D5vs Sony RX100 VII
Nikon
D5 (2016)
Starting from £1800 new
Best for Professional Sports, Photojournalism & Wildlife
View D5
Sony
Sony RX100 VII (2019)
Starting from £1099 new
Best for Travel & versatility
View Sony RX100 VII
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.
Travel & Versatility — Sony RX100 VII (2019): The most versatile compact camera ever made — 24-200mm zoom, 20fps burst, and 960fps slow-motion in a jacket pocket.
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 RX100 VII (2019)
- Travel photographers who want the most capable 1-inch compact available
- Vloggers who need fast AF and a flip screen in a jacket-pocket body
- Photographers who want a high-quality compact backup to a mirrorless system
- Anyone who wants professional AF performance without carrying a large camera
Quick take: The d5 has the highest resolution at 21mp; the sony rx100 vii is the most affordable; only the d5 is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | D5 (2016) | Sony RX100 VII (2019) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £1,800 | £1,099 |
| Sensor | 20.8MP full-frame BSI CMOS | 20.1MP 1-inch Exmor RS BSI CMOS (stacked) |
| Resolution | 20.8MP | 20.1MP |
| Video | 4K UHD 30fps (heavy sensor crop) | 4K/30p HLG, FHD/960fps super slow-motion |
| Autofocus | Multi-CAM 20K 153-point AF system, 99 cross-type | 357-point phase-detect + 425 contrast, Eye AF, tracking |
| Stabilisation | — | 3-stop Optical SteadyShot |
| Burst Rate | 12fps mechanical | 20fps AF/AE tracking (90fps short burst) |
| Battery Life | ~3780 shots (CIPA) | ~260 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 1405g (body only) | 302g with battery and card |
| Dimensions | 160 × 158.5 × 92mm | 101.6 × 58.1 × 42.8mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | No |
| Viewfinder | OVF 0.72× magnification, 100% coverage | Pop-up EVF, 2.36M dots, 0.59× magnification |
| Screen | 3.2" tilting touchscreen, 2.36M dots | 3.0" tilting touchscreen |
| Mount | Nikon F mount | Fixed Zeiss Vario-Sonnar 24-200mm f/2.8-4.5 |
| Memory Cards | Dual XQD slots (XQD variant) | Single SD UHS-I slot |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Ethernet (RJ-45), USB 3.0 | USB-C, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, NFC |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | D5 | Sony RX100 VII |
|---|---|---|
| Sports & Action | — | |
| Wildlife | ||
| Wedding & Events | — | |
| Street | ||
| Portrait | ||
| Landscape | — | |
| Travel | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | — | |
| Family & Everyday | — |
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