Nikon
D5 2016
Best for Professional Sports, Photojournalism & Wildlife
£1800
list price · used from £902 at eBay
Decision tools · Compare
D5 vs A6400
Quick take: The A6400 has the highest resolution at 24MP; the A6400 is the most affordable.
16 specs side by side·15 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.
A6400 — Content Creation & Vlogging: The best value APS-C Sony you can buy — especially used. Real-time Eye AF at this price point was transformative when it launched and still makes it one of the most reliable autofocus systems in the lineup.
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
A6400 (2019)
is the right camera for you if…
- Vloggers and content creators who need a flip screen and reliable AF
- Photographers upgrading from a compact or smartphone
- Beginners who want room to grow into a full E-mount lens ecosystem
- Anyone prioritising autofocus performance at an accessible price
Full specificationsthe better value in each row is highlighted
| Specification | D5Nikon · 2016 | A6400Sony · 2019 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £1,800 | £749Best |
| Sensor | 20.8MP full-frame BSI CMOS | 24.2MP APS-C Exmor CMOS BSI |
| Resolution | 20.8MP | 24.2MPBest |
| Video | 4K UHD 30fps (heavy sensor crop) | 4K/30p (6K oversampled, no crop), 1080p/120p slow-motion |
| Autofocus | Multi-CAM 20K 153-point AF system, 99 cross-type | Phase-detect, 425 points, real-time Eye AF & animal AF |
| Stabilisation | — | No stabilisation |
| Burst Rate | 12fps mechanicalBest | 11fps mechanical, 8fps with AF tracking |
| Battery Life | ~3780 shots (CIPA)Best | ~410 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 1405g (body only) | 403g (with battery and card)Best |
| Dimensions | 160 × 158.5 × 92mm | 120.0 × 66.9 × 59.7mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | OVF 0.72× magnification, 100% coverage | EVF, 2.36M dots, 0.70× magnification |
| Screen | 3.2" fixed touchscreen, 2.36M dots | 3.0" tilting touchscreen, 180° flip for selfie/vlog, 921k dots |
| Mount | Nikon F mount | Sony E-mount |
| Memory Cards | Dual XQD slots (XQD variant) | Single SD UHS-I |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Ethernet (RJ-45), USB 3.0 | Micro-USB, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 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
A6400
Portrait
6.0/10
6.7/10
Street
3.9/10
7.3/10
Travel
4.1/10
6.9/10
Wedding & Events
6.8/10
5.6/10
Filmmaking
5.5/10
5.1/10
Documentary
5.5/10
6.1/10
Sports & Action
6.7/10
6.9/10
Landscape
5.3/10
5.6/10
Wildlife
6.5/10
7.4/10
Casual
2.9/10
5.8/10
Food
4.3/10
6.1/10
Macro
3.6/10
5.2/10
Architecture
4.9/10
5.5/10
Astrophotography
6.3/10
6.0/10
Vlogging & Video
—
6.0/10
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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