Nikon D5 vs Nikon D780

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D5 compared with D780

	NikonD5	NikonD780
Overview
Released
Released	March 2016	January 2020
Image and sensor
Camera type
Camera type	DSLR	DSLR
Sensor format
Sensor format	Full frame	Full frame
Sensor type
Sensor type	CMOS	Backside-illuminated CMOS
Sensor dimensions
Sensor dimensions	35.9 × 23.9 mm	35.9 × 23.9 mm
Effective resolution
Effective resolution	20.8 MP	24.5 MP
Largest image
Largest image	5568 × 3712	6048 × 4024
RAW recording
RAW recording	Yes	Yes
Standard ISO range
Standard ISO range	100–102400	100–51200
Sensor detail
Sensor detail	Japan specifies 20.82 million effective and 21.33 million total pixels, rounded to 20.8 million effective in the US; sensor-cleaning system. FX, 1.2×, DX and 5:4 image areas	25.28 million total pixels; sensor cleaning and image-dust-off reference data
Image formats
Image formats	Large NEF RAW at 12 or 14 bits with lossless compression, compression or no compression; medium and small RAW fixed to 12-bit lossless compression on Nikon's technical sheet. TIFF RGB, JPEG and RAW plus JPEG; Flat Picture Control. The original US announcement incorrectly describes medium/small RAW as uncompressed	12/14-bit NEF RAW with lossless or ordinary compression; JPEG and RAW plus JPEG
ISO detail
ISO detail	Expanded equivalents ISO 50–3280000; Auto ISO	Expandable to equivalent ISO 50–204800; Auto ISO available
Image processor
Image processor	EXPEED 5; Advanced Scene Recognition System	EXPEED 6
Lens and shooting
Lens mount
Lens mount	Nikon F mount	Nikon F mount
Stabilisation
Stabilisation	Optical lens stabilisation	Optical lens stabilisation
Maximum continuous burst
Maximum continuous burst	12 fps	12 fps
Lens detail
Lens detail	Compatible G/E/D AF NIKKOR lenses, subject to PC lens restrictions; body autofocus motor for compatible screw-drive lenses. Non-CPU AI lenses support aperture-priority/manual; non-AI, IX and F3AF lenses unsupported; DX lenses use the DX image area	F-mount G/E/D, supported AF, P and AI non-CPU lenses with restrictions; DX lenses use a crop; non-AI, IX and F3AF lenses unsupported
Autofocus
Autofocus	Multi-CAM 20K; 153 points including 99 cross-type, with 55 points and 35 cross-type points user-selectable. Fifteen points support f/8, nine selectable; centre sensitivity -4 EV and other points -3 EV at ISO 100, 20°C. Single-point, dynamic 25/72/153, 3D tracking, Group-area and auto-area; firmware C1.10 adds dynamic nine-point AF, C1.20 adds Group-area HL/VL	Viewfinder Advanced Multi-CAM 3500II phase detection with 51 points, 15 cross-type and 11 supporting f/8. Live-view hybrid phase/contrast detection provides 273 FX still-image single-point positions and eye detection. UK/Japan sensitivity −3 EV viewfinder, −5 EV live view or −7 EV low-light AF under maker conditions; US launch prose's −4 EV viewfinder claim conflicts with exact specs.
Shutter
Shutter	1/8000 to 30 seconds, Bulb and Time; flash sync 1/250 second; electronic front-curtain option in mirror-up mode; Nikon tested the shutter to 400000 actuations	Mechanical, electronic front-curtain and electronic shutters; 1/8000 to 30 seconds, Bulb and Time; manual-mode extension to 900 seconds. Flash sync 1/200 second with compatible Auto FP support.
Burst detail
Burst detail	Approximately 12 fps with AF/AE tracking; 14 fps locks focus and exposure with the mirror up. Nikon quotes up to 200 full-size 14-bit lossless RAW frames with its specified Lexar 2933× XQD 2.0 card	Up to 7 fps through the optical viewfinder; silent live view up to 12 fps with 12-bit RAW or 8 fps with 14-bit RAW. Low-speed 1–6 fps viewfinder or 1–3 fps live view; quiet continuous 3 fps. Reduced-resolution movie-frame still captures at up to 120 fps are separate from full-resolution continuous shooting.
Stabilisation detail
Stabilisation detail	Optical VR depends on the lens; no sensor-shift stabilisation. Firmware C1.10 adds electronic movie vibration reduction with a crop, excluding 4K and 1920 × 1080 crop modes	No sensor-shift stabilisation; optical VR depends on the attached lens; electronic movie VR available
Flash
Flash	No built-in flash; hot shoe and threaded PC sync terminal; optical/radio Nikon CLS with compatible external Speedlights and required accessories	No built-in flash; ISO 518 hot shoe and compatible external i-TTL Speedlights; optional AS-15 provides a flash-sync terminal
Exposure controls
Exposure controls	P/S/A/M; 180000-pixel RGB metering with Colour Matrix Metering III, centre-weighted, spot and highlight-weighted modes; ±5 EV compensation; Active D-Lighting	Auto, P/S/A/M, effects and U1/U2 settings; ±5 EV still-image or ±3 EV movie compensation; 180K-pixel RGB viewfinder metering sensor
Video
Highest video resolution
Highest video resolution	3840 × 2160 at 30 fps	3840 × 2160 at 29.97 fps
Video detail
Video detail	H.264 MOV at 4K 30p/25p/24p, Full HD 60p/50p/30p/25p/24p and 720p 60p/50p; actual NTSC rates 59.94/29.97/23.976. Native 1920 × 1080 crop also supports 60p/50p/30p/25p/24p. Firmware C1.10 extends recording to 29 minutes 59 seconds across up to eight 4 GB files; Photography Blog's three-minute 4K criticism concerns original firmware. Contrast-detection AF-S/AF-F; uncompressed HDMI output; in-camera time-lapse movies	UHD 3840 × 2160 at 29.97/25/23.976p without extra FX crop, oversampled from 6K sensor data; Full HD up to 119.88p and separate silent slow-motion modes. H.264 MOV/MP4; limit 29 minutes 59 seconds. 10-bit N-Log and HLG require an external HDMI recorder and cannot simultaneously record that output to the camera card. UK prose's DX 50/60p statement does not mean UHD 50/60p; exact maker UHD table tops out at 30p.
Audio
Audio	Built-in stereo microphone; 3.5 mm stereo microphone input and headphone output; adjustable sensitivity; linear PCM; photograph voice memos	Built-in stereo microphones, external 3.5 mm microphone input and headphone output; PCM or AAC depending on file format; microphone attenuator
Screen and viewfinder
Viewfinder
Viewfinder	Optical	Optical
Screen size
Screen size	3.2″	3.2″
Screen dots
Screen dots	2,359,000	2,359,000
Touchscreen
Touchscreen	Yes	Yes
Tilting screen
Tilting screen	–	Yes
Display detail
Display detail	Fixed touch TFT with 170° viewing angle and approximately 100% coverage; playback gestures and touch text entry. US specifies 2359000 dots, Japan rounds to 2360000; dots count subpixels	Approximately 100% coverage, 170° viewing angle and vertical tilt; maker UK states 2359K dots, Japan rounds to approximately 2.36 million; dots count subpixels
Viewfinder detail
Viewfinder detail	Pentaprism; approximately 100% FX, 97% 1.2×/DX, and 100% vertical/97% horizontal for 5:4; 0.72× magnification with 50mm f/1.4 at infinity; 17 mm eyepoint; grid overlay	Pentaprism, approximately 100% FX coverage, 0.7× magnification with 50mm f/1.4 at infinity, 21 mm eyepoint and −3 to +1 dioptre adjustment
Connections and design
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi	–	Yes
Bluetooth
Bluetooth	–	Yes
Battery life (maker's claim)
Battery life (maker's claim)	3780 photographs	2260 photographs
Body weight
Body weight	1235 g	755 g (better)
Release detail
Release detail	Nikon Japan records sale on 26 March 2016; the US announcement scheduled March availability. Nikon's Japanese announcement explicitly identifies D4S as the previous model	Nikon US announced on 6 January 2020 and specified availability in late January; global announcement dated 7 January. Main uses the confirmed month without inferring a UK retail day.
Recording media
Recording media	Two XQD slots or two CompactFlash Type I UDMA7 slots, selected by body version; overflow, backup, separate RAW/JPEG and card copying. Firmware C1.40 adds CFexpress Type B support to XQD bodies	Two UHS-II SD/SDHC/SDXC slots; overflow, backup, RAW/JPEG separation and card copying
Ports
Ports	USB 3.0 Micro-B, mini-HDMI Type C, 3.5 mm microphone/headphone sockets, RJ-45 Ethernet with 10/100/1000BASE-T support, ten-pin accessory terminal, PC sync and WT-6/WT-5 expansion connector	USB-C SuperSpeed USB, mini HDMI Type C, 3.5 mm microphone and headphone sockets, accessory terminal for MC-DC2; optional WT-7 provides network connectivity
Wireless connections
Wireless connections	No integrated Wi-Fi or GPS; optional WT-6/WT-5 provides wireless network transfer. Optional GP-1A connects through the ten-pin terminal	Wi-Fi IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac and Bluetooth 4.2; SnapBridge
Battery life detail
Battery life detail	Approximately 3780 CIPA photographs; original US specifications use EN-EL18a, while the later Japanese technical sheet specifies EN-EL18b at the same shot count	EN-EL15b; approximately 2260 CIPA single-frame shots or 4570 shots under Nikon's separate continuous-shooting test; approximately 95 minutes of movie recording. EN-EL15a/15 compatibility with restrictions; EN-EL15c may be supplied.
Charging
Charging	External MH-26a charger; Japanese technical sheet lists optional EH-6c adapter with EP-6 power connector	In-camera charging with EN-EL15b and optional EH-7P; external MH-25a charger. Optional AC adapter and EP-5B power connector.
Dimensions
Dimensions	Approximately 160 × 158.5 × 92 mm	Approximately 143.5 × 115.5 × 76 mm
Weight detail
Weight detail	XQD version approximately 1235 g body only or 1405 g with battery and two XQD cards; CompactFlash version 1240 g body only or 1415 g with battery and two CF cards. Main weight represents the XQD body	Approximately 755 g body only or 840 g including battery and SD card, excluding body cap
Materials
Materials	Weather-sealed construction; illuminated controls	Weather-sealed magnesium alloy construction; maker operating range 0–40°C
In the box
In the box	–	EN-EL15-series battery, MH-25a charger, UC-E24 USB cable, AN-DC21 strap, BF-1B body cap, DK-5 eyepiece cap and DK-31 eyecup; battery revision may vary