D5vs Z6 III
Nikon
D5 (2016)
Starting from £1800 new
Best for Professional Sports, Photojournalism & Wildlife
View D5
GearScore™ Verdict — Which should you buy?
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.
Hybrid Video & Action — Z6 III (2024): Partial-stacked FF sensor for near-zero blackout, 6K RAW video, and 60fps burst — Nikon's most capable hybrid.
Who should buy what
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
Z6 III (2024)
- Hybrid photographers who want partially-stacked sensor speed with full-frame quality
- Z6 II owners ready for a major AF and video upgrade
- Sports and action shooters who want 6K RAW video and fast burst
- Professionals who want a versatile full-frame Z body for any situation
Quick take: The z6 iii has the highest resolution at 24mp; the d5 is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | D5 (2016) | Z6 III (2024) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £1,800 | £2,199 |
| Sensor | 20.8MP full-frame BSI CMOS | 24.5MP Full-frame Partial-stacked CMOS |
| Resolution | 20.8MP | 24.5MP |
| Video | 4K UHD 30fps (heavy sensor crop) | 6K/60p RAW, 4K/120p, 4K/60p oversampled, N-Log, 10-bit |
| Autofocus | Multi-CAM 20K 153-point AF system, 99 cross-type | Phase-detect, 273 points, subject detection (human/animal/vehicle/aircraft) |
| Stabilisation | — | 5-axis IBIS, 6.0 stops |
| Burst Rate | 12fps mechanical | 20fps mechanical, 60fps electronic |
| Battery Life | ~3780 shots (CIPA) | ~380 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 1405g (body only) | 760g body only |
| Dimensions | 160 × 158.5 × 92mm | 138.5 × 101.5 × 74.0mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | OVF 0.72× magnification, 100% coverage | EVF, 5.76M dots, 0.90× magnification |
| Screen | 3.2" tilting touchscreen, 2.36M dots | 3.2" fully articulating touchscreen |
| Mount | Nikon F mount | Nikon Z-mount (full-frame) |
| Memory Cards | Dual XQD slots (XQD variant) | Dual slots: CFexpress Type B + SD UHS-II |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Ethernet (RJ-45), USB 3.0 | USB-C 3.2, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | D5 | Z6 III |
|---|---|---|
| Sports & Action | ||
| Wildlife | ||
| Wedding & Events | ||
| Street | — | |
| Portrait | ||
| Landscape | ||
| Vlogging & Video | — |
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