D5vs A6000
Nikon
D5 (2016)
Starting from £1800 new
Best for Professional Sports, Photojournalism & Wildlife
View D5
Sony
A6000 (2014)
Starting from £249 new
Best for Entry-level mirrorless & budget E-mount
View A6000
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.
Entry-Level Mirrorless & Budget E-Mount — A6000 (2014): The Sony that started a generation of E-mount loyalty — 11fps, 24MP, and 179 phase-detect points in a compact body that remained excellent value for nearly a decade.
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
A6000 (2014)
- First-time mirrorless buyers who want a capable, proven body at the lowest price
- Sony E-mount users who want a compact backup or second body
- Parents and travellers who want good image quality without a large camera
- Anyone curious about APS-C mirrorless who wants to try the system affordably
Quick take: The a6000 has the highest resolution at 24mp; the a6000 is the most affordable; only the d5 is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | D5 (2016) | A6000 (2014) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £1,800 | £249 |
| Sensor | 20.8MP full-frame BSI CMOS | 24.3MP APS-C Exmor APS HD 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 | 179 phase-detect + 25 contrast-detect AF points |
| Stabilisation | — | None |
| Burst Rate | 12fps mechanical | 11fps |
| Battery Life | ~3780 shots (CIPA) | ~360 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 1405g (body only) | 344g (with battery and card) |
| Dimensions | 160 × 158.5 × 92mm | 119.9 × 66.9 × 45.1mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | No |
| Viewfinder | OVF 0.72× magnification, 100% coverage | EVF, OLED 1.44M dots, 0.70× magnification |
| Screen | 3.2" tilting touchscreen, 2.36M dots | 3.0" tilting LCD, 921k dots (no touch) |
| Mount | Nikon F mount | Sony E-mount |
| Memory Cards | Dual XQD slots (XQD variant) | Single SD UHS-I slot |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Ethernet (RJ-45), USB 3.0 | USB, Wi-Fi, NFC |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | D5 | A6000 |
|---|---|---|
| Sports & Action | ||
| Wildlife | ||
| Wedding & Events | — | |
| Street | ||
| Portrait | ||
| Landscape | — | |
| 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