touch screen work as an AF-point selector in 'blind' (non-LV) mode? Otherwise it seems like a pretty useless feature in a SLR where you won't be using LV that much.

Last time I checked Nikon SLRs also had pretty useless LV AF performance too. has this changed?

Edited 54 seconds after posting

2 upvotes

I got this only from their intro video (Nikon Canada) but the LCD goes dark with the eye sensor at the OVF but allows you to use your thumb on the right hand part of the LCD to change some settings, i.e. the ones with indicators in the OVF. So, aperture, focus point, ISO could be changed this way. But I assume you'd have to set it up in advance for one of these features. Might be nice for moving focus point around.

0 upvotes

Another entry level Nikon masterpiece, which makes upgrading from the D3300 an absolute 'must', especially with not having this horrible GPS anymore. Keep it coming Nikon we are so excited about Your innovative spirit and bargain pricing. Can't wait to get my hands on the black Nikon plastic with a new number on it.

9 upvotes

oh the sarcasm :P

0 upvotes

They sure did a lot more then Canon did with the 700d.

Edited 17 seconds after posting

3 upvotes

"Silver Standard" for:
"Another entry level Nikon masterpiece, which makes upgrading from the D3300 an absolute 'must'".

It should be "Gold Standard" for:
"especially with not having this horrible GPS anymore.".

But "Gold Standard" is/are used up for camera like D750 for example.

Sorry Nikon D5500.

Edited 2 times; latest 5 minutes since posting

1 upvote

I know, I can hardly contain my excitement at wasting money on some plastic digital trash with a slightly different number stamped on it!

1 upvote

How long will the "SLR' survive?

1 upvote

As long as they will be cheaper than m4/3...

8 upvotes

I think as long as they do certain things better.
A Dslr is still unbeatable for action photo's.
And the Nikon/Canon lens-lineup is still unbeatable.

However on both fronts the mirrorless camera's are catching up fast. And they rival/beat Dslr's in image quality. Blow them away in video capability and overall portability

3 upvotes

next cam for me is lx100, that is money well spent, dslrs at that price point are old tech canon and nikon are taking us for a ride

0 upvotes

My camera of choice too.
However the D5500 will do certain things better. And to be honest most of the stuff inside the D5500 are cutting edge. Second best Apsc sensor(not sure Samsung sells their 28mp BSI Cmos to 3rd parties.)

The 39 point AF system still is a solid system even by todays standards. touchscreen is a Nikon first. And it has 1080p 60 fps. Which Canon only offers on the overpriced 7d mk2

Canon is selling old tech. a 5 year old sensor in 80-90% of their ILC sales for crying out loud. Nikon they are conservative. But they do give use proper sensors across their entire line-up

4 upvotes

@Nindy5

Err, that LX100 costs 50% more here currently than the Canon 100D with 18-55 STM lens and 60% more than a D3300 (with similar lens.)

I wouldn't dream to compare these 3 camera actually, but it's clear than it's neither Canon or Nikon that are the ones taking us for a ride..

2 upvotes

I presume you are referring to demise of DSLR due to increase use of mirrorless. In that case, the answer is "not very long". Mirror/prism has two critical functions: (a) providing direct access to the scene for better/faster focusing and light/color measurement, (b) OVF. The drawback is bulk, frame-rate, noise and mechanical failure.
Mirrorless is at its early stages but with the pace technology is evolving they make mirror DSLR outdated soon. Perhaps market crossing point in 5 years or so.

0 upvotes

Sony is about to release or will release this year an affordable full frame, under $1k with lens, I love dslrs but every time I'm at my camera shop I see less and less people opting for dslrs and when you see these apsc canon and Nikons discontinued models sitting there not selling you can't help think the market Is dieing.

0 upvotes

@ Nindy, do you have some campaign against DSLR or something..?

I use both DSLR and (it seems, mostly..) EVIL and see discontinued models of both each year(that's where I got mine from..), surely that's the consequence of a yearly replacement cycle and not the camera type?!

I still see far more DSLR users (by far..) than I do of any other camera type except mobile phones, but that doesn't make mobile phones better..

1 upvote

SLR will survive as long as there's advantage to its use. You can have better success with fast action when shooting with SLR. There are some mirrorless cameras catching up, but they're not there yet. Besides some ppl don't like the EVF.

Edited 11 seconds after posting

1 upvote

@Nindy5 "next cam for me is lx100, that is money well spent"

How do you know it is money well spent if you haven't used it yet?

0 upvotes

I think as long as they'll keep making SLR's for what they are meant to be - a built for comfortable grip and balance with the lens so the pros will catch the most of a scene or moving objects.

Edited 2 minutes after posting

0 upvotes

$900 entry DSLR with single control dial? WTF?
Nikon put two dials in D70, their cheapest model back then and now they are putting one for $900 body?

Edited 53 seconds after posting

10 upvotes

Good morning nerd, D7100 is in D70 lineup, not this.
You're welcome

4 upvotes

D50 was the cheapest model in its day.
D70->80->90->7000->7100
D50->D40->D60-D3000->D3100--->D3500
D5000 was a new line. It begat the D5100->D5500

0 upvotes

"Nikon put two dials in D70, their cheapest model back then'
Nerd the D70 was the *ONLY DSLR Nikon had back then. It was their first!
The price was a whooping 1800.00 C$. So for half the money you get a far better camera than the D70 ever was or could be.

0 upvotes

D1 was their first DSLR. Then D100. Then D70. Flagship/Pro, then prosumer. Then consumer.

0 upvotes

Your right of course mgblack. I should have mentioned that the D70 Nikons *first consumer DSLR camera.
The D1 D1h were so expensive at the time you have to be earning a living with it to afford it. The D100 at 2000.00 was still up there. The consumer D5500 is solid value for money Imo given its feature set compared to the old D70 which was more money on it's introduction.
Cheers :)

Edited 2 minutes after posting

0 upvotes

I really don't understand why nikon hasnt released a video focused Dslr, canon want to protect their cinema line and so won't budge on giving consumer level anything except moosh. But nikon have no such cinema line to protect, it couldn't be more obvious the opportunity in front of them, they have better quality video on their consumer Dslrs but it's so poorly implemented. This d5500 release is another nail in their coffin.

2 upvotes

The same can be said for Olympus...

2 upvotes

The Nikons have had decent video features for a couple generations now, with uncompressed HDMI output on even the D3300 for example.

So I'm not sure what you're complaining about really.

1 upvote

Yeah nikon have a sharper picture and 60fps but ergonomically speaking it is behind, d750 and the d810 are the Dslrs that can change aperture in Livemode. If you could give me nikons video image and fps on a 70d I would be satisfied..

0 upvotes

The video in the D800 is, by most accounts, excellent. The last 2 seasons of Dexter, for example, were filmed with it. It was also the first DSLR form factor to be able to record uncompressed video to an external device. Other than Canon's video dedicated C series, Nikon's offerings stand up well to Canon's video DSLRs.

4 upvotes

Because many people don't shoot video with their DSLR. I take mostly still pictures with mine. If you have used the D800, it's video is very good if you need to shoot video.

Edited 38 seconds after posting

2 upvotes

Rubbish. There's plenty of ppl shooting video out there. This is nothing more than a missed opportunity from Nikon's part for them not to implement better video features. It means more Sony A7's and Panasonic GH4s are being sold.

Have you guys tried Panasonic LX100? The stills of that camera are not otherworldy, but what is otherworldy is that it's a small camera in its size and it can take equal if not better video than a Nikon D8xx camera. It has very good bitrate for recording to memory card, and I was able to record some cool 4k footage in a store where I tried it (class 10 SD card). Why nikon is not putting a feature like this (with their superb ergonomics + lens collection)? They must be stupid.

Edited 2 times; latest 3 minutes since posting

0 upvotes

canon are probably thinking they can now delay the 750d another year

0 upvotes

How So.
The D5200 already ate the 700d/650d for breakfast.
Canon is already far in extra time with this camera.

3 upvotes

Excellent my local camera store will now sell d3200 d3300 d5100 d5200 d5300 d5500 d7000 d7100
The back log of unsold stock is piling up

5 upvotes

With my little 35 mm 1.8 DX this camera would be pretty nice.

1 upvote

I think it is more like selective engineering choices. In Sony's case, they replaced the GPS with WIFI and the Multi interface shoe. The both of which draw power from the board and Sony did not update the battery, which was already way behind the competition in terms of shots between charges. China policies may be a consideration, but I don't think it is a determining factor.

0 upvotes

Perhaps a way of tracking stolen cameras would be a nice idea. Also worldwide warranty would improve there image. Seems Nikon not interested in Nikon users.
When are they going to make a macro lens with a full D.O.F. image.
They need a sensor dust protector that can be cleaned in the field.

0 upvotes

I do most of my photography while I am away from home, i.e. travelling, thus geotagging via GPS is much more important feature for me than the touch screen. It is not clear why Nikon took off GPS in D5500.
Perhaps they put it back in the next model as a new feature!!

1 upvote

People have complained that the GPS is a battery hog. Maybe true, but then again, you don't have to keep it on all the time, so it's a moot point IMHO. I agree with you and I'd pick GPS over a touch screen any time. Touch screens that small are virtually useless, unless, maybe, if you are a child with tiny fingers.

3 upvotes

I have a d5300. I am happy with the picture quality .Yes the gps uses up battery power but that dosn't worry me.But the time to find a location is woeful.Also it is highly inaccurate.Closest location was 60m ,most were 100m - 400m out.Would never buy again for the inbuilt gps. I am not fussed on touchscreens either.

1 upvote

An exciting downgrade. Pretty soon all DSLR will be a downgrade from EVIL/mirrorless.

I actually want Canon and Nikon (and to some extend Pentax) to fail ASAP. Their continuous pumping out of low-end DSLRs that's not an upgrade of the previous model is taking money away from EVIL/mirrorless companies that could use the money to innovate even faster. Canon and Nikon are playing the role of Kodak, trying to prevent the rise of digital/EVIL/mirrorless.

2 upvotes

You actually want canon/nikon/pentax to fail, throwing '000s of people out of work......just 'cos you don't like DSLRs as a concept?

You should be ashamed!

8 upvotes

Just because a company fails doesn't mean the industry disappears. Theoretically those people would get jobs at the other companies who use innovation to sell cameras instead of the entrenched position as the market leader. I don't understand what Pentax has to do with this, though, they're not taking market share away from anyone at this point...

1 upvote

But of course once you have Sony dominating the mirrorless market, why won't they stop innovating and just cash in just like canon and nikon have?

1 upvote

So basically Canon and Nikon are ruining everything for the mirrorless makers by competing with them? And the loss of this major competition would somehow stimulate innovation?
That's not how it works at all. If other companies were to take the place as market leaders, they would behave exactly as Canon and Nikon do. The smaller players are more innovative because they have to be, given their position in the market.

3 upvotes

Normally, no one benefits from an oligopoly/duopoly such as the current DSLR market except the oligopolists. Read up on oligopoly in Wikipedia, that should clear things up for you. I think we're clearly seeing the price consumers pay for an oligopoly in Canon and Nikon's sluggish pace of innovation, specifically their refusal to introduce a competitive mirrorless ILC with a larger sensor and full lens lineup. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oligopoly

1 upvote

I know what an oligopoly is, and I didn't claim it to be a good thing. What I'm saying is that innovation is mostly stimulated by competition, so removing the big two from the market wouldn't necessarily lead to more innovation, like the OP suggested.

0 upvotes

Well, if you understand oligopolies, then you'll understand that it's difficult for competitors to innovate because if they are successful, the oligopolist simply comes and matches their offering with a comparable offering, taking back the gained market share and making their investment in R&D worthless. Competitors know this, so they don't do it in the first place. That's how an oligopoly stymies competition. To what extent does that appy to the DSLR market? More than none, but not completely, I'd assume.

1 upvote

@King Penguin
I am sure the horse carriage people found different works once cars are common place.

@KL Matt
The small 5, Olympus, Panasonic, Fuji, Sony and Samsung have plenty of competition among themselves to keep innovation going.

What we don't need are two big companies controlling 70% of the market doing everything they can to stop consumer from buying from the innovative players. The only Canon innovation I can think of from the past 5 years are the dual-pixel pixel thing and I cannot think of anything from Nikon.

0 upvotes

Peiasdf and yet the market share of the also rans remains quite small. How do you explain that, if they are the ones with the innovative products?

1 upvote

If Canon and Nikon stopped their oligopoly on DSLRs, it will be SONY, PANA, and maybe SAMSUNG doing oligopoly on mirrorless.
And it would be far worse than Canikon's oligopoly. At least for now, we can choose between DSLRs and mirrorless.

Edited 1 minute after posting

1 upvote

The scenario that would be better for consumers would be no single manufacturer or small group of manufacturers with a commanding share of the ILC market. But I agree that mirrorless is shaking things up. What you may however see relatively soon is both Canon and Nikon making a big splash with their own advanced mirrorless offerings, but only at the point where they are absolutely forced to. That's the price we as consumers pay for the oligopoly: without it, they would have been forced to compete with much more serious mirrorless offerings much sooner.

0 upvotes

"Well, if you understand oligopolies, then you'll understand that it's difficult for competitors to innovate because if they are successful, the oligopolist simply comes and matches their offering with a comparable offering"

Oh really? Is that why pentax and fuji have better APS-C lenses than canon or nikon? No reasonably priced 4k camera from either of the 2 either.

Heck even samsung has it going pretty good when it comes to lenses.

Edited 45 seconds after posting

0 upvotes

The thing is, Pentax and Fuji, despite their lens lineups, do not threaten Canon and Nikon's APS/C business. If they did, Canon and Nikon would counter (or already have) in the necessary amount to preserve their market share (which is not threatened at the moment). I know it's difficult to imagine how "even more innovation" would look like, because it does not yet exist. But that's what the theory predicts. Either that, or prices are artificially inflated under the current oligopoly. In either case, an oligopoly benefits entrenched manufacturers and hurts consumers and challengers. I did not make that up, other smarter people have studied it intensely. But if you know better than them, more power to you!

0 upvotes

I'm getting tired of you Nikon. I conceed, this may be a decent camera; but I'm just sick to death of the BS.

1. Why NOT a focus motor for (old) AFl lenses in this size? You know you can. You just don't want to hear noises in videos. You known, one could choose to focus vidoe manually to prebent this, if we were ALLOWED. The 7100 (w/motor) is WAY to big.

You readers really think a motor couln't be fitted? Really?

2. Is amperture contro still borked in video? Duh....

3. Nikon mirorless (system) APS-C?????? You know an F-mount adapter would solve it!

Edited 6 times; latest 3 minutes since posting

2 upvotes

I'm still trying to figure out what happened to the D5400. Is 5400 unlucky in Japan, too?

0 upvotes

The number 4 in Japanese sounds like their word for "death" (shee.)
That's the reason the mythical D400 will NEVER be produced. If there's ever a successor to the D300, it will be the D500.

2 upvotes

OK, thanks! :)

0 upvotes

Shame they built a D4 then... and a D40...

8 upvotes

Not that this is a final answer to anything, because I know no Japanese, but Google translate listen produces nothing that sounds like shee except "death". Tried four, forty, 4, 40, 400, 5400, D4, D40, D5400... Nothing's even close to shee. Can Papi61 at least tell us what version of 4 is supposed to sound like death? No, it's not terribly important, but if someone posts an "answer" here it should have some credibility, no?

0 upvotes

Kanji 死 means «death» and spells as «shi». The number 4 (四) can be spelt as «yon» and as «shi» as well.

However, Nikon D4, Canon EOS 40D, EOS D400 was produced, so it’s somewhat strange to skip D5400.

0 upvotes

Thank you maksa. PandaSA owes me an apology for questioning my credibility. But I'm 100% sure he won't provide one.

Baka gaijin... ;)

Edited 49 seconds after posting

0 upvotes

I think it is because Nikon already has a CoolPix 5400. Don't want to get the models confused by having a nearly identical name.

0 upvotes

Another reason I will not go back to Nikon. My Pentax K5 mk.2 gives me so much more for less money. I had many Nikons before. Pass on this one.

3 upvotes

Less money? /The K5 mk2 was more than 50/% more than the new D5500. You are comparing a semi-pro camera to an entry level one. Try comparing it to a D300s.

2 upvotes

OMG Nikon, this is the stupidest update and a waste of money. Give us some real DX goodness g-damnnit !!

Fuji does more with a firmware update........................

Edited 45 seconds after posting

15 upvotes

And I thought Pentax (ehm.. Ricoh) news are boring. Kudos to Nikon beating them..

..or is it a tie?

7 upvotes

At least PentaCoh makes the cameras colorful.

Edited 12 seconds after posting

0 upvotes

Nikon gots to stop protecting it's higher models, this AF system is really dated, A6000 will focus track better. Live view autofocus on the Nikon will be pitiful at best. Really defeats the purpose of flippy and touch screen. Face detection, autofocus point metering these features are so common and useful for this segment of users but there're still missing from Nikon. . A6000 is a Gold award camera in it's market segment, Nikon's offer is at best Silver Award like the D5300. ( only good going for D5500 which was actually already in the D5300 is the AA filterless sensor). It's already 2015 Nikon

Edited 2 times; latest 13 minutes since posting

4 upvotes

Nope. It's a gold award. Care to wager?

0 upvotes

i would take that bet ..the nikon will get no gold for this camera . there is nothing new in it ..in fact they took stuff .

0 upvotes

@rinkos I don't think you get how gold awards work. It's probably getting it.

Regardless, I swore off Nikon when they killed the LPF. If I want relics, I'll use my cell phone.

0 upvotes

look up tony northup's review on A6000. The AF doesn't fare too well when target is moving towards you.

0 upvotes

Focus-Peaking?

1 upvote

Peek-a-boo-focus! Yay!

2 upvotes

wow! ironic-mode and fun-detection...

0 upvotes

Seriously, what is the point of this camera?
Same sensor, same processor, same 39-point autofocus etc, etc.
How about a better view finder? Better autofocus, metering, Weather sealing, or some "DECENT" lenses to its APS-C line-up!
The lack of GPS probably makes this more of a downgrade than an upgrade.
Samsung, Sony and Panasonic are getting out there and providing its customers with new and innovating stuff while Nikon is in cruise control.
This "update" just proves that Nikon has pretty much given up on APC cameras.

Edited 2 times; latest 7 minutes since posting

1 upvote

"Seriously, what is the point of this camera?"

To satisfy the reviewers who lamented the lack of a touch-screen on the D5300 as a serious deal-breaker? ;)

Seriously, I would hate a touch-screen that small. Heck, I don't even like a 4-4.5" screen on a smartphone. I've been using phablets since they were invented.

1 upvote

I agree, touch-screen is not a big deal for me.
Its the same-ol camera with some lipstick. Its kind of an insult to its customers

0 upvotes

If they at least made if pink from factory.. that would be something..

1 upvote

yea touch screen is for the smaller ones in size like A6000 mirrorless size as its easier to hold them . not much point doing it on a fuller size dslr

1 upvote

Multiple sources have reported over the years that Nikon uses non-Sony 24 APS-C sensor, from both their own sensor group as well as Toshiba. I have repeatedly heard that the D3300 sensor is a Nikon sensor and the D7100 a Toshiba sensor. Thom Hogan recently mentioned that the D5300 sensor is also from Toshiba. When the D7100 came out, it was remarked upon that it a tiny bit more banding than the D7000 (which had a Sony EXMOR sensor), suggesting that Sony still had a small edge in that regard.

The only other brand using a 24 MP APS-C sensor (besides Sony and Nikon) is Pentax. As Thom Hogan also mentioned that Sony hasn't offered its 24 MP APS-C sensor to other companies (or they did not want it, the NEX-7 sensor appeared to be much more picky in regard to the angle of incidence than previous Sony 16 MP sensors), it might also have a Toshiba or other sensor.

0 upvotes

Slightly wrong. D3200 sensor was Nikon. D3300 Sony. D5200 and D7100 Toshiba, D5300 Sony. I don't know what is the D5500 yet, but most likely Sony. The Sony, Nikon and Toshiba sensors all look quite different, it's very obvious which is which just by looking at them.
One factor which might have counted in Sony's favour with the Nikon engineers is that the D5300/D3300 sensor looks like a complete redesign from the previous Sony 24MP effort, which at a pixel level performed pretty much exactly as their 16MP sensor, so produced overall worse read noise.
Pentax 24MP sensors are also Sony. The Semiconductor business is worth more to Sony than the still camera business, I don't think they're shy about selling their sensors to anyone they can.

Edited 2 minutes after posting

0 upvotes

Ah ok, the lower end models (D3x00, D5x00) are a bit of a blur for me, in particular when they keep the same number of pixels.

0 upvotes

I think the interesting thing is that although the pixel count is the same, Nikon haven't carried on using the same sensor. The latest Sony unit is overall a better performer than any of the previous ones. It has a little more read noise than the Toshiba one, but doesn't suffer from the slight pattern noise issue.

0 upvotes

Does it come with oil satchels or the technology to enable the sensor to produce the unique flare effect?

Just joking, happy new year...

0 upvotes

no, but you can turn it into a flare simulator if you put a 300 PF into it

0 upvotes

The discontinued D7000 is still the best deal in Nikon land... $499 body only for a real prism viewfinder, magnesium alloy build, 6fps speed and a reasonable buffer, and full compatibility with Nikon's lenses and flash system

Get one before they're gone

19 upvotes

Yes, they're still selling them at Best Buy at ridiculous prices. I wonder how much stock has Nikon still left to be sold from 5 years ago?

2 upvotes

@Retzius
exactly, and i've bought my D7000 back in 2012..16 MP is still plenty of MP and well enough, at least for APS-C/DX Sensor size.

The 24 MP AA-less DX Sensor needs very good glas, and i seriously doubt that any of the D3x00 Buyers for instance would use everything else than the Kitlens, at least perhaps the 35mm/1.8 DX AF-S, but not much more.

And the 18-55 VR II, even it's a nice Kitlens after all, can't resolve 24 MP seriously.

Edited 1 minute after posting

1 upvote

D7000 is only partial magnesium alloy, only the top and back, the rest is plastic. They were not $499, maybe on special floor models/open box, close out or even used. Heck I just one used for $600, I never saw one at that price when they were current.

Edited 2 minutes after posting

0 upvotes

I got mine brand new during the holiday specials for $484 on Amazon. Right now they are $548... still a bargain.

0 upvotes

@Fullframer

yes, we all know that - but the D7000 Body is *much* better in terms of Quality, than an ordinary D3x00, D5x00 Series. Never saw them dead-cheap for 499$, but around 630 EUR into here.

0 upvotes

Nikon like Canon needs to get it mirrorless cameras sorted- now that would be worth DPNEWS giving a new Nikon such airtime - the EOS-M (hated by almost everyone I have two and I love them) and the 1 series have totally failed and DSLR sales continue to fall as does their retail price. This is affecting Nikon much more than Canon for two important reasons: 1: Canon rely far less than Nikon upon camera sales - so Canon can stand the pressure for longer. 2: Nikon have to give SONY a high percentage of their profits for each camera sold as they rely on Sony for sensors. Again Canon can play the waiting game - and do.

Edited 54 seconds after posting

2 upvotes

High percentage? Unlikely. I've heard aps-c sensors cost about $50 these days. And profit is what is left after paying for materials and labor. A sensor is a part and a part alone.

2 upvotes

The Nikon 1 Series failed for Marketing Guys, and "Pro Users", but you can get decent pictures out of it. I do love my V1 & 18.5/1.8 combo much - great EVF, great build ("not plastique-drastique"), and the prime is way good, especially on the V1.

Instead of updating the 55-200/4-5.6 to VR II Level and smaller Zoom, Nikon should have had released a 23mm/1.8 AF-S DX, i'm waiting already Aeons for this lens...

Edited 2 minutes after posting

1 upvote

I'm still hoping they will release a mirrorless that has a EVF as nice as the Fuji XT1 and take the same lenses that the D7100 takes. And priced within reason. It's the lenses that made me move back to dslr recently.

0 upvotes

Sad Joe, buying components from other companies is not the same as licensing their technology. Besides, it may very well be more expensive to develop and produce your own sensors than to buy them from another company.

0 upvotes

Me ? No, not of interest - its a parts bin camera like the D610. If I were interested I would wait a month to discover what is wroing with it or if it has issues. Sure DPReview will give it a gold badge....

1 upvote

All Cameras are parts bin cameras, not just the D610.. they all are built to a certain price point with similar components.

0 upvotes

How much does nikon need to pay to make this a "featured story" and have it bumped to the top?

2 upvotes

A decent mid range Dslr sure is a lot more exciting for us DPreview readers than all those crappy compacts that have been announced at the same event.

6 upvotes

I don't know about you, but I'm not paying for DPReview. Someone has to.

0 upvotes

doesn't answer the question.

0 upvotes

Tonkotsu.
Think for a moment.
This is a photography gear site.
The Nikon D5500 is a interesting product.

The D5xxx series is probably the best selling Nikon Dslr line
It has a touchscreen(finally a Nikon first)

And then there hasn't been anything remotely exciting released in the last weeks

1 upvote

The last line explained it.

Though I was seriously wondering how much, because the fuji lens article seems to have more attention, then suddenly the nikon article is pulled to the top.
So just wondering how their ad process works. Fuji didn't pay enough? Nikon paid more? They endorse a camera that is getting less attention than a lens..? They have amazon links under both articles, so it's not like they're losing the clicks.

1 upvote

You do realize Amazon.com owns DPReview?

0 upvotes

Yea and?

1 upvote

They've panned plenty of cameras, including Nikons, so knock it off you guys. Jeff Bezos doesn't care what the staffers write. His strategy is just to get you into his tent and harvest your information. After that, his fiendish algorithms will make sure that your next camera buying decision will somehow involve Amazon.

0 upvotes

The Nikon 5500 will sell more units than practically anything else listed recently. It makes sense that it is prominent if more people read it and easily order from Amazon. Especially new people who find the DPReview article result as a top search and possibly never return again.

Sniping at DPReview over perceived placement for money is misguided because their business model could likely be much more complicated than you are alluding to. They have incentives beyond the manufacturers to move certain things.

Edited 32 seconds after posting

0 upvotes

We do not solicit or accept payment for the featured homepage slot. It's an editorial decision.

1 upvote

The D5500 might not be a mega leap from D5300, but it's still something interesting. They need to get the AF fine tune to their lower end bodies though, as that can be a serious deal breaker if some wants to to shoot a bit wider aperture..

0 upvotes

Yawn.

1 upvote

Total comments: 290

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