D6vs Z5
Nikon
D6 (2020)
Starting from £3200 new
Best for Professional Sports, Press & Wildlife Photography
View D6
GearScore™ Verdict — Which should you buy?
Professional Sports, Press & Wildlife Photography — D6 (2020): Nikon's final and finest DSLR — the D6 brought 105 all-cross-type AF points, 14fps, and built-in LAN to the F mount. The last word in optical viewfinder photography.
Entry-Level Full-Frame & Dslr Switchers — Z5 (2020): The most affordable route into full-frame Z — dual card slots, IBIS, and a capable sensor at an accessible price.
Who should buy what
D6 (2020)
- Sports, wildlife, and press photographers who prefer an optical viewfinder
- Professional Nikon shooters with a substantial F-mount lens collection
- Photojournalists who need built-in LAN for wire transmission
- Nikon system professionals seeking a used flagship at under-new-price value
Z5 (2020)
- DSLR photographers switching to full-frame mirrorless for the first time
- Enthusiasts who want full-frame image quality on a tighter budget
- Photographers stepping up from APS-C who don't need fast burst or 4K
- Z5 II shoppers on a budget — the original Z5 is now excellent value used
Quick take: The z5 has the highest resolution at 24mp; the z5 is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | D6 (2020) | Z5 (2020) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £3,200 | £999 |
| Sensor | 20.8MP full-frame BSI CMOS | 24.3MP Full-Frame BSI CMOS |
| Resolution | 20.8MP | 24.3MP |
| Video | 4K UHD 30fps | 4K/30p (with crop), 1080p/60p |
| Autofocus | Multi-CAM 3500FX III — 105 AF points, all cross-type | Hybrid AF — 273 phase-detect points, eye/subject detection |
| Stabilisation | — | IBIS — up to 5 stops |
| Burst Rate | 14fps mechanical | 4.5fps |
| Battery Life | ~3580 shots (CIPA) | ~470 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 1450g (body only) | 590g (with battery) |
| Dimensions | 160 × 163.5 × 92mm | 134 × 100.5 × 69.5mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | OVF 0.72× magnification, 100% coverage | EVF, 3.69M dots, 0.8× magnification |
| Screen | 3.2" fixed touchscreen, 2.36M dots | 3.2" tilting touchscreen |
| Mount | Nikon F mount | Nikon Z mount |
| Memory Cards | Dual CFexpress Type B / XQD slots | Dual SD UHS-II slots |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.2, Ethernet (built-in), USB 3.1 | USB-C, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | D6 | Z5 |
|---|---|---|
| Sports & Action | — | |
| Wildlife | — | |
| Wedding & Events | — | |
| Street | — | |
| Portrait | ||
| Landscape | ||
| Travel | — | |
| Everyday | — | |
| Sports | — | |
| 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