Nikon
D5 2016
Best for Professional Sports, Photojournalism & Wildlife
£1800
list price · used from £819 at Wex Photo Video
Decision tools · Compare
D5 vs A5000
Quick take: The D5 has the highest resolution at 21MP; the A5000 is the most affordable; only the D5 is weather sealed.
16 specs side by side·14 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.
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.
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
Full specificationsthe better value in each row is highlighted
| Specification | D5Nikon · 2016 | A5000Sony · 2014 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £1,800 | £154Best |
| Sensor | 20.8MP full-frame BSI CMOS | 20.1MP APS-C CMOS |
| Resolution | 20.8MPBest | 20.1MP |
| Video | 4K UHD 30fps (heavy sensor crop) | Full HD 1080 (60i / 25p AVCHD), 1440×1080/30p MP4 |
| Autofocus | Multi-CAM 20K 153-point AF system, 99 cross-type | 25-point contrast AF with face detection |
| Stabilisation | — | No IBIS (lens-based stabilisation only) |
| Burst Rate | 12fps mechanicalBest | 3.5fps |
| Battery Life | ~3780 shots (CIPA)Best | ~420 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 1405g (body only) | 269g (with battery)Best |
| Dimensions | 160 × 158.5 × 92mm | 109.6 × 62.8 × 35.7mm |
| Weather Sealed | YesBest | Not weather sealed |
| Viewfinder | OVF 0.72× magnification, 100% coverage | None (rear screen only) |
| Screen | 3.2" fixed touchscreen, 2.36M dots | 3.0" 180° flip-up LCD, 460k dots |
| Mount | Nikon F mount | Sony E-mount |
| Memory Cards | Dual XQD slots (XQD variant) | Single SD slot |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Ethernet (RJ-45), USB 3.0 | Micro USB (Multi Terminal), micro HDMI, Wi-Fi, NFC |
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
A5000
Portrait
6.0/10
4.3/10
Street
3.9/10
6.5/10
Travel
4.0/10
6.1/10
Wedding & Events
6.8/10
2.6/10
Filmmaking
5.5/10
—
Documentary
5.5/10
3.5/10
Sports & Action
6.7/10
3.1/10
Landscape
5.3/10
4.7/10
Wildlife
6.5/10
4.2/10
Casual
2.9/10
4.2/10
Food
4.3/10
5.2/10
Macro
3.6/10
4.7/10
Architecture
4.9/10
4.8/10
Astrophotography
6.3/10
4.8/10
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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