Nikon announced that the D5 was in the works to replace the D4S in November of 2015, the company’s flagship single-lens reflex camera (SLR) designed for professional photojournalists and sports photographers.
With the Olympic events taking place this summer, it was likely that we would see something solid at CE in January, and Nikon did not disappoint, unveiling its latest 20.8-megapixel full-frame model at the show in Las Vegas.
The highest increased sensitivity level on the new camera is ISO 3,280,000, which is a little more than three million. Very few people at the press presentation could claim not to have been astonished by this (actually, even 280,000 is quite a lot in ISO terms).
Nikon D5 Build Quality
Because the control arrangement of the D4S and the D5 are identical, owners of either camera will immediately feel at ease with the other. However, the grips on the front and back of the camera have been redesigned to be more ergonomically sound, making the device easier to use for extended periods without experiencing discomfort.
During this test, I had no trouble holding it for several hours without discomfort; however, while shooting with a big lens, it might be helpful to use a monopod to distribute part of the weight more evenly.
Because it is made entirely of metal and has considerable weather sealing, just like the D4S, the D5 gives the impression that it might be used securely in the harshest circumstances. There is even a waterproof cover for the hot shoe, which keeps the contacts dry when a flashgun isn’t attached. I had no issues shooting in wet situations during our test because of the hot shoe’s cover.
Nikon D5 Performance
The detail resolution of the D5 is inferior to that of the D810, which has 36 million pixels on its sensor. Still, it performs pretty favorably compared to the D750, which has 24 million pixels on its sensor, matching or outperforming it over the entire sensitivity range in our resolution testing. It also beats the 16MP D4S up to ISO204,800, after which the older camera pulls ahead. This is far into the extension range of the D4S and is one stop into the expansion range of the D5.
Notably, while shooting in the real world with the D5, you can get far better-looking photographs at an ISO number of 409,600, the D4S’s maximum extension value. The pictures are still pretty noisy, and I wouldn’t advocate utilizing this setting regularly. Still, less banding is evident and may be an alternative in challenging situations.
When the sensitivity is increased to the D5’s highest level (ISO3,280,000), there is a noticeable decrease in the picture’s overall quality. There is very little detail in the raw or the JPEG files since the low lighting circumstances need such a high setting. Raw files, especially when no attempt is made to reduce the amount of noise present, feature a great deal of chroma noise (colored speckling) and a noticeable check pattern of banding at standard viewing sizes.
Nikon D5 Image Quality
The Nikon D4S was already an excellent performer, and the D5 improves on this remarkable history, particularly in low-light shooting. This is the primary area in which Nikon has enhanced the actual image quality for the current generation.
If you want to, you may take photos at an equivalent of almost 3 million ISO, which is a very high setting. However, it is unlikely that you will want to do that because the photographs have a painterly quality, lack a lot of detail, and have a pinkish color.
Have a moment to let it sink in that it can fire at such an absurdly high pace, but in the meantime, look at how fast it can shoot. So, in the same way, you probably won’t ever drive your car at its highest speed, but you do want it to perform well at lesser rates; the D5 performs at speeds other cameras can only dream of reaching.
I captured good shots over the whole native sensitivity range of the Nikon D5, which is rather impressive. Moreover, expanding to Hi1 (204,800) and Hi2 (409,600) gave some useable shots, precisely what the typical news or reportage photographer will do with their photographs. In other words, this is a photographer’s dream come true, especially one who can’t always rely on decent light.
The level of detail is maintained exceptionally well over the whole dynamic range, and it doesn’t start to degrade dramatically until somewhere around ISO 102,400, which is the maximum native sensitivity of the camera. If you need to bring back some more detail, you can use the raw format files; however, this will increase the noise in the image. On the other hand, noise is extremely well managed in JPEG photographs, providing a natural feel that is not too soft.
When utilizing the default picture style, colors come out looking lovely and brilliant straight from the camera; nevertheless, there is a possibility that they are slightly oversaturated. If you want your photos to have a more subdued appearance, you may choose a different picture style to shoot in, while the raw format produces flatter images, providing more room for editing in post-production.
You may choose from three automated white balance presets, each catering to a different aesthetic aspect. There is a standard, a variation that maintains cooler tones, and a third variation that supports warmer tones.
The standard option does a decent job of achieving a good balance between the two; however, the warmer setting errs on the side of yellow tones when photographing under artificial lights, but it preserves warmer skin tones and natural tones when shooting during natural daylight.
Nikon D5 Specs
| Body type | Large SLR |
|---|---|
| Body material | Magnesium alloy |
| Sensor | |
| Max resolution | 5588 x 3712 |
| Image ratio w h | 1:1, 5:4, 4:3, 3:2 |
| Effective pixels | 21 megapixels |
| Sensor photo detectors | 21 megapixels |
| Sensor size | Full frame (35.9 x 23.9 mm) |
| Sensor type | CMOS |
| Processor | EXPEED 5 |
| Color space | sRGB, Adobe RGB |
| Color filter array | Primary color filter |
| Image | |
| ISO | Auto, 100-102400 (expandable to 50-3280000) |
| Boosted ISO (minimum) | 50 |
| Boosted ISO (maximum) | 3280000 |
| White balance presets | 12 |
| Custom white balance | Yes (6 slots) |
| Image stabilization | No |
| Uncompressed format | RAW |
| JPEG quality levels | Fine, normal, basic |
| File format | JPEG (Exif v2.3)Raw (NEF, 12 or 14 bit, lossless compressed, compressed, uncompressed) |
| Optics & Focus | |
| Autofocus | Contrast Detect (sensor)Phase DetectMulti-areaCenterSelective single-pointTrackingSingleContinuousTouchFace DetectionLive view. |
| Autofocus assist lamp | No |
| Number of focus points | 153 |
| Lens mount | Nikon F |
| Focal length multiplier | 1× |
| Screen/viewfinder | |
| Articulated LCD | Fixed |
| Screen size | 3.2″ |
| Screen dots | 2,359,000 |
| Touch screen | Yes |
| Screen type | TFT LCD |
| Live view | Yes |
| Viewfinder type | Optical (pentaprism) |
| Viewfinder coverage | 100% |
| Viewfinder magnification | 0.72× |
| Photography features | |
| Minimum shutter speed | 30 sec |
| Maximum shutter speed | 1/8000 sec |
| Exposure modes | ProgramAperture priorityShutter priorityManual |
| Scene modes | Single-frameContframe continuousness highMirror-up |
| Built-in flash | No |
| External flash | Yes (via hot shoe and flash sync port) |
| Flash X sync speed | 1/250 sec |
| Drive modes | Single-frame continuous low continuous highMirror-upQuiet shutter self-timer |
| Continuous drive | 14.0 fps |
| Self-timer | Yes (2, 5, 10, 20 secs) |
| Metering modes | MultiCenter-weighted Highlight-weighted spot |
| Exposure compensation | ±5 (at 1/3 EV, 2/3 EV, 1 EV steps) |
| AE Bracketing | ±5 (2, 3, 5, 7 frames at 1/3 EV, 2/3 EV, 1 EV steps) |
| WB Bracketing | Yes |
| Videography features | |
| Resolutions | 3840 x 2160 (30p/25p/24p), 1920 x 1080 (60p/50p/30p/25p/24p), 1280 x 720 (60p/50p) |
| Format | MPEG-4, H.264 |
| Videography notes | 1.5X crop mode with DX lenses |
| Microphone | Stereo |
| Speaker | Mono |
| Storage | |
| Storage types | Dual CompactFlash or dual XQD |
| Connectivity | |
| USB | USB 3.0 (5 GBit/sec) |
| HDMI | Yes (mini-HDMI) |
| Microphone port | Yes |
| Headphone port | Yes |
| Wireless | Optional |
| Wireless notes | Requires WT-5A or WT-6A |
| Remote control | Yes (wired, wireless, smartphone) |
| Physical | |
| Environmentally sealed | Yes |
| Battery | Battery Pack |
| Battery description | EN-EL18a lithium-ion battery & charger |
| Battery Life (CIPA) | 3780 |
| Weight (inc. batteries) | 1415 g (3.12 lb / 49.91 oz) |
| Dimensions | 160 x 159 x 92 mm (6.3 x 6.26 x 3.62″) |
| Other features | |
| Orientation sensor | Yes |
| Timelapse recording | Yes |
| GPS | Optional |
| GPS notes | GP-1A |
Nikon D5 Verdict
The Nikon D5 will satisfy professionals with its excellent burst-shooting and low-light performance; it isn’t as compelling an advance over the D4S as it could have been because of a few tiny construction flaws.
