Upgrade Guide
Nikon D5→Nikon Nikon Z9
Is it worth upgrading? Spec analysis, key improvements, and our verdict.
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Worthwhile
Clear improvements over the D5. Whether it justifies the cost depends on which upgrades matter most to your shooting.
What's new in the Nikon Z9
-
Resolution46MP vs 21MP (+25MP)
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StabilisationIBIS added — significant for handheld and video
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Burst rate20fps RAW / 120fps JPEG vs 12fps mechanical
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Generation5 years newer (2021 vs 2016)
Suitability by genre
| Genre | D5 | Nikon Z9 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sports & Action | -1.0 | ||
| Wildlife | — | ||
| Wedding & Events | — | ||
| Street | — | ||
| Portrait | — | ||
| Landscape | — | ||
| Photojournalism | — | ||
| Vlogging & Video | — | ||
| Travel | — |
Full spec comparison
| Spec | D5 | Nikon Z9 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £1,800 | £5,499 | |
| Released | 2016 | 2021 | ↑ |
| Sensor | 20.8MP full-frame BSI CMOS | 45.7MP full-frame BSI stacked CMOS | |
| Resolution | 21MP | 46MP | ↑ |
| Video | 4K UHD 30fps (heavy sensor crop) | 8K/30p RAW, 4K/120p, ProRes RAW | |
| Autofocus | Multi-CAM 20K 153-point AF system, 99 cross-type | Subject detection AF, 493-point phase-detect | |
| Stabilisation | — | 6-stop IBIS | |
| Burst Rate | 12fps mechanical | 20fps RAW / 120fps JPEG | ↑ |
| Battery Life | ~3780 shots (CIPA) | 740 shots (CIPA) | ↓ |
| Weight | 1405g (body only) | 1340g body only | ↑ |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes | |
| Viewfinder | OVF 0.72× magnification, 100% coverage | 0.5" Quad-VGA OLED EVF, 3.69M dots, 120fps | |
| Screen | 3.2" tilting touchscreen, 2.36M dots | 3.2" tilting touchscreen | |
| Mount | Nikon F mount | Nikon Z-mount | |
| Memory Cards | Dual XQD slots (XQD variant) | Dual CFexpress Type B / XQD |
Compare side-by-side
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