Canon EOS 77D vs Nikon D5500 — Which Is Better?

The Canon EOS 77D and Nikon D5500 are both APS-C DSLRs with CMOS sensors, and their shared 24.2 megapixel resolution gives matching cropping room and print sizes. The 77D arrived in 2017, two years after the D5500's 2015 launch.

The D5500 is the lighter, smaller carry at 124 x 97 x 70 mm and 420 g, against 131 x 100 x 76 mm and 765 g for the 77D. That 345 g gap makes the Nikon the pick for a compact travel kit.

The 77D is the stronger choice for moving subjects, pairing 45 autofocus points with a 6 fps burst rate against 39 points and 5 fps on the D5500. Birds in flight and running dogs get more AF coverage and an extra frame each second with the Canon.

The lens mounts differ, with the 77D taking Canon EF-S lenses and the D5500 Nikon F DX, so the native range you buy into follows the brand. The 77D's expanded ISO settings reach 50 and 51200, beyond the D5500's 100 to 25600. Neither has in-body stabilisation, and both share a 1/4000 second top shutter speed and an optical pentamirror viewfinder.

Half-speed slow motion of fast action is available on either camera, since each supports frame rates up to 60 fps, and both top out at Full HD resolution. Each camera also has a built-in timelapse function. The 77D records MOV and MP4, while the D5500 records MOV only, and MP4 is a broadly compatible format for phone editing and sharing.

For phone-based workflows the 77D is the better connected body, offering Bluetooth alongside the WiFi both share, which simplifies pairing and background image transfer to a phone. The D5500 has no Bluetooth and relies on its WiFi alone.

The D5500's 3.2 inch articulating touch screen is slightly larger than the 77D's 3 inch panel, and both display near 1.04 million dots, so waist-level or tripod composition works similarly on either. Both have a built-in flash and support an external unit, and neither offers GPS or weather sealing.

The D5500 offers the longer rated shooting day, at 820 shots against 600 for the 77D under their respective test conditions. That rating difference favours the Nikon for a full day away from a charger.

Both use a single SD, SDHC or SDXC slot with no second slot and no USB charging, so card strategy and charging routines work the same way. The 77D adds UHS-I card support, so a fast card clears its 6 fps bursts more quickly.