Nikon D5500 vs Panasonic GH4: How does the Nikon D5500
Nikon D5500 vs Panasonic GH4 Specs
Nikon D5500 vs Panasonic GH4 – Comparison
Specifications |
Nikon D5500 |
Panasonic GH4 |
|---|---|---|
| Megapixels | 24.2 | 16.1 |
| Sensor Type | CMOS | Live MOS |
| Sensor Format | APS-C (DX) | Micro Four Thirds |
| Crop Factor | 1.5x | 2.0x |
| AA Filter | None | Yes |
| Image Resolution | 6000 x 4000 | 4608 x 3456 |
| Body Image Stabilization | No | No |
| 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 | 12fps |
| LCD | 3.2″ – Fully Articulated | 3.0″ – Fully Articulated |
| LCD Resolution | 1,036,800 dots | 1,036,800 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 | 1.34x |
| Video Resolution | 1920×1080 (60/50/30/25/24p) | 4096×2160 (24p) |
| 1280×720 (60/50p) | 3840×2160 (30/25/24p) | |
| Microphone Jack | Yes | Yes |
| Headphone Jack | No | Yes |
| Memory Card Type | SD | SD |
| Dual Card Slots | No | No |
| SD UHS Support | UHS-I | UHS-I |
| Fastest Shutter Speed | 1/4000 | 1/8000 |
| Slowest Shutter Speed | 30″ | 60″ |
| Bulb Mode | Yes | Yes |
| JPEG Buffer Size | 100 | Unlimited |
| RAW Buffer Size | 7 | 21 |
| Time Lapse | Yes | Yes |
| Built-in Flash | Yes | Yes |
| Max Flash Sync Speed | 1/200 | 1/250 |
| 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 | 530 shots |
| Battery Included | Yes (EN-EL14a) | Yes |
| Weight | 14.8 oz (420g) | 20.1 oz (569g) |
| Size | 4.9 x 3.8 x 2.8″ | 5.2 x 3.7 x 3.3″ |
| Price | Amazon | Amazon |
| Release Date | 2015 | 2014 |
Nikon D5500 vs Panasonic GH4 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 | Very useful for portraits |
| LCD Screen Resolution | 1.037k dots vs 1.036k 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 |
| Selfie Friendly LCD | Yes vs Yes | Rotate LCD for taking Selfies |
Nikon D5500 vs Panasonic GH4 Common Weaknesses
| Image Stabilization | No vs No | No Built-in stabilization |
Panasonic GH4 vs Nikon D5500 Size Comparison
The Nikon D5500 is 9mm narrower and 14mm thinner than the Panasonic GH4. However, it is also 4mm taller. Furthermore, the D5500 is 140g lighter than the Lumix DMC GH4.
Nikon D5500 vs Panasonic GH4 – Comparison
And, since the Nikon D5500 has an APS-C sized sensor and the Panasonic GH4 has a smaller Four-Thirds sensor, the Panasonic GH4’s lenses for a similar focal length and aperture are lighter and smaller than the Nikon D5500 lenses.
Panasonic GH4 vs Nikon D5500 Sensor Comparison
With regard to the sensor, 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 GH4 has a 16.0MP Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features the Venus Engine IX processor. The D5500 sensor has 8MP more than the GH4’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 GH4. 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 MP vs 16 MP | 50% more pixels |
| LCD Screen Size | 3.2″ vs 3″ | 0.2 inches larger display |
| Battery Life | 820 shots vs 500 shots | 320 more frames with a single charge |
| Weight | 420 g vs 560 g | 140 g lighter |
| Color Depth | 24.1 vs 23.2 | Higher color depth |
| Dynamic Range | 14.0 vs 12.8 | Higher dynamic range |
| Low Light ISO | 1438 vs 791 | Better High ISO performance |
| Sensor Pixel Area | 15.28µm2 vs 14.12µm2 | 8% larger pixel area |
| Price | $700 vs $1,198 | $498 cheaper |
Advantages of the Nikon D5500 Over Panasonic GH4
- Megapixels – 8.1 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.
- AA Filter – The Nikon D5500 has no AA filter.
- Cross-type AF Points – 9 vs 0 phase.
- LCD – 3.2″ vs 3.0″.
- Battery Life – 820 shots vs 530 shots.
- Weight – The Nikon D5500 weighs 149g less.
Video: Nikon D5500 Hands-on Review
Why You Should Choose The Panasonic GH4
| Number of Focus Points | 49 vs 39 | 10 more focus points |
| Viewfinder Coverage | 100% vs 95% | More accurate viewfinder |
| Max Shutter Speed | 1/8000s vs 1/4000s | Faster shutter speed |
| Continuous Shooting | 12.0fps vs 5.0fps | 7 fps faster |
| Headphone Port | Yes vs No | Better video control |
| Environmental Sealing | Yes vs No | Shoot at tough conditions |
| Flash Coverage | 17.0m vs 12.0m | 5m longer range |
| Max Video Resolution | 4096 x 2160 vs 1920 x 1080 | Higher Resolution Video |
| AE Bracketing Range | ±3 EV vs ±2 EV | Wide Bracketing range is useful for HDR |
| Flash Sync Port | Yes vs No | Connect off-camera flash |
| 4K Photo Mode | Yes vs No | Extract 8MP photos from 4K Video |
| 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 GH4 Over the Nikon D5500
- AF Points – 49 Contrast vs 39.
- Continuous mode – 12fps vs 5fps. More is better for sports and wildlife since you have more chances of getting a tack sharp shot.
- 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.
- Headphone Jack – Useful for previewing your audio quality straight out the camera.
- Faster Max Shutter Speed – 1/8000 vs 1/4000.
- Slower Max Shutter Speed – 60” vs 30”.
- JPEG Buffer Size – Unlimited vs 100.
- RAW Buffer Size – 21 vs 7.
- Max Flash Sync Speed – 1/250 vs 1/200.
- Environmentally Sealed – The Panasonic GH4 is better for shooting outdoors in difficult terrain and bad weather conditions.