Nikon D5500 vs Sony RX10 III

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Nikon D5500 vs Sony RX10 III

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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.

1 inch 116.2mm²
20.1 megapixels
24.00mm - 600.00mm (35mm eq.)

Go in depth with our full Sony RX10 III Review.
How does it shoot? Sony RX10 III in the real world.
See real-world photos taken with the RX10 III.
Compare Sony RX10 III image quality against competitors.
What’s the bottom line? Read our Sony RX10 III conclusion.

Succeeded by the Nikon D5600
Compare D5500 vs D5600

Succeeded by the Sony RX10 IV
Compare RX10 III vs RX10 IV

Compare NIKON D5600 vs SONY RX10 IV

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Differences

Nikon D5500 advantages over Sony RX10 III

Larger sensor
APS-C vs 1 inch
More sensor area. Bigger is (generally) better.
Less expensive
$697 vs $1398*
Save money for lenses or accessories
Tilt-swivel screen
Tilt-swivel vs tilt-only
Tilt and swivel the screen for maximum shooting flexibility
Bigger pixels
~ 3.92 vs 2.41 microns
Better low-light and dynamic range (all else equal)
Touchscreen
Touch vs No touch
Interact with your camera just like your smartphone
Fast startup
~0.40 vs 2.1 sec
Faster startup lets you catch the moment
Higher effective ISO

Higher effective ISO

Maximum effective ISO is an estimate of the highest sensitivity at which a camera can capture excellent quality photos.

Cameras with higher effective ISO will be better choices for indoor photography, night shooting, and indoor sports photography, especially if you intend to make large prints.

You can learn more at our glossary entry.

Maximum effective ISO test data courtesy of DxO Mark.
D5500 test data on DxO Mark RX10 III test data on DxO Mark

1,438 vs 472 iso
Take photos in low light with less noise
More dynamic range

More dynamic range

Cameras with more dynamic range allow you to take photos with dramatic differences in highlight and shadow areas while retaining detail in both.

Think of a brilliant sunset on a rocky beach: Bright sunset in the background, with dark rocks in the foreground. High dynamic range means more of the extremes will be faithfully reproduced.

Dynamic range test data courtesy of DxO Mark.
D5500 test data on DxO Mark RX10 III test data on DxO Mark

14.0 vs 12.6 evs
Retain detail in highlight and shadows
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 420 shots
Capture more photos
Thinner
70 mm vs 127 mm
Thinner
More pixels
24.2 vs 20.1 megapixels
Higher resolution 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 RX10 III 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
Top deck display
Yes vs No
Check settings with a screen on top of the camera
More viewfinder magnification
0.70x vs 0.55x
Get a bigger view of the scene through the eye-level viewfinder
Headphone jack
Yes vs No
Monitor audio recording while you shoot video
Has anti-aliasing filter
Filter vs No Filter
Reduces unsightly moiré in photos
Faster JPEG shooting
14.2 fps vs 4.9 fps
Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
Faster RAW shooting
8.0 fps vs 4.0 fps
Faster RAW shooting in burst mode
Bigger RAW buffer
29 vs 7 shots
Larger buffer for RAW shots (burst mode)
Slow-motion videos
Yes vs No
Shoot slow-motion videos
Faster shutter
1/32000 vs 1/4000 sec
Shoot wide open in bright light

Similarities

Common Strengths

Rear display
Both provide
Review photos on the back of the camera
Eye-level viewfinder
Both provide
You'll be able to frame photos even when the sun is out
RAW file ability
Both provide
Gives you more flexibility to develop your photos later
Built-in Wi-Fi
Both provide
Share your photos wirelessly
Internal flash
Both provide
Useful in a pinch for fill flash
Manual focus
Both provide
AF is for the weak. Real photographers focus manually.
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 Bluetooth
Neither provide
Always-on wireless connectivity
Built-in GPS
Neither provide
Geotag your photos
On-sensor phase detect
Neither provide
Usually improves live view and video AF performance
Integrated ND filter
Neither provide
Shoot in daylight with a large aperture or slow shutter
Dual card slots
Neither provide
Gives you more storage flexibility

User reviews

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Adorama
Read D5500 User Reviews

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Sony RX10 III

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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

Versatile all-in-one replacement for a DSLR or mirrorless camera; Great handling and build; Excellent image quality; Spectacular zoom reach; Swift performance with generous buffer depths; Extremely capable video capture; Comprehensive remote control; Quick-and-easy image sharing
Extremely expensive for a fixed-lens camera; Fairly heavy for fixed-lens camera; Somewhat soft in the corners at wide-angle or tele; Noise reduction intrudes at higher sensitivities; No built-in ND filter; Not as fast when shooting raws; Slow buffer clearing
Read our Sony RX10 III Review

The Competition

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 RX10 III

Pentax K-S1

$1398
1 inch

Shoot 4K video
In-camera panoramas

$502
APS-C

Larger sensor
Bigger pixels

Compare Sony RX10 III 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 RX10 III

Nikon D3400

$1398
1 inch

Focus peaking
In-Camera Image Stabilization

$497
APS-C

Less expensive
Larger sensor

Compare Sony RX10 III vs Nikon D3400

Compared to Panasonic FZ2500

Nikon D5500

Panasonic FZ2500

$697
APS-C

Less expensive
Larger sensor

$899
1 inch

Focus peaking
In-Camera Image Stabilization

Compare Nikon D5500 vs Panasonic FZ2500

Sony RX10 III

Panasonic FZ2500

$1398
1 inch

Slower slow-motion
Larger lens aperture

$899
1 inch

Less expensive
Tilt-swivel screen

Compare Sony RX10 III vs Panasonic FZ2500

Compared to Nikon D5600

Nikon D5500

Nikon D5600

$697
APS-C

Less expensive
Higher effective ISO

$1032
APS-C

Fast startup
NFC

Compare Nikon D5500 vs Nikon D5600

Sony RX10 III

Nikon D5600

$1398
1 inch

Focus peaking
In-Camera Image Stabilization

$1032
APS-C

Less expensive
Tilt-swivel screen

Compare Sony RX10 III vs Nikon D5600

Compared to Sony RX10 IV

Nikon D5500

Sony RX10 IV

$697
APS-C

Less expensive
Tilt-swivel screen

$1698
1 inch

Focus peaking
In-Camera Image Stabilization

Compare Nikon D5500 vs Sony RX10 IV

Sony RX10 III

Sony RX10 IV

$1398
1 inch

Less expensive

$1698
1 inch

Touchscreen
Built-in Bluetooth

Compare Sony RX10 III vs Sony RX10 IV

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