Upgrade Guide
Nikon Z6 II→Nikon D5
Is it worth upgrading? Spec analysis, key improvements, and our verdict.
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Situational
One clear hardware improvement over the Z6 II. Worth it if that specific upgrade aligns with what you shoot.
What's new in the D5
-
Battery life~3780 shots (CIPA) vs ~410 shots (CIPA)
Unchanged or similar
-
Resolution21MP (down from 24MP — optimised for low light)
-
StabilisationIBIS not present in new body
Suitability by genre
| Genre | Z6 II | D5 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portrait | -2.0 | ||
| Travel | — | ||
| Video | — | ||
| Street | +1.0 | ||
| Wildlife | +2.0 | ||
| Sports & Action | — | ||
| Wedding & Events | — | ||
| Landscape | — |
Full spec comparison
| Spec | Z6 II | D5 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £1,699 | £1,800 | |
| Released | 2020 | 2016 | ↓ |
| Sensor | 24.5MP Full-Frame BSI CMOS | 20.8MP full-frame BSI CMOS | |
| Resolution | 24MP | 21MP | ↓ |
| Video | 4K/60p, 4K/30p (oversampled), 1080p/120p slow-motion | 4K UHD 30fps (heavy sensor crop) | |
| Autofocus | Phase-detect, 273 points, Eye AF, subject tracking | Multi-CAM 20K 153-point AF system, 99 cross-type | |
| Stabilisation | 5-axis IBIS, 5 stops (up to 6 stops with VR lenses) | — | |
| Burst Rate | 14fps mechanical, 14fps electronic (12-bit RAW) | 12fps mechanical | ↓ |
| Battery Life | ~410 shots (CIPA) | ~3780 shots (CIPA) | ↑ |
| Weight | 705g (body, battery, card) | 1405g (body only) | ↓ |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes | |
| Viewfinder | EVF, 3.69M dots, 0.80× magnification | OVF 0.72× magnification, 100% coverage | |
| Screen | 3.2" tilting touchscreen, 2.1M dots | 3.2" tilting touchscreen, 2.36M dots | |
| Mount | Nikon Z-mount | Nikon F mount | |
| Memory Cards | Dual card: 1× CFexpress Type B / XQD + 1× SD UHS-II | Dual XQD slots (XQD variant) |
Compare side-by-side
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