Nikon
D5 2016
Best for Professional Sports, Photojournalism & Wildlife
£1800
list price · used from £902 at eBay
Decision tools · Compare
D5 vs A5100
Quick take: The A5100 has the highest resolution at 24MP; the A5100 is the most affordable; only the D5 is weather sealed.
16 specs side by side·16 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.
A5100 — Casual & Travel: The A5100 is one of the smallest APS-C mirrorless cameras ever made. Its 24MP sensor, phase-detect AF, and selfie-friendly flip screen pack remarkable capability into a shirt-pocket-sized body. No EVF or hot shoe limits it for serious use, but as a compact travel camera or beginner's first mirrorless, it punches well above its price on the used market.
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
A5100 (2014)
is the right camera for you if…
- Beginners stepping up from a smartphone
- Compact travel photographers
- Casual vloggers who want APS-C quality
Full specificationsthe better value in each row is highlighted
| Specification | D5Nikon · 2016 | A5100Sony · 2014 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £1,800 | £200Best |
| Sensor | 20.8MP full-frame BSI CMOS | 24.3MP APS-C Exmor CMOS |
| Resolution | 20.8MP | 24.3MPBest |
| Video | 4K UHD 30fps (heavy sensor crop) | 1080p/60p |
| Autofocus | Multi-CAM 20K 153-point AF system, 99 cross-type | Hybrid phase-detect / contrast-detect AF, face detection |
| Stabilisation | — | No stabilisation |
| Burst Rate | 12fps mechanicalBest | 6fps |
| Battery Life | ~3780 shots (CIPA)Best | ~400 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 1405g (body only) | 224g (body only)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 | No viewfinder |
| Screen | 3.2" fixed touchscreen, 2.36M dots | 3.0" flip-up touchscreen, 921k dots |
| Mount | Nikon F mount | Sony E-mount |
| Memory Cards | Dual XQD slots (XQD variant) | Single SD / MemoryStick PRO Duo slot |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Ethernet (RJ-45), USB 3.0 | Micro USB, 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
A5100
Portrait
6.0/10
5.4/10
Street
3.9/10
7.0/10
Travel
4.1/10
6.7/10
Wedding & Events
6.8/10
3.5/10
Filmmaking
5.5/10
—
Documentary
5.5/10
4.1/10
Sports & Action
6.7/10
4.7/10
Landscape
5.3/10
5.0/10
Wildlife
6.5/10
5.5/10
Casual
2.9/10
5.1/10
Food
4.3/10
5.9/10
Macro
3.6/10
5.2/10
Architecture
4.9/10
5.2/10
Astrophotography
6.3/10
4.7/10
Vlogging & Video
—
5.0/10
Fun & simple
—
4.5/10
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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