Amazon.com: Customer reviews: Nikon D5500 DX-format Digital SLR Body (Black)

Reviewed in the United States on February 22, 2015

Color: RedStyle: BodySet: BaseVerified Purchase

This is an upgrade from my D5000. I'm very happy with it so far. I love the red color, which looks more true red than the image that appears on my screen. The color aides in being able to tell my camera bodies apart at a glance as well, which is actually why I chose the red. It's both smaller and lighter than my D5000, which is very nice as every ounce counts when you're predominantly an outdoor and nature photographer like I am. The grip is deeper and more comfortable. Changing lenses feels much smoother on this model.

The LCD screen is noticeably larger, easier to see, and display of higher quality visually. The touch screen works well and makes quick operation easier. The touch screen has some fun and interesting capabilities too, namely touch focus and shutter release when in live view. However, I found that while the first couple of times taking photos using the screen as a shutter release is fun, it quickly becomes a nuisance when every accidental touch of the screen becomes a photo you didn't mean to take. So, I disabled that feature early on. But, I did keep the touch screen's spot focus feature on. Though I'm predominantly a viewfinder shooter, being able to focus right where I want just by touching the screen when I am using live view is great. You can also get pinpoint focus accuracy by zooming in while in live view. I'll still rely on my viewfinder and spot focusing manually for the majority of my shooting though just because that's what I'm more comfortable with. But I suspect that LCD spot focusing capability will be a well used feature among many.

My favorite upgrade is the expanded ISO. It goes to 25,600 whereas my old camera only went to 3,200. This gives me MUCH more capability and flexibility in lower lighting. I ran some high ISO tests the first day I got it and was happy to see that I can easily go to several thousand ISO and still have an acceptable image, especially after applying a noise reduction filter in post processing.

The built in flash is not quite as powerful as my old one, but still enough to do the trick when you're not using a speed light, but need something more than the available light. I'm pleased with the results of my flash and exposure compensation tests.

They've moved some buttons around, but, I'm finding operation pretty much the same as the D5000, or at least an intuitive jump from the older model. There's been nothing that I haven't been able to quickly and easily discern after using the D5000 for years. I think anyone familiar with any of Nikon's models in this series will find switching to this one an easy transition.

One negative I noticed in my initial tests is that settings change and a noticeable reduction in image quality is visible if using the continuous shooting mode compared to single shot mode in low light, high ISO tests. Focus seemed far more challenging for hand held shots in continuous shooting mode even though the camera automatically increased the shutter speed while shooting in aperture priority mode. I suspect this is due to mirror movement, but am disappointed since continuous is my preferred mode. I'll be running more tests in better lighting outside once we're out of this cold snap and will try to remember to update this review with my results. Nonetheless, this is my only disappointment thus far. I'm very pleased with everything else.

In summary, I'd highly recommend this camera body to anyone on somewhat of a budget who wants a good quality DSLR that accommodates everyone from the point and shoot hobby photographer to the fully manual serious photographer. Due to its size and weight, it's particularly great for anyone who does a lot of outdoor work and/or has to lug their gear around a lot. It's the kind of good quality you'd expect from Nikon.

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Waikiki

An amazingly light-weight, touch-screen, 24MP camera, capable of very professional results with proper technique

Reviewed in the United States on April 2, 2016

Color: BlackStyle: BodySet: BaseVerified Purchase

A superb camera. While I could go on and on about how good the new 24MP imager is; how light but strong the body is; how fast the camera handles big files; and the great overall quality of the images if you lens and technique are good -- it's the touch screen that really makes it stand apart. Once you realize virtually everything can be done via iPhone-like gestures on the big rear articulating LCD, it becomes the fastest DSLR camera I've ever used. This camera is also lighter than ANY DSLR I've ever used, and I've used many Nikon's and Canon's. Since it's largely made from a single piece of polycarbonate, it's exceptionally strong too. I've dropped it on the sidewalk, I know.
Although it's still 24MP, Nikon says it's a new sensor, not a carry-over from the D5300. That said, 24MP can make mural-sized photos.
This camera is more capable than most lens' ability to resolve. The kit lens (18mm-55mm) while decent, cannot do the imager justice. Try the f1.8 35mm DX, or any older Nikkor 50mm "normal" lens on a tripod. You will be amazed at the resolution. I tested the D5500 with a 50 yr-old f4 200mm Nikkor Q lens, and the results were spectacular. While this camera will only auto-focus with DX lenses, you can manually focus with confidence with almost any Nikon lens because a little dot appears in the viewfinder when you have focused accurately. Exposure can be gauged by looking at the LCD screen.
Another strong suit with the D5500 is it's low-light capability. It is nothing short of amazing! Nite photography with fast lenses is easy, hand-held! It is so good, taking pictures of the Milky Way on a clear night is relatively easy. Photos taken at ISO's of 12,500 are ridiculously good. Sure, there's some noise, but it isn't too noticeable depending on the circumstances. Astronomers of the world unite, here is your camera!
Make no mistake, the D5500 in capable hands, with solid technique and good lenses, can match ANY camera under $3000. Oh, and it weighs almost nothing and has a touch screen, did I mention that? :D

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N Freeman

At least equivalent to the Sony A6000 at a cheaper price if you include good lenses.

Reviewed in the United States on March 18, 2017

Color: BlackStyle: w/ 18-140mmSet: BaseVerified Purchase

My Sony A6000 with the 18-200mm lens was stolen, and I couldn't justify sticking with Sony after that. Basically Sony is just too expensive for what you. After the theft, I still had my HVLF 43mm flash, 35mm Sony prime lens, Sony hotshoe microphone and after selling all those things I was almost able to pay for this camera and an additional 35mm Nikon prime lens. A lot of this review will compare it to the Sony A6000 which I previously had. I am an amateur photographer who doesn't have much to play around with Manual settings. Bottom line is for $1000 total (including the 35mm prime lens), I got a camera that was at least equivalent to the Sony A6000.

The flash of this is much better than the built in flash on the A6000 which was so weak that I needed to get the external flash. The Nikon D5500 flash is built in and is way better than the Sony A6000 flash, due to it's further range and better resulting picture quality. If you have a bright background and need to use the flash for a portrait picture, then this works great. This was not the case with Sony's teeny A6000 flash.

LCD. It's a touch screen, and allows you to touch the screen and focus on an object. The A6000 didn't let me do this. The A6500 does, but at a cost of 2.5X times this. It also fully swivels and turns and can be turned to face inwards when you're not using this, which is a great feature. The Sony A6000 sometimes missed the focus point which for me taking pictures of my kids was/is important. With the A6000 and my kids on the move, I didn't have time to move the cursor to track someone's face, which it also lost. With the D5500, you can either touch the part of the scene/screen that you want the camera to track and focus, or you can set it to automatically take the picture when you touch the part of screen/scene that you want the camera to focus on and then take your finger off the screen.

Manual control is definitely not as good as the A6000. You cannot manually the ISO, shutter speed and aperture at the same time.

Automatic mode and SCNs result in better pictures than the modes on the A6000.

Overall picture quality is good enough for me which is mostly family and kid pictures with the odd landscape.

Size is definitely bigger than the A6000 but with the A6000, I was using the 18-200mm lens and once you put on a big lens than the size of the body doesn't matter as much.

Viewfinder is optical instead of digital. The A6000 wins here. Digital viewfinder shows what your picture is going to look like. Optical viewfinider does not. I definitely miss this feature.

Lastly, as other reviewers have said, the wireless features of the Nikon D5500 don't work that well, which wasn't important to me. They also didn't work well with the Sony A6000 unless you had that touch NFC thing on your mobile or tablet. This was not important to me, but I still think Nikon could/should sort this out.

In short, if you plan to get an A6000 and just use the kit 16-50mm lens and the 55-210mm lens, and you don't really care about a touchscreen and a good flash, then I would suggest you go with the Sony A6000 over this. If you plan on buying other lenses and care about having a good flash, and a touchscreen then I would go with the Nikon D5500. For $1000 total, I got the Nikon D5500, the 18-140mm lens, the 35mm prime lens, plus extra batteries, charger, camera case, shoulder strap and wrist strap. For me, this was the best camera in this price range which had all the features I wanted except one (digital viewfinder).

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pws

Impressive upgrades to the 3000 series

Reviewed in the United States on March 4, 2024

Color: BlackStyle: BodySet: BaseVerified Purchase

I'm just getting acquainted with the improved features of my Nikon 5500, however, the difference between my d3400 and the d5500 is like night and day. The touchscreen and its many features make taking great photos so much easier and faster than on the 3000-level Nikon's, it's a no-brainer you'd want to upgrade. Plus, the interchangeable CMOS lenses mean your old and new cameras use the same lenses. Keep the lesser 3000-series set up for special purposes or sell it. You won't take such a financial hit with this upgrade.

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Ken Leinart

mixed feelings about this

Reviewed in the United States on December 14, 2023

Color: BlackStyle: Dual Lens Kit (18-55mm VR & 70-300mm Lens)Set: BaseVerified Purchase

I've used this model before and it's always a mixed bag of goodies. While it worked as I expected with the smaller lens, the bigger lens was a huge let down -- I couldn't get it to auto focus properly through the viewfinder, though that may be my fault because I haven't used a bigger lens with a D5500 before. The equipment was in good shape and clean. Camera equipment ain't cheap and I got what I paid for. Just a little buggered about the bigger lens. It's a not a camera for sports unless that sport is chess.

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KR

D5500 with 18-140mm Zoom and 35mm Prime Lens, a Winning Combination!

Reviewed in the United States on February 28, 2017

Color: BlackStyle: w/ 18-140mmSet: BaseVerified Purchase

This D5500 with a 18-140mm lens was a recent upgrade from my D5000. Boy, what a difference! The D5500 camera body is lighter, more compact, easier to use and handle, and with more features. The LCD screen is much larger and higher resolution; something that always bothered me on the D5000. The touchscreen is nice as it give you access to more features, faster, than having to scroll through menus and around the screen with the cursor. Nikon seemed to simplify and organize the most commonly used futures, making them more intuitive to access as well.

The pictures this camera takes are absolutely stunning. It's much more capable under lower light conditions, and the videos are great looking too. Now a work about the lens. I made this camera update for a vacation abroad. The 18-140mm is amazing; much heavier, sturdier and higher quality than the 18-55mm and 55-200mm kit lenses I already have from the D5000 purchase, with a metal lens mount instead of plastic. Operation is smoother and more precise, and the zoom range is perfect all-around; it also takes nice macro photos. It's one lens that covers it all, and from what I've read, is very good relative to the aforementioned kit lenses. However, I will say it is HEAVY; at over 1lb, it tends to make the camera droop when it's around my neck and weigh the little D5500 down.

I happened to purchase the inexpensive 35mm f/1.8g fantastic plastic lens (also with metal mount) at the same time, just for fun. I must say, the combination of the D5500 and 35mm prime lens is wonderful. This is a perfect match - the entire camera/lens assembly is light, small, easy to carry, and just feels right. Maybe even a BETTER vacation setup. And the prime is really FUN to use; it takes uber-sharp pictures, particularly under low-light indoors and gives you one less thing to adjust when you are taking shots. I am happy I have the versatile 18-140mm lens with my D5500 for situations where I know I will need a longer reach, kids sporting events, wildlife, etc, but the 35mm prime is the hands-down winner for indoor/low-light, city traveling and street shots. Get the D5500 with the 18-140mm lens...but don't forget the 35mm prime!

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Retired Geek

Great camera, great pictures

Reviewed in the United States on September 20, 2015

Color: RedStyle: w/ 18-55mmSet: BaseVerified Purchase

We bought this camera for a trip we recently completed. The picture quality was outstanding, even for pictures taken without flash. The museum pictures might be copyright protected, but here's a sample hand-held picture taken after dark with only street lighting. The focus is near the center of the picture. The second picture is a daylight picture. At 4000x6000 (the default resolution) the brown and white street sign can be magnified to be readable.

We took a lot of pictures in museums which don't allow flash photography, but the camera was able to handle almost all of them. There was only one shot it couldn't take but that was an almost pitch black situation. In this case with automatic settings the camera simply refused to take the picture.

Some notes: 1) In order to get a quick shutter speed in lower light situations you need to look through the eye piece rather than the view screen. Hand held pictures with low light came out crisp with bright colors. (see the example) 2) When shooting movies, you need to use the view screen rather than the eye piece. Pressing the movie button without the view screen active has no effect.

The 18-55mm lens which came with the kit was the one I used almost all the time on this trip. I also got a 55-200mm lens, but didn't want to carry both lenses around all the time. I didn't find a lot of situations that called for zoom, but for trip photography it might have been wiser to get one 18-200mm lens instead of the two lenses.

This camera has a lot of features which are explained in the detailed manual provided. I didn't use most of them. I used the automatic without flash setting for most pictures. It was useful to read the manual, though, for the rare situations that required special handling. Two versions of the manual came with the camera: one in English, one in Spanish.

The camera battery is rated for over 800 pictures (a large percentage with flash.) I took 555 mostly without flash, and the battery indicator is still at 100%. I brought along the charger but never used it.

Picture downloading to a computer is pretty fast. USB-3 is supported. This camera also supports WiFi, but I haven't used that feature yet so can't comment on it other to say that it's there.

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Yoshi

Worthy upgrade

Reviewed in the United States on April 18, 2015

Color: BlackStyle: BodySet: BaseVerified Purchase

I'm upgrading from a D5100 which I absolutely love and always found to have excellent image quality. The D5500 is a large enough improvement that I finally decided to pull the trigger and I'm glad that I did. The increased sensor resolution (16 MP to 24 MP) and number of focus points are the biggest benefits for me. Moving from the D5100's 11 focus points to the D5500's 39 focus points has been huge. Not only does it provide more composition options, but focus lock happens much quicker and more accurately. Touch FN is by far my favorite feature letting you use the touchscreen as a secondary control dial for things like apeture, shutter speed, ISO. But I have found the best use of touch FN is for moving around the focus point. With 39 focus points using the directional pad can take a long time to move from one side of the viewfinder to the other. There's so many little improvements to the viewfinder, the rear screen, the size and weight and overall handling. I appreciate how the auto ISO now takes into account your focal length to decide the minimum shutter speed. Being able to remotely take pictures from a smartphone is a great feature. They also moved the microphone to the top of camera. The previous location near the lens tended to capture the autofocus motor noise a lot more. Although I don't take a lot of video, the video quality is a major step up from the D5100. It still locks the apeture and trying to focus in live view is iffy but for still subjects it's great. This is something I would take a star off for except I only really use this camera to take pictures and not video. Last I checked there is no RAW support in Lightroom or Photoshop for the D5500, but you can at least convert the RAW files to DNG using the Adobe converter tool. I assume support will come in the next release for the both these products. I am extremely impressed with this camera and have no problems recommending it to anyone.

Updated 4/22/2015: So the autofocus motor is as loud as ever when recording video even with the new mic placement. Oh well. I can confirm the latest release of Adobe Lightroom CC does support RAW files from the D5500 now without having to convert them first.

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Greg M

As described

Reviewed in the United States on April 4, 2024

Color: BlackStyle: BodySet: BaseVerified Purchase

Item is like new and as described. Very satisfied with my purchase.

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Rex

Advice and a so far Review

Reviewed in the United States on July 20, 2015

Color: BlackStyle: w/ 18-140mmSet: BaseVerified Purchase

FIRST THE ORDER
It came a day early and with free shipping. All items Purchased separately came in the same box, FotoTech ML-3 wireless shutter release (sold by Fotot&Tech), Nikon DK-5 Eyepiece Cap for Nikon D200, D70S and D50 Digital SLR Cameras and SanDisk Extreme 32GB UHS-I/U3 SDHC Memory Card (both Sold by: Amazon.com LLC)

ADVICE
Canon/Nikon/Pentax? I chose the D5500 for the touch screen and the Nikkor DX 18-140mm VR lens. Very happy with it.

What do you want in your first DSLR? Do you use Photoshop? Lightroom? I Have both Windows 7 and OS Mavericks and use Photoshop on both, CS 5.5 (Mac Mini mid 2011) and CS 6 (Windows laptop). I do not use any camera software to copy photos to the computers. I take the images straight off the SD card. NOTE: the D5500 NEF RAW files works excellent with the the Camera Raw update for CS 6. It will not work with CS 5 or CS 5.5 extended alone, go to the Adobe website and download a DNG converter and it will convert NEF to DNG easily. It works separately from Photoshop but it is just and extra step. TAKE YOUR TIME and learn about your camera before you buy it.

THE CAMERA
I am a small guy with stubby fingers standing about 5' 4" or so. The Canon Rebel T5 was too deep for my hands and The Nikon D3300 fit my hand better but I hated the controls. (The Touchscreen simplifies this. A BIG plus.) The D5500 is slightly thinner and not as deep and fits my hand perfectly. Handling and using the controls is very important. The Pentax was not found in local stores. Too bad. So I had to research everything online, watched videos and read as many honest unbiased reviews about the kit lenses that I was considering.

PHOTOS
While i am still learning, my brain stifles when I need to think about Shutter Speed, Aperture and ISO. A DSLR will help with this, for Nikon, the Scene selections will help me choose. If you use editing software for RAW files, then by all means set the D5500 camera to take RAW and JPEG photos and learn by the camera's suggestions. Not every manual shot will turn out good, but accept that it may be you not the camera. Nikon wants you to look good, so let the camera help you. Then go manual with this camera and can take pro looking shots using what you have learned. The more you shoot, the better you will become. The effects however are something I will hardly ever use, but don't confuse that with the Scene selection in your research. The Scenes will help you take good pics.

WHAT I HAVE NOT USED YET
The camera has some retouching abilities that I have not used yet. I have not used video either but will, just not yet. I do not however do a lot of sport /kid videos, I usually set on manual focus so that said if you seriously want major camcorder usage, you may want to think about any Canon with the STM Lenses, just research,and get to know it before you buy any DSLR camera..

Here are a few pics taken in both NEF (Nikon's RAW file) and JPEG Large/fine quality with the DX 18-140mm VR lens kit. You do not need Phtotshop to view/edit them but it is what I use. Touched up with Adobe Camera Raw in both Photoshop CS 5.5 using the DNG converter and in CS 6 was any noise (that film grain look caused by higher ISO), vignetting (dark corners/edges) and aberration (ugly color outlines from high contrast situations)--hopefully i explained that right. These 3 issues are normal and from what i gather all kit lenses will have some of this, though minimal on this kit lens. I used both Manual and Scene Selections for sunsets and landscape both in Live View with touch screen focus and the Eyepiece with finger shutter release The battery was only 1/3 down after 300+ shots using a SanDisk Extreme 32GB UHS-I/U3 SDHC Memory Card and a FotoTech ML-L3 Wireless Shutter Remote. The Live View touch screen was used frequently but not constantly, and no doubt the video mode will use the battery up faster but it has not been tested yet. A sensor by the Eyepiece will turn off Live View to save battery use. Nice. NOTE ABOUT PHOTOS (I asked my wife's permission to post the pic of her.) The Dynamic Range is good enough to shoot in overcast conditions. Most of these images are hand held shots. I used a tripod for the sunsets and dry dock.