Nikon D5600 Review
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Nikon D5600
24 MP DX, 5 FPS, ISO 25,600, 1080p, Swiveling Touch Screen, Wi-Fi, NFC
Top Sample Images Intro Compatibility
Specifications Accessories USA Version
Performance Compared Usage
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Nikon D5600 (16.3 oz./463g with battery and card, about $497 new or about $400 used if you know How to Win at eBay) and Nikon 35mm f/1.8 DX. bigger. I got mine at Adorama, who also offers it along with many package deals. I’d also get it at Amazon, at B&H, at Crutchfield or used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.
Nikon does not seal its boxes, so never buy at retail or any source not on my personally approved list since you’ll have no way of knowing if you’re missing accessories, getting a defective, damaged or used camera, a customer return or if the warranty has already been registered online to someone else! The approved sources I use ship from secure, remote automated warehouses where salespeople or other customers never, ever get to touch your camera, and they have the best prices, selection, service and return policies.
This ad-free website’s biggest source of support is when you use any of those or any of these links to approved sources when you get anything, regardless of the country in which you live. Thanks for your support! Ken.
December 2019 Nikon Reviews Nikon Lenses Nikon Flash All Reviews
D5600 compared to D3400 and Sony full-frame A7II.
Nikon D5600 and Nikon 35mm f/1.8 DX. bigger.
Nikon D5600 and Nikon 35mm f/1.8 DX. bigger.
Nikon D5600 and Nikon 35mm f/1.8 DX. bigger.
Sample Images
(more at High ISOs)
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Bird of Paradise, 13 February 2017. Nikon D5600, Nikon 18-55mm AFP at 48mm at f/8 at 1/250 at Auto ISO 100. bigger or camera-original © file (this is a living plant; it’s not flat and therefore very little of it is in perfect focus.)
Fine Spanish Home, 18 February 2017. Nikon D5600, Nikon 10-24mm at 10mm at f/8 for 1 second at ISO 100. bigger or full-resolution © file.
Kettle Corn & Lemonade, 19 February 2017. Nikon D5600, Nikon 18-55mm AFP at 22mm at f/9 at 1/320 at Auto ISO 100. bigger or camera-original © file.
Rainbow Umbrella, 19 February 2017. Nikon D5600, Nikon 18-55mm AFP at 18mm at f/10 at 1/100 at Auto ISO 100. bigger or camera-original © file.
Mexican Wall, 21 February 2017. Nikon D5600, Nikon 18-55mm AFP at 48mm at f/10 at 1/400 at Auto ISO 100. bigger or camera-original © file.
Aguas Frescas, 23 February 2017. Nikon D5600, Nikon 18-55mm AFP at 38mm at f/4.8 hand-held at 1/30 at Auto ISO 560. bigger or camera-original © file.
Introduction
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New Good Bad Missing
I love my Nikon D5600 because it weighs almost nothing, produces the same big-camera results I get with my full-frame DSLRs like my D810 — even at high ISOs (sorry, Nikon) — and is super fast and easy to use with its touch screen. Here’s how my D5600 and plastic kit lens compares to the much more expensive Sony full-frame A7II and exotic 24-70mm f/2.8.
With its touch screen, my D5600 suddenly makes all my older DSLRs like my D810 feel like 1970s PCs before the mouse was invented. No longer do I need to click up/down/left/right a zillion times to get someplace on the screen; with my D5600, one tap and I’m done.
Live View and the flipping screen let me shoot while held away from my face.
Compared to the pro cameras I often haul, the D5600 is a dream to carry, and when I’m more relaxed, I make better pictures. The picture quality is the same!
The D5600 has higher resolution than the $6,500 Nikon D5, and its pictures are otherwise the same — and the D5 has no swivel screen or touch controls! The D5600’s shutter is much quieter than the D5; you can shoot the D5600 in places where the loud D5 shutter would get you thrown out. The AF areas of the D5600 also fill more of its frame than they do in the D5.
The only reason to pay more (and lug more) than the D5600 is if you subject your camera to daily physical and environmental abuse. The D5600 is a flyweight camera which I love, but if you regularly get splashed by motorcycles or shoot in sandstorms you might want something tougher. I don’t; I’ll take lighter weight any day.
The D5600 has its exposure modes on a big dial on top, while pro models handle more slowly because they demand you hold a button and spin a knob to do the same thing.
If you just want great photos easily or want a super-lightweight high-performance camera, the D5600 can’t be beat.
New compared to D5500
Bluetooth & NFC to work to with Nikon’s Snapbridge app.
Remote control & release via Bluetooth and the Snapbridge app, but no longer works with Nikon ML-L3 infra-red remote.
No more 640 x 424p video mode; 1,080 and 720 options only.
No analog NTSC/PAL video output.
Good
Same pro DSLR image quality as Nikon’s more expensive cameras. Ultra sharp, great highlights, shadows and color and great performance at hyper ISOs.
Small and ultra light weight.
Bulb and Time modes right in the camera; no need for a cable release for very long exposures.
Swiveling LCD.
Superb touch screen and interface design for effortless handling.
Excellent built-in flash.
Fast and competent autofocus.
WiFi.
Bluetooth
Bad
Nothing; the D5000 series has always been state-of-the-art.
Missing
No U1 U2 camera presets for your own settings; you have to program everything manually when shooting different kinds of scenes unless you want to use Nikon’s provided presets.
No front command dial.
No facial recognition for autofocus during regular shooting.
No GPS (use optional GP-1 or GP-1A).
No LCD auto brightness control (missing on most Nikons).
No headphone jack.
No more 640 x 424p video mode; 1,080 and 720 options only.
No longer works with Nikon ML-L3 infra-red remote, but adds remote control & release via Bluetooth and the Snapbridge app.
No battery percentage indicator; just a three-segment bar graph.
Lens Compatibility
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Nikon D5600 and Nikon 35mm f/1.8 DX. bigger.
The D5600 autofocuses with AF-S, AF-I and the newest AF-P lenses.
It will not autofocus with traditional 1980s screw-type AF and AF-D lenses.
It will meter and exposure perfectly with all AF lenses of any age.
It won’t meter or auto-expose with old manual focus lenses unless they are the special AI-P versions.
Use with today’s lenses (AF-S and/or G)
Like the D5500, D5300, D5200, D5100, D5000, D3300, D3200, D3100, D3000, D60, D40 and D40x, everything works flawlessly with all modern AF-I and AF-S lenses.
Nikon is not expecting people who buy the D5600 to use it with ancient lenses, and therefore saves everyone the expense and weight of including the parts needed in more expensive cameras to ensure compatibility with the old lenses listed below.
Modern AF-S and DX lenses are the best lenses for the D5600. Older lenses aren’t as good optically or ergonomically, don’t waste your time with them on today’s cameras.
If you insist, here’s what happens:
Use with 1980s AF lenses (screw-focus)
Unlike heavier DX and FX cameras, the D5600 has no internal autofocus motor, so it will not autofocus with old-style screw-drive autofocus (AF) lenses.
Everything else works perfectly with older-style AF lenses, except that you’ll have to turn the focus ring manually and look either for a sharp viewfinder image or the electronic focus confirmation dot at the bottom of the finder.
Use with manual focus lenses (Non-CPU, 1959-today)
The D5600 gives you a dumb “Lens not attached” and flashing “F–” warning with old manual-focus lenses — unless you set the top dial to M (manual).
If set to Manual, you can shoot all you want. Focus by looking for a sharp image on the finder screen, look for the green “AF OK” dot at the lower left of the finder, or use Live View.
Live View works with manual lenses, but only if the mode dial is set to M. Oddly even through the live view is always exposed well, you’ll still have to guess at the correct manual exposure setting for taking the picture.
It offers no metering with manual-focus lenses, but there are workarounds like looking at the LCD after you shoot, or using a separate light meter like the Gossen Digisix.
See more details at Nikon Lens Compatibility.
Specifications
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Image Sensor
24 MP CMOS.
15.6 × 23.5 mm.
No anti-alias filter.
1.5:1 aspect ratio.
1.52 × crop factor.
Sensor cleaner.
Image Sizes
[L]: 6,000 × 4,000 pixels native (24 MP).
[M]: 4,496 x 3,000 (13 MP).
[S]: 2,992 x 2,000 (6 MP).
ISO
Manual setting: ISO 100 ~ 25,600.
Auto ISO
Auto setting runs from ISO 100 ~ 25,600.
Auto ISO allows defining the slowest shutter speed as well as the minimum and maximum ISOs, as well as the option to allow the D5600 to set the slowest speed automatically based on lens focal length, and you may then set that speed to vary ±2 stops from the focal length! In other words, the D5600 has the best and most flexible Auto ISO settings in the business.
Still Formats
JPG and/or raw.
Raw comes as 12 or 14 bit compressed NEF.
JPG comes in three image sizes and FINE, NORMAL or BASIC compression levels, as well as in sRGB or Adobe RGB.
Video
1,920 x 1,080 at 59.94p, 50p, 29.97p, 25p a 23.976p.
1,280 x 720 at 59.94p and 50p.
29:59 maximum take length.
ISO 100 ~ 25,600.
Also makes time lapse movies.
.MOV file containing MPEG-4, H.264 video data and linear PCM stereo audio.
Audio
Recorded only along with video.
Stereo microphones built in.
Mic-in jack with plug-in power overrides built-in mic.
Autofocus
39 points, 9 of which are cross-type.
Also settable to only 11 points for faster manual selection.
-1 to +19 LV range.
Nikon Multi-CAM 4800DX autofocus sensor module with TTL phase detection. (same sensor module as the D7000, D5300, and D5500.)
AF-S (single), AF-C (continuous), and AF-A (auto selection between the other two modes).
Single-point AF, Dynamic AF, Auto Area AF.
AF illuminator with 10’/3m range.
Finder
Pentamirror.
95 % coverage.
0.82 x magnification with 50mm lens.
17 mm eyepoint.
-1.7 to +0.5 diopters.
Type B BriteView Clear Matte Mark VII screen
Light Meter
2,016 pixel RGB Color Matrix, Center-Weighted or Spot.
Exposure bracketing.
Shutter
Vertical metal focal plane.
1/4,000 to 30 seconds in 1/3 or 1/2 stops.
Bulb and Time modes.
Maximum speed with flash (sync speed): 1/200.
Frame Rates & Advance Modes
5 FPS maximum in CH (only 4 FPS with 14-bit NEF).
3 FPS in CL.
QUIET mode selectable in a menu.
Self Timer
2, 5, 10 or 20 seconds.
1 to 9 exposures.
Remote Release
No longer works with Nikon ML-L3 infra-red remote as did the D5500, but adds remote control & release via Bluetooth and the Snapbridge app.
Optional Remote Releases
Optional MC-DC2 cord.
WR-R10 receiver & WR-T10 transmitter.
Wireless remote controller WR-1, which works as either a transmitter or as a receiver.
Flash
1/200 sync speed.
i-TTL metering.
Works only with SB-910, SB-900, SB-800, SB-700, SB-600, SB-500, SB-400 and SB-300.
Built-in Flash
Built-in TTL flash.
Pops up.
GN 12 meters/39 feet at ISO 100.
Optional manual control in a menu.
Does not work as an i-TTL commander.
External Flash
Dedicated hot shoe.
No Prontor-Compur (PC) terminal; use the built-in flash to trigger your slaves or use a hot-shoe adapter for corded sync.
Live View
Yes.
LCD Monitor
Swiveling LCD Screen, Nikon D5600. bigger.
3.2″ (81 mm) diagonal touch screen.
Glass cover.
480 x 720 x 3 (RGB) = 1,036,800 dots.
1.5:1 aspect ratio.
170º viewing angle.
Swivels.
No anti-reflection coating.
Connectors
Nikon D5600 Connectors. bigger.
Type C Mini HDMI.
3.5mm Mic In jack for ME-1 powered stereo microphones.
USB 2.
WiFi
IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g.
Operating frequency: 2412 to 2462 MHz (channels 1 to 11).
Authentication: Open system, WPA2-PSK.
Bluetooth
4.1.
NFC
NFC Forum Type 3 Tag.
Storage
SD memory card, one slot.
SD, SDHC, SDXC and UHS-I compliant.
Body
Carbon-fiber monocoque frame, which is fancy-talk for plastic.
Metal lens mount, hot shoe, strap anchors and tripod socket.
Quality
Bottom, Nikon D5600. bigger.
Made in Thailand.
Power & Battery
Battery
EN-EL14a rechargeable Li-ion battery.
7.2 V, 1,230 mAh, 8.9 Wh.
Rated 1.7 oz. (49g); 1.700 oz. (48.1 g.) measured.
Rated 970 shots, CIPA (50% with full-power flash) or 70 minutes of video.
Same battery as D5500, D5300 and D5200 and similar to the EN-EL14 of the D5200, D5100, D3100 and P7000.
EN-EL14a battery.
Charger
Nikon folding-plug MH-24 charger. enlarge.
The MH-24 charger has a folding plug, as a charger should. It’s much better than the clumsy abortions like the MH-25 we use with the D810 and D610 etc.
AC Adapter
Optional AC adapter EH-5B ($85) and EP-5B power connector ($50).
Size
3.82 × 4.88 × 2.76 inches HWD.
97 ×124× 70 millimeters HWD.
Weight
16.325 oz. (462.8 g) with battery and card, actual measured.
Rated 16.4 oz. (465g) with battery and card, 14.7 oz. (415g) stripped.
Environment
Operating
0 ~ 40 º C (32 ~ 104º F).
0 to 85% RH, no condensation.
Included
Box End, Nikon D5600. bigger.
D5600 body.
DK-25 Rubber Eyecup.
BF-1B Body Cap.
AN-DC3 Camera Strap.
EN-EL14a Rechargeable Li-ion Battery.
MH-24 Battery Charger.
Announced
10 November 2016 worldwide.
04 January 2017 USA.
Price, USA
See many other package deals.
December 2019
$497, body only.
$547, with 18-55mm lens.
$597, with 18-55mm and 70-300mm lenses.
$797, with 18-140mm lens.
May 2017
$697, body only.
$797, with 18-55mm lens.
$897, with 18-55mm and 70-300mm lenses.
$997, with 18-140mm lens.
February 2017
$697, body only.
$797, with 18-55mm lens.
$897, with 18-55mm and 70-300mm lenses.
$997, with 18-140mm lens.
Box, Nikon D5600. bigger.
Accessories
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Included Accessories
MH-24 charger.
EN-EL14a battery.
Also comes with a strap and caps etc.
Optional Accessories
Optional Remote Releases
MC-DC2 remote cord.
WR-R10 receiver & WR-T10 transmitter.
Wireless remote controller WR-1, which works as either a transmitter or as a receiver.
Optional AC Adapters
AC adapter EH-5B ($85) and EP-5B power connector ($50).
Getting a Legal USA Version
(for USA only)
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Box end, Nikon D5600. bigger.
In the USA, be sure your box has “US” after “D5600” and the color code (“BK” on this black one) above the UPC bar code.
If the letters are different, you got ripped off with a gray market version from another country. This is why I never buy anyplace other than from my personally approved sources. You just can’t take the chance of buying elsewhere, especially at retail, because non-USA versions have no warranty in the USA, and you won’t even be able to get new firmware or service for it — even if you’re willing to pay out-of-pocket for it when you need it!
Always be sure to check your box while you can still return it, or just don’t buy from unapproved sources, so you’ll be able to have your camera serviced and get free updated firmware as needed.
Most importantly, the legal USA version has a gray warranty card from Nikon USA:
Nikon D5600 USA Warranty Card. bigger.
The important part is the Nikon USA warranty paper, whose serial number must match the one on your camera. If you have that, don’t get too bent out of shape if the sticker on the manuals says U-K or the box is a little different. If you’ve got a Nikon USA warranty card with a matching serial number, you’re OK.
Get yours from the same places I do and you won’t have a problem, but if you take the risk of getting yours elsewhere, be sure to check everything while you still can return it.
Performance
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Overall Picture Quality Autofocus Ergonomics
Exposure Finder High ISOs Auto ISO
Auto White Balance Flash Shutter Noise
LCD Playback Data Power & Battery
Overall
Performance top
I LOVE my D5600. It’s tiny and weightless so I carry it everywhere, and with its touch screen it’s super fast and easy to set and use.
Picture Quality
performance top
I have no problem creating professional work on my D5600; its picture quality is as good as every other Nikon DSLR today.
It’s not 2007 anymore; today, DX cameras take the same pictures as full-frame cameras.
The D810 has a little more resolution that you’ll never see unless you really do print more than 10 feet (3 meters) wide, while the D5600 has more resolution than the most expensive D5 and has great low-light performance as well.
All you get by getting a full-frame FX D610 or D750 is less depth of field and a bigger viewfinder, otherwise the images are the same but you have to carry heavier cameras and lenses.
Autofocus
Performance top
AF performance depends on your lens as well as the camera.
Best performance is with the newest AF-P lenses like the 18-55 AF-P and 70-300 AFP. With either of these lenses, autofocus is instantaneous, or at least faster than my own eyes can focus, in pretty much any light.
The D5600 lacks facial recognition for normal shooting, so it can’t always find a face behind closer obstructions, but it does a great job otherwise.
I leave it on auto-select AF area, and it usually magically and instantly finds the subject and focuses on it.
My D5600 has great autofocus performance, faster than my $3,700 Canon 5DSR I use for my most serious work.
Ergonomics
Performance top
Overall
The tiny little D5600 works and feels great.
The tiny grip actually feels very good in my big American hands. It’s thin, but fairly long from front to back, so I don’t feel like I’m holding a kid’s camera.
The touch screen works as well as an iPhone, and everything is well thought out and just goes. Bravo!
All the controls except the MENU button are on the right side, making it easy to shoot and play back with one hand. Bravo encore!
Petty Concerns
The Advance Mode button is hidden along the lens mount, under the lens release button. It’s nearly impossible to find by feel since it’s flush with the body.
There are two different buttons marked “info” and “i” which do slightly different things. I figured it out after using it for a while.
There’s no power switch lock to protect against accidental turning on of off, but no other Nikon does that today either. Nikon stopped doing that with the F5.
The mode dial is less comfortable than previous cameras because it has a sharper edge along the top. Older cameras were more rounded and had deeper knurling for better grip.
The self timer always resets after each shot. I wish it didn’t, and instead prefer that it would reset after the camera is turned off and back on again.
These are my only petty whines. The D5600 is a much faster and easier to use camera than I had imagined, and sets a new benchmark for tiny camera usability.
Meter & Exposure
Performance top
No news here; the meter works well under all conditions.
It shifts the program and Auto ISO as zoomed, even if you have the AEL (Auto Exposure Lock) button held.
I find I prefer the exposure for night scenes setting +1 stop exposure compensation:
Panera Bread, 20 February 2017. Nikon D5600, Nikon 18-55mm AFP at 28mm at f/4.2 hand-held at 1/25 at Auto ISO 2,500 at +1 stop exposure compensation. bigger or camera-original © file.
The dot in the sky is the planet Venus.
Finder
Performance top
The finder is as expected: small, but sharp and bright.
There’s more data in the finder than most people will ever want, although there is no indication of the P, S, A or M exposure mode.
High ISO Performance & Sample Images
Performance top
High ISO performance is excellent!
ISO 450
Ryan pets a skink, 12 February 2017. Nikon D5600, Auto White Balance, Picture Control set to Standard with +1 Saturation, Nikon 35mm f/1.8 DX at f/1.8 at 1/125 at Auto ISO 450, Perfectly Clear. bigger or full-resolution file.
ISO 500
Spanish Bathroom, 18 February 2017. Nikon D5600, Nikon 10-24mm at 13mm at f/3.8 hand-held at 1/10 at Auto ISO 500. bigger or camera-original © file.
ISO 2,200
Red Lamps to Heaven, 23 February 2017. Nikon D5600, Nikon 18-55mm AFP at 18mm at f/3.5 hand-held at 1/15 at Auto ISO 2,200. bigger or camera-original © file.
Complete Sample Images
For small images (web, Facebook, etc.) any ISO up to and including ISO 25,600 looks fine.
Click any for the camera-original © files as above to explore on your computer; mobile devices rarely show the full resolution files properly:
Crops from above
These are 600 x 450 pixel crops from the above images. If they are about 6″ (15cm) wide on your screen, the complete image would print at 40 x 60″ (1 x 1.5 meters) at this same extreme magnification.
As you’ll see in these crops at extreme magnification, the images get softer at higher ISOs, and many smaller details and textures go away — but the images stay reasonably clean and sharp up to ISO 12,800.
Click any for the same camera-original © files as above to explore on your computer; mobile devices rarely show the full resolution files properly:
Auto ISO
Performance top
Auto ISO is marvelous.
It’s easy to program the maximum and minimum ISOs, as well as any manual or automatic minimum shutter speed.
If you set the minimum shutter speed to track lens focal length, you can program ±2 stops of shift away from the literal interpretation of 1/focal length.
Auto White Balance
Performance top
Auto White Balance is wonderful.
I get great results under any kind of lighting.
Here’s a typical shot under mixed halogen and tungsten:
Well-appointed bed, 18 February 2017. Nikon D5600, Nikon 10-24mm at 13mm at f/3.8 hand-held at 1/10 at Auto ISO 200. bigger or camera-original © file.
And most of all, here are natural skin tones under yucky industrial fluorescent light:
Ryan under a Burmese Python at the Reptile Zoo, 12 February 2017. Nikon D5600, Auto White Balance, Picture Control set to Standard with +1 Saturation, Nikon 35mm f/1.8 DX at f/1.8 at 1/125 at Auto ISO 320, Perfectly Clear. bigger.
Flash
Performance top
As we expect from Nikon, flash performance is great.
The built-in flash is fantastic; there’s no need to use an external flash unless you want faster recycling when used outdoors in daylight where the built-in often has to fire at full power.
Exposure is excellent and it recycles quickly.
It will not work as a remote commander to control other flashes, but it does work great in TTL and can be set to manual as well.
Shutter Noise
Performance top
The shutter is quieter than in Nikon’s larger cameras. It’s a lot quieter than the D5.
Forge the “Quiet” mode; it’s not much quieter than the usual mode, but it slows down shooting and doesn’t cock the shutter for the next shot until you take your finger off the release. The quiet mode is as loud as the usual mode, and you get two shutter noises for each shot instead of just one.
LCD Monitor
Performance top
The LCD is bright, sharp, clear and color-accurate.
The glass screen is scratch resistant and reasonably resistant to fingerprints
The touch interface is great. You don’t have to touch it if you don’t want to; the camera works in the same way as other Nikon cameras, and if you want to touch to set menus or manipulate playback, that works too.
Playback
Performance top
Playback is fast and easy, and you can use fingers on the touch screen to zoom and scroll!
There’s no diagonal scroll with the up/down/left/right thumb controller, but so what, you can zoom and scroll any way you like with your finger on the screen.
The default display mode now shows the picture full-screen and draws some shooting data over the bottom of the picture, which is different than older cameras which showed the picture slightly smaller as to avoid the data along the bottom of the screen. No worries, you can select a mode that shows nothing but the image full-screen.
Data
Performance top
Cards are correctly formatted as “NIKON D5600.”
Power & Battery
Performance top
Battery life is phenomenal.
I haven’t charged my battery since I first got my D5600. I’ve been shooting for two weeks and made 424 pictures, and my battery still reads FULL.
DSLRs are worlds ahead of mirrorless cameras and iPhones for battery life.
There is no battery percentage indicator; just a three-segment bar graph.
The biggest problem with this extreme battery life is that is that you might forget to pack your charger on a long trip!
Compared
Top Sample Images Intro Compatibility
Specifications Accessories USA Version
Performance Compared Usage
Recommendations More
Compared across the D5000 Series
The Nikon D5600 is the new model of the Nikon D5500, which in turn replaced the D5300, D5200, D5100 and D5000. The only real difference between this D5600 and the previous D5500 is that the D5600 adds Bluetooth and NFC for use with Nikon’s “Snapbridge” app.
Most of the D5000 series are the same. The only difference between this D5600 and 2014’s D5500 is that the D5600 adds Bluetooth but removed analog video outputs.
The D5300 and D5200 are again the same thing, just heavier and without a touch screen.
The D5100 and D5000 had slightly slower frames rates, slightly less resolution, fewer AF points and only a mono microphone for movies
D5600
D5500
D5300
D5200
D5100
D5000
Anni
2016-
2015-2017
2013-2015
2012-2013
2011-2012
2009-2011
Resolution1
24MP
24MP
24MP
24MP
16MP
12MP
FPS
5 FPS
5 FPS
5 FPS
5 FPS
4 FPS
4 FPS
Flippy LCD2
3.2″ 1.04m dots
3.2″ 1.04m dots
3.2″ 1.04m dots
3″ 921k dots
3″ 921k dots
2.7″ 230k dots
Touch Screen
YES
YES
no
no
no
no
Max Video rez & rate3
1080
59.94p
1080
59.94p
1080
29.97p
1080
29.97p
1080
29.97p
720p
23.976p
Audio (built-in)4
Stereo
Stereo
Stereo
Stereo
mono
mono
AF5
39 points
39 points
39 points
39 points
11 points
11 points
Flash Sync
1/200
1/200
1/200
1/200
1/200
1/200
Live View
yes
yes
yes
yes
yes
4 modes
GPS
no, use adapter
no, use adapter
yes
no
no
no
Wi-Fi
yes
yes
yes
no
no
no
Bluetooth & NFC
yes
no
no
no
no
no
Battery
EN-EL14a
EN-EL14a
EN-EL14a
EN-EL14
EN-EL14
EN-EL9a
Weight6
16.3 oz.
463g
16.4 oz.
466g
18.8 oz.
532 g
19.6 oz.
555 g
19.5 oz.
554g
21.6 oz.
611g
Price, February 2017
$697
$597
$597
$333 used
$240 used
$175 used
1.) This is the same; anything more than 6 MP is more than enough for anything. Picture quality is NOT dependant on resolution; today that’s just a specification used to scare people into paying more for the latest camera.
2.) All of these LCDs have very sharp, smooth and detailed images, except for the D5000’s LCD whose lower resolution makes the monitor’s image appear grainer – but still perfectly acceptable.
3.) Again probably irrelevant; there won’t be much if any visible difference with more resolution here; the biggest difference is that the newer cameras make much bigger files that take up a lot more room on your card and hard drive!
4.) If playing back on a home theater system or a computer with stereo speakers, stereo sound makes a huge difference in sound quality over the mono mic of the older D5100 and D5000.
5.) The 39 point system is nice, but the 11 point system works great, too. Heck, Nikon’s top pro cameras until 2007 all had only 11 points or less, and no one complained!
6.) Actual measured weights with card and battery, but no lens or strap.
Compared to a professional $6,500 Nikon
Compared to a professional Nikon D5 for $6,500, the things missing are things most people won’t miss:
No one-click playback zoom (pressing (+) only zooms in a little, not all the way), but a two-finger spread does the same thing.
No depth-of-field preview button.
No voice notes (used by newsmen to record spoken notes with the images).
No battery percentage number, just a three-bar battery icon.
No easy way to set Auto ISO ON/OFF or image size etc. directly; you have to use the touch screen.
Built-in flash can’t work as a commander for wireless flash.
No second memory card slot.
For $5,600 less than the D4s, I think I’ll live, and the D5600 has a built-in flash sorely lacking in the D4s!
Compared to Full-Frame Sony
See the D5600 compared to D3400 and Sony full-frame A7II.
Compared to the D3000 Series
The D3000 series is mostly the same camera, but with a fixed LCD.
My favorite of this series is the D3300.
Usage
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Advance Modes
The Advance Mode button is hidden along the lens mount, under the lens release button. It’s nearly impossible to find by feel, since it’s flush with the body.
To set the advance mode, which includes the fast and slow frame rates, self timer, remote control and Quiet modes, press the tiny button just below the lens release button. The rear LCD lights up, tap the screen, and you’re done.
I find the Continuous Low (CL) setting is perfect most of the time: it takes one picture unless I hold it, after which it will shoot at 3 frames per second. The Continuous High (CH) setting often shoots two frames when I only want one, and the Single (S) modes requires I hit the shutter a few times if I want a few shots.
Very Long Time Exposures
If you need longer than 30 seconds or longer than you feel like standing around and holding the shutter open in BULB mode, select the TIME mode for the shutter speed in manual exposure mode, and then the shutter will open – and stay open – when you tap the shutter button or use a remote release.
The shutter stays open until you press the shutter button or remote release again.
Self Timer
Select the Self Timer mode as explained above.
The self timer resets after each shot. I wish it didn’t, and instead prefer that it would reset after the camera is turned off and back on again.
File Number Sequence
Set FILE NUMBER SEQUENCE ON at MENU > CUSTOM (pencil) > d2 File Number Sequence > ON.
If left at its default of OFF, it will reset to DSC_0001.JPG every time it can, and after a while you’ll have dozens of photos all with the same file number that you can’t put into the same folder when you want to make a book.
Setting this to ON ensures that you can take 10,000 photos before the D5600 uses the same file number again. Most cameras set this by default, but not the D5600.
Recommendations
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My Nikon D5600 is fantastic: it’s tiny and lightweight and makes breathtaking images in any light. Colors are fantastic, and it focuses and works well in dim light or at crazy high ISOs unheard of just a few years ago.
The touch screen and lighter weight make this D5600 much nicer than any of the older D5300, D5200, D5100 or D5000 (there was no D5400).
The D7200 is marvelous, but honestly with the fast handling of the D5600’s touch screen and identical image quality, I don’t see much reason to pay more for the D7200 unless you need compatibility with manual focus and old-style screw-focus AF lenses. You’re better off using the money you save with the D5600 to get new DX lenses. The other reasons you may want a D7200 is if you want its built-in flash to work as a remote commander, or if you need to swap between two completely different sets of settings with the D7200’s U1 and U2 presets on its mode dial.
Here’s another hint: the only real reason to pay twice as much for a heavier full frame FX camera and its bigger lenses is to get a bigger viewfinder! The pictures are the same! There is very little difference in picture quality today in 2017 between full frame FX and these DX cameras. In fact, the biggest picture difference is that DX cameras like this D5600 always get more in focus (have a deeper depth-of-field), while full-frame FX cameras like the D610 get less in focus under similar conditions. Colors, sharpness and noise are the same today; these cameras are all that good.
Lenses
The 18-55mm AFP kit lens is superb. It could be the only lens you need.
I love my 35mm f/1.8 DX for people photos in low light.
If you need a telephoto to get closer, the 55-200mm VR II should be all you need. The newest 70-300mm VR AFP is even better, with much faster focussing than the other two teles, but it’s also bigger.
Ultrawide lenses are expensive. If I need to get wider than the 18-55mm AFP, I use my Nikon 10-24mm DX — but be careful; few people know how to use ultrawide lenses.
More suggested Nikon DX lenses for the D5600.
More Nikon lens reviews and recommendations.
Flash
The built-in flash is excellent; don’t buy another until you try the one that pops up from your D5600.
If you need something that recycles faster or has more range, the small but discontinued SB-400 is what I use. They’re easy to get on eBay or at Amazon. You don’t need bigger flashes unless you’re trying to shoot sports at long distances and at high frame rates, which you probably aren’t doing with a D5600.
Where to get your D5600
I got mine at Adorama, who also offers it along with many package deals. I’d also get it at Amazon, at B&H or at Crutchfield.
This ad-free website’s biggest source of support is when you use those or any of these links to approved sources when you get anything, regardless of the country in which you live. Nikon does not seal its boxes in any way, so never buy at retail or any other source not on my personally approved list since you’ll have no way of knowing if you’re missing accessories, getting a defective, damaged, returned, store demo or used camera. I use the stores I do because they ship from secure remote warehouses where no one gets to touch your new camera before you do. Buy only from the approved sources I use myself for the best prices, service, return policies and selection.
Thanks for your support!
Ken.
More Information
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Nikon’s D5600 user’s manual.
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