Nikon D5500 vs Nikon D500 – Comparison

Let’s compare the Nikon D5500 vs Nikon D500.

Our comparison table below covers all the important specifications of each camera. Below that, we specifically talk about the new improvements and which model is better suited for your needs.

	Nikon D5500	Nikon D500
Megapixels	24.2	20.9
Sensor Type	CMOS	CMOS
Sensor Format	APS-C (DX)	APS-C (DX)
Crop Factor	1.5x	1.5x
AA Filter	None	None
Image Resolution	6000 x 4000	5568 x 3712
Body Image Stabilization	No	No
Lens Mount	Nikon FX/DX	Nikon FX/DX
ISO	100 - 25,600	100 - 51,200
Expanded ISO	No	50 - 1,638,400
AF Points	39	153
Cross-type AF Points	9	99
Continuous Mode	5fps	10fps
LCD	3.2" - Fully Articulated	3.2" - Articulating
LCD Resolution	1,036,800 dots	2,359,000 dots
Touchscreen	Yes	Yes
Focus Peaking	No	No
Top LCD Display	No	Yes
Viewfinder Type	Optical	Optical
Viewfinder Coverage	95%	100%
Viewfinder Magnification	0.82x	1.00x
Video Resolution	1920x1080 (60/50/30/25/24p)	3840x2160 (30/25/24p)
	1280x720 (60/50p)	1920x1080 (60/50/30/25/24p)
Microphone Jack	Yes	Yes
Headphone Jack	No	Yes
Memory Card Type	SD	SD + XQD
Dual Card Slots	No	Yes
SD UHS Support	UHS-I	UHS-II
Fastest Shutter Speed	1/4000	1/8000
Slowest Shutter Speed	30"	30"
Bulb Mode	Yes	Yes
JPEG Buffer Size	100	200
RAW Buffer Size	7	200
Time Lapse	Yes	Yes
Built-in Flash	Yes	No
Max Flash Sync Speed	1/200	1/250
Startup Time	0.4s	0.3s
Built-in Wi-Fi	Yes	Yes
Built-in GPS	No	No
Built- in NFC	No	Yes
Bluetooth	No	Yes
USB Type	USB 2.0	USB 3.0
Environmentally Sealed	No	Yes
Battery Life (CIPA)	820 shots	1240 shots
Battery Included	Yes (EN-EL14a)	Yes (EN-EL15)
Weight	14.8 oz (420g)	30.2 oz (856g)
Size	4.9 x 3.8 x 2.8"	5.8 x 4.5 x 3.2"
Price	Amazon	Amazon
Release Date	2015	2016

Nikon D5500 Advantages:

• Megapixels – 3.3 more megapixels. It’s a small difference and you won’t notice it unless printing really big.

• LCD – It’s fully articulated.

• Built-in Flash

• Weight – The Nikon D5500 weighs 436g less.

• Size – The Nikon D5500 is noticeably smaller.

You can buy it at Amazon or read more reviews.

 

Nikon D500 Advantages:

• ISO – 1,638,400 vs 25,600.

• AF Points – 153 vs 39.

• Cross-type AF Points –  99 vs 9.

• Continuous mode – 10fps vs 5fps. It’s an advantage, but not something you will really notice that often.

• LCD Resolution – Higher resolution.

• Top LCD Display – When shooting in semi-auto/manual modes, you can quickly preview all of your settings.

• Viewfinder Coverage – 100% vs 95%.

• Viewfinder Magnification – Higher magnification.

• Video Resolution – 4K video available.

• Headphone Jack – Useful for previewing your audio quality straight out the camera.

• Dual Card Slots – More room for extra photos, or simply for backup.

• UHS-II – Faster writing speeds than UHS-I, but you need a memory card that can handle such speeds.

• Faster Max Shutter Speed –  1/8000 vs 1/4000.

• JPEG Buffer Size – 200 vs 100.

• RAW Buffer Size – 200 vs 7.

• Max Flash Sync Speed – 1/250 vs 1/200.

• Built-in NFC

• Bluetooth Support

• USB 3.0 – Faster file transferring out the camera.

• Environmentally Sealed – The Nikon D500 is much more protected for shooting outdoors in difficult terrain and bad weather conditions.

• Battery Life – 1240 shots vs 820 shots.

You can buy it at Amazon or read more reviews.