Nikon D5500 vs Sony A6500

Cameras
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Nikon D5500 vs Sony A6500

APS-C 366.6mm²
24.2 megapixels
ISO 100 - 25,600

Go in depth with our full Nikon D5500 Review.
How does it shoot? Nikon D5500 in the real world.
See real-world photos taken with the D5500.
Compare Nikon D5500 image quality against competitors.
What’s the bottom line? Read our Nikon D5500 conclusion.

APS-C 366.6mm²
24.2 megapixels
ISO 100 - 25,600

Go in depth with our full Sony A6500 Review.
How does it shoot? Sony A6500 in the real world.
See real-world photos taken with the A6500.
Compare Sony A6500 image quality against competitors.
What’s the bottom line? Read our Sony A6500 conclusion.

Succeeded by the Nikon D5600
Compare D5500 vs D5600

Succeeded by the Sony A6600
Compare A6500 vs A6600

Compare NIKON D5600 vs SONY A6600

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Differences

Nikon D5500 advantages over Sony A6500

Lens selection
Excellent vs Good
Better lens selection gives you more options
Less expensive
$697 vs $1598
Save money for lenses or accessories
Tilt-swivel screen
Tilt-swivel vs tilt-only
Tilt and swivel the screen for maximum shooting flexibility
Fast startup
~0.40 vs 1.3 sec
Faster startup lets you catch the moment
Longer stills battery life
More info

Longer stills battery life

Cameras with longer battery life can take more photos before exhausting their batteries.

Special note: The measurement standard for battery life stipulates that if a camera has an internal flash, it must be used for 50% of photos taken. For this reason, comparisons of one camera with an internal flash to another without will not be comparable

820 vs 350 shots
Capture more photos
Lacks anti-aliasing filter
No Filter vs Filter
Enjoy sharper photos

Sony A6500 advantages over Nikon D5500

Focus peaking
Peaker vs Non-peaker
Your camera will highlight what's in focus
In-Camera Image Stabilization
Yes vs No
Reduces the effects of camera shake at slower shutter speeds
Shoot 4K video
4K (UHD) vs 1080p
Make sure you have a fast computer
In-camera panoramas
Yes vs No
Stitches multiple shots into a panoramic photo
NFC
Yes vs No
Simplifies pairing your camera with supported phones
Built-in Bluetooth
Yes vs No
Always-on wireless connectivity
On-sensor phase detect
Yes vs No
Usually improves live view and video AF performance
Thinner
53 mm vs 70 mm
Thinner
More viewfinder magnification
0.70x vs 0.55x
Get a bigger view of the scene through the eye-level viewfinder
Has anti-aliasing filter
Filter vs No Filter
Reduces unsightly moiré in photos
Faster JPEG shooting
11.1 fps vs 4.9 fps
Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
Bigger JPEG buffer
231 vs 100 shots
Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)
Faster RAW shooting
11.1 fps vs 4.0 fps
Faster RAW shooting in burst mode
Bigger RAW buffer
110 vs 7 shots
Larger buffer for RAW shots (burst mode)
Slow-motion videos
Yes vs No
Shoot slow-motion videos
Higher extended ISO
51200 vs 25600 ISO
Higher extended ISO can give more low-light flexibility

Similarities

Common Strengths

Eye-level viewfinder
Both provide
You'll be able to frame photos even when the sun is out
Touchscreen
Both provide
Interact with your camera just like your smartphone
Built-in Wi-Fi
Both provide
Share your photos wirelessly
Internal flash
Both provide
Useful in a pinch for fill flash
External Mic Jack
Both provide
Improved sound fidelity when shooting video
HDMI out
Both provide
Use HDMI output to monitor or review video
Hot shoe
Both provide
Off-camera flashes open new possibilities
Bulb shutter
Both provide
Hold the shutter open manually for long exposures

Common Weaknesses

Built-in GPS
Neither provide
Geotag your photos
Top deck display
Neither provide
Check settings with a screen on top of the camera
Dual card slots
Neither provide
Gives you more storage flexibility
Headphone jack
Neither provide
Monitor audio recording while you shoot video

User reviews

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Adorama
Read D5500 User Reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read A6500 User Reviews

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Buy the Nikon D5500

Body Only (Black)

Body Only (Black)
Body Only (Red)
Kit with 18-140mm lens (Black)
Kit with 18-140mm lens (Red)
Kit with 18-55mm lens (Black)
Kit with 18-55mm lens (Red)

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Buy the Sony A6500

Body Only

Body Only
Kit with 18-135mm lens

All A6500 Deals

Review Excerpt

Amazingly small for a DSLR; Great image quality for its class, including superb low light and high ISO performance; Generous JPEG buffer depth; High resolution.
Buffer depths are shallow when shooting RAW; Lacks GPS from the predecessor; No AA filter means it's susceptible to aliasing artifacts.
Read our Nikon D5500 Review

Comfortable, premium body with good controls; Touch-screen for subject selection; Hybrid image stabilization system; Excellent image quality; Better high ISO JPEGs than the A6300; Extremely fast 11.1 fps burst capture; Very deep buffers for raw and JPEG alike; 4K video capture with no pixel binning
Pricey for an APS-C camera; JPEG colors aren't the most accurate; Very slow buffer clearing; Laggy touch-pad AF function; Poorly-placed movie button; No headphone jack; Mediocre battery life
Read our Sony A6500 Review

The Competition

Compared to Nikon D3300

Nikon D5500

Nikon D3300

$597
APS-C

Tilt-swivel screen
Touchscreen

$367
APS-C

Less expensive
In-camera panoramas

Compare Nikon D5500 vs Nikon D3300

Sony A6500

Nikon D3300

$1198
APS-C

Focus peaking
In-Camera Image Stabilization

$367
APS-C

Lens selection
Less expensive

Compare Sony A6500 vs Nikon D3300

Compared to Pentax K-S1

Nikon D5500

Pentax K-S1

$597
APS-C

Tilt-swivel screen
Touchscreen

$502
APS-C

Focus peaking
In-Camera Image Stabilization

Compare Nikon D5500 vs Pentax K-S1

Sony A6500

Pentax K-S1

$1198
APS-C

Shoot 4K video
Touchscreen

$502
APS-C

Lens selection
Longer stills battery life

Compare Sony A6500 vs Pentax K-S1

Compared to Fujifilm X-Pro2

Nikon D5500

Fujifilm X-Pro2

$597
APS-C

Lens selection
Less expensive

$1300
APS-C

Focus peaking
Shoot 4K video

Compare Nikon D5500 vs Fujifilm X-Pro2

Sony A6500

Fujifilm X-Pro2

$1198
APS-C

In-Camera Image Stabilization
Touchscreen

$1300
APS-C

Higher max flash sync
More dots on screen

Compare Sony A6500 vs Fujifilm X-Pro2

Compared to Sony A6300

Nikon D5500

Sony A6300

$597
APS-C

Lens selection
Less expensive

$748
APS-C

Focus peaking
Shoot 4K video

Compare Nikon D5500 vs Sony A6300

Sony A6500

Sony A6300

$1198
APS-C

In-Camera Image Stabilization
Touchscreen

$748
APS-C

Less expensive

Compare Sony A6500 vs Sony A6300

Compared to Nikon D3400

Nikon D5500

Nikon D3400

$597
APS-C

Tilt-swivel screen
Touchscreen

$497
APS-C

Less expensive
Built-in Bluetooth

Compare Nikon D5500 vs Nikon D3400

Sony A6500

Nikon D3400

$1198
APS-C

Focus peaking
In-Camera Image Stabilization

$497
APS-C

Lens selection
Less expensive

Compare Sony A6500 vs Nikon D3400

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