D5vs A7R 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.
Landscape, Studio, Commercial — A7R IV (2019): 61MP in a mirrorless body — the resolution benchmark.
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
A7R IV (2019)
- Landscape photographers who print large
- Studio shooters needing maximum detail
Quick take: The a7r iv has the highest resolution at 61mp; the d5 is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | D5 (2016) | A7R IV (2019) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £1,800 | £2,199 |
| Sensor | 20.8MP full-frame BSI CMOS | Full-frame BSI Exmor R CMOS 35mm |
| Resolution | 20.8MP | 61.0MP |
| Video | 4K UHD 30fps (heavy sensor crop) | 4K 30fps |
| Autofocus | Multi-CAM 20K 153-point AF system, 99 cross-type | 567-point phase-detect, real-time tracking |
| Stabilisation | — | 5-axis IBIS, 5.5 stops |
| Burst Rate | 12fps mechanical | 10fps |
| Battery Life | ~3780 shots (CIPA) | 670 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 1405g (body only) | 665g (body only) |
| Dimensions | 160 × 158.5 × 92mm | 128.9 × 96.4 × 77.5mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | OVF 0.72× magnification, 100% coverage | EVF 0.78× 5.76M-dot |
| Screen | 3.2" tilting touchscreen, 2.36M dots | 3.0" tilting touchscreen, 1.44M-dot |
| Mount | Nikon F mount | Sony E-Mount |
| Memory Cards | Dual XQD slots (XQD variant) | 2× SD UHS-II / CFexpress Type A |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Ethernet (RJ-45), USB 3.0 | Wi-Fi 5GHz, Bluetooth 4.1, USB-C 3.2 |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | D5 | A7R IV |
|---|---|---|
| Sports & Action | — | |
| Wildlife | ||
| Wedding & Events | ||
| Street | ||
| Portrait | ||
| Landscape | ||
| Architecture | — | |
| Travel | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | — |
GearScore™ suitability scores are based on aggregated purchaser reviews weighted by photography genre. See how scores are calculated →
More comparisons with D5
Camera family history