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Lumix S9vs D5

GearFrame · Updated March 2026

Lumix Lumix S9 Lumix Lumix S9 (2024) Starting from £1299 new Best for Travel photographers, content creators & L-mount entry buyers View Lumix S9
VS
Nikon D5 Nikon D5 (2016) Starting from £1800 new Best for Professional Sports, Photojournalism & Wildlife View D5

GearScore™ Verdict — Which should you buy?

Travel Photographers, Content Creators & L-Mount Entry Buyers — Lumix S9 (2024): The most compact full-frame camera available — a perfect travel and content creation companion with brilliant colour science.

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.

↓ Full specifications below

Lumix S9 (2024)

  • Travel photographers who want full-frame quality in the most compact package
  • Content creators attracted to Real-time LUT and 10-bit video
  • Photographers already in the L-mount ecosystem wanting a lightweight second body
  • Lumix S5 II users who want something smaller for travel and casual shooting

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 lumix s9 has the highest resolution at 24mp; the lumix s9 is the most affordable; only the d5 is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.

Full specifications

Specification Lumix S9 (2024)D5 (2016)
Price £1,299 £1,800
Sensor 24.2MP Full-Frame CMOS 20.8MP full-frame BSI CMOS
Resolution 24.2MP 20.8MP
Video 4K/60p (10-bit), C4K/60p, 1080p/240p 4K UHD 30fps (heavy sensor crop)
Autofocus Contrast-detect AF with subject recognition Multi-CAM 20K 153-point AF system, 99 cross-type
Stabilisation IBIS — up to 5 stops
Burst Rate 30fps electronic 12fps mechanical
Battery Life ~310 shots (CIPA) ~3780 shots (CIPA)
Weight 413g (with battery) 1405g (body only)
Dimensions 124.6 × 73.9 × 52.8mm 160 × 158.5 × 92mm
Weather Sealed No Yes
Viewfinder None — rear screen only OVF 0.72× magnification, 100% coverage
Screen 3.0" tilting touchscreen (touch drag AF) 3.2" tilting touchscreen, 2.36M dots
Mount Leica L mount Nikon F mount
Memory Cards Single SD UHS-II slot Dual XQD slots (XQD variant)
Connectivity USB-C, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Ethernet (RJ-45), USB 3.0
Genre Lumix S9D5
Travel
9.0
Vlogging & Video
9.0
Street
9.0
8.0
Portrait
7.0
7.0
Landscape
7.0
7.0
Sports
4.0
Sports & Action
10.0
Wildlife
9.0
Wedding & Events
8.0

GearScore™ suitability scores are based on aggregated purchaser reviews weighted by photography genre. See how scores are calculated →

⚡ Compare specs side by side Lumix S9 prices → D5 prices →

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