D5vs Pentax 17
Nikon
D5 (2016)
Starting from £1800 new
Best for Professional Sports, Photojournalism & Wildlife
View D5
Pentax
Pentax 17 (2024)
Starting from £400 new
Best for Film photography enthusiasts & diptych storytelling
View Pentax 17
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.
Film Photography Enthusiasts & Diptych Storytelling — Pentax 17 (2024): The best new film camera of the decade — manual controls, a sharp lens, and a half-frame format that doubles your roll and forces a new way of seeing.
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
Quick take: The pentax 17 is the most affordable; only the d5 is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | D5 (2016) | Pentax 17 (2024) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £1,800 | £400 |
| Sensor | 20.8MP full-frame BSI CMOS | 35mm half-frame (18 × 24mm) |
| Resolution | 20.8MP | — |
| Video | 4K UHD 30fps (heavy sensor crop) | N/A — film camera |
| Autofocus | Multi-CAM 20K 153-point AF system, 99 cross-type | Zone focus (0.35m / 1m / 3m / ∞) |
| Stabilisation | — | N/A — film camera |
| Burst Rate | 12fps mechanical | Manual wind-on |
| Battery Life | ~3780 shots (CIPA) | 2× CR2 lithium batteries |
| Weight | 1405g (body only) | ~165g (without batteries) |
| Dimensions | 160 × 158.5 × 92mm | 113 × 66 × 44mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | No |
| Viewfinder | OVF 0.72× magnification, 100% coverage | Optical viewfinder with half-frame framelines |
| Screen | 3.2" tilting touchscreen, 2.36M dots | N/A |
| Mount | Nikon F mount | 35mm film (ISO 25–3200 via DX coding + manual dial) |
| Memory Cards | Dual XQD slots (XQD variant) | 35mm 135-format film cartridge |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Ethernet (RJ-45), USB 3.0 | N/A |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | D5 | Pentax 17 |
|---|---|---|
| Sports & Action | — | |
| Wildlife | — | |
| Wedding & Events | — | |
| Street | ||
| Portrait | ||
| Landscape | ||
| Travel | — | |
| Everyday | — | |
| Low Light | — |
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