EOS Mvs D5
Canon
EOS M (2012)
Starting from £80 new
Best for Canon mirrorless history & EF-M collectors
View EOS M
Nikon
D5 (2016)
Starting from £1800 new
Best for Professional Sports, Photojournalism & Wildlife
View D5
GearScore™ Verdict — Which should you buy?
Canon Mirrorless History & Ef-M Collectors — EOS M (2012): Canon's first mirrorless — a historic body that broke new ground with touch-AF and EF-M, but its sluggish contrast-detect system quickly became its Achilles heel.
Professional Sports, Photojournalism & Wildlife — D5 (2016): Nikon's ultimate pro DSLR and a certified space traveller — the D5's 153-point AF, 12fps, and ISO 3,280,000 made it the weapon of choice for Olympic and space photography.
Who should buy what
EOS M (2012)
- Canon shooters who want the camera that started Canon's mirrorless story
- Budget first-time mirrorless buyers who already own EF/EF-S glass
- Collectors of significant digital camera milestones
D5 (2016)
- Sports and wildlife photographers with an F-mount telephoto investment
- Photojournalists who need the fastest, most reliable DSLR AF available
- Nikon system professionals looking for a flagship body at used prices
- Collectors of cameras with a documented space pedigree
Quick take: The d5 has the highest resolution at 21mp; the eos m is the most affordable; only the d5 is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | EOS M (2012) | D5 (2016) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £80 | £1,800 |
| Sensor | 18MP APS-C CMOS | 20.8MP full-frame BSI CMOS |
| Resolution | 18.0MP | 20.8MP |
| Video | 1080p 30fps | 4K UHD 30fps (heavy sensor crop) |
| Autofocus | Contrast-detect AF only — notoriously slow | Multi-CAM 20K 153-point AF system, 99 cross-type |
| Burst Rate | 4fps | 12fps mechanical |
| Battery Life | ~230 shots (CIPA) | ~3780 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 262g (body only) | 1405g (body only) |
| Dimensions | 108.6 × 66.5 × 32.3mm | 160 × 158.5 × 92mm |
| Weather Sealed | No | Yes |
| Viewfinder | None (optional EVF accessory) | OVF 0.72× magnification, 100% coverage |
| Screen | 3.0" fixed touchscreen, 1.04M dots | 3.2" tilting touchscreen, 2.36M dots |
| Mount | Canon EF-M mount | Nikon F mount |
| Memory Cards | 1× SD/SDHC/SDXC | Dual XQD slots (XQD variant) |
| Connectivity | USB 2.0 | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Ethernet (RJ-45), USB 3.0 |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | EOS M | D5 |
|---|---|---|
| Casual | — | |
| Travel | — | |
| Street | ||
| Portrait | ||
| Vlogging & Video | — | |
| Sports & Action | — | |
| Wildlife | — | |
| Wedding & Events | — | |
| Landscape | — |
GearScore™ suitability scores are based on aggregated purchaser reviews weighted by photography genre. See how scores are calculated →
More comparisons with EOS M
Camera family history