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Nikon D5 vs Nikon D810A

Every spec side by side, from each maker's published figures.

Better figure, where one is clearly better

NikonD5NikonD810A
Overview
ReleasedMarch 2016May 2015
Image and sensor
Camera typeDSLRDSLR
Sensor formatFull frameFull frame
Sensor typeCMOSCMOS
Sensor dimensions35.9 × 23.9 mm35.9 × 24 mm
Effective resolution20.8 MP36.3 MP
Largest image5568 × 37127360 × 4912
RAW recordingYesYes
Standard ISO range100–102400200–12800
Sensor detailJapan 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 areasFX CMOS with 36.3 million effective pixels USA/global or 36.35 million Japan, 37.09 million total; no optical low-pass filter. Modified IR-cut filter transmits four times more H-alpha light than D810. Nikon warns of red casts under near-infrared-rich lighting or with reflective subjects and does not recommend general photography. Image Sensor Cleaning and Image Dust Off; FX 7360 × 4912, 1.2× crop 6144 × 4080, DX 4800 × 3200 and 5:4 crop 6144 × 4912
Image formatsLarge 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 uncompressed12-bit or 14-bit NEF RAW, uncompressed, lossless-compressed or compressed; Small RAW fixed at 12-bit uncompressed. TIFF RGB, JPEG Fine/Normal/Basic with size-priority or optimal-quality compression, simultaneous RAW/JPEG; Flat and adjustable/custom Picture Controls
ISO detailExpanded equivalents ISO 50–3280000; Auto ISOStandard ISO 200–12800 in one-third, half or whole stops; Lo expansion to ISO 100 equivalent and Hi expansion to ISO 51200 equivalent; automatic sensitivity control
Image processorEXPEED 5; Advanced Scene Recognition SystemEXPEED 4
Lens and shooting
Lens mountNikon F mountNikon F mount
StabilisationOptical lens stabilisationOptical lens stabilisation
Maximum continuous burst12 fps5 fps
Lens detailCompatible 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 areaF mount with body AF coupling and contacts; G/E/D, other AF and AI-P lenses with restrictions; non-CPU AI lenses usable in A/M/M* with registered lens data, DX lenses use DX crop. Non-AI, IX and F3AF lenses excluded; USA G/H notation conflicts with Japan A/M/M*
AutofocusMulti-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/VLAdvanced Multi-CAM3500FX phase detection with 51 points, 15 cross-type and 11 f/8-compatible points; -2 to +19 EV at ISO 100 equivalent, 20°C. AF-S/AF-C, fine-tuning, single-point, dynamic nine/21/51, 3D tracking, group-area and auto-area. Live view uses contrast AF-S/AF-F and face/wide/normal/tracking areas; current USA detection-range -1 EV entry conflicts with its own -2 EV sensitivity entry and Japan, while AF-A listings conflict with Japan modes
Shutter1/8000 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 actuationsElectronically controlled vertical-travel focal-plane shutter, 1/8000 to 30 seconds, Bulb and Time; electronic front curtain in mirror-up mode. M* adds 4/5/8/10/15/20/30/60/120/180/240/300/600/900-second presets. X-sync 1/250 second, up to 1/320 with reduced flash range
Burst detailApproximately 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 cardApproximately 5 fps full FX or 5:4 and 6 fps DX or 1.2× crop on EN-EL15. DX reaches 7 fps with MB-D12 using batteries other than EN-EL15, or qualifying AC power; 1.2× remains 6 fps. Quiet continuous approximately 3 fps. M* continuous shooting at exposures of 4 seconds or longer removes the 100-shot limit, subject to battery/card capacity
Stabilisation detailOptical 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 modesVR depends on attached lens; no sensor-shift stabilisation
FlashNo built-in flash; hot shoe and threaded PC sync terminal; optical/radio Nikon CLS with compatible external Speedlights and required accessoriesBuilt-in i-TTL pop-up flash, guide number approximately 12 m at ISO 100, 20°C; commander mode, hot shoe, PC sync terminal and compatible Auto FP Speedlights
Exposure controlsP/S/A/M; 180000-pixel RGB metering with Colour Matrix Metering III, centre-weighted, spot and highlight-weighted modes; ±5 EV compensation; Active D-LightingP/S/A/M and long-exposure M*; 91000-pixel RGB matrix, centre-weighted, spot and highlight-weighted metering; ±5 EV compensation and exposure/flash/white-balance bracketing; HDR, interval timer and virtual horizon. Japan centre-weighted default 12 mm and spot range 2–20 EV differ from USA 8 mm and 0–20 EV
Video
Highest video resolution3840 × 2160 at 30 fps1920 × 1080 at 60 fps
Video detailH.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 moviesFX- or DX-based 1920 × 1080 at 60p/50p/30p/25p/24p and 1280 × 720 at 60p/50p; MOV H.264/MPEG-4 AVC with linear PCM. Full HD 60p/50p limit 10 minutes high quality or 20 normal; other modes 20 minutes high or 29 min 59 s normal. Time-lapse movies; current USA general 20-minute limit omits mode/quality differences
AudioBuilt-in stereo microphone; 3.5 mm stereo microphone input and headphone output; adjustable sensitivity; linear PCM; photograph voice memosBuilt-in stereo microphone; external 3.5 mm stereo input and headphone output, adjustable microphone sensitivity
Screen and viewfinder
ViewfinderOpticalOptical
Screen size3.2″3.2″
Screen dots2,359,0001,229,000
TouchscreenYesNo
Tilting screen–No
Display detailFixed 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 subpixelsFixed 3.2-inch TFT, approximately 1229000 dots, 170° viewing angle and approximately 100% coverage; brightness adjustment and top status LCD. Exposure preview simulates 30 seconds for longer exposures, with up to 23× live-view enlargement; viewfinder virtual horizon illuminated red
Viewfinder detailPentaprism; 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 overlayPentaprism; approximately 100% FX coverage, 97% DX/1.2× and 100% vertical/97% horizontal 5:4. Approximately 0.7× magnification with 50mm f/1.4 at infinity, 17 mm eyepoint, grid and depth-of-field preview
Connections and design
Battery life (maker's claim)3780 photographs1200 photographs
Body weight1235 g880 g
Release detailNikon Japan records sale on 26 March 2016; the US announcement scheduled March availability. Nikon's Japanese announcement explicitly identifies D4S as the previous modelMay 2015 release month; Nikon Japan records actual sale on 28 May, with global announcement dated 10 February. The regional day does not establish earliest worldwide sale
Recording mediaTwo 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 bodiesOne Type I CompactFlash slot with UDMA and one SD/SDHC/SDXC slot with UHS-I; overflow, backup, RAW/JPEG split and copying between cards
PortsUSB 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 connectorUSB 3.0 Micro-B, mini HDMI Type C, 3.5 mm microphone and headphone sockets, PC sync and 10-pin remote/GPS terminal; wired LAN requires optional UT-1
Wireless connectionsNo integrated Wi-Fi or GPS; optional WT-6/WT-5 provides wireless network transfer. Optional GP-1A connects through the ten-pin terminalNo built-in Wi-Fi or GPS; optional WT-5 with UT-1, GP-1/GP-1A GPS, WR-R10 with WR-A10 or WR-1. Japan marks WR-1 unsupported in M* mode
Battery life detailApproximately 3780 CIPA photographs; original US specifications use EN-EL18a, while the later Japanese technical sheet specifies EN-EL18b at the same shot countEN-EL15, approximately 1200 CIPA shots. Original global announcement separately claims up to 3860 without built-in flash or immediate playback, and up to 10660 using body EN-EL15 plus grip EN-EL18a under those conditions; these are distinct from CIPA. Optional MB-D12 takes EN-EL15, EN-EL18/EN-EL18a with BL-5 or eight AA cells
ChargingExternal MH-26a charger; Japanese technical sheet lists optional EH-6c adapter with EP-6 power connectorExternal MH-25a charger; optional EH-5b AC adapter with EP-5B connector
DimensionsApproximately 160 × 158.5 × 92 mmApproximately 146 × 123 × 81.5 mm
Weight detailXQD 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 bodyApproximately 880 g body only; 980 g with battery and SD card, excluding body cap
MaterialsWeather-sealed construction; illuminated controlsDust- and water-resistant sealing; magnesium-alloy body documented on Nikon USA refurbished product overview
Colours–Black
In the box–EN-EL15, MH-25a, UC-E22 USB cable, AN-DC16 strap, BF-1B body cap, DK-17 eyepiece, USB/HDMI cable clips and BM-12 monitor cover (Japan package)

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