Introducing the Nikon D5500
Recently, the photographic market has changed a lot. A redistribution of forces occurred, forcing even large manufacturers to reconsider their conservative approach to manufactured products. The wind of change did not pass one of the two largest players in the market of photographic equipment - Nikon, which always promptly responded to requests from amateur photographers, taking into account all the comments and suggestions in the new models of its cameras. Today we will talk about the most technological novelty of this brand in the class of amateur DSLRs - Nikon D5500.
In general, recently, Nikon has released quite a few new SLR cameras against the background of competitors, among which mainly professional models or cameras for advanced photographers appear: Nikon D810 , Nikon D750 , Nikon D7200 . However, the hero of our today's review is Nikon D5500, the ideological successor of the D5300 model , which appeared on the shelves more than a year and a half ago and has become a reliable companion for many novice amateur enthusiasts.
NIKON D5500 / Nikon AF-S DX 55-200mm f / 4.5-5.6G ED VR II Nikkor Settings: ISO 1000, F5.6, 1/125 s, 165.0 mm equiv.
If earlier the almost annual update of the model range of amateur DSLRs was largely of an image nature, then in this new product there is clearly a transition to new traditions. The changes affected not only the fillings, they are also visible in the appearance of this model. Externally, the D5500 is noticeably different from its predecessor cameras.
The Nikon D5500 has become lighter and more compact, but ergonomics have not been affected by this: it’s convenient to hold the camera by the grip
Get the price of Nikon D5500
The camera has become almost 100 grams lighter: with a battery, its mass is only 470 grams. To reduce the dimensions of the new items, Nikon engineers designed a completely new case, adding more smooth lines. The appearance of the D5500 is more modern and technological.
Let's talk about the controls. It should be noted that we now have at our disposal a more convenient steering wheel located under the thumb. Its design was modified, making the disc itself open, and its course more accurate and convenient. Rotating it is easy enough, but you need a force that helps to avoid accidental rotation. Such a disk looks more solid.
Familiar with the previous model, the D5300 may notice that the number of icons on the mode dial has decreased. The icons “Portrait”, “Landscape”, “Children”, “Sports” and “Macro” disappeared from it. But do not rush to take up the pitchfork in order to raise the developers on them. The above modes are still available. In order to select them, you need to turn the control dial to SCENE, now they are located there.
List of subject programs
The list of plot scenes in the new camera is more than extensive. There are presets for all occasions. In total there are 16 available: portrait, landscape, child, sport, close-up, night portrait, night landscape, holiday / indoors, beach / snow, sunset, dusk / dawn, pet portrait, candlelight, flowering, autumn colors, food. We will talk more about them in one of the following parts of our review.
From the top panel, the info button (responsible for displaying data on the display) moved to the place of the i key, and that, in turn, is now located on the back of the case, slightly lower and to the right of the view key.
Visual display of shooting parameters during shooting on the Nikon D5500 screen
The shooting display, which has become traditional for Nikon amateur cameras, has remained unchanged. In my opinion, for beginners, photography is the most simple and informative.
Using the i key, you can call up the quick menu and gain access to additional shooting parameters. Separately, I note the ability to navigate through all the parameters by touching the screen. This method seems to me the fastest and most convenient.
Change shooting settings directly on the Nikon D5500 display
At first glance, the camera screen remained unchanged. It has all the same, loved by many rotary design. But now its resolution is 720x480 pixels with a diagonal of 3.2 ". For modern cameras, this display size still remains quite large, allowing you to comfortably view your photos.
The camera has a larger 3.2-inch swivel touch screen
However, the distinctive feature of the new screen is not even the size, but the support for touch input, which the D5300 did not have. I will say more: the D5500 model is generally the first Nikon SLR camera in which a touch screen is installed!
In the Nikon D5500, you can select the focus point, as well as release the shutter by simply touching the display
Moreover, touch support is not implemented for show. Thanks to the new function, you can flip through images in viewing mode and change settings in shooting mode. And in the case of sighting on the display, you can assign a shooting point with automatic descent in one touch. In my opinion, this function is almost the most important and convenient of all the features of the touch display in the camera.
The camera developers managed to make a large, even by modern standards, display with a rotary design and support for touch control
In the technical characteristics of the Nikon D5500 there is a fair amount of continuity. The camera uses a CMOS sensor with the same size as the previous model with a size of 23.5 x 15.6 mm. For amateur-class cameras, which the D5500 certainly belongs to, it has one of the highest resolution capabilities, allowing you to get 24-megapixel images of 6000 x 4000 pixels. The lack of a built-in anti-fog filter also positively affects the final sharpness of the image, making it truly uncompromising.
24-megapixel CMOS sensor Nikon D5500 lacks a low-pass optical filter to achieve maximum image sharpness
Like most modern cameras, the new Nikon D5500 has a built-in Wi-Fi module. With it, you can carry out remote shooting by controlling the camera from a smartphone. The photos you like can also be transferred without any wires to your gadget - smartphone or tablet.
After the first acquaintance, the new D5500 left a purely positive impression about itself. Updated design, reduced size and touch screen, which is used in Nikon DSLRs for the first time! It will be even more interesting to check how the camera behaves in real shooting conditions. About this - in the second part of our "Week with an Expert"!
