D5vs Sony A9 III
Nikon
D5 (2016)
Starting from £1800 new
Best for Professional Sports, Photojournalism & Wildlife
View D5
Sony
Sony A9 III (2023)
Starting from £5999 new
Best for Sports & action professionals
View Sony A9 III
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.
Sports & Action Professionals — Sony A9 III (2023): A paradigm-shifting camera — the global shutter eliminates every rolling shutter limitation that has constrained action photography for years.
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
Sony A9 III (2023)
- Professional sports photographers who need zero blackout and 120fps burst
- Wildlife photographers who demand the most advanced Sony AF available
- Photojournalists who need flash sync at any shutter speed
- A9 II owners upgrading to the world's first full-frame global shutter
Quick take: The sony a9 iii has the highest resolution at 25mp; the d5 is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | D5 (2016) | Sony A9 III (2023) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £1,800 | £5,999 |
| Sensor | 20.8MP full-frame BSI CMOS | 24.6MP full-frame Exmor RS CMOS (global shutter) |
| Resolution | 20.8MP | 24.6MP |
| Video | 4K UHD 30fps (heavy sensor crop) | 4K/120p, 4K/60p, 1080p/240p |
| Autofocus | Multi-CAM 20K 153-point AF system, 99 cross-type | AI subject recognition AF, 759-point phase-detect |
| Stabilisation | — | 8-stop IBIS |
| Burst Rate | 12fps mechanical | 120fps blackout-free electronic |
| Battery Life | ~3780 shots (CIPA) | 530 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 1405g (body only) | 703g body only |
| Dimensions | 160 × 158.5 × 92mm | 136.1 × 96.9 × 82.9mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | OVF 0.72× magnification, 100% coverage | 0.64" Quad-XGA OLED EVF, 9.44M dots |
| Screen | 3.2" tilting touchscreen, 2.36M dots | 3.2" fully articulating touchscreen |
| Mount | Nikon F mount | Sony FE (E-mount) |
| Memory Cards | Dual XQD slots (XQD variant) | Dual CFexpress Type A / SD UHS-II |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Ethernet (RJ-45), USB 3.0 | USB-C 3.2, HDMI A, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3 |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | D5 | Sony A9 III |
|---|---|---|
| Sports & Action | ||
| Wildlife | ||
| Wedding & Events | ||
| Street | — | |
| Portrait | ||
| Landscape | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | — | |
| Travel | — |
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