D5vs ZV-1 II
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.
Pocket Vlogging — ZV-1 II (2023): The best pocket vlogging camera — 1-inch sensor, ultrawide zoom, flip screen, and real-time Eye AF in a shirt 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
ZV-1 II (2023)
- Vloggers and content creators who want a pocketable fixed-lens camera
- Travellers who want 4K video and a flip screen in a jacket-pocket size
- ZV-1 owners who want a wider lens and improved subject tracking
- Beginners who want a simple, capable vlogging camera without changing lenses
Quick take: The d5 has the highest resolution at 21mp; the zv-1 ii is the most affordable; only the d5 is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | D5 (2016) | ZV-1 II (2023) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £1,800 | £649 |
| Sensor | 20.8MP full-frame BSI CMOS | 20.1MP 1-inch Exmor RS CMOS |
| Resolution | 20.8MP | 20.1MP |
| Video | 4K UHD 30fps (heavy sensor crop) | 4K/30p, 1080p/120p |
| Autofocus | Multi-CAM 20K 153-point AF system, 99 cross-type | Phase-detect + contrast, 315 points, Real-time Eye AF |
| Stabilisation | — | Optical SteadyShot (OIS) |
| Burst Rate | 12fps mechanical | 15fps |
| Battery Life | ~3780 shots (CIPA) | ~260 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 1405g (body only) | 292g |
| Dimensions | 160 × 158.5 × 92mm | 105.5 × 60.0 × 43.5mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | No |
| Viewfinder | OVF 0.72× magnification, 100% coverage | None |
| Screen | 3.2" tilting touchscreen, 2.36M dots | 3.0" fully tilting touchscreen |
| Mount | Nikon F mount | Fixed zoom — 18–50mm f/1.8–4.0 equiv |
| 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, 3.5mm mic input |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | D5 | ZV-1 II |
|---|---|---|
| Sports & Action | — | |
| Wildlife | — | |
| Wedding & Events | — | |
| Street | ||
| Portrait | ||
| Landscape | ||
| Vlogging & Video | — | |
| Travel | — | |
| Family & Everyday | — |
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