Nikon D5500 vs Canon 2000D

The Nikon D5500 and the Canon EOS 2000D (labelled Canon T7 in some countries) are two digital cameras that were announced, respectively, in January 2015 and February 2018. Both are DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) cameras that are equipped with an APS-C sensor. Both cameras offer a resolution of 24 megapixels.

Below is an overview of the main specs of the two cameras as a starting point for the comparison.

Headline Specifications

Nikon D5500		Canon 2000D
Digital single lens reflex		Digital single lens reflex
Nikon F mount lenses		Canon EF mount lenses
24 MP – APS-C sensor		24 MP – APS-C sensor
1080/60p Video		1080/30p Video
ISO 100-25,600		ISO 100-6,400 (100 - 12,800)
Optical viewfinder		Optical viewfinder
3.2" LCD – 1037k dots		3.0" LCD – 920k dots
Swivel touchscreen		Fixed screen (not touch-sensitive)
5 shutter flaps per second		3 shutter flaps per second
820 shots per battery charge		500 shots per battery charge
124 x 97 x 70 mm, 470 g		129 x 101 x 78 mm, 475 g

Check D5500 offers at
ebay.com
Check 2000D price at
amazon.com

Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Nikon D5500 and the Canon EOS 2000D? Which one should you buy? Read on to find out how these two cameras compare with respect to their body size, their imaging sensors, their shooting features, their input-output connections, and their reception by expert reviewers.

Body comparison

The side-by-side display below illustrates the physical size and weight of the Nikon D5500 and the Canon 2000D. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three successive views from the front, the top, and the rear are shown. All size dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

The D5500 can be obtained in two different colors (black, red), while the 2000D is only available in black.

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Canon 2000D is notably larger (8 percent) than the Nikon D5500. Moreover, the 2000D is slightly heavier (1 percent) than the D5500. In this context, it is worth noting that neither the D5500 nor the 2000D 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 compare the optics available for the two cameras in the Nikon Lens Catalog (D5500) and the Canon EF Lens Catalog (2000D).

Concerning battery life, the D5500 gets 820 shots out of its Nikon EN-EL14a battery, while the 2000D can take 500 images on a single charge of its Canon LP-E10 power pack.

The adjacent table lists the principal physical characteristics of the two cameras alongside a wider set of alternatives. If you want to switch the focus of the display and review another camera pair, you can move across to the CAM-parator tool and choose from the broad selection of possible camera comparisons there.

Body Specifications

		Camera Model	Camera Width	Camera Height	Camera Depth	Camera Weight	Battery Life	Weather Sealing	Camera Launch	Launch Price	Street Price
1.		Nikon D5500	124 mm	97 mm	70 mm	470 g	820	n	Jan 2015	US$ 899	ebay.com
2.		Canon 2000D	129 mm	101 mm	78 mm	475 g	500	n	Feb 2018	US$ 449	amazon.com
3.		Canon 77D	131 mm	100 mm	76 mm	540 g	600	n	Feb 2017	US$ 899	ebay.com
4.		Canon 200D	122 mm	93 mm	70 mm	453 g	650	n	Jun 2017	US$ 549	ebay.com
5.		Canon 750D	132 mm	101 mm	78 mm	555 g	440	n	Feb 2015	US$ 749	ebay.com
6.		Canon 1300D	129 mm	101 mm	78 mm	485 g	500	n	Mar 2016	US$ 449	ebay.com
7.		Canon 4000D	129 mm	102 mm	77 mm	436 g	500	n	Feb 2018	US$ 399	amazon.com
8.		Canon M5	116 mm	89 mm	61 mm	427 g	295	n	Sep 2016	US$ 979	ebay.com
9.		Canon M100	108 mm	67 mm	35 mm	302 g	295	n	Aug 2017	US$ 499	ebay.com
10.		Nikon D3200	125 mm	96 mm	77 mm	505 g	540	n	Apr 2012	US$ 599	ebay.com
11.		Nikon D3300	124 mm	98 mm	76 mm	430 g	700	n	Jan 2014	US$ 499	ebay.com
12.		Nikon D3400	124 mm	98 mm	76 mm	445 g	1200	n	Aug 2016	US$ 499	ebay.com
13.		Nikon D5100	128 mm	97 mm	79 mm	560 g	660	n	Apr 2011	US$ 749	ebay.com
14.		Nikon D5200	129 mm	98 mm	78 mm	555 g	500	n	Nov 2012	US$ 749	ebay.com
15.		Nikon D5300	125 mm	98 mm	76 mm	480 g	600	n	Oct 2013	US$ 799	ebay.com
16.		Nikon D5600	124 mm	97 mm	70 mm	465 g	970	n	Nov 2016	US$ 699	ebay.com
17.		Samsung NX30	127 mm	96 mm	58 mm	375 g	360	n	Jan 2014	US$ 999	ebay.com
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.
Convert to Imperial

Any camera decision will obviously take relative prices into account. The retail prices at the time of the camera’s release place the model in the market relative to other models in the producer’s line-up and the competition. The 2000D was launched at a markedly lower price (by 50 percent) than the D5500, 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

The imaging sensor is at the core of digital cameras and its size is one of the main determining factors of image quality. All other things equal, a large sensor will have larger individual pixel-units that offer better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and richer color-depth than smaller pixels 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 tend to be more expensive and 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 2000D is 10 percent smaller. As a result of these sensor size differences, the cameras have format factors, respectively, of 1.5 (D5500) and 1.6. Both cameras have a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 3:2.

Even though the D5500 has a larger sensor, both cameras offer the same resolution of 24 megapixels. This implies that the D5500 has a lower pixel density and larger individual pixels (with a pixel pitch of 3.91μm versus 3.72μm for the 2000D), which gives it a potential advantage in terms of light gathering capacity. It should, however, be noted that the 2000D is much more recent (by 3 years and 1 month) than the D5500, and its sensor will have benefitted from technological advances during this time that at least partly compensate for the smaller pixel size. Coming back to sensor resolution, it should be mentioned that the D5500 has no anti-alias filter installed, so that it can capture all the detail its sensor resolves.

The Nikon D5500 has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 25600. The corresponding ISO settings for the Canon EOS 2000D are ISO 100 to ISO 6400, with the possibility to increase the ISO range to 100-12800.

Technology-wise, both cameras are equipped with CMOS (Complementary Metal–Oxide–Semiconductor) sensors. Both cameras use a Bayer filter for capturing RGB colors on a square grid of photosensors. This arrangement is found in most digital cameras.

Consistent information on actual sensor performance is available from DXO Mark for many cameras. This service determines an overall sensor rating, as well as sub-scores for low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and color depth ("DXO Portrait"). Of the two cameras under review, the D5500 provides substantially higher image quality than the 2000D, with an overall score that is 13 points higher. This advantage is based on 1.5 bits higher color depth, 2.1 EV in additional dynamic range, and 0.5 stops in additional low light sensitivity. The adjacent table reports on the physical sensor characteristics and the outcomes of the DXO sensor quality tests for a sample of comparator-cameras.

Sensor Characteristics

		Camera Model	Sensor Class	Resolution (MP)	Horiz. Pixels	Vert. Pixels	Video Format	DXO Portrait	DXO Landscape	DXO Sports	DXO Overall
1.		Nikon D5500	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.1	14.0	1438	84
2.		Canon 2000D	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/30p	22.6	11.9	1009	71
3.		Canon 77D	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.6	13.3	971	78
4.		Canon 200D	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.6	13.4	1041	79
5.		Canon 750D	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/30p	22.7	12.0	919	71
6.		Canon 1300D	APS-C	17.9	5184	3456	1080/30p	22.0	11.7	781	66
7.		Canon 4000D	APS-C	17.9	5184	3456	1080/30p	21.9	11.4	695	63
8.		Canon M5	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.4	12.4	1262	77
9.		Canon M100	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.5	12.9	1272	78
10.		Nikon D3200	APS-C	24.1	6016	4000	1080/30p	24.1	13.2	1131	81
11.		Nikon D3300	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.3	12.8	1385	82
12.		Nikon D3400	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.8	13.9	1192	86
13.		Nikon D5100	APS-C	16.1	4928	3264	1080/30p	23.5	13.6	1183	80
14.		Nikon D5200	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60i	24.2	13.9	1284	84
15.		Nikon D5300	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.0	13.9	1338	83
16.		Nikon D5600	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.1	14.0	1306	84
17.		Samsung NX30	APS-C	20.0	5472	3648	1080/60p	23.5	12.4	1014	76

Many modern cameras cannot only take still pictures, but also record videos. The two cameras under consideration both have sensors whose read-out speed is fast enough to capture moving pictures, but the D5500 provides a higher frame rate than the 2000D. It can shoot video footage at 1080/60p, while the Canon is limited to 1080/30p.

Feature comparison

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a variety of features. The D5500 and the 2000D 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 viewfinders of both cameras offer the same field of view (95%), but the viewfinder of the D5500 has a higher magnification than the one of the 2000D (0.57x vs 0.50x), so that the size of the image transmitted appears closer to the size seen with the naked human eye. The adjacent table lists some of the other core features of the Nikon D5500 and Canon 2000D along with similar information for a selection of comparators.

Core Features

		Camera Model	Viewfinder (Type or 000 dots)	Control Panel (yes/no)	LCD Specifications (inch/000 dots)	LCD Attach- ment	Touch Screen (yes/no)	Max Shutter Speed *	Max Shutter Flaps *	Built-in Flash (yes/no)	Built-in Image Stab
1.		Nikon D5500	optical	n	3.2 / 1037	swivel	Y	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
2.		Canon 2000D	optical	n	3.0 / 920	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	n
3.		Canon 77D	optical	Y	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	6.0/s	Y	n
4.		Canon 200D	optical	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
5.		Canon 750D	optical	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
6.		Canon 1300D	optical	n	3.0 / 920	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	n
7.		Canon 4000D	optical	n	2.7 / 230	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	n
8.		Canon M5	2360	n	3.2 / 1620	tilting	Y	1/4000s	9.0/s	Y	n
9.		Canon M100	none	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	6.1/s	Y	n
10.		Nikon D3200	optical	n	3.0 / 921	fixed	n	1/4000s	4.0/s	Y	n
11.		Nikon D3300	optical	n	3.0 / 921	fixed	n	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
12.		Nikon D3400	optical	n	3.0 / 921	fixed	n	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
13.		Nikon D5100	optical	n	3.0 / 921	swivel	n	1/4000s	4.0/s	Y	n
14.		Nikon D5200	optical	n	3.0 / 921	swivel	n	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
15.		Nikon D5300	optical	n	3.2 / 1037	swivel	n	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
16.		Nikon D5600	optical	n	3.2 / 1037	swivel	Y	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
17.		Samsung NX30	2359	n	3.0 / 1036	swivel	Y	1/8000s	9.0/s	Y	n
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.

One differentiating feature between the two cameras concerns the touch sensitivity of the rear screen. The D5500 has a touchscreen, while the 2000D has a conventional panel. Touch control can be particularly helpful, for example, for setting the focus point.

The Nikon D5500 has an intervalometer built-in. This enables the photographer to capture time lapse sequences, such as flower blooming, a sunset or moon rise, without purchasing an external camera trigger and related software.

Concerning the storage of imaging data, both the D5500 and the 2000D write their files to SDXC cards. The D5500 supports UHS-I cards (Ultra High Speed data transfer of up to 104 MB/s), while the 2000D cannot take advantage of Ultra High Speed SD cards.

Connectivity comparison

For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Nikon D5500 and Canon EOS 2000D and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

Input-Output Connections

		Camera Model	Hotshoe Port	Internal Mic / Speaker	Microphone Port	Headphone Port	HDMI Port	USB Port	WiFi Support	NFC Support	Bluetooth Support
1.		Nikon D5500	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	-	-
2.		Canon 2000D	Y	mono / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-
3.		Canon 77D	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	Y
4.		Canon 200D	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	Y
5.		Canon 750D	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-
6.		Canon 1300D	Y	mono / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-
7.		Canon 4000D	Y	mono / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-
8.		Canon M5	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	Y
9.		Canon M100	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	Y
10.		Nikon D3200	Y	mono / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
11.		Nikon D3300	Y	mono / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
12.		Nikon D3400	Y	mono / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	Y
13.		Nikon D5100	Y	mono / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
14.		Nikon D5200	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
15.		Nikon D5300	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	-	-
16.		Nikon D5600	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	Y
17.		Samsung NX30	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-

It is notable that the D5500 has a microphone port, which is missing on the 2000D. Such an external microphone input can help to substantially improve the quality of audio recordings when a good external microphone is used.

The 2000D is a recent model that features in the current product line-up of Canon. In contrast, the D5500 has been discontinued (but can be found pre-owned on ebay). As a replacement in the same line of cameras, the D5500 was succeeded by the Nikon D5600. Further information on the features and operation of the D5500 and 2000D can be found, respectively, in the Nikon D5500 Manual (free pdf) or the online Canon 2000D Manual.

Review summary

So how do things add up? Which of the two cameras – the Nikon D5500 or the Canon 2000D – has the upper hand? Is one clearly better than the other? A synthesis of the relative strong points of each of the models is listed below.

Arguments in favor of the Nikon D5500:

• Maximized detail: Lacks an anti-alias filter to exploit the sensor's full resolution potential.
• Better image quality: Scores substantially higher (13 points) in the DXO overall assessment.
• Richer colors: Generates images with noticeably better colors (1.5 bits more color depth).
• More dynamic range: Captures a larger spectrum of light and dark details (2.1 EV of extra DR).
• Better low-light sensitivity: Requires less light for good images (0.5 stops ISO advantage).
• Better video: Provides higher movie framerates (1080/60p versus 1080/30p).
• Better sound: Can connect to an external microphone for higher quality sound recording.
• Larger viewfinder image: Features a viewfinder with a higher magnification (0.57x vs 0.50x).
• Larger screen: Has a bigger rear LCD (3.2" vs 3.0") for image review and settings control.
• More detailed LCD: Has a higher resolution rear screen (1037k vs 920k dots).
• More flexible LCD: Has a swivel screen for odd-angle shots in portrait or landscape orientation.
• Fewer buttons to press: Is equipped with a touch-sensitive rear screen to facilitate handling.
• More selfie-friendly: Has an articulated screen that can be turned to be front-facing.
• Faster burst: Shoots at higher frequency (5 vs 3 flaps/sec) to capture the decisive moment.
• Easier time-lapse photography: Has an intervalometer built-in for low frequency shooting.
• Longer lasting: Can take more shots (820 versus 500) on a single battery charge.
• Faster buffer clearing: Has an SD card interface that supports the UHS-I standard.
• More heavily discounted: Has been available for much longer (launched in January 2015).

Advantages of the Canon EOS 2000D:

• Better moiré control: Has an anti-alias filter to avoid artificial patterns to appear in images.
• Easier device pairing: Supports NFC for fast wireless image transfer over short distances.
• More affordable: Was introduced into a lower priced category (50 percent cheaper at launch).
• More modern: Reflects 3 years and 1 month of technical progress since the D5500 launch.

If the count of individual advantages (bullet points above) is taken as a guide, the D5500 is the clear winner of the match-up (18 : 4 points). However, the relative importance of the various individual camera aspects will vary according to personal preferences and needs, so that you might like to apply corresponding weights to the particular features before making a decision on a new camera. A professional wedding photographer will view the differences between cameras in a way that diverges from the perspective of a travel photog, and a person interested in cityscapes has distinct needs from a macro shooter. Hence, the decision which camera is best and worth buying is often a very personal one.

How about other alternatives? Do the specifications of the Nikon D5500 and the Canon 2000D place the cameras among the top in their class? Find out in the latest Best DSLR Camera listing whether the two cameras rank among the cream of the crop.

In any case, while the specs-based evaluation of cameras can be instructive in revealing their potential as photographic tools, it remains partial and cannot reveal, for example, the shooting experience and imaging performance when actually working with the D5500 or the 2000D. User reviews that are available, for instance, at amazon can sometimes shed light on these issues, but such feedback is all too often partial, inconsistent, and inaccurate.

Expert reviews

This is where reviews by experts come in. The adjacent summary-table relays the overall verdicts of several of the most popular camera review sites (amateurphotographer [AP], cameralabs [CL], digitalcameraworld [DCW], dpreview [DPR], ephotozine [EPZ], photographyblog [PB]). As can be seen, the professional reviewers agree in many cases on the quality of different cameras, but sometimes their assessments diverge, reinforcing the earlier point that a camera decision is often a very personal choice.

Expert Camera Reviews

		Camera   Model	AP   score	CL   score	DCW   score	DPR   score	EPZ   score	PB   score	Camera Launch	Launch Price	Street Price
1.		Nikon D5500	5/5	+	..	79/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jan 2015	US$ 899	ebay.com
2.		Canon 2000D	3/5	o	3.5/5	..	3.5/5	3.5/5	Feb 2018	US$ 449	amazon.com
3.		Canon 77D	4.5/5	..	4/5	82/100	4.5/5	4/5	Feb 2017	US$ 899	ebay.com
4.		Canon 200D	4/5	+ +	4/5	78/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jun 2017	US$ 549	ebay.com
5.		Canon 750D	5/5	..	..	75/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2015	US$ 749	ebay.com
6.		Canon 1300D	4/5	o	4/5	73/100	4/5	4/5	Mar 2016	US$ 449	ebay.com
7.		Canon 4000D	2.5/5	o	3/5	..	3.5/5	3.5/5	Feb 2018	US$ 399	amazon.com
8.		Canon M5	4/5	+	4/5	82/100	4/5	4/5	Sep 2016	US$ 979	ebay.com
9.		Canon M100	3/5	+	..	..	4/5	3.5/5	Aug 2017	US$ 499	ebay.com
10.		Nikon D3200	5/5	+ +	..	73/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Apr 2012	US$ 599	ebay.com
11.		Nikon D3300	3/5	+	..	77/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jan 2014	US$ 499	ebay.com
12.		Nikon D3400	4/5	+	4/5	76/100	4/5	4.5/5	Aug 2016	US$ 499	ebay.com
13.		Nikon D5100	5/5	+ +	..	76/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Apr 2011	US$ 749	ebay.com
14.		Nikon D5200	4/5	+ +	..	79/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Nov 2012	US$ 749	ebay.com
15.		Nikon D5300	4/5	+ +	..	79/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Oct 2013	US$ 799	ebay.com
16.		Nikon D5600	4/5	..	4/5	79/100	4.5/5	4/5	Nov 2016	US$ 699	ebay.com
17.		Samsung NX30	3/5	..	..	77/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jan 2014	US$ 999	ebay.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

The review scores listed above should be treated with care, though. The assessments were made in relation to similar cameras of the same technological generation. Hence, a score should always be seen in the context of the camera's market launch date and its price, and comparing ratings of very distinct cameras or ones that are far apart in terms of their release date have little meaning. Also, kindly note that some of the listed sites have over time developped their review approaches and their reporting style.

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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. As an alternative, you can also directly jump to any one of the listed comparisons that were previously generated by the CAM-parator tool.

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