Nikon D5500 / SHOOTING REPORT

The D5500 is the fifth generation of the Nikon's DX-format D5000 series featuring a vari-angle LCD monitor, and it's the Nikon's first SLR camera sporting a touch-panel LCD monitor. You can focus and fire by touching the liveview screen, but also slide, enlarge, and reduce images in the same way we do with smartphones. This operation is friendly to entry-level users who want to start using a SLR camera. The lightweight carbon monocock body just weighs 420 grams, which is 60 grams lighter than the D5300. Plus, it's also thinner and it provides better gripping. In addition, the highest sensitivity has expanded to ISO 25600, allowing the use of faster shutter speed. In short, the D5500 can even rival advanced models because of its high performance, function, and operability.

( Photography : T.Takahashi / Text : KIMURAX )

The touch-panel operation is very convenient because it instantly reacts to the shooter's intention including what to focus and defocus. Because of the wonderful reproduction of texture and 3D feeling, I'd say the image quality is excellent. I feel this reality in texture improves significantly when the number of pixels exceeds 20 megapixels. I shot at ISO 720, but the shiny feel of the lid and the soup is reproduced naturally. This must also be due to the improved high sensitivity performance.

Then how about jumping to ISO 7200? The tonal gradation is smooth that I almost forgot about the high sensitivity. Of course, at the original image size, I see the edgeline depiction is degraded a bit, but it's no problem at normal image sizes. The noise is well take care of producing fine grains.

Despite the intense reflected sunshine, it reproduced the gradation of the blue sky reflected on the windows. The bottom shadow area has a rich tonal gradation and a good perspective feeling. With this balance of highlight and shadow, I can almost leave exposure setting to the camera.

The edgeline looks natural, The sensor seems to demonstrate the lens potential just at it is.

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Low and high angle photography is easy thanks to the vari-angle LCD monitor. And, the AF speed, which is crucial for liveview shooting, is faster than the predecessor.

The sensor makes the best use of the luminance information passing the lens. The resolution is high and the tonal gradation is rich. The way it draws the thick clouds and the shapes of the roof in the front is no different from advanced models.

Of course, you can always shoot by looking into the viewfinder. When we do it, we feel we're taking photography, don't we?

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Despite the mixed light sources, even the shadow area has color and tonal information, and it's a JPEG output from the camera. Do you feel you need to retouch it with software?

The lens isn't high-speed, but thanks to the high sensitivity performance, you can shoot at night without a difficulty.

A solid SLR for serious shooters

I'm amazed that it's still so compact even though it has a vari-angle LCD monitor. As I have shown, the image quality is excellent and the resolution is very high because of the omission of the low-pass filter. You may worry about the false color reproduction and moire, but the sample shots don't seem to have them. And, don't forget the improved high sensitivity performance because you don't have to buy a high-speed lens which is heavy and expensive. Of course, you can always get it if you want big bokeh, but I believe the best way to use this camera is to enjoy the great balance between size and performance, which can even rival advanced models. The D5500 is great for not only the beginners but also the advanced photographers looking for a lighter camera.

( 12.03.2015 )