Nikon
D5 2016
Best for Professional Sports, Photojournalism & Wildlife
£1800
list price · used from £902 at eBay
Decision tools · Compare
D5 vs A1 II
Quick take: The A1 II has the highest resolution at 50MP; the D5 is the most affordable.
16 specs side by side·15 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.
Sony
A1 II 2024
Best for Professional sports, wildlife & high-resolution studio work
£5699
new today at Clifton Cameras
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.
A1 II — Professional Sports, Wildlife & High-Resolution Studio Work: 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)
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
A1 II (2024)
is the right camera for you if…
- 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
Full specificationsthe better value in each row is highlighted
| Specification | D5Nikon · 2016 | A1 IISony · 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £1,800Best | £5,699 |
| Sensor | 20.8MP full-frame BSI CMOS | 50.1MP full-frame stacked BSI CMOS |
| Resolution | 20.8MP | 50.1MPBest |
| Video | 4K UHD 30fps (heavy sensor crop) | 8K/30p, 4K/120p 10-bit, S-Log3 |
| 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 mechanicalBest |
| Battery Life | ~3780 shots (CIPA)Best | ~530 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 1405g (body only) | 743g (body only)Best |
| 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" fixed 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 |
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
A1 II
Portrait
6.0/10
9.0/10
Street
3.9/10
6.6/10
Travel
4.1/10
6.6/10
Wedding & Events
6.8/10
8.7/10
Filmmaking
5.5/10
8.2/10
Documentary
5.5/10
8.3/10
Sports & Action
6.7/10
9.3/10
Landscape
5.3/10
8.0/10
Wildlife
6.5/10
9.2/10
Casual
2.9/10
5.3/10
Food
4.3/10
8.5/10
Macro
3.6/10
8.1/10
Architecture
4.9/10
8.4/10
Astrophotography
6.3/10
7.2/10
Vlogging & Video
—
6.6/10
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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