Nikon D5 Review
The Nikon D5 has found its usage in the real world in a professional shooting environment. You will not find specification comparisons, tests at each ISO or in-depth technical breakdowns. The only thing that matters while shooting is the ability of the camera.
The Nikon is provided with a review sample, which wasn’t allowed to keep. That being said, it’s an unbiased review that hasn’t been paid or employed to write anything specific, or to proffer a favorable report on the camera.
The D750 helped in shooting various aspects of the day with each to ensure its ample backup. Of course, that offered its own benefits. Its performance in various situations could be directly compared. Hundreds of people from all over the world, without exaggeration, will migrate from Canon to Nikon.
The Nikon D5 captures excellent images, but its 20.8-MP sensor trades low ISO dynamic range for excellent high ISO performance. What it doesn’t compromise on is autofocus and speed with 153 AF points and 12fps continuous shooting for up to 200 images, respectively. The bulky, but well-designed body screams “pro” camera, as does everything else about this DSLR.
You could notice the subtle changes to the camera body itself than the predecessors D4 and D4S. But the internal changes are extensive. It includes a brand-new sensor, autofocus system, image processor, and expanded video features.
Performance :
The Nikon D5 utilizes a brand-new, 20.8-megapixel full-frame CMOS sensor and a new, faster EXPEED 5 image processor. This new higher-resolution sensor — up from the 16.2MP chip of the D4-series — includes an optical low-pass filter and also an anti-reflective coating to minimize ghosts and flare.
In conjunction with the EXPEED 5 processor, the Nikon D5’s sensor has a native ISO range of 100 to 102,400. While that itself is already impressive, the D5’s extended ISO range is 50 to a whopping 3,276,800 equivalent. This makes it the widest ISO range on a Nikon camera ever. Compared to the D4S, the D5 not only has a 4.5 MP increase, but also a native ISO range improvement of 2 EV and an expanded ISO sensitivity improvement of 3 EV. Along with a new sensor and processor, the Nikon D5 also uses a new noise reduction system. The D5 is designed to “Conquer the Dark”, as Nikon’s press release says.
Additional low light performance improvements couple the improved ISO range with a new autofocus system that can acquire focus as little as 4 EV. The D5 is the first Nikon camera to utilize a dedicated autofocus processor. Its Multi-CAM 20K AF sensor module brings 153 autofocus points with it. Among which, 99 are cross-type sensors, which is three times the amount found in the D4S. Fifteen of the autofocus points are also functional at up to f/8, perfect for when using teleconverters. Of these 153 AF points, the user can select from 55 AF points/35 cross-type points. You can select either 153, 72, or 25-point coverage when using the camera’s continuous autofocus mode. Selectable autofocus modes include single-point, dynamic area, auto area, 3D-tracking, and group area.
Metering has also been improved with the introduction of a new 180K pixel RGB metering sensor and Advanced Scene Recognition System. Building upon the D4S’ facial detection capabilities, the D5 adds a watch area menu option. Further, Nikon has added a new ‘Keep White’ white balance option when using Auto White Balance, to achieve more natural color reproduction.
The camera’s speed has also been improved. The Nikon D5 gives the high-speed shooters an extra frame-per-second with full AE and AF capabilities, bringing it to 12fps. However, with the mirror up and exposure and focus locked, the D5 can capture images at 14fps. The buffer depth has been increased from 133 shots when using XQD up to 200 shots. The D5 is available with two flavors of XQD memory card : dual XQD slots and dual CF slots.
Workflow :
High-speed shooting and efficient capabilities are only useful if the camera can handle and offload files quickly, too. The Nikon D5 is up to the task with its built-in LAN capabilities. With an improved 1000 Base-T Ethernet port, the D5 can transfer files at up to 400Mbps, which is 1.5x faster than the D4S’ transfer speeds. And the USB port has been upgraded to SuperSpeed USB 3. It supports up to a 5Gbps link compared to 480Mbps for the D4S’ Hi-Speed USB 2.0. Wireless speeds are also improved from 30 to 130Mbps when using the new WT-6A Wireless Transmitter. The WT-6A supports the IEEE 802.11ac standard and has a connectivity distance of 656 feet. The device can transfer images to an FTP server or computer. When in HTTP mode, it can be used to operate camera controls, begin Live View shooting, or start/stop HD video recording.
If you opt for the dual-XQD variant of the Nikon D5, you’ll enjoy up to 35% faster read and write speeds compared to CF. If you want to make the camera even faster, you can have the D5 record small or medium 12-bit, uncompressed RAW files.
Video :
Even if the Nikon D500 is newly-announced as the D5. But the D5 is the first Nikon DSLR capable of capturing 4K Ultra High-Definition video. Thanks to its EXPEED 5 image processor, the D5 can capture 4K video (3840 x 2160 resolution) at up to 30fps. The Nikon D5 can record up to three minutes of 4K video at a time. Also, it can record video either in camera to its memory card or directly to an external recording device. From the D810, the D5 also gains uncompressed HDMI out, simultaneous live view. It has headphone/microphone connections, even. In addition to the microphone connection, the Nikon D5 has a built-in stereo mic with twenty levels of user-selected sensitivity.
Capable of recording video at ISO 100-3,276,800, the Nikon D5 can use nearly all its expanded ISO range and provide photojournalists near night-vision video recording. When shooting 4K video, you can also save a still frame as an 8-megapixel image file. Providing, even more, versatility for multimedia photographers. Besides, the D5 includes some new video features like Flat Picture Control, a dedicated movie shooting menu, Auto ISO, and smooth exposure compensation. Carried over from the D4S are zebra stripes display option and power aperture control.
With Multi-area D-movie, the Nikon D5 offers selectable image areas for recording video. 4K video is only available in one image area size. Whereas Full HD video is available in three different options. They are FX-based movie format which uses the full width of the FX field-of-view, DX-based which crops in 1.5x, and 1920 x 1080 crop which crops in even further. The 4K movie image area (3840 x 2160) is almost the same as the DX-based crop.
Battery Life :
The Nikon D5 has slightly increased its size, gaining a millimeter of height, a couple of millimeters of width. And its weight is increased to just over two ounces (59 grams). The rear display has remained the same size, 3.2″ diagonally. However, dot count has increased from 921k to 2,359k. The D5’s display gets new touchscreen capabilities for playback and text input. Additionally, the viewfinder has seen an improvement in magnification from 0.7x to 0.72x. The eyepiece adapter is now detachable. The viewfinder is not only just larger but also it has shortened blackout time and reduced image blur compared to the D4S’ viewfinder.
There are a huge number of changes to how the camera body handles, with slight changes in ergonomics, button layout, and the addition of two more function buttons. One on the front of the camera and another to the left of the rear display. The Nikon D5 also introduces a quick settings ability. This allows the release mode settings to change while shooting through the viewfinder. We can obtain this by holding the release mode button with your left hand and command dial with your right hand. Also, like the D4S, the D5’s buttons are illuminated for easier shooting in low-light conditions.
Of course, the D5 is compatible with its new radio-frequency capable SB-5000 Speedlight flashes. Nearly 18 of them can be controlled remotely without a direct line of sight at a range of up to 98 feet (30 meters) by a WR-R10 wireless remote controller attached to the Nikon D5 via a WR-A10 adapter.
As durable and rugged as ever, the robust, weather-sealed body also has a new shutter and mirror sequencing mechanism. While shooting with a high-speed, this “almost eliminates blackout time and mirror slap.” As a result, it produces a bright and consistent image through the viewfinder. This new shutter is rated for 400,000 actuation as well. So you’ll be able to enjoy its higher quality for a long time.
With a more efficient image processor, the Nikon D5 is able to squeeze an additional life out of its EN-EL18a rechargeable Li-Ion battery. The D4S’ impressive battery life of approximately 3,020 shots. It is now eclipsed by the D5’s approximately 3,780 shots battery life.
Conclusion :
The D5 is a camera that will be lusted over by a lot of enthusiasts but largely abused by its intended customer base – working professionals. These photographers will simply pick it up, do their best to re-assign all their buttons. In the same way, as they had re-assigned them on their D4S’s, and get to work. For long-time sports shooters and wedding photographers, a more comprehensive rethink and redesign of cameras would probably not go over well.
For photographers that are often burst shooting, the D5 allows you to select the first or last frame of a burst to check immediately after concluding a burst. You can also play bursts automatically or use the touchscreen to advance frames with the “frame advance bar.”
The ISO button has been relocated to be near the shutter release button. This controls all the exposure-related controls with just your right hand. More buttons are now illuminated, including the release mode dial and playback/delete buttons.
Instead, the evolving Dx line continuously provides meaningful updates. These will make it easier for established pros to capture images that they already know how to take. In this vein, the Nikon D5 is indeed a worthy upgrade and successor to the D4S for a number of reasons.
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