D5vs BF
Nikon
D5 (2016)
Starting from £1800 new
Best for Professional Sports, Photojournalism & Wildlife
View D5
Sigma
BF (2025)
Starting from £1799 new
Best for Photographers who want to strip back every distraction
View BF
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.
Photographers Who Want To Strip Back Every Distraction — BF (2025): The most radical camera in years — no dials, no buttons, just a flat aluminium body and total creative minimalism.
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
BF (2025)
- Photographers who find camera menus and dials a distraction from the creative process
- L-mount system users who want the lightest, most minimal full-frame body available
- Design enthusiasts who value the object quality and philosophy as much as the output
- Sigma fp/fp L users ready for a more radical step toward minimal photography
Quick take: The bf has the highest resolution at 24mp; the bf is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | D5 (2016) | BF (2025) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £1,800 | £1,799 |
| Sensor | 20.8MP full-frame BSI CMOS | 24MP full-frame BSI CMOS |
| Resolution | 20.8MP | 24.0MP |
| Video | 4K UHD 30fps (heavy sensor crop) | 4K/30p, 1080p/60p |
| Autofocus | Multi-CAM 20K 153-point AF system, 99 cross-type | Phase-detect AF — face and eye detection |
| Stabilisation | — | 5-axis IBIS — 7 stops |
| Burst Rate | 12fps mechanical | 9fps electronic |
| Battery Life | ~3780 shots (CIPA) | ~400 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 1405g (body only) | 427g body only |
| Dimensions | 160 × 158.5 × 92mm | 127.0 × 75.0 × 45.0mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | OVF 0.72× magnification, 100% coverage | EVF 0.75× 3.68M-dot |
| Screen | 3.2" tilting touchscreen, 2.36M dots | 3.15" fully articulating touchscreen — primary interface |
| Mount | Nikon F mount | L-mount (Leica/Panasonic/Sigma) |
| Memory Cards | Dual XQD slots (XQD variant) | Single UHS-II SD slot |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Ethernet (RJ-45), USB 3.0 | USB-C, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | D5 | BF |
|---|---|---|
| Sports & Action | — | |
| Wildlife | — | |
| Wedding & Events | — | |
| Street | ||
| Portrait | ||
| Landscape | ||
| Travel | — | |
| Sports | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | — |
GearScore™ suitability scores are based on aggregated purchaser reviews weighted by photography genre. See how scores are calculated →
More comparisons with D5
Camera family history