Canon 1D C versus Nikon D5600

The Canon EOS-1D C and the Nikon D5600 are two digital cameras that were officially introduced, respectively, in April 2012 and November 2016. Both are DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) cameras that are based on a full frame (1DC) and an APS-C (D5600) 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 1D C vs Nikon D5600

The physical size and weight of the Canon 1D C and the Nikon D5600 are illustrated in the side-by-side display below. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three consecutive views from the front, the top, and the rear side are shown. All width, height and depth dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter. If you prefer, you can also use the toggle button to switch to a comparison in percentage terms (in this case, the camera on the left side – the 1DC – 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 D5600 is considerably smaller (54 percent) than the Canon 1D C. Moreover, the D5600 is substantially lighter (70 percent) than the 1DC. It is worth mentioning in this context that the 1DC is splash and dust resistant, while the D5600 does not feature any corresponding weather-sealing.

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. A larger imaging sensor will tend to go along with bigger and heavier lenses, although exceptions exist. You can find an overview of optics for the two cameras in the Canon EF Lens Catalog (1DC) and the Nikon Lens Catalog (D5600).

Concerning battery life, the 1DC gets 1120 shots out of its LP-E4N battery, while the D5600 can take 970 images on a single charge of its EN-EL14a power pack.

The adjacent table lists the principal physical characteristics of the two cameras alongside a wider set of alternatives. 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 1D C»	158 mm	164 mm	83 mm	1545 g	1120	Y	Apr 2012	14,999	-		Canon 1D C
	Nikon D5600«	124 mm	97 mm	70 mm	465 g	970	n	Nov 2016	699			Nikon D5600
	Canon 1D X Mark II« »	158 mm	168 mm	83 mm	1530 g	1210	Y	Feb 2016	5,999			Canon 1D X Mark II
	Canon 70D« »	139 mm	104 mm	79 mm	755 g	920	Y	Jul 2013	1,199	-		Canon 70D
	Canon 6D« »	145 mm	111 mm	71 mm	770 g	1090	Y	Sep 2012	2,099	-		Canon 6D
	Canon 5D Mark III« »	152 mm	116 mm	76 mm	950 g	950	Y	Mar 2012	3,499	-		Canon 5D Mark III
	Canon 1D X« »	158 mm	168 mm	83 mm	1551 g	1120	Y	Oct 2011	6,799	-		Canon 1D X
	Canon 1D Mark IV« »	156 mm	157 mm	80 mm	1230 g	1500	Y	Oct 2009	4,999	-		Canon 1D Mark IV
	Canon 5D Mark II« »	152 mm	114 mm	75 mm	850 g	850	Y	Sep 2008	3,499	-		Canon 5D Mark II
	Canon 1Ds Mark III« »	150 mm	160 mm	80 mm	1385 g	1800	Y	Aug 2007	7,999	-		Canon 1Ds Mark III
	Canon 1D Mark II N« »	156 mm	158 mm	80 mm	1565 g	1200	Y	Aug 2005	3,999	-		Canon 1D Mark II N
	Nikon D3400« »	124 mm	98 mm	76 mm	445 g	1200	n	Aug 2016	499			Nikon D3400
	Nikon D5500« »	124 mm	97 mm	70 mm	420 g	820	n	Jan 2015	899	-		Nikon D5500
	Nikon D3300« »	124 mm	98 mm	76 mm	430 g	700	n	Jan 2014	499	-		Nikon D3300
	Nikon D4« »	160 mm	157 mm	91 mm	1340 g	2600	Y	Jan 2012	5,999	-		Nikon D4
	Nikon D3200« »	125 mm	96 mm	77 mm	505 g	540	n	Apr 2012	599	-		Nikon D3200
	Nikon D5200« »	129 mm	98 mm	78 mm	555 g	500	n	Nov 2012	749	-		Nikon D5200
Convert to Imperial

The camera’s price is obviously a critical decision-making factor. The listed launch prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The D5600 was launched at a markedly lower price (by 95 percent) than the 1DC, which puts it into a different market segment. Usually, retail prices stay at first close to the launch price, but after several months, discounts become available. 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.

Sensor comparison: Canon 1D C vs Nikon D5600

The imaging sensor is at the core of digital cameras and its size is one of the main determining factors 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. Further, a large sensor camera will give the photographer additional creative options when using shallow depth-of-field to isolate a subject from its background. On the downside, larger sensors are more costly to manufacture and tend to lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.

Of the two cameras under consideration, the Canon 1D C features a full frame sensor and the Nikon D5600 an APS-C sensor. The sensor area in the D5600 is 58 percent smaller. As a result of these sensor size differences, the cameras have a format factor of, respectively, 1.0 and 1.5. Both cameras have a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 3:2.

Despite having a smaller sensor, the D5600 offers a higher resolution of 24 megapixel, compared with 17.9 MP of the 1DC. This megapixel advantage comes at the cost of a higher pixel density and a smaller size of the individual pixel (with a pixel pitch of 3.91μm versus 6.95μm for the 1DC). However, it should be noted that the D5600 is much more recent (by 4 years and 7 months) than the 1DC, and its sensor will have benefitted from technological advances during this time that make it possible to gather light more efficiently. Coming back to sensor resolution, it should be mentioned that the D5600 has no anti-alias filter installed, so that it can capture all the detail its sensor resolves.

Consistent information on actual sensor performance is available from DXO Mark for many cameras. This service assesses and scores the color depth ("DXO Portrait"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports") of camera sensors, and also publishes an overall camera score. The adjacent table reports on the physical sensor characteristics and the outcomes of the DXO sensor quality tests for a sample of comparator-cameras.

Many modern cameras cannot only take still pictures, but also record videos. Both cameras under consideration are equipped with sensors that have a sufficiently high read-out speed for moving images, but the 1DC provides a higher video resolution than the D5600. It can shoot video footage at 4K/24p, while the Nikon is limited to 1080/60p.

Feature comparison: Canon 1D C vs Nikon D5600

Beyond body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. The 1DC and the D5600 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 adjacent table lists some of the other core features of the Canon 1D C and Nikon D5600 along with similar information for a selection of comparators. The full specs-sheets can be found in the camera manual or, for example, in the dpreview camera hub.

The D5600 is a current model that online retailers, such as amazon, will have in stock. In contrast, the 1DC has been discontinued (but it can be found pre-owned on eBay). There has not been a direct replacement model for the 1DC from Canon.

Review summary: Canon 1D C vs Nikon D5600

So how do things add up? Which of the two cameras – the Canon 1D C or the Nikon D5600 – has the upper hand? The listing below highlights the relative strengths of the two models.

Arguments in favor of the Canon EOS-1D C:

• Better moiré control: Has an anti-alias filter to avoid artificial patterns to appear in images.
• Better video: Provides higher definition movie capture (4K/24p vs 1080/60p).
• Easier setting verification: Has an LCD display on top to control shooting parameters.
• Faster shutter: Has higher mechanical shutter speed (8000/sec vs 4000/sec) to freeze action.
• Faster burst: Shoots at higher frequency (14 vs 5 flaps/sec) to capture the decisive moment.
• Longer lasting: Can take more shots (1120 versus 970) on a single battery charge.
• Better sealing: Is weather sealed to enable shooting in dusty or wet environments.
• More heavily discounted: Has been available for much longer (launched in April 2012).

Advantages of the Nikon D5600:

• 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.
• More flexible LCD: Has swivel screen for odd-angle shots in portrait or landscape orientation.
• Fewer buttons to press: Has a touchscreen to facilitate handling and shooting adjustments.
• More compact: Is smaller (124x97mm vs 158x164mm) and will fit more readily into a bag.
• Less heavy: Has a lower weight (by 1080g or 70 percent) and is thus easier to take along.
• Easier fill-in: Has a small integrated flash to brighten shadows of backlit subjects.
• More affordable: Was introduced into a lower priced category (95 percent cheaper at launch).
• More modern: Reflects 4 years and 7 months of technical progress since the 1DC launch.

If the number of relative strengths (bullet points above) is taken as a guide, the D5600 comes out slightly ahead of the 1DC (9 : 8 points). However, the relevance of individual strengths will vary across photographers, so that you might want to apply your own weighing scheme to the summary points when reflecting and deciding on a new camera.

In any case, while the comparison of technical specifications can provide a useful overview of the capabilities of different cameras, it remains partial and cannot reveal, for example, the handling experience and imaging performance when actually working with the 1DC or the D5600. 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 why expert reviews are important. The adjacent table relays the overall verdicts of several of the most popular camera review sites (cameralabs, dpreview, ephotozine, imaging-resource, photographyblog). The detailed reviews can be accessed 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 1D C»	-	-	-	-	-	Apr 2012	14,999	-		Canon 1D C
	Nikon D5600«	-	79/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	4/5	Nov 2016	699			Nikon D5600
	Canon 1D X Mark II« »	-	89/100	4.5/5	5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2016	5,999			Canon 1D X Mark II
	Canon 70D« »	HiRec	83/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	5/5	Jul 2013	1,199	-		Canon 70D
	Canon 6D« »	HiRec	83/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	4.5/5	Sep 2012	2,099	-		Canon 6D
	Canon 5D Mark III« »	HiRec	82/100	4.5/5	5/5	4.5/5	Mar 2012	3,499	-		Canon 5D Mark III
	Canon 1D X« »	-	-	4.5/5	4.5/5	4.5/5	Oct 2011	6,799	-		Canon 1D X
	Canon 1D Mark IV« »	-	89/100	-	5/5	-	Oct 2009	4,999	-		Canon 1D Mark IV
	Canon 5D Mark II« »	91/100	79/100	4/5	5/5	-	Sep 2008	3,499	-		Canon 5D Mark II
	Canon 1Ds Mark III« »	-	HiRec	4.5/5	-	-	Aug 2007	7,999	-		Canon 1Ds Mark III
	Canon 1D Mark II N« »	-	-	-	-	-	Aug 2005	3,999	-		Canon 1D Mark II N
	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
	Nikon D4« »	-	-	4.5/5	-	4.5/5	Jan 2012	5,999	-		Nikon D4
	Nikon D3200« »	HiRec	73/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	4.5/5	Apr 2012	599	-		Nikon D3200
	Nikon D5200« »	HiRec	79/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	4.5/5	Nov 2012	749	-		Nikon D5200

The review scores listed above should be treated with care, though. The ratings are only valid when refering to cameras in the same category and of the same age. Thus, a score needs to be put into the context of the launch date and the launch price of the camera, and comparisons of ratings among very different cameras or across long time periods have little meaning. Also, please note that some of the review sites have changed their methodology and reporting over time.

Other camera comparisons

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