Nikon D5500 vs Sony A6300

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Nikon D5500 vs Sony A6300

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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 A6300 Review.
How does it shoot? Sony A6300 in the real world.
See real-world photos taken with the A6300.
Compare Sony A6300 image quality against competitors.
What’s the bottom line? Read our Sony A6300 conclusion.

Succeeded by the Nikon D5600
Compare D5500 vs D5600

Succeeded by the Sony A6400
Compare A6300 vs A6400

Compare NIKON D5600 vs SONY A6400

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Differences

Nikon D5500 advantages over Sony A6300

Lens selection
Excellent vs Good
Better lens selection gives you more options
Less expensive
$697 vs $848
Save money for lenses or accessories
Tilt-swivel screen
Tilt-swivel vs tilt-only
Tilt and swivel the screen for maximum shooting flexibility
Touchscreen
Touch vs No touch
Interact with your camera just like your smartphone
Fast startup
~0.40 vs 1.4 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 400 shots
Capture more photos
Lacks anti-aliasing filter
No Filter vs Filter
Enjoy sharper photos
Bigger JPEG buffer
100 vs 44 shots
Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)

Sony A6300 advantages over Nikon D5500

Focus peaking
Peaker vs Non-peaker
Your camera will highlight what's in focus
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
On-sensor phase detect
Yes vs No
Usually improves live view and video AF performance
Thinner
48 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
Wider angle kit lens
24 mm vs 27 mm
Capture more of the scene with the included lens
Faster JPEG shooting
11.1 fps vs 4.9 fps
Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
Faster RAW shooting
11.1 fps vs 4.0 fps
Faster RAW shooting in burst mode
Bigger RAW buffer
22 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
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

In-Camera Image Stabilization
Neither provide
Reduces the effects of camera shake at slower shutter speeds
Built-in Bluetooth
Neither provide
Always-on wireless connectivity
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

Amazon
Adorama
Read D5500 User Reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read A6300 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)

All D5500 Deals

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Buy the Sony A6300

Body Only (Black)

Body Only (Black)
Body Only (Silver)
Kit with 16-50mm Lens (Black)
Kit with 16-50mm Lens (Silver)

All A6300 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

Excellent image quality; Improved high-ISO performance; Better JPEG quality; Fast autofocus; Very good subject tracking with real-time live view feature; All-magnesium body construction; 4K video.
Slow buffer clearing (no UHS-II support); No touchscreen, Clunky menus; Wi-Fi can be a bit frustrating to use.
Read our Sony A6300 Review

The Competition

Compared to Sony A6000

Nikon D5500

Sony A6000

$697
APS-C

Lens selection
Tilt-swivel screen

$674
APS-C

Focus peaking
In-camera panoramas

Compare Nikon D5500 vs Sony A6000

Sony A6300

Sony A6000

$748
APS-C

Shoot 4K video
Fast startup

$674
APS-C

Less expensive

Compare Sony A6300 vs Sony A6000

Compared to Pentax K-S1

Nikon D5500

Pentax K-S1

$697
APS-C

Tilt-swivel screen
Touchscreen

$502
APS-C

Focus peaking
In-Camera Image Stabilization

Compare Nikon D5500 vs Pentax K-S1

Sony A6300

Pentax K-S1

$748
APS-C

Shoot 4K video
In-camera panoramas

$502
APS-C

Lens selection
In-Camera Image Stabilization

Compare Sony A6300 vs Pentax K-S1

Compared to Nikon D3400

Nikon D5500

Nikon D3400

$697
APS-C

Tilt-swivel screen
Touchscreen

$497
APS-C

Less expensive
Built-in Bluetooth

Compare Nikon D5500 vs Nikon D3400

Sony A6300

Nikon D3400

$748
APS-C

Focus peaking
Shoot 4K video

$497
APS-C

Lens selection
Less expensive

Compare Sony A6300 vs Nikon D3400

Compared to Fujifilm X-A3

Nikon D5500

Fujifilm X-A3

$697
APS-C

Lens selection
Tilt-swivel screen

$549
APS-C

Less expensive
Focus peaking

Compare Nikon D5500 vs Fujifilm X-A3

Sony A6300

Fujifilm X-A3

$748
APS-C

Eye-level viewfinder
Shoot 4K video

$549
APS-C

Less expensive
Touchscreen

Compare Sony A6300 vs Fujifilm X-A3

Compared to Nikon D5600

Nikon D5500

Nikon D5600

$697
APS-C

Less expensive
Higher effective ISO

$898
APS-C

Fast startup
NFC

Compare Nikon D5500 vs Nikon D5600

Sony A6300

Nikon D5600

$748
APS-C

Focus peaking
Shoot 4K video

$898
APS-C

Lens selection
Tilt-swivel screen

Compare Sony A6300 vs Nikon D5600

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