D5vs A7
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.
Camera History & Full-Frame Introduction — A7 (2013): The camera that changed photography — the world's first compact full-frame mirrorless, the A7 launched a product family that redefined what was possible.
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 (2013)
- Photographers interested in the camera that launched the full-frame mirrorless era
- Budget-conscious buyers who want to experience full-frame image quality at minimal cost
- Sony FE system users who want the original A7 for sentimental or historical value
- Those adapting vintage lenses who want full-frame with phase-detect AF at low cost
Quick take: The a7 has the highest resolution at 24mp; the a7 is the most affordable; only the d5 is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | D5 (2016) | A7 (2013) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £1,800 | £299 |
| Sensor | 20.8MP full-frame BSI CMOS | 24.3MP Full-Frame 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 | 117 phase-detect + 25 contrast-detect AF points |
| Stabilisation | — | None |
| Burst Rate | 12fps mechanical | 5fps |
| Battery Life | ~3780 shots (CIPA) | ~340 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 1405g (body only) | 474g (with battery and card) |
| Dimensions | 160 × 158.5 × 92mm | 126.9 × 94.4 × 48.2mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | No |
| Viewfinder | OVF 0.72× magnification, 100% coverage | EVF, OLED 2.36M dots, 0.71× magnification |
| Screen | 3.2" tilting touchscreen, 2.36M dots | 3.0" fixed LCD, 1.23M dots (no tilt, no touch) |
| Mount | Nikon F mount | Sony FE (full-frame 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 | A7 |
|---|---|---|
| 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