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D5 vs A6300

Quick take: The A6300 has the highest resolution at 24MP; the A6300 is the most affordable.

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.

A6300 — Travel, Street, Wildlife & 4k Video: The camera that proved Sony APS-C was serious — world's fastest AF at launch, uncropped 4K, and 11fps in a compact weather-sealed 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
A6300 (2016)
is the right camera for you if…
  • Travel and street photographers who want compact weather-sealed performance
  • Wildlife photographers who need fast phase-detect AF in a lightweight body
  • Content creators who want uncropped 4K in a compact E-mount body
  • Sony E-mount users looking for an affordable used body with excellent image quality
Full specificationsthe better value in each row is highlighted
Specification D5Nikon · 2016A6300Sony · 2016
Price £1,800£449Best
Sensor 20.8MP full-frame BSI CMOS24.2MP APS-C Exmor CMOS
Resolution 20.8MP24.2MPBest
Video 4K UHD 30fps (heavy sensor crop)4K/30p (full pixel readout, no crop), 1080p/120p
Autofocus Multi-CAM 20K 153-point AF system, 99 cross-type425 phase-detect + 169 contrast-detect AF points — world's fastest at launch (0.05s)
Stabilisation —No stabilisation
Burst Rate 12fps mechanicalBest11fps
Battery Life ~3780 shots (CIPA)Best~400 shots (CIPA)
Weight 1405g (body only)361g (with battery and card)Best
Dimensions 160 × 158.5 × 92mm120.0 × 66.9 × 48.8mm
Weather Sealed YesYes
Viewfinder OVF 0.72× magnification, 100% coverageEVF, OLED 2.36M dots, 0.70× magnification
Screen 3.2" fixed touchscreen, 2.36M dots3.0" tilting LCD, 921k dots (no touch)
Mount Nikon F mountSony E-mount
Memory Cards Dual XQD slots (XQD variant)Single SD UHS-I slot
Connectivity Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Ethernet (RJ-45), USB 3.0USB, 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
A6300
Portrait
6.0/10
6.2/10
Street
3.9/10
7.0/10
Travel
4.1/10
6.6/10
Wedding & Events
6.8/10
5.1/10
Filmmaking
5.5/10
4.8/10
Documentary
5.5/10
5.7/10
Sports & Action
6.7/10
6.6/10
Landscape
5.3/10
5.4/10
Wildlife
6.5/10
7.2/10
Casual
2.9/10
4.1/10
Food
4.3/10
5.4/10
Macro
3.6/10
4.9/10
Architecture
4.9/10
5.2/10
Astrophotography
6.3/10
4.6/10

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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