Do you want to know what's better Nikon D500 or Nikon D5500? SpecsPRO has compared Nikon D500 vs Nikon D5500: weight, battery, sensor, resolution, ISO, dynamic range and other important specifications.

Nikon D500 vs Nikon D5500

  • Main

  • Model

  • Price

  • Advantages

  • launch

  • Announced

  • Body type

  • Camera subcategory

  • Sensor

  • Effective pixels

  • Max resolution

  • Sensor size

  • Sensor type

  • Processor

  • Image ratio w:h

  • Other resolutions

  • Sensor photo detectors

  • Image

  • ISO

  • Boosted ISO (minimum)

  • Boosted ISO (maximum)

  • White balance presets

  • Custom white balance

  • Image stabilization

  • Uncompressed format

  • JPEG quality levels

  • Photography features

  • Minimum shutter speed

  • Maximum shutter speed

  • Aperture priority

  • Shutter priority

  • Manual exposure mode

  • Subject / scene modes

  • Built-in flash

  • External flash

  • Flash modes

  • Continuous drive

  • Self-timer

  • Metering modes

  • Exposure compensation

  • AE Bracketing

  • WB Bracketing

  • Flash range

  • Screen / viewfinder

  • Articulated LCD

  • Screen size

  • Screen dots

  • Touch screen

  • Screen type

  • Live view

  • Viewfinder type

  • Viewfinder coverage

  • Viewfinder magnification

  • Videography features

  • Resolutions

  • File Format

  • Microphone

  • Speaker

  • Optics & Focus

  • Autofocus

  • Digital zoom

  • Manual focus

  • Number of focus points

  • Lens mount

  • Focal length multiplier

  • Physical

  • Weight (inc. batteries)

  • Dimensions

  • Environmentally sealed

  • Battery

  • Battery details

  • Battery Life (CIPA)

  • Storage

  • Storage types

  • Storage included

  • Connectivity

  • USB

  • HDMI

  • Microphone port

  • Headphone port

  • Wireless

  • Wireless notes

  • Remote control

  • Other features

  • Orientation sensor

  • Timelapse recording

  • GPS

  • GPS notes

  • Samples

  • Videos

  • Main

  • Model

    Nikon D500

  • Price

  • Advantages

  • SENSOR Sensor size: APS-C (23.5 x 15.7 mm)

    IMAGE ISO: ISO 100 - 51200 (expandable to 50 - 1640000)

    PHOTOGRAPHY FEATURES Maximum shutter speed: 1/8000 sec

    PHOTOGRAPHY FEATURES Continuous drive: 10.0 fps

    SCREEN / VIEWFINDER Screen dots: 2,359,000

    VIDEOGRAPHY FEATURES Resolutions: 4K (UHD) 30p/25p/24p, 1080/60p/50p/30p/25p/24p, 720/60p/50p

    OPTICS & FOCUS Number of focus points: 153

    PHYSICAL Environmentally sealed: Yes

    PHYSICAL Battery Life (CIPA): 1240

    OTHER FEATURES GPS: Optional

    Go to the Summary

  • Main

  • Model

    Nikon D5500

  • Price

  • Advantages

  • SENSOR Effective pixels: 24 megapixels

    SENSOR Max resolution: 6000 x 4000

    SENSOR Sensor photo detectors: 25 megapixels

    PHOTOGRAPHY FEATURES Subject / scene modes: Yes

    PHOTOGRAPHY FEATURES Built-in flash: Yes (Pop-up)

    SCREEN / VIEWFINDER Articulated LCD: Fully articulated

    PHYSICAL Weight (inc. batteries): 420 g (0.93 lb / 14.82 oz)

    Go to the Summary

  • launch

  • Announced

    Feb 2016

  • Body type

  • Camera subcategory

    Mid-size SLR

  • Sensor

  • Effective pixels

    21 megapixels

  • Max resolution

    5568 x 3712

  • Sensor size

    APS-C (23.5 x 15.7 mm)

  • Sensor type

    CMOS

  • Processor

    Expeed 5

  • Image ratio w:h

    3:2

  • Other resolutions

    4176 x 2784, 2784 x 1856

  • Sensor photo detectors

    22 megapixels

  • Image

  • ISO

    ISO 100 - 51200 (expandable to 50 - 1640000)

  • Boosted ISO (minimum)

    50

  • Boosted ISO (maximum)

    1640000

  • White balance presets

    12

  • Custom white balance

    Yes (5)

  • Image stabilization

    No

  • Uncompressed format

    RAW + TIFF

  • JPEG quality levels

    Fine, Normal, Basic

  • Photography features

  • Minimum shutter speed

    30 sec

  • Maximum shutter speed

    1/8000 sec

  • Aperture priority

    Yes

  • Shutter priority

    Yes

  • Manual exposure mode

    Yes

  • Subject / scene modes

    No

  • Built-in flash

    No

  • External flash

    Yes (Hot-shoe, Wireless plus sync connector)

  • Flash modes

    Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Slow sync, Rear curtain

  • Continuous drive

    10.0 fps

  • Self-timer

    Yes (2, 5, 10 or 20 sec)

  • Metering modes

    • Multi
    • Center-weighted
    • Highlight-weighted
    • Spot

  • Exposure compensation

    ±5 (at 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV steps)

  • AE Bracketing

    (2, 3, 5, 7 frames at 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV, 2/3 EV, 1 EV, 2 EV steps)

  • WB Bracketing

    Yes (2 or 9 frames in steps of 1, 2 or 3 mired)

  • Flash range

  • Screen / viewfinder

  • Articulated LCD

    Tilting

  • Screen size

    3.2

  • Screen dots

    2,359,000

  • Touch screen

    Yes

  • Screen type

    TFT LCD

  • Live view

    Yes

  • Viewfinder type

    Optical (pentaprism)

  • Viewfinder coverage

    100%

  • Viewfinder magnification

    1×

  • Videography features

  • Resolutions

    4K (UHD) 30p/25p/24p, 1080/60p/50p/30p/25p/24p, 720/60p/50p

  • File Format

    MPEG-4, H.264

  • Microphone

    Stereo

  • Speaker

    Mono

  • Optics & Focus

  • Autofocus

    • Contrast Detect (sensor)
    • Phase Detect
    • Multi-area
    • Selective single-point
    • Tracking
    • Single
    • Continuous
    • Face Detection
    • Live View

  • Digital zoom

    No

  • Manual focus

    Yes

  • Number of focus points

    153

  • Lens mount

    Nikon F

  • Focal length multiplier

    1.5×

  • Physical

  • Weight (inc. batteries)

    860 g (1.90 lb / 30.34 oz)

  • Dimensions

    147 x 115 x 81 mm (5.79 x 4.53 x 3.19)

  • Environmentally sealed

    Yes

  • Battery

    Battery Pack

  • Battery details

    Lithium-Ion EN-EL15 rechargeable battery & charger

  • Battery Life (CIPA)

    1240

  • Storage

  • Storage types

    SD/SDHC/SDXC (UHS-II compliant) + XQD

  • Storage included

    None

  • Connectivity

  • USB

    USB 3.0 (5 GBit/sec)

  • HDMI

    Yes (mini-HDMI)

  • Microphone port

    Yes

  • Headphone port

    Yes

  • Wireless

    Built-In

  • Wireless notes

    Wi-Fi with low energy Bluetooth

  • Remote control

    Yes (Optional, wired or wireless )

  • Other features

  • Orientation sensor

    Yes

  • Timelapse recording

    Yes

  • GPS

    Optional

  • GPS notes

    GP-1

  • Watch sample photos

  • Watch video reviews

  • launch

  • Announced

    Jan 6, 2015

  • Body type

  • Camera subcategory

    Compact SLR

  • Sensor

  • Effective pixels

    24 megapixels

  • Max resolution

    6000 x 4000

  • Sensor size

    APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm)

  • Sensor type

    CMOS

  • Processor

    Expeed 4

  • Image ratio w:h

    3:2

  • Other resolutions

    4496 x 3000, 2992 x 2000

  • Sensor photo detectors

    25 megapixels

  • Image

  • ISO

    Auto, 100 - 25600

  • Boosted ISO (minimum)

  • Boosted ISO (maximum)

  • White balance presets

    12

  • Custom white balance

    Yes (1)

  • Image stabilization

    No

  • Uncompressed format

    RAW

  • JPEG quality levels

    Fine, Normal, Basic

  • Photography features

  • Minimum shutter speed

    30 sec

  • Maximum shutter speed

    1/4000 sec

  • Aperture priority

    Yes

  • Shutter priority

    Yes

  • Manual exposure mode

    Yes

  • Subject / scene modes

    Yes

  • Built-in flash

    Yes (Pop-up)

  • External flash

    Yes (Hot-shoe)

  • Flash modes

    Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Slow sync, Rear curtain

  • Continuous drive

    5.0 fps

  • Self-timer

    Yes (2, 5, 10 or 20 sec)

  • Metering modes

    • Multi
    • Center-weighted
    • Spot

  • Exposure compensation

    ±5 (at 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV steps)

  • AE Bracketing

    ±2 (3 frames at 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV steps)

  • WB Bracketing

    Yes (3 frames in either blue/amber or magenta/green axis)

  • Flash range

    12.00 m (at ISO 100)

  • Screen / viewfinder

  • Articulated LCD

    Fully articulated

  • Screen size

    3.2

  • Screen dots

    1,037,000

  • Touch screen

    Yes

  • Screen type

    TFT LCD monitor

  • Live view

    Yes

  • Viewfinder type

    Optical (pentamirror)

  • Viewfinder coverage

    95%

  • Viewfinder magnification

    0.82×

  • Videography features

  • Resolutions

    1920 x 1080 (60, 50, 30, 25, 24 fps), 1280 x 720 (60, 50, 30, 25 fps), 640 x 424 (30, 25 fps)

  • File Format

    MPEG-4, H.264

  • Microphone

    Stereo

  • Speaker

    Mono

  • Optics & Focus

  • Autofocus

    • Contrast Detect (sensor)
    • Phase Detect
    • Multi-area
    • Center
    • Selective single-point
    • Tracking
    • Single
    • Continuous
    • Touch
    • Face Detection
    • Live View

  • Digital zoom

    No

  • Manual focus

    Yes

  • Number of focus points

    39

  • Lens mount

    Nikon F

  • Focal length multiplier

    1.5×

  • Physical

  • Weight (inc. batteries)

    420 g (0.93 lb / 14.82 oz)

  • Dimensions

    124 x 97 x 70 mm (4.88 x 3.82 x 2.76)

  • Environmentally sealed

    No

  • Battery

    Battery Pack

  • Battery details

    EN-EL14 / EN-EL14a lithium-ion battery & charger

  • Battery Life (CIPA)

    820

  • Storage

  • Storage types

    SD/SDHC/SDXC

  • Storage included

  • Connectivity

  • USB

    USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)

  • HDMI

    Yes (mini-HDMI)

  • Microphone port

  • Headphone port

  • Wireless

    Built-In

  • Wireless notes

    Remote control / photo retrieval via smartphone

  • Remote control

    Yes (MC-DC2 (wired), WR-1/WR-R10 (wireless))

  • Other features

  • Orientation sensor

    Yes

  • Timelapse recording

    Yes

  • GPS

    None

  • GPS notes

  • Watch sample photos

  • Watch video reviews

  • Summary

    The Nikon D5500 maximum resolution of 6000 x 4000 pixels (24 megapixels) is better in comparison with the D500 highest resolution of 5568 x 3712 pixels (21 megapixels). The D500 is equipped with larger sensor than the Nikon D5500: APS-C (23.5 x 15.7 mm) versus APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm). It is very important difference between these models because big sensor allows the photographer to produce pictures of the higher quality. The D500 offers a wider ISO range of 100-51200 than 100-25600 ISO range of the Nikon D5500. This ISO range let you to produce better pictures in low light situations. The D500 has more number of focus points than the Nikon D5500: 153 vs 39. More number of focus points means more convenience while attempting to focus on subjects that are not centred.

    The D5500 is equipped with swiveling LCD that will let the photographer to shoot high quality selfies. The D500 screen is better as it offers more number of screen dots 2,359,000 in compare to 1,037,000 dots of the Nikon D5500 screen. The higher dot count screen is better for reviewing images on your camera. The D500 provides better highest shutter speed - 1/8000 second.

    The Nikon D5500 is produced with built-in flash. The D500 is environmentally sealed i.e. the camera will be safe even uncovered if the photographer is out shooting in the rain and snow. The D500 battery life is better than the Nikon D5500 battery life. According to CIPA standards you will be able to take 1240 shots with the D500 and only 820 with the D5500. The D5500 weighs 420g which is 440g lighter in comparison with the weight of the D500. The D500 can utilize optional accessory GPS devices. Recording GPS data can be useful if you like to travel, to be able to check the image metadata and see exactly where a picture was shot.

    The Nikon D500 has 10 advantages and the Nikon D5500 only 7 so the D500 will become the best buy. Check the list of the best offers on Amazon.