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 the 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
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 – 25600 | 100 – 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 | Yes | Yes |
| 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 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 the 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
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 the difference in resolution. A higher resolution screen provides sharper images which make 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 are pretty comperable. 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
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 Sensor | 24 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 fps | Continuous 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.
