D5500 Summary
For those that are a little strapped for cash, yet want a professional level of photography, Nikon never fail to deliver. A household name for photographers, renowned for catering to entry level photographers, the Nikon D5500 encapsulates everything a camera in today’s market should provide, so for you budding instagrammers, we point out the important bits, without getting too “techy”
You can currently get your hands on one of these for around £500-600. Now that may seem a little steep at first for a camera, but you probably paid or are paying a similar amount to take average quality photos on your iphone. Interested? Read on!
Specifications
- 24.2 Megapixel CMOS Sensor with low-pass filter – Ability to clean the lens itself
- Compact and lightweight design – Perfect for medium sized bags
- Built in Wifi – Enabling almost instantaneous uploads to your phone
- 1080/60p Video – High definition video capture
Ease of Use
The replacement for the D5300 released in 2013, the new camera fits perfectly as a mid-range model. Lightweight, smaller and generally more compact than its predecessor, the D5500 is one of Nikon’s lightest DSLRs. The 24.2 Megapixel CMOS sensor may still be the same as the previous, but this time boasts the ability to clean any dust particles that may have settled on the screen, preventing any annoying specs on an otherwise perfect picture. The 18-55mm kit lens is certainly a big talking point, the ability to retract the lens makes the camera even more portable when not in use. The camera feels like a compact, but still delivers the image quality you’d expect from a DSLR camera.
A bigger settings wheel allows more precise and controlled adjustment and an adjustable touch screen, that allows the user to touch to focus the camera whilst looking through the viewfinder, means precise and crisp images are guaranteed every time.
Now, Wi-fi isn’t new to cameras, but nowadays is viewed as an absolute must. For avid users of Instagram, the ability to take photos on a professional camera and send them to your computer to edit, or even phone to upload immediately is not just a dream, but a reality. Whilst this may seem like a daunting task, it can be done with relative ease (View our, DSLR camera to Instagram guide here).
As an even more impressive feature, using your mobile phone or tablet you can connect your phone to your camera. With this you can capture images using your phone, including adjusting the settings as well as the focus and use Nikon’s photo utility app to manage your photos. Perfect for those selfie shots when no one else is around.
Image Quality
The Nikon D5500 image quality is excellent. Whilst the 24.2 mega-pixel camera, as previous mentioned isn’t a step up from its predecessor, vibrant colour tones, that are well saturated and punchy are guaranteed. The camera might not be the best for those wanting action shots with a lot of moment, but for those stills and breathtaking landscape shots, the camera is almost perfect. Don’t just take our word for it, take a look at Instagrammer Erja Herrala from Finland, an avid user of the D5500.
For video, the camera hasn’t made any visible improvements from the previous in the D5000 range. Don’t let this put you off however, it can still shoot video at 1080p and record 60 frames per second, but unlike some cameras currently available on the market, does not allow the ability to shoot in 4k. There is visible noise from the autofocus feature, but with the ability to focus the zone on the touch screen whilst looking through the view finder, those that aren’t super keen videographers will be able to see around this.
Take a look for yourself:
Performance
Battery life is extremely important, no one wants a camera that will not last a day without running out of charge and the D5500 certainly won’t be doing that. On average, cameras in the same category deliver around 550 shots per charge, the D5500 on the other hand can take around 820 shots in its battery life. Top this with the cameras 1/4000 shutter speed, you won’t be missing any of those photo opportunities waiting for your phone camera to turn on either!
Conclusion
The Nikon D5500 offers everything you’d expect from a £500 camera and more. An obvious improvement on the D5300, this camera is currently the best entry level DSLR on the market. This light and easy to use DSLR camera Provides extremely high quality images, wifi connectivity and a fantastic battery life. For any keen instagrammer should be seen as a great investment in improving your instagram feed as well your following!
This gets Express Yourself’s highest rating of 5 out of 5
Sources:
https://www.instagram.com/erjaherrala/
http://entry-level-dslr-camera-review.toptenreviews.com/nikon-d5500-review.html
http://www.digitalversus.com/digital-camera/nikon-d5500-p23187/test.html
http://www.trustedreviews.com/nikon-d5500-review-performance-image-quality-and-verdict-page-
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