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  1. Table of Contents
  2. Top
  3. Main Differences
  4. Design
    1. Portability
    2. Build Quality
    3. Body
    4. In The Box
    5. Ergonomics & Comfort
    6. Viewfinder
    7. Screen
    8. Menu System
    9. Built-In Lens
    10. Sensor
    11. Battery
  5. Photo General
    1. Photo Shooting Speed
    2. Photo AF-C Tracking
    3. Photo AF-C Center Point
    4. Photo Image Stabilization
  6. Photo Image Quality
    1. Photo RAW Dynamic Range
    2. Photo RAW Sharpness
    3. Photo RAW Noise
  7. Pictures Sample Gallery
    1. The Skate Park Picture
    2. The Polish Church Picture
    3. The Studio Picture
    4. The Stairway Picture
  8. Video General
    1. Video Features
    2. Audio
    3. Video File Format And Compression
  9. 4k Video
    1. 4k Video Frame Rate
    2. 4k Video Internal Recording
    3. 4k Video Autofocus Performance
    4. 4k Video Quality
    5. 4k Video Rolling Shutter Effect
  10. Full HD Video
    1. FHD Video Frame Rate
    2. FHD Video Internal Recording
    3. FHD Video Autofocus Performance
    4. FHD Video Quality
    5. FHD Video Rolling Shutter Effect
  11. Storage And Connectivity
    1. Storage
    2. Inputs / Outputs
  12. Comments

Nikon D3500 vs Canon EOS Rebel T8i/850D

Side-by-Side Comparison

Products

Nikon D3500
Canon EOS Rebel T8i/850D

Tested using Methodology v0.12.1

Updated Sep 16, 2024 02:31 PM

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Amazon.com

Tested using Methodology v0.12.1

Updated Sep 12, 2024 05:08 PM

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Amazon.com
Nikon D3500 Picture
Canon EOS Rebel T8i/850D Picture

Variants

  • D3500 (Black (Body Only))
  • D3500 (Black W/18-55mm Lens)
  • EOS Rebel T8i/850D (Black (Body Only))
  • EOS Rebel T8i/850D (Black W/ 18-55mm STM Lens)

Our Verdict

Nikon D3500

Canon EOS Rebel T8i/850D

The Canon EOS Rebel T8i/850D is better overall than the Nikon D3500. It has a slightly more capable sensor, a faster max burst rate, and a more advanced autofocus system, along with extra features like 4k video capability and a fully articulated touchscreen. That said, the D3500 has a unique 'Guide Mode' to help new users grasp the basics of photography, meaning it may be preferable for absolute beginners.

0

Main Differences for

Threshold 

0.10

Travel Photography 

7.2
7.4

Screen Max Brightness 
 

470 cd/m²
970 cd/m²

Portability 
 

5.8
4.7

Ergonomics & Comfort 
 

7.0
8.0

Full Comparison

Design

Portability 
 

5.8
4.7

Portability Picture  

Nikon D3500 Portability Picture
Canon EOS Rebel T8i/850D Portability Picture

Height 
 

3.9" (9.9 cm)
4.1" (10.3 cm)

Width 
 

4.8" (12.3 cm)
5.1" (12.9 cm)

Depth 
 

3.0" (7.5 cm)
3.2" (8.2 cm)

Volume 
 

55.7 in³ (913.3 cm³)
66.0 in³ (1,081.1 cm³)

Weight 
 

0.93 lbs (0.42 kg)
1.18 lbs (0.53 kg)

Show text

Build Quality 
 

6.5
6.5

Build Quality Picture  

Nikon D3500 Build Quality Picture
Canon EOS Rebel T8i/850D Build Quality Picture

Show text

Body  

Body Picture  

Nikon D3500 Body Picture
Canon EOS Rebel T8i/850D Body Picture

Body Type 
 

DSLR
DSLR

Water Resistance 
 

No
No

Mirrorless 
 

No
No

Rugged 
 

No
No

Hot Shoe 
 

Yes
Yes

Customizable Button 
 

No
No

Command Dial 
 

1
2

Tripod Mount 
 

Yes
Yes

Lens Mount 
 

F Mount
EF/EF-S Mount

Built-In Flash 
 

Yes
Yes

Fastest Shutter Speed 
 

1/4,000 s
1/4,000 s

In The Box  

In The Box Picture  

Nikon D3500 In The Box Picture
Canon EOS Rebel T8i/850D In The Box Picture

Show text

Ergonomics & Comfort 
 

7.0
8.0

Hand Grip Picture  

Nikon D3500 Hand Grip Picture
Canon EOS Rebel T8i/850D Hand Grip Picture

Hand Grip: Small Hand 
 

Yes
Yes

Hand Grip: Medium Hand 
 

Yes
Yes

Hand Grip: Large Hand 
 

Yes
Yes

Hand Grip: Extra-Large Hand 
 

Yes
Yes

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Viewfinder 
 

EVF Menu Picture  

Nikon D3500 EVF Menu Picture
Canon EOS Rebel T8i/850D EVF Menu Picture

Viewfinder Type 
 

Optical
Optical

Advertised Coverage 
 

95%
95%

Advertised Resolution 
 

N/A
N/A

Advertised Magnification 
 

0.85
0.82

Show text

Screen 
 

3.2
9.5

Screen Picture  

Nikon D3500 Screen Picture
Canon EOS Rebel T8i/850D Screen Picture

Screen Articulation Type 
 

No Articulation (Fixed Screen)
Fully-Articulated

Screen Max Brightness 
 

470 cd/m²
970 cd/m²

Advertised Resolution 
 

0.92 million dots
1.04 million dots

Size 
 

3.0" (7.6 cm)
3.0" (7.6 cm)

Touchscreen 
 

No
Yes

Show text

Menu System 
 

8.5
9.0

Screen Menu Picture  

Nikon D3500 Screen Menu Picture
Canon EOS Rebel T8i/850D Screen Menu Picture

Guide Mode 
 

Yes
Yes

App Name 
 

Nikon SnapBridge
Canon Camera Connect

Show text

Built-In Lens 
 

0.0
0.0

Aperture Vs Focal Length  

Nikon D3500 Aperture Vs Focal Length
Canon EOS Rebel T8i/850D Aperture Vs Focal Length

Maximum Aperture 
 

No built-in lens
No built-in lens

Max Aperture (Full-Frame Equivalent) 
 

N/A
N/A

Minimum Focal Length 
 

N/A
N/A

Maximum Focal Length 
 

N/A
N/A

Max Focal Length (Full-Frame Equivalent) 
 

N/A
N/A

Optical Image Stabilization 
 

No
No

Light Falloff Picture  

Nikon D3500 Light Falloff Picture
Canon EOS Rebel T8i/850D Light Falloff Picture

Luminance 
 

N/A
N/A

Light Falloff 
 

N/A
N/A

Sensor 
 

Sensor Type 
 

CMOS
CMOS

Advertised Effective Pixels 
 

24.2 MP
24.1 MP

Processor 
 

EXPEED 4
DIGIC 8

Sensor Size 
 

APS-C
APS-C

Extended ISO Minimum 
 

N/A
N/A

Native ISO Minimum (Base ISO) 
 

100
100

Native ISO Maximum 
 

25,600
25,600

Tested Firmware 
 

1.0
Ver. 1.0.0

Battery 
 

7.9
7.8

Battery Type 
 

Nikon EN-EL14a
Canon LP-E17

USB Charging 
 

No
No

Power Delivery While Recording 
 

No
No

Advertised Battery Life In Photo 
 

1,550 photos
1,240 photos

Tested Battery Life In Video 
 

120 min
116 min

Show text

Photo General

Photo Shooting Speed 
 

4.8
5.5

Low Speed Continuous 
 

N/A
4 fps

High Speed Continuous 
 

5 fps
7 fps

Silent Shooting Continuous 
 

N/A
N/A

Raw Buffer Size 
 

8 Photos
33 Photos

JPEG Buffer Size 
 

100 Photos
132 Photos

Buffer Empty Time 
 

3 s
11 s

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Photo AF-C Tracking 
 

5.1
7.0

Autofocus Tracking Shots  

tracking-run-01-01
Run 01
AF-C Tracking 01
tracking-run-01-01
Run 01
AF-C Tracking 01

Perfect Focus Hit Rate 
 

39%
56%

Usable Focus Hit Rate 
 

45%
79%

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Photo AF-C Center Point 
 

9.0
9.0

Autofocus Center Point Shots  

center-point-run-01-01
Run 01
AF-C Center Point 01
center-point-run-01-01
Run 01
AF-C Center Point 01

Perfect Focus Hit Rate 
 

87%
87%

Usable Focus Hit Rate 
 

100%
100%

Show text

Photo Image Stabilization 
 

8.0
8.0

Stabilization Slideshow  

Minimum Shutter Speed Achieved 
 

1/10 s
1/10 s

In-Body Image Stabilization 
 

No
No

Show text

Photo Image Quality

Photo RAW Dynamic Range 
 

7.6
7.5

Dynamic Range Scene  

Nikon D3500 Dynamic Range Scene
Canon EOS Rebel T8i/850D Dynamic Range Scene

Dynamic Range At Base ISO 
 

9.8 f-stops
9.8 f-stops

Dynamic Range At 1/500s Exposure Time 
 

8.3 f-stops
8.0 f-stops

Dynamic Range At 1/2000s Exposure Time 
 

6.9 f-stops
6.7 f-stops

Dynamic Range At 1/4000s Exposure Time 
 

6.1 f-stops
5.8 f-stops

Show text

Photo RAW Sharpness 
 

7.4
7.6

Sharpness Scene Crop  

Nikon D3500 Sharpness Scene Crop
Canon EOS Rebel T8i/850D Sharpness Scene Crop

MTF Graph  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Vertical Edge MTF50 At Base ISO 
 

1,646 LW/PH
1,583 LW/PH

Horizontal Edge MTF50 At Base ISO 
 

1,648 LW/PH
1,821 LW/PH

Show text

Photo RAW Noise 
 

6.6
6.8

Noise Scene Crop  

Nikon D3500 Noise Scene Crop
Canon EOS Rebel T8i/850D Noise Scene Crop

Noise Vs Exposure Time  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

SNR 18% At 1/8 Exposure Time (125 ms) 
 

33.3dB
32.9dB

SNR 18% At 1/30 Exposure Time (33 ms) 
 

29.3 dB
29.8 dB

SNR 18% At 1/125 Exposure Time (8 ms) 
 

23.9 dB
25.3 dB

SNR 18% At 1/500 Exposure Time (2 ms) 
 

17.8dB
20.1dB

Show text

Pictures Sample Gallery

The Skate Park Picture 
 

Sample Gallery - Skate Park   

Nikon D3500 Sample Gallery - Skate Park
Canon EOS Rebel T8i/850D Sample Gallery - Skate Park

JPEG Skate Park Picture  

RAW Skate Park Picture  

The Polish Church Picture 
 

Sample Gallery - Church  

Nikon D3500 Sample Gallery - Church
Canon EOS Rebel T8i/850D Sample Gallery - Church

JPEG Polish Church Picture  

RAW Polish Church Picture  

The Studio Picture 
 

Sample Gallery - Studio  

Nikon D3500 Sample Gallery - Studio
Canon EOS Rebel T8i/850D Sample Gallery - Studio

JPEG Studio Picture  

RAW Studio Picture  

The Stairway Picture 
 

Sample Gallery - Stairway  

Nikon D3500 Sample Gallery - Stairway
Canon EOS Rebel T8i/850D Sample Gallery - Stairway

JPEG Stairway Picture  

RAW Stairway Picture  

Video General

Video Features  

Full HD Video 
 

Yes
Yes

4k Video 
 

No
Yes

6k Video 
 

No
No

Clean HDMI Output 
 

No
Yes

Advertised Max Chroma Sampling Over HDMI 
 

Not Advertised
Not Advertised

Advertised Max Bit Depth Over HDMI 
 

N/A
N/A

Log Picture Profile 
 

No
No

Recording Light  
 

No
No

Audio  

Audio Test Sample 
 

Audio Recording 
 

Mono
Stereo

Microphone Level Display 
 

Yes
No

Video File Format And Compression  

MP4 H.264 / MPEG-4 AVC 
 

No
Yes

MP4 H.265 / HEVC 
 

No
No

MOV H.264 / MPEG-4 AVC 
 

Yes
Yes

MOV H.265 / HEVC 
 

No
No

AVCHD H.264 / MPEG-4 AVC 
 

No
No

All-I Compression 
 

No
Yes
4k Video

4k Video Frame Rate 
 

0.0
3.0

240 fps In 4k 
 

No
No

120 fps In 4k 
 

No
No

60 fps In 4k 
 

No
No

30 fps In 4k 
 

No
No

24 fps In 4k 
 

No
Yes, with a Crop

4k Crop At Max Available fps 
 

N/A
1.51 x

4k Video Internal Recording 
 

0.0
7.9

Bitrate Maximum In 4k 
 

N/A
130 Mbps

Bitrate Minimum In 4k 
 

N/A
130 Mbps

Chroma Sampling In 4k 
 

No
4:2:0

Bit Depth In 4k 
 

N/A
8 Bit

Record Time Limit In 4k 
 

0 min
30 min

Overheat Recording Interruptions in 4k 
 

N/A
0

4k Video Autofocus Performance 
 

0.0
4.3

4k Object Tracking Video  

Object Tracking In 4k 
 

0
5.7

4k Face Tracking Video  

Face Tracking In 4k 
 

0
1.0

Face Detection In 4k 
 

N/A
Yes

Eye Detection In 4k 
 

N/A
Yes

4k Video Quality 
 

0.0
6.0

4k Sample Low Light Video  

Low Light Capability In 4k  

0
5.0

4k Test Scene Extract  

Nikon D3500 4k Test Scene Extract
Canon EOS Rebel T8i/850D 4k Test Scene Extract

Test Scene Extract In 4k  

0
7.0

4k Video Rolling Shutter Effect 
 

0.0
2.0

Rolling Shutter Video in 4k  

4k Rolling Shutter 
 

N/A
12.3°
Full HD Video

FHD Video Frame Rate 
 

8.5
8.5

240 fps In FHD 
 

No
No

120 fps In FHD 
 

No
No

60 fps In FHD 
 

Yes
Yes

30 fps In FHD 
 

Yes
Yes

24 fps In FHD 
 

Yes
Yes

FHD Crop At Max Available fps 
 

1 x
1 x

Show text

FHD Video Internal Recording 
 

6.9
7.6

Bitrate Maximum In FHD 
 

35 Mbps
60 Mbps

Bitrate Minimum In FHD 
 

10 Mbps
13 Mbps

Chroma Sampling In FHD 
 

4:2:0
4:2:0

Bit Depth In FHD 
 

8 Bit
8 Bit

Record Time Limit in FHD 
 

20 min
30 min

Show text

FHD Video Autofocus Performance 
 

3.5
8.3

Object Tracking Video  

Object Tracking In FHD 
 

5.7
8.0

FHD Face Tracking Video  

Face Tracking In FHD 
 

0.7
8.0

Face Detection In FHD 
 

Yes
Yes

Eye Detection In FHD 
 

No
Yes

Show text

FHD Video Quality 
 

5.7
5.5

FHD Sample Low Light Video  

Low Light Capability In FHD  

6.0
5.0

FHD Test Scene Extract In FHD  

Nikon D3500 FHD Test Scene Extract In FHD
Canon EOS Rebel T8i/850D FHD Test Scene Extract In FHD

Test Scene Extract In FHD  

5.4
6.0

Show text

FHD Video Rolling Shutter Effect 
 

7.0
6.8

Rolling Shutter Video in FHD  

FHD Rolling Shutter 
 

4.0°
4.7°

Show text

Storage And Connectivity

Storage  

Card Slot Picture  

Nikon D3500 Card Slot Picture
Canon EOS Rebel T8i/850D Card Slot Picture

Card 1 Slot 
 

SD Card UHS-I
SD Card UHS-I

Card 2 Slot 
 

No 2nd Card Slot
No 2nd Card Slot

Show text

Inputs / Outputs 
 

4.8
7.8

Input Picture  

Nikon D3500 Input Picture
Canon EOS Rebel T8i/850D Input Picture

USB 
 

Micro USB
Micro USB

HDMI 
 

Mini (Type C)
Mini (Type C)

Headphones 
 

No
No

Microphone 
 

No Microphone input
Stereo

Wi-Fi 
 

No
Yes

Bluetooth 
 

Yes
Yes

Show text

Nikon D3500

Canon EOS Rebel T8i/850D

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