Nikon
D5 2016
Best for Professional Sports, Photojournalism & Wildlife
£1800
list price · used from £902 at eBay
Decision tools · Compare
D5 vs Nikon D780
Quick take: The Nikon D780 has the highest resolution at 25MP; the D5 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.
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 | D5Nikon · 2016 | Nikon D780Nikon · 2020 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £1,800Best | £1,999 |
| Sensor | 20.8MP full-frame BSI CMOS | 24.3MP full-frame BSI CMOS |
| Resolution | 20.8MP | 25.0MPBest |
| Video | 4K UHD 30fps (heavy sensor crop) | 4K/30p, 10-bit N-Log via HDMI, 1080p/120p |
| Autofocus | Multi-CAM 20K 153-point AF system, 99 cross-type | 51-point DSLR phase-detect (viewfinder); on-sensor hybrid AF with eye detection (live view/video) |
| Stabilisation | — | No stabilisation |
| Burst Rate | 12fps mechanicalBest | 7fps |
| Battery Life | ~3780 shots (CIPA)Best | 2,260 shots (CIPA, viewfinder) |
| Weight | 1405g (body only) | 840g (with battery and card)Best |
| Dimensions | 160 × 158.5 × 92mm | — |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | OVF 0.72× magnification, 100% coverage | Optical pentaprism, 0.7x magnification, 100% coverage |
| Screen | 3.2" fixed touchscreen, 2.36M dots | Tilting touchscreen |
| Mount | Nikon F mount | Nikon F-mount |
| Memory Cards | Dual XQD slots (XQD variant) | Dual SD (UHS-II) |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Ethernet (RJ-45), USB 3.0 | USB, HDMI, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth |
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
D5
Nikon D780
Portrait
6.0/10
6.7/10
Street
3.9/10
5.4/10
Travel
4.1/10
5.6/10
Wedding & Events
6.8/10
7.3/10
Filmmaking
5.5/10
6.2/10
Documentary
5.5/10
6.5/10
Sports & Action
6.7/10
6.3/10
Landscape
5.3/10
6.2/10
Wildlife
6.5/10
6.2/10
Casual
2.9/10
4.2/10
Food
4.3/10
5.8/10
Macro
3.6/10
5.4/10
Architecture
4.9/10
5.9/10
Astrophotography
6.3/10
6.7/10
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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