Upgrade Guide
Nikon D5300→Nikon D800
Is it worth upgrading? Spec analysis, key improvements, and our verdict.
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Strong upgrade
The D800 improves across 3 key areas at a reasonable price gap. Most D5300 owners will notice the difference.
What's new in the D800
-
Resolution36MP vs 24MP (+12MP)
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Weather sealingAdded — fully sealed body
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Battery life~900 shots (CIPA) vs ~600 shots (CIPA)
Suitability by genre
Base scores — computed from verified specs for an enthusiast shooting photo and video. The Upgrade Checker adjusts them for your skill level.
| Genre | D5300 | D800 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portrait | +0.5 | ||
| Street | -1.3 | ||
| Travel | -0.5 | ||
| Wedding & Events | +2.1 | ||
| Vlogging & Video | — | ||
| Documentary | +1.2 | ||
| Sports & Action | +0.7 | ||
| Landscape | +1.2 | ||
| Wildlife | +0.4 | ||
| Casual | -0.9 | ||
| Food | -0.8 | ||
| Macro | -0.5 | ||
| Architecture | +0.4 | ||
| Astrophotography | +0.8 |
Full spec comparison
| Spec | D5300 | D800 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £195 | £230 | |
| Released | 2013 | 2012 | ↓ |
| Sensor | 24.2MP APS-C CMOS | 36.3MP full-frame CMOS | |
| Resolution | 24MP | 36MP | ↑ |
| Video | Full HD 1080p/60 | Full HD 1080p/30, 720p/60 | |
| Autofocus | 39-point phase-detect (9 cross-type) via viewfinder; contrast AF with face priority in live view | 51-point phase-detect (15 cross-type) via viewfinder; contrast AF with face priority in live view | |
| Stabilisation | No IBIS (lens-based stabilisation only) | No IBIS (lens-based stabilisation only) | |
| Burst Rate | 5fps | 4fps | ↓ |
| Battery Life | ~600 shots (CIPA) | ~900 shots (CIPA) | ↑ |
| Weight | 530g (with battery) | 1000g (with battery) | ↓ |
| Weather Sealed | Not weather sealed | Yes | ↑ |
| Viewfinder | Optical pentamirror, 95% coverage, 0.82x | Optical pentaprism, 100% coverage, 0.7x | |
| Screen | 3.2" vari-angle LCD, 1.04M dots | 3.2" fixed LCD, 921k dots | |
| Mount | Nikon F-mount (DX) | Nikon F mount | |
| Memory Cards | Single SD slot | Dual slots: CompactFlash + SD |
Compare side-by-side
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Tell us what you shoot and we'll score the D800 against your specific genres — not just specs.
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