The Nikon D5 is a high-end camera with outstanding capabilities. Not many people can afford it since it costs around $6000, but it is an amazing camera that’s worth every cent.
What is so great about the Nikon D5? To begin with, it has all the features needed for professional photography. The camera literally shoots in the dark and survives even the harshest environments. It is suitable for studio photography as much as for action. Also, it has some amazing video specifications such as 4K video recording. Check out Nikon D5100 - the best entry level DSLR camera by Nikon.
Of course, this is not all. There is a long list of the Nikon D5’s capabilities, and this review, you’ll learn about the essential Nikon D5 features.
Table of Contents:
- Nikon D5 Specs
- Nikon D5 Body & Design
- Nikon D5 Build & Handling
- Nikon D5 Video Performance
- Nikon D5 Lenses
- Nikon D5 Price
The Nikon D5 Specs
The Nikon D5 features a 21 MP full-frame (35.9 x 23.9 mm) CMOS sensor. Although some entry-level cameras have a larger resolution, the D5 serves as a perfect example that the amount of megapixels doesn't matter as much as other features that have an effect on the image quality.
Photography is all about light and the Nikon D5 deals with it in an amazing way. The image quality it produces is superb whether you shoot on a bright day or in a low-light situation. The camera has an impressive ISO range of 100 to 102400 that is expandable to ISO 50 to 3280000. This means that it can see through the dark better than human eyes.
Another crucial thing for evaluating a camera is its speed. The Nikon D5 is equipped with an Expeed 5 Processor and it is pretty fast when it comes to the operations. The camera has a continuous shooting speed of 14 frames per second. If you add to this a maximum shutter speed of 1/8000 sec, you will understand why it is a perfect device for capturing moving targets such as sports players or wild animals.
Additionally, the Nikon D5 also has an astonishing autofocus system. There are 153 focus points (99 cross-type) that can be controlled via the touch screen while autofocus works without any problems even in extremely dark environments. The continuous AF with 3D tracking will help you to take sharp images of moving targets, while you can use single-shot AF for portraits and landscapes.
Learn more about the Nikon D5 in the video above by Tony & Chelsea Northrup .
Finally, the battery life of the Nikon D5 is around 3780 shots, enabling you to shoot all day long without worry of a dead battery. This is definitely something that many people find very useful.
It is worth mentioning that there are two types of the Nikon D5. The only difference between them is that one model has two XQD card slots, while the other has two CF card slots. Although this is not a substantial difference, it might be of significance for some photographers.
The Nikon D5 Body and Design
Now, let’s talk about the physical appearance of the Nikon D5. The first thing you will notice when you see this camera is that it is huge. The Nikon D5 has external dimensions of 6.3 x 6.26 x 3.62 inches and weight of 3.12 lb (without lenses). This places it in the category of the biggest and heaviest DSLR camera models on the market.
Still, there is a good reason for such a big size and a heavy weight. The Nikon D5 is a tank among cameras. It can withstand extreme environments, drops, and other impacts. There is a theory that it can also survive a gun bullet, but we are not sure if anyone tried this yet. Also, we doubt this is true, so better not to try it!
On the back of the camera, there is a fixed 3.2″ LCD screen. The display has 2,359,000 screen dots and it employs touch-screen technology. Just below it, there is an additional screen where you can see the camera’s main settings. Moreover, the D5 has an optical (pentaprism) viewfinder with 100% coverage and 0.72× magnification.
The Nikon D5 Build and Handling
The Nikon D5 was built out of magnesium-alloy and it is environmentally protected against dust, moisture, and other harmful weather effects. As we already mentioned, this camera can survive the harshest environments and you would need to put some effort if you really want to destroy it.
Nikon claims that the D5 has a shutter life expectancy of 400,000 actuations. Even if you make around 20,000 shots a year, the camera’s sensor should still last for two decades. This all shows the top quality of this model.
Although it is very big and heavy, the Nikon D5 is not so hard to handle. It has both horizontal and vertical grips so it will feel comfortable in the hand despite its weight.
Overall, most photographers are happy with the camera’s ergonomics. The D5 has many useful controls and dials that are ergonomically designed for functionality and ease of use. The touchscreen is also very helpful for going through the menu and for changing the camera’s settings.
The Nikon D5 Video Performance
The Nikon D5 is one of the few DSLR cameras with 4K video recording capabilities. However, this feature comes with a lot of limitations. The 4K videos are recorded with a crop factor, and there is a time limit of three minutes. On the good side, the camera shoots Full HD videos at 60 fps without any crop. Moreover, it has an HDMI out, microphone, and jack port.
Let’s be straightforward, although the Nikon D5 does a great job in shooting stills, it is just not as good for video recording. The camera doesn’t have a built-in nor digital stabilization that would reduce the effect of shakes. Also, its autofocus is not as impressive in video mode as it is good for photography.
Don’t get us wrong. This Nikon D5 allows you to make great movies, but it’s not really worth spending $6000 on this camera if you are primarily interested in videography.
The Nikon D5 Lenses
The Nikon D5 uses the Nikon F mount, and there is a wide choice of lenses to choose for this model. Since the camera doesn’t have a built-in stabilization system, you might want to buy lenses with optical stabilization such as Nikon Nikkor AF-S DX 16-80mm f/2.8-4E ED VR.
Additionally, we suggest you try the following lenses:
- Nikon 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR – A great all-around, versatile lens
- Nikon 50mm f/1.4G – A nice lens for portraits
- Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8G ED – One of the best zooms money can buy
- Nikon 18-35mm f/3.5-4.5G EDNikon 18-35mm f/3.5-4.5G ED – A good wide-angle lens (shown above)
- Nikon 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G ED IF VR Lens for telephoto
- Nikon 105mm f/2.8G IF-ED VR Micro – Lens for macro photography.
The Nikon D5 Price
The Nikon D5 sells for $5,996.95 (for both the XQD and CF versions). This price-tag might be unreachable for most enthusiast photographers. However, if you buy a used Nikon D5, you can save some money and spend it on additional photography equipment.
On websites that are selling used equipment, such as MPB, you can find a used Nikon D5 with dual XQD or dual CF card slot in excellent condition for the price as low as $4,549.00. If you're not familiar with MPB, check out our MPB review to learn why it's our top-recommended used gear resource.
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