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Nikon D5300 vs Nikon D5500

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Nikon D5300

24 MP | APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) CMOS Sensor

Nikon D5300
$429.00

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Nikon D5500

24 MP | APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) CMOS Sensor

Nikon D5500
$699.95

CHECK TODAY's PRICE
Nikon D5300 vs Nikon D5500 Comparison Overview

In this review, we will be comparing D5300 and D5500, two Entry-Level DSLR cameras by Nikon. Nikon D5300 was introduced to market in February 2014 and Nikon D5500 was launched in January 2015. There is only 1 months difference between D5300 and D5500 so we are expecting this to be a fair comparison regarding age and technology level.

Both Nikon D5300 and Nikon D5500 cameras have 24.0MP APS-C sensors. We can expect this to be a close match up because both models are ranked amongst the best in Entry-Level DSLR cameras. Out of 79 cameras in this class, Nikon D5300 is ranked #10 with an overall score of 73 and Nikon D5500 is ranked #3 with an overall score of 76.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of Nikon D5300 and Nikon D5500 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Nikon D5300 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2014-02-12
  • 24MP - APS-C CMOS Sensor
  • No Anti-aliasing (AA) filter
  • ISO 100 - 12800 ( expands to 25600)
  • Nikon F Mount
  • 3.2" Fully Articulated Screen
  • Optical (pentamirror) viewfinder
  • 5 fps continuous shooting
  • 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • Built-in Wireless
  • Built-in GPS
  • 480g. 125 x 98 x 76 mm
  • Replaced Nikon D5200 Compare

Nikon D5500 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2015-01-06
  • 24MP - APS-C CMOS Sensor
  • No Anti-aliasing (AA) filter
  • ISO 100 - 25600
  • Nikon F Mount
  • 3.2" Fully Articulated Screen
  • Optical (pentamirror) viewfinder
  • 5.0 fps continuous shooting
  • 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 420g. 124 x 97 x 70 mm
  • Replaced Nikon D5300 Compare

Nikon D5500 was replaced by Nikon D5600. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Nikon D5600 vs Nikon D5500
Nikon D5600 vs Nikon D5300

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Nikon D5300 and Nikon D5500 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Nikon D5300 over Nikon D5500
GPS BuiltIn vs None track your location
Reasons to choose Nikon D5500 over Nikon D5300
Touch Screen Yes vs No Easy control of camera functions
Max ISO 25.600 vs 12.800 100% higher Max ISO
Battery Life 820 shots vs 600 shots 220 more frames with a single charge
Weight 420 g vs 480 g 60 g lighter
Color Depth 24.1 vs 24.0 higher color depth
Dynamic Range 14.0 vs 13.9 higher dynamic range
Low Light ISO 1438 vs 1338 better High ISO performance
Support for UHS Memory Cards UHS-I vs none Read/Write in Ultra High Speeds
Common Strengths of Nikon D5300 and Nikon D5500
Wireless Connection Yes vs Yes Better connectivity
Articulating Screen Yes vs Yes Flexible shooting positions
Built-in Flash Yes vs Yes Useful in low-light
External Flash Shoe Yes vs Yes Better for flash photography
Viewfinder Yes (Optical) vs Yes (Optical) Better framing and control
RAW Support Yes vs Yes Better image quality
Face Detection Focus Yes vs Yes very handy for portraits
Max Resolution 24 MP vs 24 MP Bigger prints and more details
LCD Screen Size 3.2" vs 3.2" Large display
LCD Screen Resolution 1.037k dots vs 1.037k dots Higher resolution screens
Microphone Port Yes vs Yes High quality audio recording option
Timelapse Recording Yes vs Yes creative shooting
AE Bracketing Yes vs Yes Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
Selfie Friendly LCD Yes vs Yes Rotate LCD for taking Selfies
Smartphone Remote Control Yes vs Yes Remote control your camera with a smartphone
Common Weaknesses of Nikon D5300 and Nikon D5500
Image Stabilization No vs No No Built-in stabilization
Environmental Sealing No vs No not suitable for tough conditions
Optical Viewfinder Type Pentamirror vs Pentamirror not as bright as Pentaprism Viewfinders
AF Micro Adjustment (Fine Tune) No vs No no option to fine tune Auto focus
Nikon D5300 vs Nikon D5500: Physical Specs and Body features Comparison

Size and weight is a big decision factor when you are trying to find the ideal camera for your needs. In this section, We are going to illustrate Nikon D5300 and Nikon D5500 side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions.

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Nikon D5300 and Nikon D5500. Nikon D5500 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 1mm narrower, 1mm shorter and 6mm thinner than Nikon D5300.

Nikon D5300 vs Nikon D5500 Camera Size Comparison - Front View


Here is the back view size comparison of Nikon D5300 and Nikon D5500.

Nikon D5300 vs Nikon D5500 Camera Size Comparison - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Nikon D5300 and Nikon D5500.
Nikon D5300 vs Nikon D5500 Camera Size Comparison - Top View

Nikon D5300 vs Nikon D5500 Detailed Size Comparison

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Nikon D5500 is 60g lighter than the Nikon D5300 but we don't think this will make a significant difference.

Also keep in mind that body weight is not the only deciding factor when comparing two interchangeable camera bodies, you have to also take into account the lenses that you will be using with these bodies. Since both Nikon D5300 and Nikon D5500 have the same APS-C sized sensor, their lenses for a similar focal length and aperture will be similar in size and weight.

Weight Comparison

DSLR Cameras

D5300
D5500
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

DSLR Cameras

D5300
D5500
Min
Average
Max

Weather Sealing

Unfortunately neither Nikon D5300 nor Nikon D5500 provides any type of weather sealing in their body, so you have to give extra care especially when you are shooting outdoors. If weather sealing is a must-have feature for you, check these sections:
Top DSLR Cameras with Weather Sealing

LCD Screen Size and Features

Nikon D5300 and Nikon D5500's LCD screens has the same diagonal size of 3.2".

Nikon D5300 vs Nikon D5500: Sensor Comparison

Both Nikon D5300 and Nikon D5500 have APS-C sized 24.0 MP resolution sensors so sensor size and resolution is not a differentiator between these two cameras.

Another similarity between these two cameras is that both Nikon D5500 and Nikon D5300 sensors lack anti-alias (Low-Pass) filters. Removing anti-alias filter increases the sharpness and level of detail but at the same time, it increases the chance of moire occurring in certain scenes.

Below you can see the D5300 and D5500 sensor size comparison.

Nikon D5300 vs Nikon D5500 Sensor Size Comparison


Nikon D5300 and Nikon D5500 have sensor sizes so they will provide same level of control over the depth of field when used with same focal length and aperture.

DxOMark Sensor Scores

DxOMark is a benchmark that scientifically assesses image quality of camera sensors. It scores camera sensors for color depth (DXO Portrait), dynamic range (DXO Landscape) and low-light sensitivity (DXO Sports), and also gives them an overall score. Nikon D5300 and Nikon D5500 sensors have been tested by DxO and the results show that D5500 has a better overall score of 84, 1 points higher compared to D5300's score of 83.

What types of Photography are Nikon D5300 and Nikon D5500 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Nikon D5300 and Nikon D5500 for five different photography types in order to make your decision process easier in case you are specifically interested in one or more of these areas.

Nikon D5300 for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE

Nikon D5500 for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 24.0MP
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
Read the details
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 24.0MP
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Nikon D5300 for Street Photography

GOOD

Nikon D5500 for Street Photography

GOOD
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Fully Articulated LCD Screen
No Image Stabilization
Large Body
Read the details
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Fully Articulated LCD Screen
No Image Stabilization
Large Body
Read the details

Nikon D5300 for Sports Photography

EXCELLENT

Nikon D5500 for Sports Photography

EXCELLENT
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
9 Cross Type Focus sensors
39 Focus Points
Good Battery Life: 600 shots
Good Low Light ISO
Wireless Connection
Average Continuous Shooting: 5.0fps
No Image Stabilization
Environmental Sealings
Read the details
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
9 Cross Type Focus sensors
39 Focus Points
Good Battery Life: 820 shots
Good Low Light ISO
Wireless Connection
Average Continuous Shooting: 5.0fps
No Image Stabilization
Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Nikon D5300 for Daily Photography

GOOD

Nikon D5500 for Daily Photography

GOOD
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Large Body
480g
Body Thickness 76mm
Read the details
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Large Body
420g
Body Thickness 70mm
Read the details

Nikon D5300 for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE

Nikon D5500 for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 24.0MP
Live-view
Built-in GPS
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 24.0MP
Live-view
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details


Nikon D5500 vs Nikon D5300 Comparison of Available Lenses
Which camera has more lenses?

Number of available lenses is a big decision factor while choosing your interchangeable lens camera. Nikon D5300 and Nikon D5500 have the same Nikon F lens mount and currently there are 304 native lenses available for these cameras.

Another important factor is the availability of image stabilization. None of these bodies have sensor based image stabilization so you have to buy lenses with Optical stabilization feature. Currently there are 101 lenses with Image stabilization for Nikon F mount.

Lens Type # of Nikon D5300 Lenses # of Nikon D5500 Lenses
Standard Zoom 33 33
Standard Prime 20 20
Wideangle Zoom 33 33
Wideangle Prime 47 47
Telephoto Zoom 53 53
Telephoto Prime 43 43
SuperZoom 30 30
Wideangle Fisheye Prime 8 8
Macro Prime 25 25
Perspective Control Prime 11 11
Telephoto Mirror Prime 1 1
TOTAL 304 304
Nikon D5300 vs Nikon D5500: OUR DECISION

You may have already made your decision about which camera suits better for your needs and your budget so far but in case you wonder how we rated Nikon D5300 and Nikon D5500, below you can find their scores in five different aspects. Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 63 different specs, current price and DxO Mark scores (where possible) in order to make a more objective and consistent comparison.

Here is a summary of how Nikon D5300 and Nikon D5500 scores compare:

Nikon D5300
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #8 out of 77 in Compact SLR cameras
Ranked #115 out of 1190 in all Cameras
Nikon D5500
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #4 out of 77 in Compact SLR cameras
Ranked #77 out of 1190 in all Cameras

Nikon D5500 has a higher Overall Score than the Nikon D5300 and would be our choice if we have to decide between these two cameras.

Nikon D5300
Nikon D5300
$429.00

Nikon D5500
Nikon D5500
$699.95

Nikon D5500 vs Nikon D5300 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Nikon D5300 Nikon D5500
Brand Nikon Nikon
Announced 2014-02-12 2015-01-06
Body Type Compact SLR Compact SLR
Sensor
Type CMOS CMOS
Size APS-C APS-C
Dimensions 23.5 x 15.6 mm 23.5 x 15.6 mm
Area 366.60mm2 366.60mm2
Megapixels 24 megapixels 24 megapixels
Max Resolution 6000 x 4000 6000 x 4000
Max Native Light sensitivity 12,800 ISO 25,600 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity 25600 ISO -
Min Native Light sensitivity 100 ISO 100 ISO
RAW Support
Autofocus
AF Touch
AF Continuous
AF Single
AF Tracking
AF Selective
AF Center
AF Multi Area
AF Live View
AF Face Detection
AF Contrast Detection
AF Phase Detection
Number of Focus Points 39 39
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount Nikon F Nikon F
Number of Available Lenses 304 304
Screen
Type Fully Articulated Fully Articulated
Size 3.2" 3.2"
Resolution 1,037k dots 1,037k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Optical (pentamirror) Optical (pentamirror)
Viewfinder Coverage 95% 95%
Viewfinder Magnification 0.55 0.55
Photography Features
Max Shutter Speed 1/4000s 1/4000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization No No
Built-in Flash
Flash Range 12.00 m (at ISO 100) 12.00 m (at ISO 100)
Max Flash Sync 1/200s 1/200s
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 5.0 fps 5.0 fps
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution 1920 x 1080 1920 x 1080
Video Formats MPEG-4, H.264 MPEG-4, H.264
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity Built-In Built-In
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 480g 420g
Dimensions 125 x 98 x 76mm 124 x 97 x 70mm
Battery Life 600 shots 820 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS BuiltIn Optional
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score 83 84
DxO Color Depth 24.0 24.1
DxO Dynamic Range 13.9 14.0
DxO Low Light ISO 1338 1438
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