The Canon EOS 700D (called Canon T5i in some regions) and the Nikon D5500 are two digital cameras that were revealed to the public, respectively, in March 2013 and January 2015. Both are DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) cameras that are equipped with an APS-C sensor. The Canon has a resolution of 17.9 megapixels, whereas the Nikon provides 24 MP.
Below is an overview of the main specs of the two cameras as a starting point for the comparison.
Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Canon EOS 700D and the Nikon D5500? Which one should you buy? Read on to find out how these two cameras compare with respect to their body size, their imaging sensors, their shooting features, their input-output connections, and their reception by expert reviewers.
Body comparison
An illustration of the physical size and weight of the Canon 700D and the Nikon D5500 is provided in the side-by-side display below. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three consecutive perspectives from the front, the top, and the back are available. All size dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.
The D5500 can be obtained in two different colors (black, red), while the 700D is only available in black.
If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Nikon D5500 is notably smaller (10 percent) than the Canon 700D. Moreover, the D5500 is markedly lighter (19 percent) than the 700D. In this context, it is worth noting that neither the 700D nor the D5500 are weather-sealed.
The above size and weight comparisons are to some extent incomplete since they do not consider the interchangeable lenses that both of these cameras require. Yet, since both cameras are based around an APS-C sensor, their respective lenses will tend to have similar dimensions and heft. You can compare the optics available for the two cameras in the Canon EF Lens Catalog (700D) and the Nikon Lens Catalog (D5500).
Concerning battery life, the 700D gets 440 shots out of its LP-E8 battery, while the D5500 can take 820 images on a single charge of its EN-EL14a power pack.
The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the two cameras alongside a broader set of comparators. In case you want to display and compare another camera duo, you can use the CAM-parator app to select your camera combination among a large number of options.
Any camera decision will obviously take relative prices into account. The listed launch prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The 700D was launched at a markedly lower price (by 28 percent) than the D5500, which puts it into a different market segment. Usually, retail prices stay at first close to the launch price, but after several months, discounts become available. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down. Then, after the new model is out, very good deals can frequently be found on the pre-owned market.
Sensor comparison
The imaging sensor is at the core of digital cameras and its size is one of the main determining factors of image quality. A large sensor will tend to have larger individual pixels that provide better low-light sensitivity, wider , and richer than smaller pixel-units in a sensor of the same technological generation. Furthermore, a large sensor camera will give the photographer more possibilities to use shallow in order to isolate a subject from the background. On the downside, larger sensors tend to be more expensive and lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.
Both cameras under consideration feature an APS-C sensor, but their sensors differ slightly in size. The sensor area in the D5500 is 11 percent bigger. As a result of these sensor size differences, the cameras have format factors, respectively, of 1.6 (700D) and 1.5. Both cameras have a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 3:2.
With 24MP, the D5500 offers a higher resolution than the 700D (17.9MP), but the D5500 has smaller individual pixels ( of 3.91μm versus 4.31μm for the 700D). Yet, the D5500 is a somewhat more recent model (by 1 year and 9 months) than the 700D, and its sensor might have benefitted from technological advances during this time that enhance the light gathering capacity of its pixel-units. Coming back to sensor resolution, it should be mentioned that the D5500 has no anti-alias filter installed, so that it can capture all the detail its sensor resolves.
The resolution advantage of the Nikon D5500 implies greater flexibility for cropping images or the possibility to print larger pictures. The maximum print size of the D5500 for good quality output (200 dots per inch) amounts to 30 x 20 inches or 76.2 x 50.8 cm, for very good quality (250 dpi) 24 x 16 inches or 61 x 40.6 cm, and for excellent quality (300 dpi) 20 x 13.3 inches or 50.8 x 33.9 cm. The corresponding values for the Canon 700D are 25.9 x 17.3 inches or 65.8 x 43.9 cm for good quality, 20.7 x 13.8 inches or 52.7 x 35.1 cm for very good quality, and 17.3 x 11.5 inches or 43.9 x 29.3 cm for excellent quality prints.
The 700D has on-sensor phase detect pixels, which results in fast and reliable autofocus acquisition even during live view operation.
The Canon EOS 700D has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 12800, which can be extended to ISO 100-25600. The corresponding ISO settings for the Nikon D5500 are ISO 100 to ISO 25600 (no boost).
Technology-wise, both cameras are equipped with CMOS (Complementary Metal–Oxide–Semiconductor) sensors. Both cameras use a Bayer filter for capturing RGB colors on a square grid of photosensors. This arrangement is found in most digital cameras.
Since 2007, DXO Mark has published sensor performance measurements that have been derived using a consistent methodology. This service assesses and scores the color depth ("DXO Portrait"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports") of camera sensors, and also publishes an overall camera score. Of the two cameras under consideration, the D5500 offers substantially better image quality than the 700D (overall score 23 points higher). The advantage is based on 2.4 bits higher color depth, 2.8 EV in additional dynamic range, and 1.1 stops in additional low light sensitivity. The adjacent table reports on the physical sensor characteristics and the outcomes of the DXO sensor quality tests for a sample of comparator-cameras.
Sensor Characteristics Camera Model Sensor Class Resolution (MP) Horiz. Pixels Vert. Pixels Video Format DXO Portrait DXO Landscape DXO Sports DXO Overall 1. Canon 700D APS-C 17.9 5184 34561080/30p21.711.2681612. Nikon D5500 APS-C 24.0 6000 40001080/60p24.114.01438843. Canon M5 APS-C 24.0 6000 40001080/60p23.412.41262774. Canon 750D APS-C 24.0 6000 40001080/30p22.712.0919715. Canon 760D APS-C 24.0 6000 40001080/30p22.612.0915706. Canon 1200D APS-C 17.9 5184 34561080/30p21.911.3724637. Canon G7 X 1-inch 20.0 5472 36481080/60p23.012.7556718. Canon 100D APS-C 17.9 5184 34561080/30p21.811.3843639. Canon 650D APS-C 17.9 5184 34561080/30p21.711.27226210. Canon M APS-C 17.9 5184 34561080/30p22.111.28276511. Canon 600D APS-C 17.9 5184 34561080/30p22.111.57936512. Canon 550D APS-C 17.9 5184 34561080/30p22.111.57846613. Canon 500D APS-C 15.1 4752 31681080/20p21.711.56636314. Nikon D5600 APS-C 24.0 6000 40001080/60p24.114.013068415. Nikon D3400 APS-C 24.0 6000 40001080/60p24.813.911928616. Nikon D3300 APS-C 24.0 6000 40001080/60p24.312.813858217. Nikon D5300 APS-C 24.0 6000 40001080/60p24.013.9133883
Many modern cameras are not only capable of taking still images, but can also record movies. Both cameras under consideration are equipped with sensors that have a sufficiently high read-out speed for moving images, but the D5500 provides a faster frame rate than the 700D. It can shoot movie footage at 1080/60p, while the Canon is limited to 1080/30p.
Feature comparison
Beyond body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. The 700D and the D5500 are similar in the sense that both have an optical viewfinder. The latter is useful for getting a clear image for framing even in brightly lit environments. The viewfinders of both cameras offer the same field of view (95%), but the viewfinder of the D5500 has a higher magnification than the one of the 700D (0.57x vs 0.53x), so that the size of the image transmitted appears closer to the size seen with the naked human eye. The table below summarizes some of the other core capabilities of the Canon 700D and Nikon D5500 in connection with corresponding information for a sample of similar cameras.
Core Features Camera Model Viewfinder (Type or 000 dots) Control Panel (yes/no) LCD Specifications (inch/000 dots) LCD Attach- ment Touch Screen (yes/no) Max Shutter Speed * Max Shutter Flaps * Built-in Flash (yes/no) Built-in Image Stab 1. Canon 700Doptical n3.0 / 1040 swivel Y 1/4000s 5.0/s Y n 2. Nikon D5500optical n3.2 / 1037 swivel Y 1/4000s 5.0/s Y n 3. Canon M52360 n3.2 / 1620 tilting Y 1/4000s 9.0/s Y n 4. Canon 750Doptical n3.0 / 1040 swivel Y 1/4000s 5.0/s Y n 5. Canon 760Doptical Y3.0 / 1040 swivel Y 1/4000s 5.0/s Y n 6. Canon 1200Doptical n3.0 / 460 fixed n 1/4000s 3.0/s Y n 7. Canon G7 Xnone n3.0 / 1040 tilting Y 1/2000s 6.5/s Y Y 8. Canon 100Doptical n3.0 / 1040 fixed Y 1/4000s 4.9/s Y n 9. Canon 650Doptical n3.0 / 1040 swivel Y 1/4000s 5.0/s Y n 10. Canon Mnone n3.0 / 1040 fixed Y 1/4000s 4.3/s n n 11. Canon 600Doptical n3.0 / 1040 swivel n 1/4000s 3.7/s Y n 12. Canon 550Doptical n3.0 / 1040 fixed n 1/4000s 3.7/s Y n 13. Canon 500Doptical n3.0 / 920 fixed n 1/4000s 3.4/s Y n 14. Nikon D5600optical n3.2 / 1037 swivel Y 1/4000s 5.0/s Y n 15. Nikon D3400optical n3.0 / 921 fixed n 1/4000s 5.0/s Y n 16. Nikon D3300optical n3.0 / 921 fixed n 1/4000s 5.0/s Y n 17. Nikon D5300optical n3.2 / 1037 swivel n 1/4000s 5.0/s Y n Notes: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.
Both cameras have an articulated rear screen that can be turned to be front-facing. This feature will be particularly appreciated by vloggers and photographers who are interested in taking selfies.
The Nikon D5500 has an intervalometer built-in. This enables the photographer to capture time lapse sequences, such as flower blooming, a sunset or moon rise, without purchasing an external camera trigger and related software.
Concerning the storage of imaging data, both the 700D and the D5500 write their files to SDXC cards. Both cameras can use UHS-I cards, which provide for Ultra High Speed data transfer of up to 104 MB/s.
Connectivity comparison
For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Canon EOS 700D and Nikon D5500 and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.
Input-Output Connections Camera Model Hotshoe Port Internal Mic / Speaker Microphone Port Headphone Port HDMI Port USB Port WiFi Support NFC Support Bluetooth Support 1. Canon 700DYstereo / monoY-mini2.0- 2. Nikon D5500Ystereo / monoY-mini2.0Y 3. Canon M5Ystereo / monoY-mini2.0YYY 4. Canon 750DYstereo / monoY-mini2.0YY- 5. Canon 760DYstereo / monoY-mini2.0YY- 6. Canon 1200DYmono / mono--mini2.0- 7. Canon G7 X-stereo / mono--micro2.0YY- 8. Canon 100DYmono / monoY-mini2.0- 9. Canon 650DYstereo / monoY-mini2.0- 10. Canon MYstereo / monoY-mini2.0- 11. Canon 600DYmono / monoY-mini2.0- 12. Canon 550DYstereo / -Y-mini2.0- 13. Canon 500DYmono / mono--mini2.0- 14. Nikon D5600Ystereo / monoY-mini2.0YYY 15. Nikon D3400Ymono / mono--mini2.0--Y 16. Nikon D3300Ymono / monoY-mini2.0- 17. Nikon D5300Ystereo / monoY-mini2.0Y--
It is notable that the D5500 offers wifi support, which can be a very convenient means to transfer image data to an off-camera location. In contrast, the 700D does not provide wifi capability.
Both the 700D and the D5500 have been discontinued, but can regularly be found used on ebay. The 700D was replaced by the Canon 750D, while the D5500 was followed by the Nikon D5600. Further information on the features and operation of the 700D and D5500 can be found, respectively, in the Canon 700D Manual (free pdf) or the online Nikon D5500 Manual.
Review summary
So how do things add up? Is there a clear favorite between the Canon 700D and the Nikon D5500? Which camera is better? A synthesis of the relative strong points of each of the models is listed below.
Advantages of the Canon EOS 700D:
- Better moiré control: Has an anti-alias filter to avoid artificial patterns to appear in images.
- Better live-view autofocus: Features on-sensor phase-detection for more confident autofocus.
- More affordable: Was introduced into a lower priced category (28 percent cheaper at launch).
- More heavily discounted: Has been on the market for longer (launched in March 2013).
Reasons to prefer the Nikon D5500:
- More detail: Has more megapixels (24 vs 17.9MP), which boosts linear resolution by 16%.
- Maximized detail: Lacks an anti-alias filter to exploit the sensor's full resolution potential.
- Better image quality: Scores substantially higher (23 points) in the DXO overall evaluation.
- Richer colors: Generates noticeably more natural colors (2.4 bits more color depth).
- More dynamic range: Captures a broader range of light and dark details (2.8 EV of extra DR).
- Better low-light sensitivity: Can shoot in dim conditions (1.1 stops ISO advantage).
- Better video: Provides higher movie framerates (1080/60p versus 1080/30p).
- Larger viewfinder image: Features a viewfinder with a higher magnification (0.57x vs 0.53x).
- Larger screen: Has a bigger rear LCD (3.2" vs 3.0") for image review and settings control.
- Easier time-lapse photography: Has an intervalometer built-in for low frequency shooting.
- Less heavy: Has a lower weight (by 110g or 19 percent) and is thus easier to take along.
- Longer lasting: Gets more shots (820 versus 440) out of a single battery charge.
- Easier file upload: Has wifi built in for automatic backup or image transfer to the web.
- More modern: Was introduced somewhat (1 year and 9 months) more recently.
If the count of relative strengths (bullet points above) is taken as a measure, the D5500 is the clear winner of the contest (14 : 4 points). However, the relative importance of the various individual camera aspects will vary according to personal preferences and needs, so that you might like to apply corresponding weights to the particular features before making a decision on a new camera. A professional wildlife photographer will view the differences between cameras in a way that diverges from the perspective of a family photog, and a person interested in architecture has distinct needs from a sports shooter. Hence, the decision which camera is best and worth buying is often a very personal one.
700D 04:14 D5500
How about other alternatives? Do the specifications of the Canon 700D and the Nikon D5500 place the cameras among the top in their class? Find out in the latest Best DSLR Camera listing whether the two cameras rank among the cream of the crop.
In any case, while the comparison of technical specifications can provide a useful overview of the capabilities of different cameras, it says little about, for example, the shooting experience and imaging performance of the 700D and the D5500 in practical situations. User reviews, such as those found at amazon, can sometimes inform about these issues, but such feedback is often incomplete, inconsistent, and biased.
Expert reviews
This is where reviews by experts come in. The following table reports the overall ratings of the cameras as published by some of the major camera review sites (amateurphotographer [AP], cameralabs [CL], digitalcameraworld [DCW], dpreview [DPR], ephotozine [EPZ], photographyblog [PB]). As can be seen, the professional reviewers agree in many cases on the quality of different cameras, but sometimes their assessments diverge, reinforcing the earlier point that a camera decision is often a very personal choice.
The above review scores should be interpreted with care, though. The assessments were made in relation to similar cameras of the same technological generation. Thus, a score needs to be put into the context of the launch date and the launch price of the camera, and comparisons of ratings among very different cameras or across long time periods have little meaning. Also, kindly note that some of the listed sites have over time developped their review approaches and their reporting style.
Other camera comparisons
Did this review help to inform your camera decision process? In case you would like to check on the differences and similarities of other camera models, just make your choice using the following search menu. There is also a set of direct links to comparison reviews that other users of the CAM-parator app explored.
- Canon 1Ds vs Canon 700D
- Canon 700D vs Leica D-LUX 5
- Canon 700D vs Leica X1
- Canon 700D vs Nikon Z50
- Canon 700D vs Sony RX100
- Canon 700D vs YI M1
- Canon G7 X Mark III vs Nikon D5500
- Fujifilm X-E3 vs Nikon D5500
- Nikon D5000 vs Nikon D5500
- Nikon D5500 vs Olympus E-520
- Nikon D5500 vs Sigma fp
- Nikon D5500 vs Sony NEX-5T
Specifications: Canon 700D vs Nikon D5500
Below is a side-by-side comparison of the specs of the two cameras to facilitate a quick review of their differences and common features.