The Nikon D5500 was released at the beginning of February, but people have already been anticipating and talking about it for a while now. Will it be an upgrade from other Nikon models, and if so, how much will change? What will it be able to do? And-most importantly—who is its target market, and will it be a good camera for you? Today we’ll consider these questions and give a general overview of Nikon’s newest mid-range DSLR.
WHAT CAN THE D5500 DO?
The Nikon D5500 boasts a wide array of features and some impressive specifications. You can find extensive lists of all the specs online, but let’s get the most important numbers out of the way first: It has a 24 MP sensor, 39 autofocus points, an ISO range from 100 to 25,600, and a 3.2-inch LCD screen that can also be used as a viewfinder. It can shoot 1080 video at up to 60 frames per second, and in still photo mode it can shoot up to 5 frames per second. All of these stats are very respectable, and some are even great. It also has built-in WiFi, which allows you connect your camera to your smart phone and do some interesting things, including shooting and editing pictures using the phone. But the most notable addition to this model is the articulating and adjustable touchscreen. The screen can serve as either a viewfinder or as a screen where you can review your photos, of course, but the articulation is the cool part, as it allows the shooter to flip out the screen and adjust the viewing and shooting angle. This can make it more convenient to shoot from different positions, and can eliminate or reduce the need to crouch down and/or crane one’s neck when shooting pictures on tripods or other places where it’s hard to put one’s eye up to the viewfinder. And speaking of the screen, the biggest news for this camera is that it has a touchscreen.
Touchscreens seem to be a polarizing feature on new cameras. For every person proclaiming his or her love for touchscreens, you’ll find another person (or five) saying that touchscreens are pointless and stupid and causing the downfall of society. Obviously, if you’re in the latter camp, then the touchscreen is not going to convince you to buy this camera. However, if you like the idea of a touchscreen or are just touchscreen-curious, it can actually be a very useful addition. On this particular model, the touchscreen can help the user go through menus and review pictures more quickly than using the traditional buttons or joystick controls found on other models. It can also allow the shooter to make some adjustments quickly while shooting, like focusing on points just by using a quick touch of the finger. There is also an option to dedicate a special function of the user’s choosing to the touchscreen, which can then be adjusted like a dial by moving one’s thumb. These functions can include controls for ISO, white balance, aperture, and others.
Speaking of features that can be polarizing, the body is also available in a shiny red color, as well as the traditional matte black color. Choosing the red camera may make a strong fashion statement or draw more attention to the photographer than to the photos, but then again, that may be a plus for some people. You may not like the red option, but aside from that, there aren’t too many negative points about this camera, at least when compared to similar models. The two noticeable deficiencies that seem to have attracted the most attention are its lack of GPS, as well as the fact the camera can’t shoot video in 4K. Many users might not care about GPS, but some definitely do, so it’s strange that the D5500 would actually take that away, since it was a feature that was already found in the D5300. Not having 4K video may not be a major problem, however, since many reviewers of Nikon cameras have found them to be a bit lacking in some video functions, such as focusing while filming. If you’re really serious about shooting amazing video, this camera probably won’t be on your radar anyway, and for most casual users, it will probably be fine.
WHO IS THE D5500 MADE FOR?
If you’re in the market for your first DSLR, then the D5500 will likely serve you well and you’ II probably have a great time with it. However, when comparing the D5500 with other DSLRs, and other Nikon DSLRs in particular, the choice isn’t as clear as it may seem at first glance.
Many people will inevitably compare the D5500 to the earlier D5300, and even call it an “upgrade” to that earlier version. The newer camera has similar features and specifications, but for the most part everything is bigger, better, and faster. Well, except for the “bigger,” part: somewhat surprisingly, the D5500 is actually slightly lighter than the D5300, although the grip is physically deeper on the D5500. The lighter weight is due to a body that is partially made from carbon fiber, which decreases the weight. It may be a small difference, but if you have to carry it around for hours and hours, it may turn into a big difference with time.
However, if you already have a D5300, you may not be the target audience for the D5500, since the most significant change is the addition of the touchscreen. I imagine that for most people, that alone may not be worth the significant price increase, but it may be. in the same sense, the D5500 isn’t aimed at existing Nikon photographers using the D7100. That camera may have a similar price point (at least when purchased used), but its additional buttons and dials give its users more flexibility and control when shooting; D7100 users probably wouldn’t want to give up that control, and that may not be something that D5500 users would miss if they never had it to begin with. Instead, the D5500 seems aimed more at new Nikon customers who are looking to change from a point-and-shoot camera or from a different brand of DSLR. But for photographers looking for a DSLR, especially those buying their first DSLR, they could certainly do worse than the D5500.
In many ways, the D5500 straddles the middle ground between extremes. It’s not a camera for full-on professionals, but it’s also probably a bit advanced for most purely casual shooters. In fact, casual shooters looking for portability and ease of use may not find the D5500 to be perfect for their needs, and they might even be better off buying a mirror-less camera to decrease the weight and increase the ease of use. The D5500’s price point is in the middle, as well; the body costs around $900 in the USA, and there are different kit lenses that can be added on through package deals. Compare that to bodies of the D5300, which costs a few hundred dollars less, or the D7100, which costs a few hundred dollars more. These are new prices, but you can likely find a good deal on a used body for those other models. Finally, as mentioned before, the camera’s performance specifications are also somewhere in the middle of the pack, but it does stand out in many ways. And even if it’s in the middle, that’s not to say that it won’t help you take excellent pictures. If you have the skills and know how to use your camera, the D5500 will surely give you great results.
THE BOTTOM LINE: THE D5500 IS THE PERFECT CAMERA FOR GOLDILOCKS
In the fairy tale of “Goldilocks and the Three Bears," Goldilocks was always looking for something in the middle: not too hot and not too cold; not too big and not too small. Well, if she were in the market for a new DSLR, especially if she had only used point-and-shoot cameras before, then Goldilocks would do well to look closely at the D5500. It has excellent specs and loads of features and functions that will give growing photographers room to explore and improve their craft, but it probably won't overwhelm them with too many functions that they won’t use or won’t care about. In other words, for many photographers, it’s just right.