Nikon D5500 vs Panasonic G85: A Detailed Comparison

Nikon D5500 vs Panasonic G85: Let’s compare the Nikon D5500, an Entry-Level DSLR camera with a 24.0MP APS-C sensor and the Panasonic Lumix DMC G85, a Semi-Pro Mirrorless camera with a 16.0MP Four-Thirds sensor. Let’s have a quick look at the main specs and features before we go into more details.

Nikon D5500 vs Panasonic G85 Specs

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 Specifications

Nikon D5500

Panasonic G85

Megapixels 24.2 16.0
Sensor Type CMOS Live MOS
Sensor Format APS-C (DX) Micro Four Thirds
Crop Factor 1.5x 2.0x
AA Filter None None
Image Resolution 6000 x 4000 4592 x 3448
Body Image Stabilization No Yes
Lens Mount Nikon FX/DX Micro Four Thirds
ISO 100 – 25,600 200 – 25,600
Expanded ISO No 100
AF Points 39 49 Contrast
Cross-type AF Points 9 0 phase
Continuous Mode 5fps 6fps*
LCD 3.2″ – Fully Articulated 3.0″ – Fully Articulated
LCD Resolution 1,036,800 dots 1,040,000 dots
Touchscreen Yes Yes
Focus Peaking No Yes
Top LCD Display No No
Viewfinder Type Optical EVF (2.36M)
Viewfinder Coverage 95% 100%
Viewfinder Magnification 0.82x 1.48x
Video Resolution 1920×1080 (60/50/30/25/24p) 3840×2160 (30/24p)
1280×720 (60/50p) 1920×1080 (60/30/24p)
Microphone Jack Yes Yes
Headphone Jack No No
Memory Card Type SD SD
Dual Card Slots No No
SD UHS Support UHS-I UHS-II
Fastest Shutter Speed 1/4000 1/16000
Slowest Shutter Speed 30″ 60″
Bulb Mode Yes Yes
JPEG Buffer Size 100 Unlimited
RAW Buffer Size 7 62
Time Lapse Yes Yes
Built-in Flash Yes Yes
Max Flash Sync Speed 1/200 1/160
Startup Time 0.4s 0.8s
Built-in Wi-Fi Yes Yes
Built-in GPS No No
Built- in NFC No No
Bluetooth No No
USB Type USB 2.0 USB 2.0
Environmentally Sealed No Yes
Battery Life (CIPA) 820 shots 320 shots
Battery Included Yes (EN-EL14a)
Weight 14.8 oz (420g) 17.8 oz (505g)
Size 4.9 x 3.8 x 2.8″ 5.1 x 3.5 x 2.9″
Price Amazon Amazon
Release Date 2015 2016

Nikon D5500 vs Panasonic G85 Common Features

Wireless Connection Yes vs Yes
Articulating Screen Yes vs Yes
Built-in Flash Yes vs Yes
External Flash Shoe Yes vs Yes
Touch Screen Yes vs Yes
Viewfinder Yes (Optical) vs Yes (Electronic)
RAW Support Yes vs Yes
Face Detection Focus Yes vs Yes
LCD Screen Resolution 1.037k dots vs 1.040k dots
Microphone Port Yes vs Yes
Timelapse Recording Yes vs Yes
AE Bracketing Yes vs Yes

Panasonic G85 vs Nikon D5500 Size Comparison

The Nikon D5500 is 4mm narrower and 4mm thinner than the Panasonic G85. However, it is also 8mm taller. The D5500 is also 85g lighter than the G85.

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And, since the Nikon D5500 has an APS-C sized sensor and the Panasonic G85 has a smaller Four-Thirds sensor, Panasonic G85’s lenses for a similar focal length and aperture are lighter and smaller than the Nikon D5500 lenses.

Panasonic G85 vs Nikon D5500 Sensor Comparison

Now, the Nikon D5500 has a 24.0MP APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features an Expeed 4 processor. Meanwhile, the Panasonic G85 has a 16.0MP Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm ) sized CMOS sensor. The D5500 sensor has 8MP more than the G85’s sensor. This makes it better for printing large images and cropping the same.

Also, the Nikon D5500’s sensor lacks an anti-alias (Low-Pass) filter. This increases the sharpness and level of detail in images. However, at the same time, it also increases chances of moire. Lastly, the Nikon D5500 has a 1.6x Larger sensor area than the Panasonic G85. With this, it allows you to have more control over the depth of field and blurry background.

Why You Should Choose The Nikon D5500

Max Sensor Resolution 24 MPvs16 MP
LCD Screen Size 3.2″ vs 3″
Battery Life 820 shots vs 330 shots
Weight 420 g vs 505 g
Flash Coverage 12.0m vs 6.2m
Color Depth 24.1 vs 22.8
Dynamic Range 14.0 vs 12.5
Low Light ISO 1438 vs 656
Sensor Pixel Area 15.28µmvs 14.21µm2
Price $700 vs $900

Advantages of the Nikon D5500 Over Panasonic G85

  • Megapixels –  8.2 more megapixels. For printing big and cropping, the Nikon D5500 is a much better choice.
  • Sensor Format – APS-C is bigger than MFT, which results in slightly less noise at higher ISO levels.
  • Cross-type AF Points – 9 vs 0 phase.
  • LCD – 3.2″ vs 3.0″.
  • Max Flash Sync Speed – 1/200 vs 1/160.
  • Battery Life – 820 shots vs 320 shots.
  • Weight – The Nikon D5500 weighs 85g less.

Video: Nikon D5500 Hands-on Review

Why You Should Choose The Panasonic G85

Built-in Image Stabilization Sensor-shift vs None
Number of Focus Points 49 vs 39
Viewfinder Coverage 100% vs 95%
Continuous Shooting 9.0fps vs 5.0fps
Environmental Sealing Yes vs No
Max Video Resolution 3840 x 2160 vs 1920 x 1080
4K Photo Mode Yes vs No
Focus Stacking Yes vs No
Post Focus Mode Yes vs No
Smartphone_remote control Yes vs No

Advantages of the Panasonic G85 Over the Nikon D5500

  • Body Image Stabilization – The Panasonic G85 has built-in body stabilization for photos and videos, which is an excellent feature for traveling and shooting in low light.
  • AF Points – 49 Contrast vs 39.
  • Continuous mode – 6fps vs 5fps. It’s an advantage, but not something you will really notice that often.
  • LCD Resolution – Higher resolution.
  • Focus Peaking – Very useful for seeing if your subject is in focus (both photo and video).
  • Viewfinder Coverage – 100% vs 95%.
  • Viewfinder Magnification – Higher magnification.
  • Video Resolution – 4K video available.
  • UHS-II – Faster writing speeds than UHS-I, but you need a memory card that can handle such speeds.
  • Faster Max Shutter Speed – 1/16000 vs 1/4000.
  • Slower Max Shutter Speed – 60” vs 30”.
  • JPEG Buffer Size – Unlimited vs 100.
  • RAW Buffer Size – 62 vs 7.
  • Environmentally Sealed – The Panasonic G85 is more suited for shooting outdoors in difficult terrain and bad weather conditions.

Video: Panasonic G85 Hands-on Review

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