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
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 | Better connectivity |
Articulating Screen | Yes vs Yes | Flexible shooting positions |
Built-in Flash | Yes vs Yes | Useful in low-light |
External Flash Shoe | Yes vs Yes | Better for flash photography |
Touch Screen | Yes vs Yes | Easy control of camera functions |
Viewfinder | Yes (Optical) vs Yes (Electronic) | Better framing and control |
RAW Support | Yes vs Yes | Better image quality |
Face Detection Focus | Yes vs Yes | Useful for portraits |
LCD Screen Resolution | 1.037k dots vs 1.040k dots | Higher resolution screens |
Microphone Port | Yes vs Yes | High-quality audio recording option |
Timelapse Recording | Yes vs Yes | Creative shooting |
AE Bracketing | Yes vs Yes | Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR |
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.
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 | 50% more pixels |
LCD Screen Size | 3.2″ vs 3″ | 0.2 inches larger display |
Battery Life | 820 shots vs 330 shots | 490 more frames with a single charge |
Weight | 420 g vs 505 g | 85 g lighter |
Flash Coverage | 12.0m vs 6.2m | 5.8m longer range |
Color Depth | 24.1 vs 22.8 | Higher color depth |
Dynamic Range | 14.0 vs 12.5 | Higher dynamic range |
Low Light ISO | 1438 vs 656 | Better High ISO performance |
Sensor Pixel Area | 15.28µm2 vs 14.21µm2 | 7% larger pixel area |
Price | $700 vs $900 | $200 cheaper |
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 | All the lenses are stabilized |
Number of Focus Points | 49 vs 39 | 10 more focus points |
Viewfinder Coverage | 100% vs 95% | More accurate viewfinder |
Continuous Shooting | 9.0fps vs 5.0fps | 4 fps faster |
Environmental Sealing | Yes vs No | Shoot at tough conditions |
Max Video Resolution | 3840 x 2160 vs 1920 x 1080 | Higher Resolution Video |
4K Photo Mode | Yes vs No | Extract 8MP photos from 4K Video |
Focus Stacking | Yes vs No | Stacks photos in-camera to maximize depth of field |
Post Focus Mode | Yes vs No | Change focus point after taking a shot |
Smartphone_remote control | Yes vs No | Remote control your camera with a smartphone |
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.