D5vs A7 IV
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.
Portrait & Wedding Photography — A7 IV (2021): The full-frame portrait benchmark — 33MP, AI Eye AF, and exceptional skin-tone rendering in a pro-grade hybrid body.
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
A7 IV (2021)
- Working photographers who want a reliable full-frame all-rounder
- Portrait, wedding, and event photographers needing 33MP and fast AF
- A7 III owners ready for a major upgrade in resolution, AF, and video
- Hybrid shooters who want 4K/60p and 33MP stills in one dependable body
Quick take: The a7 iv has the highest resolution at 33mp; the d5 is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | D5 (2016) | A7 IV (2021) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £1,800 | £2,299 |
| Sensor | 20.8MP full-frame BSI CMOS | 33MP Full-frame BSI Exmor R CMOS |
| Resolution | 20.8MP | 33.0MP |
| Video | 4K UHD 30fps (heavy sensor crop) | 4K/60p oversampled, 10-bit internal, S-Log3, S-Cinetone |
| Autofocus | Multi-CAM 20K 153-point AF system, 99 cross-type | 759-point phase-detect, AI subject recognition |
| Stabilisation | — | 5-axis IBIS, 5.5 stops |
| Burst Rate | 12fps mechanical | 10fps mechanical, 30fps electronic |
| Battery Life | ~3780 shots (CIPA) | ~580 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 1405g (body only) | 659g body only |
| Dimensions | 160 × 158.5 × 92mm | 131.3 × 96.4 × 79.8mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | OVF 0.72× magnification, 100% coverage | EVF, 3.69M dots, 0.78× magnification |
| Screen | 3.2" tilting touchscreen, 2.36M dots | 3.0" vari-angle touchscreen |
| Mount | Nikon F mount | Sony FE (full-frame E-mount) |
| Memory Cards | Dual XQD slots (XQD variant) | Dual slots: CFexpress Type A + SD UHS-II |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Ethernet (RJ-45), USB 3.0 | USB-C (3.2 Gen 2), Bluetooth, Wi-Fi |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | D5 | A7 IV |
|---|---|---|
| Sports & Action | ||
| Wildlife | — | |
| Wedding & Events | ||
| Street | — | |
| Portrait | — | |
| Landscape | ||
| Studio Portraits | — | |
| Outdoor Portraits | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | — |
GearScore™ suitability scores are based on aggregated purchaser reviews weighted by photography genre. See how scores are calculated →
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