EOS M5vs D850
Nikon
D850 (2017)
Starting from £2199 new
Best for Landscape, wildlife & professional studio photography
View D850
GearScore™ Verdict — Which should you buy?
Travel & Portrait — EOS M5 (2016): The EOS M5 was the first EF-M camera with a built-in EVF — and it made the system feel complete. Fast Dual Pixel AF, a 9fps burst, and a high-resolution articulating screen deliver a confident shooting experience. No IBIS and 1080p video only limit its appeal for hybrid work, but for stills photographers it remains one of the most well-rounded EF-M bodies available.
Landscape, Wildlife & Professional Studio Photography — D850 (2017): The finest DSLR ever made — 45MP, 9fps, and nearly 2000 shots per charge in a body that still outperforms most mirrorless cameras for battery life.
Who should buy what
EOS M5 (2016)
- Enthusiast photographers who want an EVF in a compact EF-M body
- Photographers switching from DSLR who want familiar handling
- Portrait and travel photographers who value fast AF and good ergonomics
- Used-market buyers wanting a capable EF-M stills camera
D850 (2017)
- Nikon F-mount lens owners who want the highest resolution DSLR before switching to mirrorless
- Landscape and wildlife photographers who value the optical viewfinder and outstanding battery life
- Professional photographers who need 45MP resolution without the price of a medium format system
- Photojournalists and event photographers with a large F-mount lens investment
Quick take: The d850 has the highest resolution at 46mp; the eos m5 is the most affordable; only the d850 is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | EOS M5 (2016) | D850 (2017) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £350 | £2,199 |
| Sensor | 24.2MP APS-C CMOS (Dual Pixel) | 45.7MP full-frame BSI-CMOS |
| Resolution | 24.2MP | 45.7MP |
| Video | 1080p/60p | 4K UHD/30p, 1080p/120p |
| Autofocus | Dual Pixel CMOS AF with face detection | 153-point AF system (99 cross-type) — Multi-CAM 20K |
| Stabilisation | — | None (relies on VR lenses) |
| Burst Rate | 9fps | 9fps (7fps with tilt screen AF) |
| Battery Life | ~295 shots (CIPA) | ~1840 shots (CIPA) — outstanding |
| Weight | 427g (body only) | 915g body only |
| Dimensions | 116.2 × 88.1 × 60.6mm | 146 × 124 × 78.5mm |
| Weather Sealed | No | Yes |
| Viewfinder | Electronic, 2.36M dots, 0.39" type | Optical pentaprism — 0.75× magnification, 100% coverage |
| Screen | 3.2" fully articulating touchscreen, 1.62M dots | 3.2" tilting touchscreen, 2.36M dots |
| Mount | Canon EF-M mount | Nikon F-mount (FX) |
| Memory Cards | Single SD UHS-I slot | Dual slots — XQD and SD UHS-II |
| Connectivity | USB, Wi-Fi, NFC, Bluetooth | USB 3.0, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, 3.5mm mic & headphone jacks |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | EOS M5 | D850 |
|---|---|---|
| Travel | ||
| Portrait | ||
| Street | — | |
| Casual | — | |
| Landscape | ||
| Sports & Action | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Wildlife | — | |
| Sports | — |
GearScore™ suitability scores are based on aggregated purchaser reviews weighted by photography genre. See how scores are calculated →
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Camera family history