D5vs A5100
Nikon
D5 (2016)
Starting from £1800 new
Best for Professional Sports, Photojournalism & Wildlife
View D5
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.
Casual & Travel — A5100 (2014): 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)
- 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)
- Beginners stepping up from a smartphone
- Compact travel photographers
- Casual vloggers who want APS-C quality
Quick take: The a5100 has the highest resolution at 24mp; the a5100 is the most affordable; only the d5 is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | D5 (2016) | A5100 (2014) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £1,800 | £200 |
| Sensor | 20.8MP full-frame BSI CMOS | 24.3MP APS-C Exmor CMOS |
| Resolution | 20.8MP | 24.3MP |
| 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 | — | None |
| Burst Rate | 12fps mechanical | 6fps |
| Battery Life | ~3780 shots (CIPA) | ~400 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 1405g (body only) | 224g (body only) |
| Dimensions | 160 × 158.5 × 92mm | 109.6 × 62.8 × 35.7mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | No |
| Viewfinder | OVF 0.72× magnification, 100% coverage | None |
| Screen | 3.2" tilting 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 |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | D5 | A5100 |
|---|---|---|
| Sports & Action | ||
| Wildlife | — | |
| Wedding & Events | — | |
| Street | ||
| Portrait | ||
| Landscape | ||
| Casual | — | |
| Travel | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | — |
GearScore™ suitability scores are based on aggregated purchaser reviews weighted by photography genre. See how scores are calculated →
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Camera family history