Disclaimer : Photography Pursuits is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. As an Amazon Associate this site earns from qualifying purchases.

Does the Nikon D5500 Have a Recording Time Limit?

Yes, the Nikon D5500 has a recording limit, but the limit changes depending on what movie quality you are recording in.

There is also a file size limit to be aware of too.

The Nikon D5500 will stop recording when it reaches the time limit or the file size limit depending on which comes first.

This post tells you what the limits are and also addresses another unexpected way the camera might turn off…

How Long Does The Nikon D5500 Record Before Stopping?

The Nikon D5500 will stop recording when the recording time limit is reached.

The maximum continuous recording time for a single video on the Nikon D5500 is as follows depending on the format you are recording in. 

10 minutes when using:

  • ‘High Movie Quality’ at 1920 x 1080 for ALL frame rates.

20 minutes when using:

  • ‘Normal Movie Quality’ at 1920 x 1080 at 59.94fps or 50fps.
  • ‘High Movie Quality’ at 1920 x 1080 at 29.97fps, 25fps or 23.976fps.

29 minutes and 59 seconds when using:

  • ‘High Movie Quality’ or ‘Normal Movie Quality’ at 640 x 424 at 29.97fps or 25fps.
  • ‘Normal Movie Quality’ at 1280 x 720 at 59.94fps or 50fps.
  • ‘Normal Movie Quality’ at 1920 x 1080 at 29.97fps, 25fps or 23.976fps.

When the Nikon D5500 reaches the recording limits as stated above the camera will automatically stop recording. 

You will have to start a new movie file if you wish to continue recording.

You can change the movie quality and frame rate/frame size from the ‘Movie Settings’ option.

The ‘Movie Settings’ option can be found under the ‘Shooting Menu’.

Note:
The time limit is based on ‘normal’ operating conditions. If the temperature of the camera gets too hot then the recording time may actually be lower than the time limits described above.

Are there File Size Limits For Videos on The Nikon D5500?

Yes the file size limit for the Nikon D5500 for video files is about 4 GB in file size.

When the recording reaches about 4 GB in file size the recording will stop. 

Tips To Avoid Overheating On The Nikon D5500

As mentioned earlier the estimated recording time available is based on normal operating conditions.

If the camera gets too hot then this wouldn’t be classed as ‘normal’ operating conditions.

Here are two tips to make sure your Nikon D5500 can stay cool:

  1. To get the most out of your camera, try to turn it off when it is not being used so it can cool down between recordings.

    Not only will this let it cool down, but it will also save battery life.
  1. You can also move the touch screen away from the camera body.

    This will allow more heat to dissipate from the camera and let it cool off faster.

These two tips will help you reduce the chance of your Nikon D5500 overheating.

My Nikon D5500 Automatically Turns Off Unexpectedly

If your Nikon D5500 is turning off unexpectedly or going into standby you might have the ‘Auto Off Timers’ set to a short time limit. 

The ‘Auto Off Timers’ settings let you choose how long the monitor remains on when no operations are performed. 

Here’s how to change your ‘Auto off timers’ settings on the Nikon D5500:

  1. Go to your ‘Custom Settings Menu’ (this is the pencil icon).
  1. Select ‘Timers/AE lock’.
  1. Scroll to ‘c2 Auto Off Timers’ and select this option.
  1. Under the ‘Auto off timers’ settings you can select your desired time limit for the following:
    • Playback/menus
    • Image Review
    • Live View
    • Standby timer
  1. Select the relevant setting that is causing you issues and change it to the desired time limit. 
  1. You can set these to short, normal, long or custom. I’ve included a screenshot from the manual below describing these options.

Note about ‘Auto Off Timers’*
The monitor and viewfinder will not turn off automatically when your camera is connected to a computer or printer via USB. 

Conclusion

You should now know the different recording limits on the Nikon D5500.

The recording limit on the Nikon D5500 depends on the quality and frame rate/frame size you are recording in.

The recording limit for the Nikon D5500 is one of the following time limits or 4 GB in file size (whichever comes first):

  • 10 minutes
  • 20 minutes
  • 29 minutes and 59 seconds

If you need further info you can find links to the different manuals at the following link:

Related Reading