Better choice for first DSLR, Canon T6i vs. Nikon D5500?

[bisonman83]

Hey, I'm doing some traveling and also expecting my first kid in June and I want to be able to capture the memories with a nice entry level DSLR. Which camera do you think is better, the T6i or the D5500? They seem very close in terms of specs. Is the D5500 worth the extra money? I'm looking to capture video as well so keep that in mind. Thanks for the help.

 

[PenPix]

Hey, I'm doing some traveling and also expecting my first kid in June and I want to be able to capture the memories with a nice entry level DSLR. Which camera do you think is better, the T6i or the D5500? They seem very close in terms of specs. Is the D5500 worth the extra money? I'm looking to capture video as well so keep that in mind. Thanks for the help.

Both are very good cameras, but Canon is generally better with video. Video is a pain with DSLR as you need an external microphone… the built in mic is terrible and picks up noise from you handling the camera. Also a power zoom lens is highly recommended… that is if you want to zoom smoothly.

Beyond that, if you ever plan to purchase additional lenses, look at the selection available for both.

 

[D00M]

Go pick up the camera in store and see which feels better. Pick the one with better ergonomics for you.

In video, Nikon is handicapped in that you cannot change aperture in LiveView mode. Beyond that, both cameras should be fine.

 

[nandbytes]

Hey, I'm doing some traveling and also expecting my first kid in June and I want to be able to capture the memories with a nice entry level DSLR. Which camera do you think is better, the T6i or the D5500? They seem very close in terms of specs. Is the D5500 worth the extra money? I'm looking to capture video as well so keep that in mind. Thanks for the help.

DSLR by design aren't great for videos. I suggest you look at mirrorless options from Panasonic or Sony. May be even the new oly EM5ii...

 

[peterharvey]

Hey, I'm doing some traveling and also expecting my first kid in June and I want to be able to capture the memories with a nice entry level DSLR. Which camera do you think is better, the T6i or the D5500? They seem very close in terms of specs. Is the D5500 worth the extra money? I'm looking to capture video as well so keep that in mind. Thanks for the help.

The D5500 is superior for stills because Nikon buys their sensors from Sony, which have superior resolution & dynamic range.

The T6i is better for video.
It allows aperture adjustment while filming.
The T6i also comes with typically an 18-55 STM lens, which focuses very smoothly & quietly; when conventional lenses focus, the AF is very jumpy & we can hear creeping noises as the AF works.
One of Canon's better lenses for video is the 18-135 STM because it has a 7x zoom range. Single focal length primes & short zooms are fine for stills because we can shoot, then replace the lens. However lens changing is not good for video. With video, we want a lens with a long zoom range.

 

[AlbertTheLazy]

I agree about DSLRs not being a good idea for video. You can't use the viewfinder when shooting and that completely fouls up the ergonomics. It's OK if you are working with a crew but for amateur videos of the kids? Nah!

Consider a Panasonic micro 4/3 camera (the GM5, for example) or one of their high end fixed lens cameras.

--
Albert
Every photograph is an abstraction from reality.
Most people are more interested in the picture than the image.

 

[bisonman83]

Thanks for all the information, it's a great help.

 

[beagle1]

Hey, I'm doing some traveling and also expecting my first kid in June and I want to be able to capture the memories with a nice entry level DSLR. Which camera do you think is better, the T6i or the D5500? They seem very close in terms of specs. Is the D5500 worth the extra money? I'm looking to capture video as well so keep that in mind. Thanks for the help.

The Canon will have better image quality "IQ", AF, lens selection, etc. and video but check them out at a local big box store

 

[baloo_buc]

Canon T6i is a mystery right now. There are no independent tests made on it. It has a new sensor so what was true for the older Canon sensors (18 MP and 20 MP) may not apply.

For video a Panasonic MFT may be better suited. You have the better video at the expense of still IQ.

 

[photosen]

Hey, I'm doing some traveling and also expecting my first kid in June and I want to be able to capture the memories with a nice entry level DSLR. Which camera do you think is better, the T6i or the D5500? They seem very close in terms of specs. Is the D5500 worth the extra money? I'm looking to capture video as well so keep that in mind. Thanks for the help.

I would worry a lot more about the lenses than the camera; if say you realize you could use an ultrawide zoom like the canon 10-18, I would then adjust the camera to whatever is left in your budget. Otherwise there's usually a greater risk of choosing a nice camera with a so so lens and returning with boring pictures.

 

[Prime85]

Hey, I'm doing some traveling and also expecting my first kid in June and I want to be able to capture the memories with a nice entry level DSLR. Which camera do you think is better, the T6i or the D5500? They seem very close in terms of specs. Is the D5500 worth the extra money? I'm looking to capture video as well so keep that in mind. Thanks for the help.

The D5500 is superior for stills because Nikon buys their sensors from Sony, which have superior resolution & dynamic range.

The T6i is better for video.
It allows aperture adjustment while filming.
The T6i also comes with typically an 18-55 STM lens, which focuses very smoothly & quietly; when conventional lenses focus, the AF is very jumpy & we can hear creeping noises as the AF works.
One of Canon's better lenses for video is the 18-135 STM because it has a 7x zoom range. Single focal length primes & short zooms are fine for stills because we can shoot, then replace the lens. However lens changing is not good for video. With video, we want a lens with a long zoom range.

I agree with this... For me I want a camera for stills so it will have a Sony sensor (In this case the Nikon).

 

[Greg OH]

I shoot Canon, but really, they're both very good. Do you have friends or family that use Canon or Nikon DSLR's? If so, you might want to get the same brand so you can swap lenses.

 

[bisonman83]

I shoot Canon, but really, they're both very good. Do you have friends or family that use Canon or Nikon DSLR's? If so, you might want to get the same brand so you can swap lenses.

My brother is a few hours away and he has a Canon T3i. That's a good observation, not sure if that will be the determining factor, but it would be great to have the option to trade off though.

 

[MarshallG]

Hey, I'm doing some traveling and also expecting my first kid in June and I want to be able to capture the memories with a nice entry level DSLR. Which camera do you think is better, the T6i or the D5500? They seem very close in terms of specs. Is the D5500 worth the extra money? I'm looking to capture video as well so keep that in mind. Thanks for the help.

The D5500 is superior for stills because Nikon buys their sensors from Sony, which have superior resolution & dynamic range.

The T6i is better for video.
It allows aperture adjustment while filming.
The T6i also comes with typically an 18-55 STM lens, which focuses very smoothly & quietly; when conventional lenses focus, the AF is very jumpy & we can hear creeping noises as the AF works.
One of Canon's better lenses for video is the 18-135 STM because it has a 7x zoom range. Single focal length primes & short zooms are fine for stills because we can shoot, then replace the lens. However lens changing is not good for video. With video, we want a lens with a long zoom range.

That's quite an assessment you've made of a sensor nobody's ever seen.

Could you explain the benefit of extended dynamic range when capturing video which the camera compresses into 8-bit, 4:2:0 MPEG video? Thanks!

 

[Manituwa]

Why limit yourself to those two brands? YouTube has some pretty good comparisons between the two you mention and the Pentax K-S2. Might be worth a look.

 

[KCook]

I shoot Canon, but really, they're both very good. Do you have friends or family that use Canon or Nikon DSLR's? If so, you might want to get the same brand so you can swap lenses.

My brother is a few hours away and he has a Canon T3i. That's a good observation, not sure if that will be the determining factor, but it would be great to have the option to trade off though.

Not just accessories. You can also exchange tips on setting up and using the cameras.

Kelly

 

[Neez]

If i were you, i'd get the T6s with a good prime lens. The T6s adds movie servo AF just like the 70D has, so for movies it'll be better. The hybrid CMOS AFII was looking pretty good on the SL1 and EOS M2. If i were you, i'd look at some youtube videos of the live view movie performance. There are already some youtube videos of the EOS M3 which has the new Hybrid CMOS AF III and it's looking even better, more accurate with little to no hunting. It also has a slow pull focus mode for movies(slow is better for movies), should be pretty nice for movies. You should be able to set it to subject track as well, so when your baby starts walking and crawling, you'll have some nice cinematic videos as well.

I have a sony handcam which shoots 1080p, but everything is in focus, it's just not as nice as shooting video with a DLSR where things are out of focus and your subject is in focus. Being able to touch to pull focus would be awesome as well, it'll add a new dimension to your videos and make them more interesting. Currently i just manual focus with my T3i or 6D, and the videos look great, although you can see me hunting focus alot.

Another one to consider is the sony A6000 as well. It'll be more compact for travel and has pretty good autofocus for both stills and video.

 

[Greg OH]

If i were you, i'd get the T6s with a good prime lens.

Most primes lack IS, which I consider essential for video. The 35/2 IS does, but still lacks STM.

 

[Neez]

If i were you, i'd get the T6s with a good prime lens.

Most primes lack IS, which I consider essential for video. The 35/2 IS does, but still lacks STM.

True, but it depends on what kind of video work and the focal length of the lens. I shot plenty of home videos with a 30mm sigma on my T3i, and it wasn't shaky at all.

Either way, you'll need an STM lens for video, a good prime for stills. The 18-55stm is cheap, just over $100 unkitted.

 

[bisonman83]

If i were you, i'd get the T6s with a good prime lens. The T6s adds movie servo AF just like the 70D has, so for movies it'll be better. The hybrid CMOS AFII was looking pretty good on the SL1 and EOS M2. If i were you, i'd look at some youtube videos of the live view movie performance. There are already some youtube videos of the EOS M3 which has the new Hybrid CMOS AF III and it's looking even better, more accurate with little to no hunting. It also has a slow pull focus mode for movies(slow is better for movies), should be pretty nice for movies. You should be able to set it to subject track as well, so when your baby starts walking and crawling, you'll have some nice cinematic videos as well.

I have a sony handcam which shoots 1080p, but everything is in focus, it's just not as nice as shooting video with a DLSR where things are out of focus and your subject is in focus. Being able to touch to pull focus would be awesome as well, it'll add a new dimension to your videos and make them more interesting. Currently i just manual focus with my T3i or 6D, and the videos look great, although you can see me hunting focus alot.

Another one to consider is the sony A6000 as well. It'll be more compact for travel and has pretty good autofocus for both stills and video.

That information in regards to the videos is great Neez!I was looking at the A6000 also but I'm still a DSLR fan. Is there a such thing as a camera being too small? I'm 6'3 275 and I kind of feel that way about the A6000. I'm also a mac user, but how is sony's software compared to canon and nikon in terms of transferring images and videos onto the computer? Thanks again guys!