Nikon D5600 Image Quality

Apart from very minor differences in color and contrast, the D5600's image quality is virtually identical to its predecessor's here at base ISO. This is no surprise, though, since the two cameras use the same sensor and processor.

The Nikon D5600 and Canon T7i are both 24-megapixel APS-C DSLRs, but the D5600 does not have an optical low-pass filter while the T7i does, which contributes to the D5600's crisper image. Differences in default processing are also at play, though, with the Nikon applying stronger sharpening but using a tighter sharpening radius the Canon. Interestingly, the T7i shows stronger moiré patterns in the red-leaf swatch, which implies a fairly weak OLPF. The T7i's colors appear a little more accurate, however both cameras produce pleasing color and saturation.

Here we compare the 24-megapixel APS-C D5600 to a 16-megapixel Micro Four Thirds Olympus E-M10 Mark II, which may seem a little unfair. The resolution difference is discernible but at base ISO, the Olympus E-M10 II compares quite well otherwise. Both cameras produce a sharp, crisp image with noticeable sharpening halos. The E-M10 II's default noise reduction does a better job at reducing luma noise, however it leaves behind more chroma noise than the D5600 (but keep in mind base ISO for the E-M10 II is higher at ISO 200 versus 100 for the D5600). Both cameras produce nice, vibrant color, though the E-M10 II's is generally more accurate.

The Nikon D5600 definitely has more realistic colors at default settings than does the Pentax K-70. The D5600's images look a little crisper than those of the K-70 as well, but that's down to higher default contrast and sharpening from the Nikon. The Pentax does noticeably better with fine detail in our tricky red-leaf swatch, however moiré patterns are more visible. (However be aware the Pentax has an adjustable AA filter simulator which was disabled for maximum sharpness in these shots.)

These two 24-megapixel APS-C models offer very similar amounts of detail, but with some obvious differences in processing. Where the Nikon looks oversharpened with obvious halos, the Sony shows hardly any sharpening halos. The A6000 also offers much better detail and contrast in the red-leaf swatch while rendering it smoother than the D5600. The Sony does however leave behind a little more chroma noise in the shadows than the Nikon. Still, both cameras offer excellent detail at base ISO though colors are more accurate and pleasing from the Nikon.

At ISO 1600, image quality from the D5600 continues to vary little from its predecessor, with just minor differences in color, contrast and perhaps a small tweak to default noise reduction strength in favor of the D5600. But image quality overall is essentially equal between these two Nikons.

Both the D5600 and T7i show similar levels of detail in the mosaic crop, however the Nikon has fewer noise reduction artifacts as well as warmer colors. The Nikon continues to produce a sharper, crisper image, and the noise grain from the Nikon in the shadows is also tighter. The Canon does a better job with our difficult red-leaf pattern, though.

It's clear from the shadow area in the bottle shoulder crop that the E-M10 II is applying stronger noise reduction, yet it leaves behind more chroma noise than the D5600. As expected, the D5600 continues to out-resolve the E-M10 II as shown by significantly better detail in the mosaic crop with a less "processed" look. The Olympus does however do a slightly better job in the red-leaf and pink fabrics.

The Pentax K-70 clearly trails in the fabric swatches here at ISO 1600, but holds onto a good bit more fine detail in the mosaic label while at the same time producing fewer sharpening halos. Noise levels are pretty similar between the pair, as you can see in the top bottle crop.

Here again both cameras delver similar detail in most areas, despite different approaches to noise reduction and sharpening. The Sony A6000's noise reduction tends to cause a slightly hammered effect in flat areas, while the D5600 shows a more natural-looking and consistent grain. In areas with fine, higher-contrast detail, the Nikon also looks more natural with fewer artifacts, but it also doesn't look quite as crisp as the Sony. The A6000 comes out ahead in the red-leaf and pink fabrics, though, with better detail and contrast, however much of the apparent detail is distorted instead of blurred.

Once again, very similar performance from the two Nikons at ISO 3200, with very similar noise levels, sharpness and colors, with perhaps just a slight edge given to the D5600 in the mosaic crop.

The D5600's image has slightly lower noise that is more fine-grained, warmer colors and crisper details, though sharpening halos are more obvious. This time the T7i blurs our red-leaf fabric more than the D5600, but offers slightly more contrast. Overall, it's a fairly close race here but we'd give the edge to the Nikon.

As we saw at ISO 1600, the E-M10 II works harder at reducing noise and it shows, with a slightly smoother image but higher chroma noise and more noise reduction artifacts. Fine detail suffers more from the E-M10 II, on top of its resolution handicap, resulting in a somewhat painted look in our mosaic crop. Both cameras offer similar detail in the red-leaf fabric, but the E-M10 II's rendering is cleaner and smoother-looking.

The Nikon D5600's color is still noticeably more realistic than that of the Pentax here at ISO 3200. The K-70 does better with fine details in the mosaic crop but the D5600 holds onto much more detail in our troublesome red-leaf fabric swatch. It's pretty much a wash in terms of noise levels between this pair, though the D5600's noise grain is tighter.

Again, the A6000's image is somewhat cleaner-looking than the D5600's, but has a more "processed" look, with more noticeable noise reduction artifacts and more distortion in the red-leaf fabric. The Nikon continues to produce more pleasing colors as well a somewhat crisper image, though sharpening halos remain evident.