Canon 1200D versus Nikon D3500

The Canon EOS 1200D (called Canon T5 in some regions) and the Nikon D3500 are two digital cameras that were revealed to the public, respectively, in February 2014 and August 2018. Both are DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) cameras that are equipped with an APS-C sensor. The Canon has a resolution of 17.9 megapixel, whereas the Nikon provides 24 MP. Read on to find out how these two cameras compare with respect to their size, their sensors, their features, and their reception by expert reviewers.

Body comparison: Canon 1200D vs Nikon D3500

The physical size and weight of the Canon 1200D and the Nikon D3500 are illustrated in the side-by-side display below. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three consecutive perspectives from the front, the top, and the back are available. All width, height and depth dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter. You can also use the toggle button to switch to a percentage comparison if you prefer that the measures are being expressed in relative terms (in this case, the camera on the left side – the 1200D – represents the basis for the calculations across all the size and weight measures).

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Nikon D3500 is notably smaller (7 percent) than the Canon 1200D. Moreover, the D3500 is markedly lighter (24 percent) than the 1200D. In this context, it is worth noting that neither the 1200D nor the D3500 are weather-sealed.

The above size and weight comparisons are to some extent incomplete since they do not consider the interchangeable lenses that both of these cameras require. Yet, since both cameras are based around an APS-C sensor, their respective lenses will tend to have similar dimensions and heft. You can find an overview of optics for the two cameras in the Canon EF Lens Catalog (1200D) and the Nikon Lens Catalog (D3500).

Concerning battery life, the 1200D gets 500 shots out of its LP-E10 battery, while the D3500 can take 1550 images on a single charge of its EN-EL14a power pack.

The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the two cameras alongside a broader set of comparators. If you would like to visualize and compare a different camera combination, just use the right or left arrows in the table to switch to the respective camera. Alternatively, you can also navigate to the CAM-parator app and make your selection from the full list of cameras there.

Camera Body Specifications

	Camera Model	Camera Width	Camera Height	Camera Depth	Camera Weight	Battery Life (CIPA)	Weather Sealing (yes/no)	Camera Launch (announced)	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price (USD)	Used Price (USD)	Camera Model
	Canon 1200D»	5.1 in	3.9 in	3.1 in	16.9 oz	500	n	Feb 2014	449	-		Canon 1200D
	Nikon D3500«	4.9 in	3.8 in	2.8 in	12.9 oz	1550	n	Aug 2018	429			Nikon D3500
	Canon 4000D« »	5.1 in	4.0 in	3.0 in	15.4 oz	500	n	Feb 2018	399			Canon 4000D
	Canon M100« »	4.3 in	2.6 in	1.4 in	10.7 oz	295	n	Aug 2017	499			Canon M100
	Canon 1300D« »	5.1 in	4.0 in	3.1 in	17.1 oz	500	n	Mar 2016	449	-		Canon 1300D
	Canon 750D« »	5.2 in	4.0 in	3.1 in	19.6 oz	440	n	Feb 2015	749	-		Canon 750D
	Canon 760D« »	5.2 in	4.0 in	3.1 in	19.9 oz	440	n	Feb 2015	849	-		Canon 760D
	Canon G9 X« »	3.9 in	2.3 in	1.2 in	7.4 oz	220	n	Oct 2015	529	-		Canon G9 X
	Canon M10« »	4.3 in	2.6 in	1.4 in	10.6 oz	255	n	Oct 2015	499	-		Canon M10
	Canon 100D« »	4.6 in	3.6 in	2.7 in	14.4 oz	380	n	Mar 2013	549	-		Canon 100D
	Canon 700D« »	5.2 in	3.9 in	3.1 in	20.5 oz	440	n	Mar 2013	649	-		Canon 700D
	Canon 650D« »	5.2 in	3.9 in	3.1 in	20.3 oz	440	n	Jun 2012	849	-		Canon 650D
	Canon 1100D« »	5.1 in	3.9 in	3.1 in	17.5 oz	700	n	Feb 2011	449	-		Canon 1100D
	Fujifilm X-E3« »	4.8 in	2.9 in	1.7 in	11.9 oz	350	n	Sep 2017	899			Fujifilm X-E3
	Nikon D3400« »	4.9 in	3.9 in	3.0 in	15.7 oz	1200	n	Aug 2016	499	-		Nikon D3400
	Nikon D5500« »	4.9 in	3.8 in	2.8 in	14.8 oz	820	n	Jan 2015	899	-		Nikon D5500
	Nikon D3300« »	4.9 in	3.9 in	3.0 in	15.2 oz	700	n	Jan 2014	499	-		Nikon D3300
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Any camera purchase will naturally be influenced heavily by the price. The listed launch prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The D3500 was somewhat cheaper (by 4 percent) than the 1200D at launch, but both cameras fall into the same price category. Normally, street prices remain initially close to the MSRP, but after a couple of months, the first discounts appear. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down. Then, after the new model is out, very good deals can frequently be found on the pre-owned market.

Sensor comparison: Canon 1200D vs Nikon D3500

The size of the imaging sensor is a crucial determinant of image quality. A large sensor will tend to have larger individual pixels that provide better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and richer color-depth than smaller pixel-units in a sensor of the same technological generation. Moreover, a large sensor camera will give the photographer more control over depth-of-field in the image and, thus, the ability to better isolate a subject from the background. On the downside, larger sensors are more costly to manufacture and tend to lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.

Both cameras under consideration feature an APS-C sensor, but their sensors differ slightly in size. The sensor area in the D3500 is 11 percent bigger. As a result of these sensor size differences, the cameras have format factors, respectively, of 1.6 (1200D) and 1.5. Both cameras have a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 3:2.

With 24MP, the D3500 offers a higher resolution than the 1200D (17.9MP), but the D3500 has smaller individual pixels (pixel pitch of 3.91μm versus 4.31μm for the 1200D). Yet, the D3500 is a much more recent model (by 4 years and 6 months) than the 1200D, and its sensor will have benefitted from technological advances during this time that enhance the light gathering capacity of its pixel-units. Coming back to sensor resolution, it should be mentioned that the D3500 has no anti-alias filter installed, so that it can capture all the detail its sensor resolves.

Since 2007, DXO Mark has published sensor performance measurements that have been derived using a consistent methodology. This service is based on lab testing and assigns an overall score to each camera sensor, as well as ratings for dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), color depth ("DXO Portrait"), and low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports"). The table below summarizes the physical sensor characteristics and sensor quality findings and compares them across a set of similar cameras.

Many modern cameras are not only capable of taking still images, but also of capturing video footage. Both cameras under consideration are equipped with sensors that have a sufficiently high read-out speed for moving images, but the D3500 provides a faster frame rate than the 1200D. It can shoot movie footage at 1080/60p, while the Canon is limited to 1080/30p.

Feature comparison: Canon 1200D vs Nikon D3500

Beyond body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. The 1200D and the D3500 are similar in the sense that both have an optical viewfinder. The latter is useful for getting a clear image for framing even in brightly lit environments. The following table reports on some other key feature differences and similarities of the Canon 1200D, the Nikon D3500, and comparable cameras. The full specs-sheets can be found in the camera manual or in the dpreview camera hub.

Both the 1200D and the D3500 write their imaging data to SDXC cards.

The D3500 is a current model that online retailers, such as amazon, will have in stock. In contrast, the 1200D has been discontinued (but it can be found pre-owned on eBay). As a replacement in the same line of cameras, the 1200D was succeeded by the Canon 1300D.

Review summary: Canon 1200D vs Nikon D3500

So how do things add up? Which of the two cameras – the Canon 1200D or the Nikon D3500 – has the upper hand? A synthesis of the relative strong points of each of the models is listed below.

Arguments in favor of the Canon EOS 1200D:

• Better moiré control: Has an anti-alias filter to avoid artificial patterns to appear in images.
• More heavily discounted: Has been available for much longer (launched in February 2014).

Reasons to prefer the Nikon D3500:

• More detail: Has more megapixels (24 vs 17.9MP), which boosts linear resolution by 16%.
• Maximized detail: Lacks an anti-alias filter to exploit the sensor's full resolution potential.
• Better video: Provides higher movie framerates (1080/60p versus 1080/30p).
• More detailed LCD: Has a higher resolution rear screen (921k vs 460k dots).
• Faster burst: Shoots at higher frequency (5 vs 3 flaps/sec) to capture the decisive moment.
• Less heavy: Has a lower weight (by 115g or 24 percent) and is thus easier to take along.
• Longer lasting: Gets more shots (1550 versus 500) out of a single battery charge.
• Easier file upload: Has wifi build in for automatic backup or image transfer to the web.
• Easier wireless transfer: Supports Bluetooth for image sharing without cables.
• More modern: Reflects 4 years and 6 months of technical progress since the 1200D launch.

If the count of individual advantages (bullet points above) is taken as a guide, the D3500 is the clear winner of the contest (10 : 2 points). However, the pertinence of the various camera strengths will differ across photographers, so that you might want to weigh individual camera traits according to their importance for your own imaging needs before making a camera decision.

In any case, while the specs-based evaluation of cameras is instructive in revealing their potential as photographic tools, it remains partial and cannot reveal, for example, the handling experience and imaging performance when actually working with the 1200D or the D3500. At times, user reviews, such as those published at amazon, address these issues in a useful manner, but such feedback is on many occasions incomplete, inconsistent, and unreliable. This is where reviews by experts come in. The adjacent table relays the overall verdicts of several of the most popular camera review sites (cameralabs, dpreview, ephotozine, imaging-resource, photographyblog). You can find the full text of the reviews by clicking on the site logo in the table header.

Review Scores

	Camera Model						Camera Launch (announced)	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price (USD)	Used Price (USD)	Camera Model
	Canon 1200D»	Rec	-	4/5	4/5	4.5/5	Feb 2014	449	-		Canon 1200D
	Nikon D3500«	-	-	-	-	-	Aug 2018	429			Nikon D3500
	Canon 4000D« »	rev	-	3.5/5	-	3.5/5	Feb 2018	399			Canon 4000D
	Canon M100« »	Rec	-	4/5	-	3.5/5	Aug 2017	499			Canon M100
	Canon 1300D« »	rev	73/100	4/5	3.5/5	4/5	Mar 2016	449	-		Canon 1300D
	Canon 750D« »	-	75/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2015	749	-		Canon 750D
	Canon 760D« »	Rec	77/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2015	849	-		Canon 760D
	Canon G9 X« »	HiRec	-	4.5/5	4/5	4.5/5	Oct 2015	529	-		Canon G9 X
	Canon M10« »	-	-	-	rev	4/5	Oct 2015	499	-		Canon M10
	Canon 100D« »	Rec	78/100	4/5	4/5	4/5	Mar 2013	549	-		Canon 100D
	Canon 700D« »	-	76/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	4.5/5	Mar 2013	649	-		Canon 700D
	Canon 650D« »	HiRec	77/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jun 2012	849	-		Canon 650D
	Canon 1100D« »	80/100	69/100	4/5	4/5	4.5/5	Feb 2011	449	-		Canon 1100D
	Fujifilm X-E3« »	Rec	84/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	4.5/5	Sep 2017	899			Fujifilm X-E3
	Nikon D3400« »	Rec	76/100	4/5	4.5/5	4.5/5	Aug 2016	499	-		Nikon D3400
	Nikon D5500« »	Rec	79/100	4.5/5	5/5	4.5/5	Jan 2015	899	-		Nikon D5500
	Nikon D3300« »	Rec	77/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jan 2014	499	-		Nikon D3300

Care should be taken when interpreting the review scores above, though. The ratings were established in reference to similarly priced cameras that were available in the market at the time of the review. Thus, a score needs to be put into the context of the launch date and the launch price of the camera, and rating-comparisons among cameras that span long time periods or concern very differently equipped models make little sense. Also, please note that some of the review sites have changed their methodology and reporting over time.

Other camera comparisons

Did this review help to inform your camera decision process? In case you are interested in seeing how other cameras pair up, just make your choice using the following search menu. An an alternative, you can also directly jump to any one of the listed comparisons that were previously generated by the CAM-parator tool. If you cannot find the camera you are interested in, please contact me, and I will try to locate and add the respective data to the application.

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