Nikon D5500 vs Nikon Z50
71 Imaging
65 Features
85 Overall
73


74 Imaging
67 Features
84 Overall
73
Nikon D5500 vs Nikon Z50 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 24MP - APS-C Sensor
- 3.2" Fully Articulated Screen
- ISO 100 - 25600
- No Anti-Alias Filter
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Nikon F Mount
- 420g - 124 x 97 x 70mm
- Introduced January 2015
- Previous Model is Nikon D5300
- Later Model is Nikon D5600
(Full Review)
- 21MP - APS-C Sensor
- 3.2" Tilting Screen
- ISO 100 - 51200 (Raise to 204800)
- 3840 x 2160 video
- Nikon Z Mount
- 397g - 127 x 94 x 60mm
- Launched October 2019

Nikon D5500 vs Nikon Z50 Overview
Lets look a bit more in depth at the Nikon D5500 and Nikon Z50, one is a Entry-Level DSLR and the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and they are both sold by Nikon. The image resolution of the D5500 (24MP) and the Z50 (21MP) is pretty comparable and they possess the same exact sensor size (APS-C).

The D5500 was manufactured 5 years prior to the Z50 which is a fairly serious gap as far as camera tech is concerned. The two cameras offer different body type with the Nikon D5500 being a Compact SLR camera and the Nikon Z50 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.
Before going straight into a in depth comparison, below is a brief synopsis of how the D5500 scores vs the Z50 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Nikon D5500 vs Nikon Z50 Gallery
This is a preview of the gallery images for Nikon D5500 and Nikon Z50. The entire galleries are viewable at Nikon D5500 Gallery and Nikon Z50 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Nikon D5500 over the Nikon Z50
D5500 | Z50 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Screen type | Fully Articulated | ![]() | Tilting | Fully Articulating screen |
Reasons to pick Nikon Z50 over the Nikon D5500
Z50 | D5500 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Launched | October 2019 | ![]() | January 2015 | Newer by 57 months |
Screen resolution | 1040k | ![]() | 1037k | Crisper screen (+3k dot) |
Common features in the Nikon D5500 and Nikon Z50
D5500 | Z50 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Focus manually | ![]() | Dial precise focusing | ||
Screen sizing | 3.2" | ![]() | 3.2" | Equivalent screen size |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Both are selfie friendly | ||
Touch screen | ![]() | Quickly navigate |
Nikon D5500 vs Nikon Z50 Physical Comparison
If you are aiming to travel with your camera regularly, you will have to think about its weight and volume. The Nikon D5500 has outer measurements of 124mm x 97mm x 70mm (4.9" x 3.8" x 2.8") accompanied by a weight of 420 grams (0.93 lbs) and the Nikon Z50 has sizing of 127mm x 94mm x 60mm (5.0" x 3.7" x 2.4") with a weight of 397 grams (0.88 lbs).
Look at the Nikon D5500 and Nikon Z50 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you select during that time. Below is the front view measurements comparison of the D5500 and the Z50.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability score of the D5500 and Z50 is 71 and 74 respectively.

Nikon D5500 vs Nikon Z50 Sensor Comparison
Usually, it can be tough to envision the gap in sensor dimensions purely by seeing specifications. The pic here will give you a greater sense of the sensor sizing in the D5500 and Z50.
Plainly, each of these cameras enjoy the same exact sensor sizing albeit not the same megapixels. You should expect the Nikon D5500 to show more detail due to its extra 3 Megapixels. Higher resolution will enable you to crop pictures far more aggressively. The more aged D5500 will be behind when it comes to sensor technology.

Nikon D5500 vs Nikon Z50 Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Nikon D5500 vs Nikon Z50 Specifications
Nikon D5500 | Nikon Z50 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Manufacturer | Nikon | Nikon |
Model | Nikon D5500 | Nikon Z50 |
Type | Entry-Level DSLR | Entry-Level Mirrorless |
Introduced | 2015-01-06 | 2019-10-10 |
Body design | Compact SLR | SLR-style mirrorless |
Sensor Information | ||
Chip | Expeed 4 | Expeed 6 |
Sensor type | CMOS | BSI-CMOS |
Sensor size | APS-C | APS-C |
Sensor dimensions | 23.5 x 15.6mm | 23.5 x 15.7mm |
Sensor area | 366.6mm² | 369.0mm² |
Sensor resolution | 24 megapixel | 21 megapixel |
Anti aliasing filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 3:2 | 1:1, 3:2 and 16:9 |
Highest Possible resolution | 6000 x 4000 | 5568 x 3712 |
Maximum native ISO | 25600 | 51200 |
Maximum enhanced ISO | - | 204800 |
Minimum native ISO | 100 | 100 |
RAW support | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Manual focus | ||
Touch focus | ||
Continuous AF | ||
AF single | ||
Tracking AF | ||
Selective AF | ||
Center weighted AF | ||
AF multi area | ||
AF live view | ||
Face detection focusing | ||
Contract detection focusing | ||
Phase detection focusing | ||
Number of focus points | 39 | 209 |
Cross focus points | 9 | - |
Lens | ||
Lens mount | Nikon F | Nikon Z |
Amount of lenses | 309 | 15 |
Crop factor | 1.5 | 1.5 |
Screen | ||
Screen type | Fully Articulated | Tilting |
Screen diagonal | 3.2" | 3.2" |
Resolution of screen | 1,037 thousand dot | 1,040 thousand dot |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch functionality | ||
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder | Optical (pentamirror) | Electronic |
Viewfinder resolution | - | 2,360 thousand dot |
Viewfinder coverage | 95% | 100% |
Viewfinder magnification | 0.55x | - |
Features | ||
Min shutter speed | 30s | 30s |
Max shutter speed | 1/4000s | 1/4000s |
Continuous shutter speed | 5.0 frames per second | 11.0 frames per second |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Manual exposure | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
Change WB | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Inbuilt flash | ||
Flash range | 12.00 m (at ISO 100) | 7.00 m (at ISO 100) |
Flash options | Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Slow sync, Rear curtain | - |
Hot shoe | ||
AEB | ||
White balance bracketing | ||
Max flash sync | 1/200s | - |
Exposure | ||
Multisegment exposure | ||
Average exposure | ||
Spot exposure | ||
Partial exposure | ||
AF area exposure | ||
Center weighted exposure | ||
Video features | ||
Video resolutions | 1920 x 1080 (60, 50, 30, 25, 24 fps), 1280 x 720 (60, 50, 30, 25 fps), 640 x 424 (30, 25 fps) | 3840 x 2160 @ 30p, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM |
Maximum video resolution | 1920x1080 | 3840x2160 |
Video format | MPEG-4, H.264 | MPEG-4, H.264 |
Mic input | ||
Headphone input | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | Built-In | Built-In |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
GPS | Optional | None |
Physical | ||
Environment seal | ||
Water proof | ||
Dust proof | ||
Shock proof | ||
Crush proof | ||
Freeze proof | ||
Weight | 420g (0.93 pounds) | 397g (0.88 pounds) |
Dimensions | 124 x 97 x 70mm (4.9" x 3.8" x 2.8") | 127 x 94 x 60mm (5.0" x 3.7" x 2.4") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO Overall score | 84 | not tested |
DXO Color Depth score | 24.1 | not tested |
DXO Dynamic range score | 14.0 | not tested |
DXO Low light score | 1438 | not tested |
Other | ||
Battery life | 820 photos | 320 photos |
Type of battery | Battery Pack | Built-in |
Battery model | EN-EL14,EN-EL14a | EN-EL25 |
Self timer | Yes (2, 5, 10 or 20 sec) | Yes |
Time lapse shooting | ||
Type of storage | SD/SDHC/SDXC | SD/SDHC/SDXC card (UHS-II supported) |
Storage slots | 1 | 1 |
Price at release | $700 | $857 |