My main camera is a Nikon D5500, which was introduced in 2015. But is it any good in 2024?
Of course, I’d love to buy a more expensive camera, perhaps a mirrorless full-frame, but that’s way more money than I can afford (and truly more technology than I need, as well).
Let’s start with the technical details. It’s a 24 megapixel camera, more than enough for me. Nikon removed the high-pass filter it had in the earlier models like the D5300, which should mean sharper photos. It shoots up to five frames per second, also enough for me. It has a flip-out screen on the back, convenient sometimes. Furthermore, it is also touch screen, which is a nice addition. You can in live view touch the screen to focus and take a photo. ISO goes up to 25,600, but I try to stay away from it. Up to 6,400 is more than acceptable, though. It has Wi-Fi, so I can transfer photos to my phone. It does record video up to 1080p, 60 fps, but I’ve not tried that yet.
What about picture quality? Of course that depends on a lot of actors, not the least the lens, but I’d say the D5500 produces very good shots. I like the sharpness, the colors, and everything else.
Focus and exposure it typically nails, but sometimes you have to help it a bit. I typically have it in AF-A mode so it picks autofocus mode, 30 focus points, and matrix metering. That seems to work well.
Ken Rockwell has a comparison of the models in the D5xxx series. Take a look and see what you want out of a camera. There are really not that many major differences, and for many the photo quality will be about the same, or at least decided by so many factors that it’ll be hard to judge a difference. I was really aiming for the D5300, but the lack of high-pass filter and Wi-Fi made the difference for me.
Do you have experience from a Dxxx camera? Let me know!
