Nikon D5500 debuts with smaller body; adds touch-screen to the D5300 and shoots a third longer
posted Monday, January 5, 2015 at 10:02 PM EDT
If you're in the market for an affordable, compact DSLR, Nikon has news for you today at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Nikon D5500 DSLR, aims to mirror the success of the earlier D5300, reimagining a design that we loved with some very worthwhile improvements.
The most noticeable change in the 24.2-megapixel Nikon D5500 is a brand-new body that's smaller even than that of the entry-level D3300. The D5500's new body also debuts a simplified Mode dial that does away with the numerous fixed scene mode positions of the earlier camera.
Nikon has also added a touch-screen overlay to the D5500's 3.2-inch LCD monitor, a first for a Nikon DSLR that enables consumer-friendly features like a touch shutter and pinch zoom. There's also a new proximity sensor which disables the LCD monitor when you raise the camera to your eye, and battery life has been extended by almost 37%.
The entire sensitivity range of ISO 100 to 25,600 equivalents is now available by default, and there's now a Flat picture control for both movie and still capture, which is more conducive to color grading post-capture. The D5500's picture controls allow finer-grained 1/4-step adjustments, and there are several new effects modes and a clarity control, as well as the ability to lock the cable release for continuous long-exposure shooting with shutter speeds of four seconds or longer.
Important features retained from the D5300 include Nikon's 39-point phase detection autofocus system and 2,016 pixel metering system, a versatile side-mounted, tilt/swivel LCD articulation mechanism, in-camera Wi-Fi support, and a burst capture rate of up to five frames per second.
Available in black or red body colors this February, the Nikon D5500 is priced at US$900 or thereabouts, body-only. Two kits with bundled lens will also be provided, with the AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR II kit priced at around US$1,000, and the AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-140mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR kit at US$1,200. Find out much more in our Nikon D5500 hands-on preview!
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