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Photography Spark

Business Education for Photographers

Nikon D3500 vs Canon T6i Comparison

Here is the guide that will help you make a choice between Nikon D3500 and Canon EOS Rebel T6i. 

Nikon D3500

Entry-level DSLR, Nikon D3500 is a solid performer that gives you good, detailed images in both RAW and JPEG modes. It comes with the highest pixel count in its class and has a great image quality across the ISO range.

It’s great for beginner photographers who want capable all-around DSLR that is easy to understand, but also for more experienced photographers who are looking for a cheaper second camera to their more expensive DSLR.

However, if you are a fan of LCD image composition, fast AF or filter effects at the point of the shoot, you probably won’t love this camera as much.

Read more about the Nikon D3500 on Amazon.

Canon EOS Rebel T6i

Canon EOS Rebel T6i is also an entry-level camera, a slightly updated version of its predecessor T5i. It has a comfortable design with a simple layout of controls.

It’s also lightweight and easy to handle. It doesn’t really stand out of the other cameras in this class but it provides fine image quality and gives you usable images in low-light situations up to ISO 3200.

It is a perfectly fine camera when you are making the jump from point and shoot. It’s great for traveling and for beginner photographers who are looking for a camera that they can learn with.

Read more about the Canon T6i on Amazon.

Nikon D3500 vs Canon T6i Specification Comparison

Camera Nikon D3500 Canon EOS Rebel T6i
Sensor 24 MP
(23.5 x 15.6 mm)
24 MP
(22.3 x 14.9 mm)
ISO 100 – 25600100 – 12800
(Expansion to 25600)
AF Points 11 19
White Balance
presets
8 8 + custom
LCD Screen 3.0 inch, fixed 3.0 inch, vari angle
Video Resolution 1920 x 1080 MPEG,
H.264
1920 x 1080 MPEG,
H.264
Shutter Speed 30s – 1/4000s 30s – 1/4000s
Built-in Flash YesYes
Available Lenses Approx 280:
AF-P, Type E and G AF-S
Approx 300:
Canon EF, EF-S
Microphone Port yes yes
Battery Life Approx. 1550 shots Approx. 440 shots
Continuous Shooting 5.0 fps 5.0 fps
Dimensions 4.9 x 3.9 x 3.8 in
124 x 97 x 69.5 mm
5.2 x 4.0 x 3.0 in
131.9 x 100.9 x 77.8 mm
Weight 14.6 oz 19.6 oz
Viewfinder Optical / LCD Optical / LCD

As you can see the cameras are pretty evenly matched. They are both in the same price range and provide good quality images for an entry-level DSLR and are a good value for the money.

Check price of the Nikon D3500 on Amazon.

Check price of the Canon T6i on Amazon.

Sensor

Sensor size is a good indicator of the quality of the camera. The bigger the sensor of the camera is, the better the image quality we get.

Both cameras have 24MP sensors. Bigger sensors are better because they capture more light and improve the image quality, especially for photos that are enlarged. this category is a tie.

ISO

With a higher light sensitivity,  the sensor of a camera absorbs more light.

Both the Nikon D3500 and Canon T6i have the same native ISO range but there is the difference between the maximum ISO at which the device still captures excellent quality images.

Canon T6i starts to show some noise in the image details at about ISO 800, but in-focus areas look just fine up to about ISO 1600. On the other hand, Nikon D3500 produces clean photos up to ISO 800 and after that increases noise and loss of detail but still gives us usable images up to ISO 3200. Based on that, it looks like the Nikon has a slight edge in this category.

White Balance Presets

When we are shooting an object, its color is affected by the light conditions. The easiest way to overcome that problem is to use Auto White Balance, and that is the great solution when the light is constant and all of one type, but when that’s not the case we use White Balance Presets.

The more flexible the presets, the better. The Canon T6i has only one preset more than Nikon D3500. One thing to note though, for fluorescent light types, the Nikon has 7 settings. Overall it’s a minor difference but based on that we can say the Nikon has a little better control of light temperature and that’s what makes it a winner in this category.

AF Points

The number of AF Points gives an image sensor a probability in identifying the right area of the scene to focus on.  The more focus points our camera has, the better because it also gives us more flexibility in picking the part of the scene which we want to focus on.

So, it looks like the Canon is better in this area with its 19 AF points compared to the Nikon’s 11 autofocus points.

LCD Screen

Both Canon and Nikon have 3 inch LCD screens, but the Canon’s is a fully articulating touch screen vs a fixed touch screen on the Nikon.

There is a difference in resolution. A higher resolution screen provides sharper images that makes it easier for a user to review photos. With its higher screen resolution, Canon beats the Nikon on this spec as well (1040k dots vs 921k dots).

Overall, the Canon T6i is the clear winner here.

Video Resolution

There video performance between the Canon T6i and Nikon D3500 is pretty comparable. Both cameras have the same video resolution of 1920 x 1080 with the frame rate of 30p, so it looks like it’s a tie.

Dimensions

When you are carrying your camera around a whole day things like the dimensions start to matter and we want the smallest camera possible.

Although there isn’t a big difference, the Nikon slightly smaller and lighter than Canon and that makes it the winner.

Built-in Flash

The built-in flash is something that almost every camera has nowadays, even though it’s not something that we use often because it creates undesirable shades.

However, we just need it sometimes so it is a good thing that both of these cameras do have a built-in flash.

The only difference that will determine the winner is the usable range of the flash. With the slightly higher usable range of 12m (39 feet), Nikon takes the prize in this category.

Available Lenses

There is every type of lens imaginable available for both cameras, and Canon and Nikon both make high quality lenses.

The Canon has a few more available lens choices, so it get the nod here.

Microphone Port

This is a great thing for a camera to have because when you attach the microphone to your camera you prevent motor noise appearing on your recording. An external microphone can become essential if you shoot a lot of video

The Nikon lacks a mic input, so the winner here is the Canon.

Continuous Shooting

When you want to catch action shots you need faster continuous shooting. Both cameras have an average continuous shooting speed of 5.0 fps, so they can capture some sports photography or kids running around.

This category is a tie.

Battery Life

Battery life isn’t always the most important thing when you are considering buying a camera but, let’s be honest, it is a drag to run out of battery in the middle of shooting. 

When you are far away from any power source you want the longest battery life possible. Both cameras have decent battery life, but the Nikon D3500 shines with a 1550 shot rating vs the Canon’s 440 shots.

Nikon is the winner here.

Shutter Speed

This is another category where we couldn’t seem to find a single difference. Both cameras have the exact same shutter speed from 30 seconds for longer exposures up to 1/4000 seconds for freezing the motion in front of the camera.

Once again, it’s a tie.

Weight

You might think that this isn’t an important thing until you finally buy the camera and decide to carry it around for a whole day. That’s when you realize you actually want the lightest weighted camera possible.

That is why the winner the slightly lighter camera, the Nikon D3500.

Viewfinder

Through an optical viewfinder, a photographer can see exactly what the lens sees and that allows him to compose a shot. While the electronic viewfinders drain battery life, optical viewfinders don’t require any power, so it’s a great thing that both cameras have it.

Still, there is one difference between viewfinders of these two cameras and that is coverage. You might think that viewfinder always represents the whole picture, but that isn’t always the case.

Cameras optics aren’t always perfect and that’s why the coverage ratio can vary. While the Canon’s coverage is 93%, the Nikon’s is slightly better at 95% make it the winner in this category.

How good are these cameras for certain types of photography?

When deciding which camera you want to buy the first thing you should know is what you are going to use it for (what type of photography).  I’m going to try to help you with that by showing you what are the most important features that camera has to have for each type of photography and how good they are on these two cameras.

Nikon D3500 is a small, lightweight but well-built camera. Its size is suitable for taking shots in difficult locations and angles. It proved to be very good for portrait, nature (landscape) and sports photography.

On the other hand, Canon EOS Rebel T6i has rugged construction but it’s lightweight and its control layout is very functional. It proved to be good for product shots and nature, landscape photography because it provides great color and details.

It’s also good for taking portrait shots and street photography but it struggles with sports or any action photos.

Portrait Photography

Both cameras are good candidates for portrait photography. It’s pretty close to a toss-up. While both cameras have 24 MP APS-C sensors, the Nikon has a slightly larger size sensor.

Nikon D3500 Canon EOS Rebel T6i
Large APS-C Sensor
(23.5 x 15.6 mm)
Large APS-C Sensor
(22.3 x 14.9 mm)
24 MP Sensor24 MP Sensor
Built-in Optical Viewfinder Built-in Optical Viewfinder
Good Ergonomic & Handling Good Ergonomic & Handling
Lacks Image Stabilization Lacks Image Stabilization

Street Photography

With the large sensor that ensures a good low light image quality and provides shallow depth of field, both cameras are equally good candidates for this type of photography.

Nikon D3500 Canon EOS Rebel T6i
Built-in Optical Viewfinder Built-In Optical Viewfinder
Live-view Live-view
Face Detection Focusing Face Detection Focusing
Large APS-C Sensor Large APS-C Sensor
Lacks Image Stabilization Lacks Image Stabilization
Large Body Large Body

Sports Photography

Nikon seems to be just fine for this type of photography, but the Canon stands out a bit in this category.

An optical viewfinder that allows a photographer to stabilize the camera, lots of external controls, good high ISO, fast shutter speed etc. Canon has all of that and even more.

It particularly stands out with a superior Autofocus system, which is essential for Sports Photography

Nikon D3500 Canon EOS Rebel T6i
Fast Max Shutter Speed  Max Shutter Speed 
1 Cross Type Focus Sensor 19 Point Cross Type Focus Sensor
11 Focus Points,
1 with Cross Type Focus Sensor
19 Focus Points,
All with Cross Type Focus Sensor
Excellent Battery Life (1550 shots) Battery Life 500 Shots
Good Low Light ISO Good Low Light ISO
Built-in Optical Viewfinder Built-in Optical Viewfinder
Continuous Shooting 5 fpsContinuous Shooting 5 fps
Good Ergonomic & Handling Good Ergonomic & Handling
Environmental Sealing Environmental Sealing
Lacks Image Stabilization Lacks Image Stabilization

Daily Photography

Large sensors make these two cameras good candidates for daily photography, their size and weight are not exactly practical for carrying around all day. If you need a camera for this type of photography, you should probably look further.

Nikon D3500 Canon EOS Rebel T6i
Large APS-C Sensor Large APS-C Sensor
Large Body Large Body
Weight 14.6 oz Weight 19.6 oz

Landscape Photography

High-resolution sensor is something that your camera needs to have for landscape photography. Both cameras have decent APS-C sensors.

Nikon D3500 Canon EOS Rebel T6i
Live view Live view
Large APS-C Sensor Large APS-C Sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor 24,2 MP Not very high resolution sensor
Environmental Sealing Environmental Sealing

User Feedback

Nikon D3200

  • User friendly
  • Inexpensive
  • Fairly lightweight
  • Easy to learn

Read more reviews of the D3500 on Amazon

Canon EOS Rebel T5

  • Excellent picture quality
  • Good feature set
  • Intuitive to use

Read more reviews of the T6i on Amazon

Conclusion

Overall the Nikon D3500 edges out the Canon T6i, especially considering the longer battery life and lower price point.

The specs are pretty comparable, but it’s also smaller and easier to use.

Looking for a Nikon alternative to the D3500? Check out our comparison with the D5500.

However, if you have a slightly larger budget and are partial to Canon, the T6i might also serve you well, especially if you are into Sports Photography.

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