Sony A9 vs Nikon D5 Comparison

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Sony-A9-vs-Nikon-D5

Want to find out the main differences between Sony A9 ($4,498)and Nikon D5 ($6,497)? Here is the detailed specifications comparison of Sony A9 vs Nikon D5.

Let’s have a brief look at the key features of Sony A9 and Nikon D5 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Sony A9 Key Features:

  • 24.2MP Full-Frame Stacked CMOS Sensor
  • BIONZ X Image Processor & Front-End LSI
  • 693-Point AF System & 20 fps Shooting
  • Blackout-Free Quad-VGA 3.7m-Dot OLED EVF
  • Internal UHD 4K Video Recording
  • 5-Axis SteadyShot INSIDE Stabilization
  • 3.0″ 1.44m-Dot Tilting Touchscreen LCD
  • ISO 204,800, Silent Electronic Shutter
  • Built-In Wi-Fi/Bluetooth, Dual SD Slots
  • Integrated LAN and PC Sync Terminals

Nikon D5 Key Features:

  • 20.8MP FX-Format CMOS Sensor
  • EXPEED 5 Image Processor
  • 3.2″ 2.36m-Dot Touchscreen LCD Monitor
  • 4K UHD Video Recording at 30 fps
  • Multi-CAM 20K 153-Point AF System
  • Native ISO 102400, Extend to ISO 3280000
  • 12 fps Shooting for 200 Shots with AE/AF
  • 180k-Pixel RGB Sensor and Group Area AF
  • 14-Bit Raw Files and 12-Bit Raw S Format
  • 1000 Base-T Gigabit Wired LAN Support

Sony A9 vs Nikon D5 Size Comparison:

Sony-a9-vs-Nikon-D5

  • Sony Alpha A9 is 21% (33.1 mm) narrower and 40% (62.9 mm) shorter than Nikon D5.
  • Sony Alpha A9 is 32% (29 mm) thinner than Nikon D5.
  • Sony Alpha A9 [673 g] weights 52% (732 grams) less than Nikon D5 [1405 g] (*inc. batteries and memory card).
  • Sony Alpha A9 dimensions: 126.9×95.6×63 mm (camera body only, excluding protrusion)
    Nikon D5 dimensions: 160×158.5×92 mm (camera body only, excluding protrusion)

Sony A9 vs Nikon D5 Specifications Comparison

Feature Sony A9 Nikon D5
Price $4,498 $6,497
Announced Apr 19, 2017 Jan 5, 2016
Body type SLR-style mirrorless Large SLR
Body material Magnesium alloy Magnesium alloy
Battery NP-FZ100 EN-EL18a
Battery Life 650 CIPA, 105 minutes video footage 3780 CIPA; 110 mins HD footage
Effective Pixels 24.2MP 20.8MP
Max resolution 6000 x 4000 5588 x 3712
Image ratio w:h 3:2, 16:9 1:1, 5:4, 4:3, 3:2
Sensor Size Full frame (35.6 x 23.8 mm) Full frame (35.9 x 23.9 mm)
Sensor type BSI-CMOS CMOS
Image Processor BIONZ X EXPEED 5
ISO Auto, 100-51200 (expands to 50-204800) Auto, 100-102400 (expandable to 50-3280000)
Boosted ISO (minimum) 50 50
Boosted ISO (maximum) 204800 3280000
Image Stabilization 5-Axis sensor shift No
Autofocus System Fast Hybrid AF: Wide (693 points (phase-detection AF), 25 points (contrast-detection AF) 153 points, including 99 cross-type and 15 supported to f/8
AF Points 693 153
Lens mount Sony E Nikon F
LCD Size 3.0″ Articulating LCD 3.2″ Rear LCD
LCD Resolution 1,440,000 dots 2,359,000 dots
White balance presets 10 12
LCD Touchscreen Yes Yes
Viewfinder Type Electronic Optical (pentaprism)
Viewfinder Magnification 0.78x 0.72x
Min shutter speed 30 sec 30 sec
Max shutter speed 1/8000 sec 1/8000 sec
Max shutter speed (electronic) 1/32000 sec –
Built-in Flash No No
USB Version USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 3.0 (5 GBit/sec)
Flash X sync speed 1/250 sec 1/250 sec
Continuous Shooting Speed 20 fps with AF/AE 12 fps w/ AF tracking; 14 fps with w/ mirror up
Buffer Size (RAW) 241 images 200
Buffer Size (JPEG) 362 images 200
Video Output XAVC S / AVCHD 2.0 / MP4 MOV, MPEG-4 / H.264
Storage types Dual SD/SDHC/SDXC slots (UHS-II compatible) Dual CompactFlash or dual XQD
Wireless Built-In Optional
Wireless notes 802.11b/g/n + NFC + Bluetooth Requires WT-5A or WT-6A
Remote control Yes (Wired or wireless) Yes (wired, wireless, smartphone)
Built-in GPS No Optional
Video Maximum Resolution 4K (3840 x 2160) at 30p; full HD up to 120 fps; full sensor readout. 4K (3840 x 2160) at 30p; full HD to 60p; 1.5x crop during 4K
Weight (inc. batteries) 673 g (1.48 lb / 23.74 oz) 1415 g (3.12 lb / 49.91 oz)
Dimensions 127 x 96 x 63 mm 160 x 159 x 92mm

Sony A9: $4,498 at Amazon, B&H, Adorama.

Nikon D5: $6,497 at Amazon, B&H, Adorama.