Nikon
D5 2016
Best for Professional Sports, Photojournalism & Wildlife
£1800
list price · used from £902 at eBay
Decision tools · Compare
D5 vs A6500
Quick take: The A6500 has the highest resolution at 24MP; the A6500 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.
Sony
A6500 2016
Best for Travel, street & versatile everyday photography
£649
list price · used from £401 at eBay
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.
A6500 — Travel, Street & Versatile Everyday Photography: The first Sony APS-C with IBIS — the A6500 added in-body stabilisation, touch AF, and a far deeper buffer to the A6300's already strong formula.
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
A6500 (2016)
is the right camera for you if…
- Travel photographers who want IBIS in a compact weather-sealed E-mount body
- A6300 owners who need the stabilisation or touch AF the A6300 lacked
- Street and documentary photographers who want a capable compact with weather sealing
- Sony E-mount shooters looking for a capable used body at an accessible price
Full specificationsthe better value in each row is highlighted
| Specification | D5Nikon · 2016 | A6500Sony · 2016 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £1,800 | £649Best |
| Sensor | 20.8MP full-frame BSI CMOS | 24.2MP APS-C Exmor CMOS |
| Resolution | 20.8MP | 24.2MPBest |
| Video | 4K UHD 30fps (heavy sensor crop) | 4K/30p (full pixel readout), 1080p/120p |
| Autofocus | Multi-CAM 20K 153-point AF system, 99 cross-type | 425 phase-detect + 169 contrast-detect AF points, face/eye detection |
| Stabilisation | — | IBIS — 5-axis, up to 5 stops (first Sony APS-C with IBIS) |
| Burst Rate | 12fps mechanicalBest | 11fps |
| Battery Life | ~3780 shots (CIPA)Best | ~310 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 1405g (body only) | 453g (with battery and card)Best |
| Dimensions | 160 × 158.5 × 92mm | 120.0 × 66.9 × 53.3mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | OVF 0.72× magnification, 100% coverage | EVF, OLED 2.36M dots, 0.70× magnification |
| Screen | 3.2" fixed touchscreen, 2.36M dots | 3.0" tilting touchscreen |
| 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, Bluetooth |
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
A6500
Portrait
6.0/10
6.6/10
Street
3.9/10
7.1/10
Travel
4.1/10
6.6/10
Wedding & Events
6.8/10
5.2/10
Filmmaking
5.5/10
5.1/10
Documentary
5.5/10
5.8/10
Sports & Action
6.7/10
6.6/10
Landscape
5.3/10
5.5/10
Wildlife
6.5/10
7.3/10
Casual
2.9/10
4.8/10
Food
4.3/10
6.3/10
Macro
3.6/10
5.7/10
Architecture
4.9/10
5.4/10
Astrophotography
6.3/10
5.3/10
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 →
Next
More comparisons with D5
Camera family history