Nikon D5500

The Nikon D5500 is a compact DSLR introduced in 2015. At 420 g without a lens it is light to carry, which makes it comfortable for travel, walks and long days out.

Inside is an APS-C sensor behind a Nikon F DX mount, so the camera fits into a long-running lens system and you can add glass over time. An optical viewfinder gives a direct, natural view of the scene.

That combination suits someone moving up from a phone or compact camera who wants an optical finder and room to grow. It is a straightforward, light body rather than a specialist tool.

Resolution is the D5500's clearest strength. The 24.2 megapixel APS-C sensor leaves plenty of room to crop tightly or print large, which suits landscape, travel and portrait work. Its Optics score of 65 is good, placing it around the middle of cameras in our database for Optics.

The Expeed 4 processor works with an ISO range of 100 to 25600, so you can keep shooting as the light drops before reaching for a flash. Shutter speeds run to 1/4000 sec, enough for most daylight subjects, though it can feel limiting with wide apertures in bright sun.

Thirty-nine autofocus points provide many focus placement options, which helps portraits and other carefully composed shots. The maximum 5 fps burst rate covers posed subjects and gentle action but is not aimed at long sports sequences.

There is no in-body stabilisation, so handheld work at slower shutter speeds relies on your technique or a stabilised lens. Nikon F lenses mean the camera can grow with you as your needs change.

Video earns a good score of 70. The D5500 records Full HD footage in MOV files, and its maximum frame rate is 60 fps, high enough for smooth motion in everyday clips.

There is no 4K option. Full HD still covers web sharing and family films well, though anyone delivering to large screens may find the ceiling restrictive.

A built-in timelapse mode lets you shoot interval sequences without buying an external intervalometer, useful for moving clouds, changing light over a landscape or a scene slowly filling with people.

For framing, live view and the flipping touchscreen make low-angle and overhead video work far easier than a fixed screen allows, and touch control keeps settings adjustments quick between takes.

The features score is a modest 59. The 3.2 inch touchscreen is the strongest element here, with 1,037,000 dots producing a crisp display and touch input making menus and settings quick to adjust.

The screen also flips out and live view is available, so shooting from the waist, at ground level or overhead is much more practical.

Lighting options are useful: a built-in flash handles quick fill light, and you can fit a more powerful external flash when you need to bounce or reach further.

On the other side of the ledger, there is no weather sealing, so keep the camera sheltered from rain and dust, and there is no GPS. Wi-Fi is built in, but Bluetooth is missing.

Storage & Battery is the weakest area, with a score of 35. A single SD, SDHC or SDXC slot keeps cards cheap and easy to find, but there is no second slot for simultaneous backup, so plan to offload and clear the card during busy shoots.

The EN-EL14 battery is rated at 820 shots, a strong figure. Treat the number as a rating rather than a promise, since heavy live view, video and flash use will shorten it.

Charging happens in a dedicated charger because USB charging is not supported. For longer trips, carry a charged spare and plan to top up overnight.