Nikon d5500 alternatives

[gethin]

Ive grown to love the look, love the dynamic range and small files. Hate the usability.  

Anything out there in similar price bracket that has decent 1080 60p, 4k a bonus not essential.  Have used gh4, seems like dynamic range suffers and 1080 not nice. (Or is that idiot user error?).  

 

Also need it to be usable at ISO 1600-2000

[IronFilm]

I'd seriously consider the Panasonic G7 in 4K, plus GX80, and the Sony A6000 (& if budget can stretch... the a63000).

Or secondhand BMPCC  (but no 60p, and a new BMMCC with 60p costs quite a bit more).

Otherwise nope, I think there is not many other solid good alternatives.

Waiting a little while for the Panasonic G80 to be announced might be a smart move. 

[gethin]

I had a 6000 for a wee while found the 60p a bit meh. Yes 4k downsampled would be nice but need that 60p. Bmmcc would be nice but ISO limited and small sensor.  So 6300 is a possibility. What's the 60p like?  Is it moire tastic? I have rx100iv, love that it's usable and lovely in all its modes and I'm used to menus and slowly getting used to its colours

 

[mercer]

I've never used the D5500, but I love the video I have seen from it. Every time I am convinced to buy one... I decide to go another route... Due to a better deal. Plus I am waiting for the body price to drop a bit.

With that being said, what don't you like about its usability?

[gethin]

No focus aids, or exposure aids, not able to change aperture in live view, auto focus hit and miss, no af microadjustment.  No high bitrate option... 

[Andrew Reid]

Consider the Panasonic GX85.

It's far and away the best of the cheaper cameras in 2016.

I have the D5500 and the image is nice, closest to A7R II Super 35mm you can get if all you need is 1080p and want to put stuff on Vimeo. Only if you're pixel peeping the image will you find it different in terms of detail. The colours, codec and dynamic range are VERY similar looking. Yet the D5500 is much cheaper than an A7R II.

It doesn't have any moire or aliasing problems to any meaningful degree and is a very clean image.

However the GX85 just takes things to a whole new level for a similar price. In-body stabilisation, more flexible lens mount, Speed Booster, 4K, proper video shooting aids, EVF, the list goes on... You are getting a LOT more for your money with it.

[Liam]

do you want a camera that's basically the d5500, just with some more video features and ease of use? willing to pay a bit to get it? or are you just looking at other affordable cameras that could compete with some differences and trade-offs?

I'm not sure what the options are with an external recorder or monitor on the d5500, that could be interesting, you'd need to research that, but I think it could be ideal for you

a c100ii looks like a really similar camera, with more features - and for more money of course. the image and files could still feel like home

the a6300's 60p might be comparable to the d5500.. has gotten badmouthed some, but the d5500 is lacking a little in detail, so might not be too much of a loss, if you're still good with the nikon. I'm also not sure of the status of the overheating now. might have improved some recently, but if not, that could be a bummer.

[IronFilm]

16 hours ago, gethin said:

I had a 6000 for a wee while found the 60p a bit meh. Yes 4k downsampled would be nice but need that 60p. Bmmcc would be nice but ISO limited and small sensor.  So 6300 is a possibility. What's the 60p like?  Is it moire tastic? I have rx100iv, love that it's usable and lovely in all its modes and I'm used to menus and slowly getting used to its colours

 

Use a focal reducer and you'll get near APS-C/S35  FoV/bokeh. And the low light will improve nearly ish two stops!! And use a fast zoom like a Sigma 18-35mm f1.8 and 50-100mm f1.8 and you'll be sorted! As the BMMCC is already a solid enough lowlight camera by cinema class standards (such as vs F35 or RED MX etc)

5 hours ago, Andrew Reid said:

Consider the Panasonic GX85.

It's far and away the best of the cheaper cameras in 2016.

I have the D5500 and the image is nice, closest to A7R II Super 35mm you can get if all you need is 1080p and want to put stuff on Vimeo. Only if you're pixel peeping the image will you find it different in terms of detail. The colours, codec and dynamic range are VERY similar looking. Yet the D5500 is much cheaper than an A7R II.

It doesn't have any moire or aliasing problems to any meaningful degree and is a very clean image.

However the GX85 just takes things to a whole new level for a similar price. In-body stabilisation, more flexible lens mount, Speed Booster, 4K, proper video shooting aids, EVF, the list goes on... You are getting a LOT more for your money with it.

From a filmmakers' perspective,  how do the Nikon D5200, D5300, & D5500 differ from each other?

As I've got (thanks to Andrew Reid's great review of it!) and like the D5200 but never thought it is worth upgrading to one of the newer bodies, other than for 1080 60p.

[Dustin]

13 hours ago, IronFilm said:

From a filmmakers' perspective,  how do the Nikon D5200, D5300, & D5500 differ from each other?
 

I can comment on the 5200 and 5300 as I have owned both currently the latter. The 5200 suffers from banding (might also be called sensor noise?) from the sensor especially when using a flat profile. The d5300 fixes this and gives you 1080p 60 fps for slo-mo. The d5500 gives a stock nikon flat profile for once and I believe a touch screen?

[gethin]

@liam, it's got to go on a handheld gimbal, so small size is a thing. @andrew thought the 1080 60 was so-so on the gx85?  It's tempting, and will go with my almost definitely gh5 unless Nikon surprise me