Canon T5 vs Nikon D3300

Introduction

The Canon EOS Rebel T5 (also known as the Canon 1200D) is an entry-level DSLR camera that was announced on 11 February, 2014 as a successor of the EOS Rebel T3 (1100D) which combines an attractive design, affordable price and versatile performance which is essential for every novice pursuing its dreams in the photography world!

On the contrary, the Nikon D3300 is a strikingly compact, entry-level DSLR camera that has appeared on the market on January 7, 2014, which was specifically design to serve as a starting point for the hobbyists and novices who would like to start shooting with a DSLR camera prior to becoming professionals that would use photography for a living!

Both cameras share multiple things in common, as well as both of them have their own pros and cons which will be revealed in this article, that’s why, let’s get started right away and briefly explain their features so that after you finish reading, you can choose the one that you think would satisfy your needs the most.

Similar Comparison: Canon 1D X Mark II vs Canon 5D Mark IV

Head To Head Comparison

Canon T5

The Canon EOS Rebel T5 boasts a stylish, all-black, polycarbonate body that measures 3.9 x 5.1 x 3.1″ (HWD), weighs around 1.1 pounds, and if you take a look at these specs, you can notice that we are not really talking about a heavy, and bulky DSLR camera like is the case with most of the DSLR cameras on the market.

Also, this model has a deep grip covered in a textured-coating that will promise you comfortable hold and by default, since as a novice you’d be prone to shoot for hours while doing so you will not feel fatigued at all, and this is brilliant!

I’d also like to mention that the EOS Rebel T5 is very easy to control, since all of its buttons are organized exactly as you’d expect – close to your fingers, and during your shooting sessions you can take advantage of each of them and adjust the picture exactly as you’d like!

On the top, you can find a single Mode dial, power switch, flash release, a Control dial, and a shutter release button, while the rest of the controls are set on the rear, and are mostly present on the right-handed side of the body, next to the viewfinder and the LCD screen.

Since I’ve mentioned the viewfinder I would like to inform you that the viewfinder has a pentamirror design, covers 95% of the field, has a magnification ratio of 0.80x and it is very bright which is awesome, since you will have an excellent view that leads into effectively and quickly locking onto a specific subject!

When it comes to the LCD screen, the one present on this unit measures 3″, packs up to 460k-dots, and although it is fixed and lacks touch-sensitivity, considering its price tag and being an entry-level camera, this is completely normal, and I don’t really consider it as a huge drawback, even though there’s always a space for better engineering!

In terms of the connection options, the EOS Rebel T5 employs a USB port, an HDMI Type-C port, single memory card slot that supports SD/SDHC/SDXC card formats, and although this unit is compatible with an Eyefi memory card that requires additional investment, it lacks a built-in Wi-Fi which nowadays, is pretty much a standard. Therefore, I really think that Canon could have done a better job here.

Performance-wise, this camera incorporates an 18MP CMOS (APS-C) sensor, a DIGIC 4 image processor, decent burst shooting speed of 3 fps, 9-point autofocus system and an ISO range that starts from 100 – 6400!

Once you opt to shoot in optimal light conditions, the EOS Rebel T5 does a really good job due to the fact that images are filled with vibrant colors and look sharp, overall, and what’s even better is that even in close-up shots, the T5 is excellent since it renders the details effectively and the overall image quality is really good.

If you increase the ISO levels at ISO 3200, be prepared to witness some blur, however, images may still be usable until you reach the top ISO setting – ISO 6400, where blur starts to overtake the image quality.

Also, the EOS Rebel T5 is good for casual videography, due to the fact that it records 1080p videos at 30/24/25 fps, and 720p videos at 60/50 fps which is quite decent for an entry-level camera, so, feel free to shoot some videos from time to time in order to gain more versatility which later on, may prove as decisive in some situations.

Canon T5 Sample Images:

 

Also Read: Nikon D3400 vs Canon T5I

Nikon D3300

The Nikon D3300 is one of the most compact DSLR cameras that you can encounter, it measures only 3.9 x 4.9 x 3″, weighs around 15.2 ounces without a lens and features an attractive, black-painted body made of a carbon fiber-reinforced polymer that adds a no-cheap feeling to the camera and instead, it makes it feel like you’re shooting with an indeed expensive one, figuratively speaking of course!

In addition, the D3300 is fairly comfortable to shoot with, and the reason behind this is the inclusion of a deep, sculpted handgrip that is covered in a pleasing, textured-leather that will surely contribute a lot on how you’re going to hold this camera. By this, I think regarding the comfort and the stability, and here, Nikon did an excellent job!

Also, as was the case with its opponent – the EOS Rebel T5, the D3300 is very easy to operate because of its well-designed control layout.

On the top, the left side remains free of buttons, at the top-center there’s a hot shoe, whereas on the right, you’ll notice a single Mode dial, Movie-Recording button, an Info button, Exposure compensation button and a shutter release button with an On/Off switch that sits exactly at the grip.

If you flip this unit over, you’ll notice that the rear part holds an array of buttons located on the left, yet a couple of more buttons on the right-handed side that surround the joystick pad in a kind of compressed fashion.

Furthermore, the viewfinder sits on the top and what’s interesting about it is that it is of a pentamirror type same as the EOS Rebel T5, covers 95% of the field, has a magnification ratio of 0.85x and honestly, I really think that you will love shooting through it especially because of the fact that it is very crisp! At this point, both cameras receive credits and the result is a tie!

Slightly below, there’s a 3″, 921k-dot display which lacks touch and tilting capabilities, however, in comparison to the EOS Rebel T5 it has a better resolution, hence, the visuals you’ll see will be better than the ones produced by its opponent. Therefore, the D3300 proves itself as better when you view from this aspect.

When it comes to the connection options, the D3300 has an HDMI Type-C port, USB port, a 3.5mm audio input, and once again, it lacks Wi-Fi/GPS same as the EOS Rebel T5, however, Nikon offers an optional WU-1a adapter that will help you achieve Wi-Fi. Nonetheless, manufacturers of both cameras could have made their cameras better at this point.

Speaking of the performance, the D3300 includes a 242MP CMOS DX-Format sensor, continuous shooting speed of 5 fps, 11-point autofocus system with 3D tracking, an ISO range of 100-12,800 which can be expanded up to 25,600, and an EXPEED 4 image processor that enhances the image quality on one side, while on the other, the ability of the camera to handle the noise throughout the ISO range.

Namely, noise is handled nicely up to ISO 3200, due to the fact that starting from ISO 3200 and beyond, Nikon’s JPEG engine starts functioning aggressively which leads to a decreased quality of the images. That’s why, I would recommend you stick up to ISO 3200, because going beyond this point will surely make the images unusable, and you don’t like that, right?

Otherwise, RAW images preserve the level of details even at the highest settings, but still, if you reach ISO 25,600 which is the expandable setting, images may not have the best clarity and the details will be somehow poor, hence, images become indeed unusable.

Otherwise, I think that you will be satisfied with the given results because the image quality is very clear!

In the end, I’d also like to inform you that the D3300 performs better in terms of video on the contrary to the EOS Rebel T5, due to the fact that it can record 1080p videos at 60 fps, whereas, the latter camera tops out at 30fps.

Nikon D3300 Sample Images:

 

Also Read: Nikon D3200 vs Canon T5

Canon T5 vs Nikon D3300 Feature Comparison

	Canon T5	Nikon D3300
Camera Type	DSLR	DSLR
Megapixels	18.0	70 PX
ISO Range	100 – 6400	1-256000
Flip-Out Screen	No	No
AF Points	9 AF Points	11 AF Points
Viewfinder	Yes	Yes
Touchscreen	No	No
Video Recording	Yes	Yes
Sensor Size	APS-C	APS-C

Conclusion

Which camera wins the battle here? What’s your opinion? If you already have an opinion, I’d like you to hold on for a minute because I will have to bring the areas where the EOS Rebel T5 proves itself as better against the D3300 and vice-versa!

The results of Portrait photography are nearly identical, although the D3300 is a bit better, whereas for Street photography, the difference is more pronounced because the D3300 is far better for this type of photography.

If you opt to shoot Sports photography, thanks to its higher continuous shooting rate, the D3000 outputs a stronger performance, and the same can be said for Daily and Landscape photography, although for Landscape photography, the results of both cameras are very close to each other.

The only place where the Rebel T5 is better is because it has 21% larger pixel area and it is useful for tough lighting conditions, whereas the Nikon D3300 has 33% more pixels, 100% higher max ISO ( 12,800 vs 6400), packs 2 more focus points ( 11 vs 9), 100% higher resolution ( 921k vs 460k-dots), it is by 2 points faster in terms of burst shooting speed, has a microphone port, and finally, it is more suitable for video recording!

Therefore, I announce the Nikon D3300 as a winner!

Also Read: Nikon D3300 vs Canon T5I