CameraComparison

Camera Comparison

All images in jpg format (not converted, only re-sized)

	iPhone XS Max (512GB)	Nikon D5500	Nikon Z6
Original price with lens	$1,450	$900	$2,650
Type	Smartphone	DSLR	Mirrorless
Lens format	Fixed	DX	Z
Focal length		1.5x FX	1x
Mega-pixels	12	24.2	24.5
AF (auto-focus) points		39	273
FPS (frames per second) max	Burst mode	5	12
ISO (image sensor sensitivity)		100-25,600	100-51,200
Image processing	A12 Bionic chip	Expeed 4	Expeed 6
Slow motion video	1080 at 240fps	1080 at 60fps	1080 at 120fps
Highest quality video	4K at 60fps	1080 at 60fps	4K at 30fps
Camera and lens/case weight in pounds	.525	1.499	2.377
Storage	Internal	SD	QXD
Original photo dimensions	4032x2034	6000x4000	6000x4000
Original photo sizes	jpg: 1.6MB raw: n/a	jpg: 14MB raw: 31MB	jpg: 15MB raw: 32MB
Portrait
Portrait up close
Landscape
Sports
Transfer to computer (1.9 GB in seconds)	69 seconds using airdrop	25 seconds using an SD card reader	8 seconds using a QXD card reader

Notes

The iPhone
- took the longest to frame and focus
- took a lot of pictures in burst mode but picked it's favorite for me, it was a little bit difficult to get one of the other shots
- action shots have no bokeh
- takes great photos and is usually readily available
The Nikon D5500
- looked a little more zoomed in because it is not a full frame camera
- only took about 4 fps and slowed down as it went
- action shots have nice bokeh
- was very easy to focus
The Nikon Z6
- is quite a bit larger (physically)
- was very fast with my action shots and took a ton of them (26 over 8 seconds)
- action shots have nice bokeh
- was very easy to focus

blogs

2024 Zildjian Custom Special Dry Pack and Zildjian K Sweet Pack (posted 11-09-2024)
2024 Kirks A400 Traps Drums Drumset (posted 09-29-2024)
2024 Tree Project (posted 09-05-2024)
2023 Oculocutaneous Albinism (posted 03-28-2023)
2022 Allocate Time Log (posted 09-02-2022)
2022 Setting Up Your Mac (posted 07-30-2022)
Emmaus Music (posted 01-29-2022)
2022 Gretsch Catalina Maple new drum head sound check (posted 01-22-2022)
2022 Griffin Remote Hi Hat Stand (posted 01-22-2022)
2022 New Amedia Cymbals (posted 01-08-2022)
2021 Hi Hat Fun (posted 08-30-2021)
2021 Senior Pictures for Seth (posted 08-28-2021)
2021 August Worship Drummer Weekly Freebie (posted 08-01-2021)
2021 July Worship Drummer Weekly Freebie (posted 07-27-2021)
2021 June Worship Drummer Weekly Freebie (posted 07-19-2021)
2021 Doug Dunaway Memorial Motocross Junior Track (posted 06-27-2021)
2021 Father's Day (posted 06-20-2021)
iPhone 11 Pro Max camera vs iPhone 12 Pro Max camera (posted 06-03-2021)
2021 20 inch Zildjian EFX cymbal (posted 06-02-2021)
2021 Floor Snare Debut (posted 05-15-2021)
2021 Drum Desk Light (posted 05-11-2021)
2021 May Worship Drummer Weekly Freebie (posted 05-02-2021)
2021 Remove Drums for Practicing (posted 04-18-2021)
2021 Amedia 19 inch Thrace Series Crash (posted 04-08-2021)
2021 Zildjian Gong Sheet (posted 03-29-2021)
2021 Microphone Challenge - Samson Q2U vs MacBook Pro (posted 03-27-2021)
2021 Audio Quality Test for Screen Recordings (posted 03-25-2021)
2021 Cost of Video Editing (posted 03-31-2021)
2020 2nd Hand Hammered Snare Drum and Big Fat Snare Drum (posted 11-10-2020)
2020 Drum Lights (posted 11-03-2020)
2020 Cymbal Garden (posted 08-30-2020)
2020 Gibraltar Rack (posted 08-18-2020)
2020 Hand Hammered Snare Drum (posted 08-12-2020)
2020 Yamaha MOTIF XS8 key transposing demo (posted 07-04-2020)
2020 Refinishing d2 ddrums (posted 06-19-2020)
2020 Djembe Sampler (posted 06-06-2020)
2020 Floor Tom End Tables (posted 06-06-2020, updated 07-22-2020)
2020 Bass Drum Ottoman (posted 05-13-2020)
2020 Drum Kit Sound Test (posted 05-09-2020)
2020 Paradiddles (for Bob Packwood) (posted 05-09-2020)
2020 Big Fat Snare Drum demo (posted 05-09-2020)
2020 AKG vs CAD Pro Bass Drum mics (posted 05-09-2020)
2020 Amedia Galata and Dervish Stingray cymbal demo (posted 03-15-2020)
2019 Kirk's Gretsch Energy Drum Set (posted 12-31-2019)
2019 Studio Upgrade (posted 12-31-2019)
Kirk's (Tama) Drumset as it went to Tim Terry (posted 12-07-2019)
Engagement Photos (posted 10-19-2019)
2019 Recording Audio for Cross Country video (posted 10-07-2019)
2019 Nikon Follow Your Passion Video Contest by Kirk Hopkins (posted 08-10-2019)
2019 Church Drumset (posted 07-17-2019)
2019 Drum Cage (posted 06-19-2019)
Camera Comparison (posted 05-25-2019)
2019 The Making of Light Background Music (How I Record Music) (posted 05-12-2019)
Church Stage Design (posted 03-16-2019 with updates for each new design)
2018 GoPro Hero6 Black vs Hero7 Black (posted 10-23-2018)
2018 21 and 17 inch Zildjian K Custom Special Dry EFX cymbals (posted 05-01-2018)
2018 Capo Review (posted 05-04-2018)
2018 Gretsch EQ test (posted 03-31-2018)
Kirk's Zildjian Dry Cymbals (posted 03-31-2018)
2018 GoPro Hero 5 vs GoPro Hero 6 (posted 03-05-2018)
Kirk's (Tama) Drum Lesson Drumset (posted 04-03-2017, updated 03-08-2018, updated 03-31-2018, updated 02-09-2019)
2017 New Driveway (posted 04-01-2018)
Senior Pictures (posted 01-10-2018)
College - Does it make financial sense to go? (posted 11-30-2017)
2017 Harrison Junior High Cross Country (posted 11-10-2017)
UNI Journal (Private) (posted 11-04-2017)
Countdown Creation (posted 10-23-2017)
Sanctuary Remodel (posted 06-18-2017, updated 03-05-2018)
Outdoor Movie Screen (posted 06-12-2017)
iPhone 7 Plus Audio Test (posted 05-02-2017)
Worship Leading Song Selection Methodology (posted 04-17-2017)
Church Presentation Software Comparison (posted 04-15-2017, updated 08-13-2017)
Kirk's Wuhans and Zildjian Cymbals (posted 04-10-2017)
Kirk's Dream Drumset - Gretsch Catalina Maple - Satin Deep Cherry Burst (posted 04-03-2017, updated many times)
Song Database Journal (posted 04-03-2017)
2017 Timelapse Spinning in 4K (posted 02-22-2017)
2017 Timelapse and Duzi Slider Testing (posted 02-22-2017)
2017 Camcorder and Camera Comparison (posted 02-12-2017)
2017 GoPro Hero4 vs iPhone 7 Plus (posted 02-12-2017)
2016 Cigar Box Guitar (posted 02-14-2016)
2015 Camera and Camcorder Comparison (posted 09-17-2015)
2014 Drum test with new small tom drum heads (posted 01-04-2014)
2013 How to Mic a Large Drumset (posted 04-04-2013)
2012 Using GarageBand with an MBox 2 Mini (posted 10-15-2012)