Who should buy the Nikon D300 vs Nikon D5?

Nikon D5 is best for Professional Sports, Photojournalism & Wildlife.

D300 vs D5

Name: Nikon D300
Brand: Nikon
Price: 44.00 GBP
Availability: InStock

Quick take: The D5 has the highest resolution at 21MP; the D300 is the most affordable.

16 specs side by side·14 genres scored·UK prices from Wex Photo Video and Clifton Cameras

How to read this page. Highlighted cells win that row on the spec alone. Genre scores are the engine's base scores (enthusiast, photo and video); Camera Match re-weights them for your level and priorities. Price buttons are affiliate links; the price you pay is the same.

Nikon D300 2007

£44 used today at eBay

Used £44 at eBay → Full specs & prices

Nikon D5 2016 Best for Professional Sports, Photojournalism & Wildlife

£819 used today at Wex Photo Video

Used £819 at Wex Photo Video → Full specs & prices

Price buttons are affiliate links — GearFrame may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It never affects a score. Learn more

Verdictwhich should you buy?

D5 — Professional Sports, Photojournalism & Wildlife: 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

D5 (2016)

is the right camera for you if…

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

Full specificationsthe better value in each row is highlighted

Specification	D300Nikon · 2007	D5Nikon · 2016
Price	£44 usedBest	£819 used
Sensor	12.3MP APS-C CMOS	20.8MP full-frame BSI CMOS
Resolution	12.3MP	20.8MPBest
Video	No video	4K UHD 30fps (heavy sensor crop)
Autofocus	51-point phase-detect (15 cross-type) via viewfinder; contrast AF in live view (tripod mode)	Multi-CAM 20K 153-point AF system, 99 cross-type
Stabilisation	No IBIS (lens-based stabilisation only)	—
Burst Rate	6fps	12fps mechanicalBest
Battery Life	~1000 shots (CIPA)	~3780 shots (CIPA)Best
Weight	905g (with battery)Best	1405g (body only)
Dimensions	147 × 114 × 74mm	160 × 158.5 × 92mm
Weather Sealed	Yes	Yes
Viewfinder	Optical pentaprism, 100% coverage, 0.94x	OVF 0.72× magnification, 100% coverage
Screen	3.0" fixed LCD, 920k dots	3.2" fixed touchscreen, 2.36M dots
Mount	Nikon F-mount (DX)	Nikon F mount
Memory Cards	Single CompactFlash slot	Dual XQD slots (XQD variant)
Connectivity	USB 2.0, mini HDMI, 10-pin remote	Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Ethernet (RJ-45), USB 3.0

Wins the row — price, resolution, burst, battery, weight and sealing are compared; text specs aren't ranked.

How they score by genreengine base scores out of 10

Genre

D300

Portrait

5.0/10

6.0/10

Street

4.4/10

3.9/10

Travel

4.5/10

4.0/10

Wedding & Events

4.9/10

6.8/10

Documentary

3.9/10

5.5/10

Sports & Action

5.4/10

6.7/10

Landscape

4.3/10

5.3/10

Wildlife

5.7/10

6.5/10

Casual

2.5/10

2.9/10

Food

3.4/10

4.3/10

Macro

3.1/10

3.6/10

Architecture

3.7/10

4.9/10

Astrophotography

5.5/10

6.3/10

Filmmaking

—

5.5/10

Scores come from the same engine as Camera Match: verified specifications weighted by what each genre needs, with documented adjustments. The product page and this table show the enthusiast base score. See how scores are calculated →

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