D5vs A1 II
Nikon
D5 (2016)
Starting from £1800 new
Best for Professional Sports, Photojournalism & Wildlife
View D5
Sony
A1 II (2025)
Starting from £6500 new
Best for Professional sports, wildlife & high-resolution studio work
View A1 II
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.
Professional Sports, Wildlife & High-Resolution Studio Work — A1 II (2025): The most complete camera ever made — 50MP, 30fps, 8K, and the world's best EVF in a single flagship body.
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
A1 II (2025)
- Professional sports and wildlife photographers who need 30fps, 50MP, and the best AF available
- Commercial and advertising photographers who demand 50MP resolution alongside pro video specs
- Photojournalists who need a single body capable of handling every assignment
- Sony system shooters ready to invest in the absolute best
Quick take: The a1 ii has the highest resolution at 50mp; the d5 is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | D5 (2016) | A1 II (2025) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £1,800 | £6,500 |
| Sensor | 20.8MP full-frame BSI CMOS | 50.1MP full-frame stacked BSI CMOS |
| Resolution | 20.8MP | 50.1MP |
| Video | 4K UHD 30fps (heavy sensor crop) | 8K/30p, 4K/120p 10-bit, 4K/240p super slow-motion |
| Autofocus | Multi-CAM 20K 153-point AF system, 99 cross-type | AI subject recognition — human, animal, bird, insect, vehicle, aircraft, train |
| Stabilisation | — | 8.5-stop IBIS (with in-lens OSS) |
| Burst Rate | 12fps mechanical | 30fps electronic (with full AF/AE), 10fps mechanical |
| Battery Life | ~3780 shots (CIPA) | ~530 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 1405g (body only) | 743g body only |
| Dimensions | 160 × 158.5 × 92mm | 136.1 × 96.9 × 82.9mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | OVF 0.72× magnification, 100% coverage | EVF 0.9× 9.44M-dot — the highest resolution EVF available |
| Screen | 3.2" tilting touchscreen, 2.36M dots | 3.2" fully articulating touchscreen, 2.1M dots |
| Mount | Nikon F mount | Sony E-mount (full-frame) |
| Memory Cards | Dual XQD slots (XQD variant) | Dual CFexpress Type A / SD UHS-II slots |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Ethernet (RJ-45), USB 3.0 | USB-C 3.2 Gen 2, Wi-Fi 6GHz, Bluetooth 5.3, HDMI full-size |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | D5 | A1 II |
|---|---|---|
| Sports & Action | — | |
| Wildlife | ||
| Wedding & Events | — | |
| Street | — | |
| Portrait | ||
| Landscape | ||
| Sports | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | — | |
| Travel | — |
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