Nikon D3300 vs Canon T5I

Introduction

The Nikon D3300 and the Canon Rebel T5i (which is also known as the Canon 700D in some regions) are two, DSLR cameras that were released in 2014 and 2013 respectively, but, from the moment they entered the market, they’ve started to be purchased continuously and that pattern didn’t stop even today. The reason is pretty simple, both of them are affordable and could be a really good option for novices and enthusiasts who want to find their way into the photography world.

On the other hand, both of them have multiple similarities starting from their APS-C sensor, and some differences that make them be very interesting, especially for making a comparison.

That’s why, let’s get started right away and find out what are their pros and cons, how they can help you evolve from a novice/enthusiast to a professional and which one can be considered as a better option!

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Head To Head Comparison

Nikon D3300

From a design perspective, the Nikon D3300 is a tremendously compact camera, if you take into consideration that we are talking about a DSLR camera. This unit measures 3.9 x 4.9 x 3″ (HWD), weighs around 15.2 ounces without a lens, and features a well-made, polycarbonate body that is followed by a deep grip, and when we combine all these things into one, without a doubt I can say that you are going to have an exceptionally convenient shooting experience regardless of how long you’ve been shooting.

If you take a look on the top part, you’ll notice a hot shoe sitting at the center, a Mode dial that sits on the right, while at the area where you will likely place your index finger, there are 3 more buttons along with an On/Off switch.

On the rear, the left side houses an array of buttons that are easily reachable, there is a is an AE-L/AF-L button on the top-right side, whereas on the right, you can find a couple of more buttons, and to be honest, I really like the way Nikon managed to design the control layout.

Also on the rear, on the usual top position, you can find a small, pentamirror viewfinder that provides up to 95% coverage, magnification of 0.85x, and it is also bright which definitely comes handy, because you can have a good view of the objects you intend to capture.

Furthermore, at the center, slightly below the viewfinder, there’s a 3″ LCD, 921k-dot display which unfortunately, is fixed, and it does not let you adjust its position in order to shoot from multiple angles, and it isn’t touch sensitive as well, hence, I really think that Nikon could have done a better job here. Either way, the display is doing its job pretty well, since it outputs strong visuals and lets you have a clear sight under a bright daylight.

In terms of the connection options, the D3300 packs a mic port, USB/AV port, an HDMI port, has a GPS/remote socket, single memory card slot that supports SD/SDHC/SDXC memory cards, and sadly, lacks a built-in Wi-Fi support. However, in order to taste the benefits of the wireless technology, Nikon offers an optional Wu-1A Wireless adapter which costs money, and yet again, Nikon could have pay more attention in this area as well, aside from the screen.

Speaking of the performance, the D3300 packs a 24.2MP CMOS DX-Format sensor, burst shooting rate of 5 fps, has 11-AF points with 3D tracking, and its native ISO levels range from 100-12,800 up to 25,600.

Once you start shooting with this camera, you will have an opportunity to witness that the color accuracy is really good, however, the part where I think that Nikon could have paid more attention is regarding the image noise. I don’t say that it is bad, but I really think that a company as Nikon, shouldn’t move out of its high standards.

Moreover, JPEG images taken through ISO 400-800 do look well-defined, and the detail level is strong, but, keep in mind that you’d be able to notice some noise especially if the images are captured in dark areas. Also, the D3300 incorporates a built-in noise reduction system of which you can take advantage, however, the “problem” is that this decreases the sharpness of the image.

As you’re pushing the ISO levels higher, starting from ISO 3200, and reach the maximum native range of 12,800 or the extended ISO25,600, the noise becomes prominent and the details are definitely low. Hence, images are kind of unusable and I’d recommend you avoid such high levels.

You can also capture RAW format images, and while you’re doing so, I’d like to inform you that the best results can be reached up to ISO 1600, because once you reach ISO 6400-12,800, the noise increases rapidly, and as you’d expect, I wouldn’t recommend you push the ISO to the camera’s boundaries.

When it comes to video performance, this model lacks 4K capability which is normal if we consider the fact that this is a bit older, entry-level DSLR camera, but hey, this doesn’t mean that the D3300 doesn’t do a great job in producing quality footage. It really does, because it records 1080p videos at 60 fps, and since there is a mic input for video, the audio and the footage quality will be really good, especially the video quality. Colors are vibrant, the level of details is definitely high, and I really think that you’d find it handy, because you can try yourself as a videographer as well!

Nikon D3300 Sample Footage:

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Canon T5I

The Canon Rebel T5i has a fairly standard size for a DSLR camera, it measures 3.9 x 5.2 x 3.1″(HWD), weighs around 1.1 pounds without a lens and boasts an attractive, black-painted mostly plastic body that still feels solid since you will unlikely feel flexing, however, in comparison to the D3300, I think that the latter camera has a better build quality.

In addition, the T5i has an enlarged grip which is really cool due to the fact that the camera will sit steady and comfortably in your hands, and won’t make you feel fatigued even if you’ve been shooting for a longer period of time.

For your information, the main controls are spread across the top plate of the body, and they consist of a hot shoe that sits at the top-center, whereas on the right side, there is a Mode dial, an ISO button and two more buttons of which one is the shutter release button that is positioned on the grip.

On the rear, most of the controls are set on the right side, and they are kind of compressed, but this doesn’t bother me at all, while on the top, you will find a couple of buttons that are positioned on the top-left and right side of the viewfinder.

Since I’ve mentioned the viewfinder, I’d like to inform you that the Rebel T5i employs an optical, pentamirror viewfinder that offers 95% coverage and a magnification of 0.85x, and to be honest, at this point, T5i’s viewfinder performs a bit better than the D3300. The view is nothing but excellent, and since it is large and covers up to 95% of the image area, you will unlikely miss a target!

Moreover, the 3″ touchscreen has a resolution of 1.04m-dots, hence, it is extremely sharp and very bright which will definitely offer you a huge advantage, regardless if you’re recording videos or previewing your content under a bright light. But, what’s even better is the fact that it has an articulating design, which basically means that you can capture photos or record videos from numerous angles, and you’d be even able to face it forward to capture self-portraits! Yet again, the T5i screen is better than the D3300 who lacks touch sensitivity and flexibility.

Speaking of the connection ports, the Canon Rebel T5i houses a mini HDMI port, external mic port, single USB 2.0 port, single memory card slot that supports SD/SDHC/SDXC cards, and as was the case with its opponent, the D3300, this camera also lacks Wi-Fi, and here, result is a tie!

Performance-wise, the Canon Rebel T5i packs a 9-point autofocus system, 18MP APS-C CMOS sensor, continuous shooting rate of 5 fps, an ISO range that stretches from 100-12,800 and it is expandable to 25,600, and it is powered by a DIGIC 5 image processor that does a fantastic job in reducing the occurrences of noise on one side, while on the other, it heavily boosts the camera ability to provide a strong low-light performance!

To be honest, the T5i does really control the noise properly, and without thinking twice I can say that the camera’s performance can be considered as noise-free most of the time.

The reason is very simple, shooting pictures at ISO 800-1600 look indeed delightful, the noise is minimal, the color accuracy is superb and overall, the image quality is very sharp.

Noise remains minimal throughout the ISO ranges, however, as you’d expect, pushing the ISO levels to its limits means that the noise will increase rapidly, hence, I’d recommend you avoid pushing to ISO 12,800.

Finally, the T5i lacks 4K capability the same as the D3300, however, the D3300 records 1080p videos at 60fps opposed to the Rebel T5i whose abilities underperform at this point because it records 1080p videos at 30 fps. Either way, the footage looks nice, but still, you can’t compare 30 fps with 60 fps.

Canon T5I Sample Footage:

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Nikon D3300 vs Canon T5I Feature Comparison

	Nikon D3300	Canon T5I
Camera Type	DSLR	DSLR
Megapixels	24.2	18.0
ISO Range	100-12,800;25,600	100-12,800;25,600
Flip-Out Screen	No	Yes
AF Points	11 AF Points	9 AF Points
Viewfinder	Yes	Yes
Touchscreen	No	Yes
Video Recording	Yes	Yes
Sensor Size	APS-C	APS-C

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Conclusion

Before I announce the official winner, I would like to make a quick head to head comparison between the key areas of these cameras, so that you’d have an even better insight of which one deserves being your primary shooting arsenal. Ready? Let’s go!

The performance of both cameras and the result is nearly the same for Portrait and Street photography, although the D3300 is only a bit better, whereas for Sports photography, the D3300 wins the race here again, with insignificant difference.

Also, for Daily photography, Nikon D3300 wins the race here because of its larger APS-C sensor, whereas for Landscape photography, both cameras output an average performance, but yet again, D3300 appears to be a better performer.

However, if we take a closer look at the specs, the Canon Rebel T5i packs an articulating touchscreen which the D3300 clearly lacks, has 8 more cross-type focus points ( 9 v 1 ), has a 12% higher resolution screen ( 1040k-dot vs 921k-dots), has a selfie-friendly LCD and a flash sync port, whereas the D3300 lacks these capabilities.

Finally, the D3300 has 33% more pixels ( 24MP vs 18MP), has 2 more focus points ( 11 vs 9), stronger battery life ( 700 vs 440), and performs better under low light ISO.

Hence, I think that the Canon Rebel T5i would be a better option for you, however, this is an example of what does a “pyrrhic victory” means. On the other side, if you’re tight on budget, you can go for the D3300 which is definitely a better, cost-effective option.

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