The Nikon D5 is Now Official and Exceeds Expectations

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John
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Nikon has today now officially announced it’s long awaited and expected Nikon D5 flagship DSLR. The announcement was made at the annual CES (Consumer Electronics Show) in Las Vegas, USA. So the Nikon D5 is now official and so far exceeds all expectations.

Among some of the new features for the D5 are:  A whopping 153 Auto Focusing system, 4k video recording system (Yes that’s right, 4K recording) which means the resolution of your video’s will be 3840 x 2160 at 30/25/24p UHD and finally, an extended ISO range of up to 3,280,000 (That’s ISO of 3.28 million).

There will also be two versions. CompactFlash© (CF) (Type I, compliant with UDMA) and a double CF with XQD Type Memory. With a price tag of USD$6,499.95 or GBP£4429.12 for the body only, they certainly don’t come cheap. Make sure you accountant is sitting down, in case he faints and finds out that you intend to purchase one of these monsters with accessories.

The Nikon D5 is Now Official and Exceeds Expectations

1557_D5_back

The comparisons for the D4 are quite staggering. The D5 has maximum ISO raised up to 102,400, allowing the maximum expanded ISO to reach 3.28 million. By comparison, the D4S has an ISO range from 25,600 and can be expanded up to 409,600. This is a major step up from the D4 to the D5 and I can see the D5 being success, just as the D4s was when it first released.

1557_D5_back
1557_D5_back

The LCD Screen on the back of the camera is a 3.2-inch touchscreen, 2.36-million-dot LCD panel. With the notable problems of the Nikon D5500 has had with its touchscreen. I hope Nikon have learned from these mistakes. There is also a viewfinder with100%-coverage and 0.72x magnification. The camera’s body also packs a built-in 1000 Base-T 400MBps Ethernet connection for transferring your photos 1.5x faster than with the D4S when connected to a laptop (Mac Book Pro). This comes in handy for on-site editing for this serious professionals.

1557_D5_top1557_D5_top

The camera is a full-frame and has 20.8-megapixel CMOS sensor that can shoot stills at 12 frames per second or 14fps with the mirror locked. The camera is also capable of shooting video at 4K resolution at 30fps. The D5 has the new and improved Expeed 5 imaging processor. The only downside to shooting and editing 4K video, will mean upgrading your beloved 21inch iMac to a Mac Pro or a 15 Inch Mac Book Pro with improved RAM. If you don’t have suitable extra storage then you may need to purchase something like a QNAP TVS-871-i3-4G with 4K Video Playback and Transcoding capabilities.

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1557_D5_cardslot

As previously mentioned, there will be two versions of the D5 types depending on the card format you prefer, all for the same price tag. There is a dual XQD card slot version and a dual CF card slot.

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1557_D5_left

If you are wanting one of these bad boys, you will have to wait until March 2016 for the official release. That is not far away boys and gals. If like me, you don’t have the money for one, all you I can do is dream.

 

The D5 to D4S and D3 Comparison

Nikon have put the D5 Specifications on their website but I put a small list of them here for you to look at.

  1. Effective Pixels (Megapixels)

    20.8 million

  2. Sensor Size

    35.9 mm
    x 23.9 mm

  3. Image Sensor Format

    FX

  4. Storage Media

    CompactFlash© (CF) (Type I, compliant with UDMA)
    XQD Type Memory

  5. Top Continuous Shooting Speed at full resolution

    12 frames per second
    14 frames per second with mirror up

  6. ISO Sensitivity

    ISO 100 –
    102,400
    Can also be set to approx. 0.3, 0.5, 0.7, or 1 EV (ISO 50 equivalent) below ISO 100 or to approx. 0.3, 0.5, 0.7, 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 EV (ISO 3,280,000 equivalent) above ISO 102,400; auto ISO sensitivity control available

  7. Movie

    4K/UHD 3,840×2,160 / 30 fps
    4K/UHD 3,840×2,160 / 25 fps
    4K/UHD 3,840×2,160 / 24 fps
    Full HD 1,920×1,080 / 60 fps
    Full HD 1,920×1,080 / 50 fps
    Full HD 1,920×1,080 / 30 fps
    Full HD 1,920×1,080 / 25 fps
    Full HD 1,920×1,080 / 24 fps
    Full HD 1,920×1,080 crop / 60 fps
    Full HD 1,920×1,080 crop / 50 fps
    Full HD 1,920×1,080 crop / 30 fps
    Full HD 1,920×1,080 crop / 25 fps
    Full HD 1,920×1,080 crop / 24 fps
    HD 1,280×720 / 60 fps
    HD 1,280×720 / 50 fps
    Actual frame rates for 60p, 50p, 30p, 25p, and 24p are 59.94, 50, 29.97, 25, and 23.976 fps respectively
    High quality available at all frame sizes, normal quality available at all sizes except 3,840 x 2,160

  8. Monitor Size

    3.2 in. diagonal

  9. Monitor Type

    Wide Viewing Angle Touch TFT-LCD (Touch for playback only)

  10. Battery / Batteries

    EN-EL18a Lithium-ion Battery

  11. Approx. Dimensions (Width x Height x Depth)

    6.3 in.
    (160 mm)
    x 6.3 in.
    (158.5 mm)
    x 3.7 in.
    (92 mm)

  12. Approx. Weight

    49.6 oz.
    (1,405 g)

Courtesy of Nikon.com for all the images

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56 COMMENTS

    • Nikon in my mind are the best. It has always been a two horse race between Nikon and Canon. I went for a brand I could trust and that was Nikon for me.

      John

    • No one is perfect. This camera is for the long term enthusiast, for sports and landscape photography. The D5 is one heck of a beast.

      John

    • Get a camera which will suit your budget and what you are looking to do with it. If you wanting to do lots of nature, fashion or family; then a compact may do. If you wanting to do more, then a DSLR mid range with interchangeable lenses will suit your needs. Up to £1000/$1000USD for a decent mid-range DSLR and some good lenses. The lenses tend to be the most expensive part when purchasing a camera.

      John

  5. i have been looking for a new camera and am very loyal to canon but gosh this nikon d5 sounds fantastic. i’m putting it on my list. thanks for the info

  7. It’s compact, so that’s really awesome! Thank for sharing the details about this release and the features as well.

    • It’s not as compact as you think it is. It will be VERY heavy. You will need a tripod or a mono-pod if you want to use it. The body alone will be 1405g. That is VERY heavy indeed not taking in to account large ultra zoom lenses like the 800mm telephoto zoom lens.

      John

    • Hi Ana,

      I do have some hints. To blur out your background, you need to have a large aperture opening, the ƒ/1.8 to ƒ/3.6. As long the person is focusing on you or your face, which is always the best to focus on; then the background will be blurred. BUT, if you are stood in front of a wall, the wall will be clear as you will be. If you out for a walk in the park with a small ƒ/1.8 to ƒ/3.6 aperture. Then the trees or background will be blurred out. It sounds complicated but it is FAR easier to show you than it is to explain. If you want, I can send you a cheat sheet on how this works in practice.

      John.

    • The best thing is to actually buy one and go out and use it. I visit a few websites which has plenty of hints and tips to get you off the AUTO settings.

      John

    • Some of the specifications would be, it would be a second language to some. The Nikon D5 does lag behind the D810, which can only film in HD 1080i/p only, whereas the D5 can capture film in 4k resolution.

      John

  17. Great comprehensive review. I was gearing up to leave Nikon behind for a Canon but this made me rethink that choice. Thank you for sharing!

    • I hope you stay with Nikon. The D5 is going to be the new flagship camera. Upgrading to this camera will also upgrading your storage. I am sure 4k movie files will be HUGE!

      John

  18. OMG now I’m definitely stuck. I am looking for a good camera for quality photos and video, but for a beginner. I like to vlog too so lightweight would be practical, but i don’t want a point and shoot type of camera. All these great camera make me want to extend my budget to get two but I gotta stay strong! lol

    • Oh Yes. This is Pro camera with the price tag to prove it. This is going to be the top end must have camera for a lot of people when it hits the shelves in March. It just when to the top of my MOST WANTED list of 2016.

      John

  19. I’ve only just recently started to become interested in photography and was gifted my first DSLR ( a canon 1200D) which I’m still trying to get to grips with. I hear a lot of excellent feedback on Nikon, and this one certainly does sound its pack a hell of a punch! x

    • Canon and Nikon have been competing for Years and they are still trying to out whit each other. Nikon’s are a bit more expensive and the lenses are even more costly.

      John

  21. This sounds like an amazing camera. I have a Nikon D3200, my first DSLR and I love it, in fact I just bought a new 70-300mm lens for it yesterday. I need to look into the D5, might expand my camera collection.

  22. This looks like a camera to lust after. Unfortunately, at that price, it will have to remain something to dream about. This year I’m doing a photo a day challenge and find that using an iPod actually gets the photos taken. I guess it is important to take into consideration the reason the photo is being taken and match the camera to the need

    • This camera would have to be a serious decision for this price tag. That being said, there some cheaper and versatile camera’s on the market, that can do the job just the same.

      John

    • It’s definitely not a point and shoot camera. Knowing how to use a DSLR in manual are also not easy. They take time to get use to.

      John

  25. Wow this camera sounds amazing! We’re in the market for one of these. Both for my blog and for a potential business startup for my wife.

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