Another year, another mid-range Nikon DSLR. Succeeding 2015’s D5500, 2017 has brought the newest iteration of the D5xxx series, with the D5600. This camera, and the series in general, is Nikon’s bread and butter, and represents a healthy mid-point in its DSLR lineup. It is not a top-of-the-line speed shooter, nor does it produce massive files, but it isn’t the most bare-bones model, either. What it is, though, is an impressively well-rounded camera that gathers technology from all other Nikon DSLRs and distills it into a simple, straightforward, and easy-to-use camera for practically anybody.
Compared to the D5500, not too much has really changed—and that’s okay by me. Sure, many people would like a more thorough feature revamp but, to be honest, the D5600, like the D5500, still represents one of the best DSLR values out there and is just a solid camera meant for everyday shooting. The D5600’s main update is the refinement of SnapBridge, and the introduction of Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) into this new model. Differing from the Wi-Fi-only attribute of its predecessor, Wi-Fi + NFC + Bluetooth offers a more comprehensive means for sending images from your camera directly to your phone for online sharing. It just requires a one-time setup and allows for automatic low-resolution image transfers between devices, and that’s really the name of the game here: the D5600 strives to be faster and more intuitive for quickly getting your shots onto your phone and up onto Instagram or Facebook as seamlessly as possible. SnapBridge also lets you control the D5600 remotely from your smartphone or tablet—which is perfect for taking group portraits or photos of yourself from longer-than-an-arm’s-length away.
Even though the sharing features are the key distinctions of the new camera, and many of the imaging capabilities are held over from the previous generation, I still wanted to take the D5600 out for a spin, and chose to focus on this year’s Chinese New Year celebration for the Year of the Rooster, in Manhattan’s Chinatown. I figured the camera would be a perfect fit for the hustle and immense crowding during these street festivals: it is small, lightweight, and quick, and the vari-angle LCD screen meant I could easily hold the camera above the crowds to get shots of the Chinese lion dances.
Similar to my experience with the D5500, I was pleasantly surprised with how the D5600 felt, and how intuitively it handles. It’s hard to emphasize how nice the grip feels—it is quite deep and easy to get a secure hold upon, and since the camera is relatively compact and lightweight, one-handed operation is very much a real capability. Coupled with its tilt-and-swivel screen, I would be troubled to find too many other cameras that are perfect for reaching over crowds to get that elusive high-angle photo of a congested scene. Additionally, the 3.2" touchscreen makes it simple to swipe through your photos during review, including the ability to pinch to zoom in and out for inspecting photos. The touchscreen also serves as a key means for adjusting camera settings, since there aren’t a whole lot of physical controls on the body itself. Touching to navigate the info screen is easy and much faster than delving into segregated menus to switch ISO, file type, white balance, Picture Control, drive mode, and more—by just tapping the I on the rear screen, you are provided direct access to 14 different settings, versus having to move in and out of various panes in the traditional tiered menu.
The screen also serves as an alternative to one of the key drawbacks I have with some DX-format cameras: the pentamirror optical viewfinder. While I do love a good optical viewfinder, the finder in the D5600 can be a little tricky to use in low-light settings or when moving quickly, because it requires you to really press your face up to the camera to see its full field of view. Since it is a smaller finder with lower magnification, manual focusing can also be a bit more difficult at times compared to larger pentaprism finders. However, the OVF is perfectly acceptable when working in bright, outdoor lighting and I still prefer it to many of the EVFs of various mirrorless cameras out there.
New and Improved?
Regarding the imaging capabilities of the D5600, there isn’t too much to add, compared to the D5500. The image quality is truly impressive, and even when pushing the sensitivity north of ISO 3200 or so, when the sun was coming down, files remained clean, bright, and colorful. Roping the EXPEED 4 image processor into the discussion here, the D5600 retains that quick feeling of its predecessor, including the ability to shoot at 5 fps, which benefitted me when I was photographing the lions running or dancing at a frenetic pace. Full HD 1080 video can also be recorded at up to 60p which, for my purposes, is perfectly sufficient for this grade of camera. It is not the strongest video contender on the market, but if you need to shoot a few clips here and there, this is just fine, and the camera has an external mic jack if you want to up your audio quality.
Regarding autofocus, the D5600 again sports the same specs as the previous version: a 39-point system that uses nine cross-type points for improved accuracy in mixed lighting conditions. The focus system functions as it should, to put it bluntly. It doesn’t astound me by its speed or tracking ability, but once you’ve acquainted yourself with the way it functions, it is very easy to lock focus on moving subjects, and it is also very quick to acquire focus when shifting from subject to subject. I found myself working primarily with the single center point AF mode—along with a focus-then-recompose method of shooting—but when I ventured out to the wider AF areas I noticed the focusing system would often get tricked in some of the more congested scenes in which I was photographing. Additionally, when shooting in live view (and relying solely on contrast-detection AF) the AF speeds were noticeably slower, unless I used the touchscreen to choose my focus point and relieve the camera of its need to guess where the focus point was.
Looking back at the time I spent with the D5600, I can wrap up my opinion succinctly with, “I liked it.” The D5600 doesn’t blow me away or thrill me enough to run out and buy one immediately, but there is no denying that it is an incredibly reliable camera I would feel comfortable using in most situations. And for me, that purpose is perfect for the target audience of photographers who are looking for a solid tool to up their photo game from a smartphone or entry-level model to a more thought-out, controllable style of photographing. The D5600 doesn’t skimp on some of the most asked-for tools in DSLRs nowadays, including the vari-angle touchscreen LCD, wireless connectivity with Bluetooth for easy sharing, and genuinely impressive photo and video capabilities. What the D5600 does, it does well, which I think is an underrated asset today when many manufacturers are seeking to cram cameras full of too many gadgets and gimmicks. The D5600, on the other hand, is a simple, straightforward camera capable of producing nice photos and videos.
3 Comments
I have a D5300. In less than 3 years, I've got over 146,000 on the Shutter Count, all but a handful with the kit 18mm-55mm lens. All but a handful were taken outdoors, year round in south-central PA.
It. Is. Bulletproof!
One of these days, it will die. When it does, I'll be looking at the newest in the D5x00 line (or, a D500 if I'm feeling rich!).
Nearly forgot. Same battery after all that use. Never ran out of battery after a day's use (was 450-600/day, now 150-200/day), even on the day when I shot 1,186 photos.
I have the D5500 and bought it for all the things you mentioned. It is a very capable camera and the D5600 only adds to it. I was between the D7100 and the 5500. The IQ is as good as the 7100, smaller camera, faster processor, articulating screen, touch screen and I might be missing a few other reasons why I purchased it. If someone wants a camera above a entry level this would be a great pick.