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Nikon D810A vs Canon 5DS

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Nikon D810A

36 MP | Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) CMOS Sensor

Nikon D810A
$3,796.95
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Canon 5DS

51 MP | Full frame (36 x 24 mm) CMOS Sensor

Canon 5DS
$3,699.00
Nikon D810A vs Canon 5DS Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two Semi-Pro DSLR cameras. Both cameras have Full frame sensors but Nikon D810A has a 36.0 MP and Canon 5DS has a 51.0 MP resolution.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of Nikon D810A and Canon 5DS before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Nikon D810A Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2015-02-10
  • 36MP - Full frame CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 200 - 12800 ( expands to 100-51200)
  • Nikon F Mount
  • 3.2″ Fixed Type Screen
  • Optical (pentaprism) viewfinder
  • 5.0 fps continuous shooting
  • 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • 880g. 146 x 123 x 82 mm
  • Weather Sealed Body

Canon 5DS Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2015-02-06
  • 51MP - Full frame CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 6400 ( expands to 12800)
  • Canon EF Mount
  • 3.2″ Fixed Type Screen
  • Optical (pentaprism) viewfinder
  • 5.0 fps continuous shooting
  • 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • 930g. 152 x 116 x 76 mm
  • Weather Sealed Body
Reasons to choose Nikon D810A over Canon EOS 5DS
Built-in Flash Yes vs No Useful in low-light
Max ISO 12.800 vs 6.400 100% higher Max ISO
LCD Screen Resolution 1.229k dots vs 1.040k dots 18% higher resolution screen
Battery Life 1200 shots vs 700 shots 500 more frames with a single charge
Weight 880 g vs 930 g 50 g lighter
Headphone Port Yes vs No better video control
Sensor Pixel Area 23.83µm2 vs 17.17µm2 38% larger pixel area
AE Bracketing Range ±5 EV vs ±3 EV Wide Bracketing range is useful for HDR
Shutter Life Expectancy 200000 cycles vs 150000 cycles Longer use without changing the shutter mechanism
Reasons to choose Canon EOS 5DS over Nikon D810A
Max Sensor Resolution 51 MP vs 36 MP 41% more pixels
Number of Focus Points 61 vs 51 10 more focus points
Number of Cross Type Focus Points 41 vs 15 26 more cross type focus points
Price $3,699 vs $3,797 $98 cheaper
Common Strengths of Nikon D810A and Canon EOS 5DS
External Flash Shoe Yes vs Yes Better for flash photography
Viewfinder Yes (Optical) vs Yes (Optical) Better framing and control
RAW Support Yes vs Yes Better image quality
Face Detection Focus Yes vs Yes very handy for portraits
Max Resolution 36 MP vs 51 MP Bigger prints and more details
LCD Screen Size 3.2″ vs 3.2″ Large display
Microphone Port Yes vs Yes High quality audio recording option
Environmental Sealing Yes vs Yes shoot at tough conditions
Timelapse Recording Yes vs Yes creative shooting
Top LCD Display Yes vs Yes Help viewing and changing settings easily
AE Bracketing Yes vs Yes Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
Flash Sync Port Yes vs Yes Connect off-camera flash
AF Micro Adjustment (Fine Tune) Yes vs Yes Adjust each lens for accurate focusing
Shutter Life Expectancy 200000 cycles vs 150000 cycles High Shutter Rating
Dual-axis Electronic Level Yes vs Yes Level the camera easily in two axis
Storage Slot 2 vs 2 Extra Storage Slot
Support for UHS Memory Cards UHS-I vs UHS-I Read/Write in Ultra High Speeds
Common Weaknesses of Nikon D810A and Canon EOS 5DS
Image Stabilization No vs No No Built-in stabilization
Articulating Screen No vs No No flexible viewing angles
Nikon D810A vs Canon 5DS: Physical Specs Comparison

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Nikon D810A and Canon 5DS. Canon 5DS is 7mm shorter and 6mm thinner than Nikon D810A but it is also 6mm wider.

Nikon D810A vs Canon 5DS Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Now lets look at the top view comparison of Nikon D810A and Canon 5DS.
Nikon D810A vs Canon 5DS Camera Size Comparison - Top View

Nikon D810A vs Canon 5DS Detailed Size Comparison

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Nikon D810A is 50g lighter than the Canon 5DS but we don't think this will make a significant difference.

Also keep in mind that body weight is not the only deciding factor when comparing two interchangeable camera bodies, you have to also take into account the lenses that you will be using with these bodies. Since both Nikon D810A and Canon 5DS have the same Full frame sized sensor, their lenses for a similar focal length and aperture will be similar in size and weight.

Weight Comparison

DSLR Cameras

D810A
5DS
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

DSLR Cameras

D810A
5DS
Min
Average
Max
Nikon D810A vs Canon 5DS: Sensor Comparison

Nikon D810A has a 36.0MP Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features EXPEED 4 processor. On the other hand, Canon 5DS has a 51.0MP Full frame (36 x 24 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Dual DIGIC 6 processor.

Canon 5DS's sensor provides 15MP more than Nikon D810A's sensor, which gives a significant advantage in real life. You can print your images larger or crop more freely. On the other hand, please keep in mind that Max sensor resolution is not the only determinant of resolving power. Factors such as the optical elements, low pass filter, pixel size and sensor technology also affects the final resolution of the captured image.

Below you can see the D810A and 5DS sensor size comparison.

Nikon D810A vs Canon 5DS Sensor Size Comparison


Nikon D810A and Canon 5DS have almost the same sensor size so none of them has any significant advantage over other in providing control over depth of field when used with same focal length and aperture.

What types of Photography are Nikon D810A and Canon 5DS Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Nikon D810A and Canon 5DS for five different photography types in order to make your decision process easier in case you are specifically interested in one or more of these areas.

Nikon D810A for Portrait Photography

EXCELLENT

Canon 5DS for Portrait Photography

EXCELLENT
Large Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 36.0MP
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
Read the details
Large Full frame (36 x 24 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 51.0MP
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Nikon D810A for Street Photography

GOOD

Canon 5DS for Street Photography

GOOD
Large Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) sensor
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
No Image Stabilization
Large Body
Read the details
Large Full frame (36 x 24 mm) sensor
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
No Image Stabilization
Large Body
Read the details

Nikon D810A for Sports Photography

EXCELLENT

Canon 5DS for Sports Photography

EXCELLENT
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
15 Cross Type Focus sensors
51 Focus Points
Good Battery Life: 1200 shots
Good Low Light ISO
Average Continuous Shooting: 5.0fps
No Image Stabilization
Read the details
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
41 Cross Type Focus sensors
61 Focus Points
Good Battery Life: 700 shots
Good Low Light ISO
Average Continuous Shooting: 5.0fps
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Nikon D810A for Daily Photography

GOOD

Canon 5DS for Daily Photography

GOOD
Large Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Large Body
880g
Body Thickness 82mm
Read the details
Large Full frame (36 x 24 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Large Body
930g
Body Thickness 76mm
Read the details

Nikon D810A for Landscape Photography

EXCELLENT

Canon 5DS for Landscape Photography

EXCELLENT
Large Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 36.0MP
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Read the details
Large Full frame (36 x 24 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 51.0MP
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Read the details


Canon 5DS vs Nikon D810A Comparison of Available Lenses
Which camera has more lenses?

Number of available lenses is a big decision factor while choosing your interchangeable lens camera. When we look at the available lenses for these two cameras, we see that Nikon D810A has an advantage over Canon 5DS. There are 286 lenses for Nikon D810A's Nikon F mount, on the other hand there are only 251 lenses for Canon 5DS's Canon EF lens mount.

Another important factor is the availability of image stabilization. None of these bodies have sensor based image stabilization so you have to buy lenses with Optical stabilization feature. Currently there are 88 lenses for Nikon F mount and 65 lenses for Canon EF mount with IS.

Lens Type # of Nikon D810A Lenses # of Canon 5DS Lenses
Standard Zoom 33 (17 Full Frame) 25 (22 Full Frame)
Standard Prime 18 (15 Full Frame) 14 (14 Full Frame)
Wideangle Zoom 30 (14 Full Frame) 26 (17 Full Frame)
Wideangle Prime 45 (43 Full Frame) 43 (43 Full Frame)
Telephoto Zoom 49 (39 Full Frame) 48 (45 Full Frame)
Telephoto Prime 40 (39 Full Frame) 37 (37 Full Frame)
SuperZoom 30 (6 Full Frame) 17 (9 Full Frame)
Wideangle Fisheye Prime 8 (3 Full Frame) 3 (3 Full Frame)
Macro Prime 22 (19 Full Frame) 22 (20 Full Frame)
Perspective Control Prime 10 (10 Full Frame) 15 (15 Full Frame)
Telephoto Mirror Prime 1 (0 Full Frame) 1 (0 Full Frame)
TOTAL 286 (205 Full Frame) 251 (225 Full Frame)
Nikon D810A vs Canon 5DS: OUR DECISION

You may have already made your decision about which camera suits better for your needs and your budget so far but in case you wonder how we rated Nikon D810A and Canon 5DS, below you can find their scores in five different aspects. Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 63 different specs, current price and DxO Mark scores (where possible) in order to make a more objective and consistent comparison.

Here is a summary of how Nikon D810A and Canon 5DS scores compare:

Nikon D810A
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #7 out of 92 in Mid-size SLR cameras
Ranked #13 out of 1131 in all Cameras
Canon 5DS
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #20 out of 92 in Mid-size SLR cameras
Ranked #37 out of 1131 in all Cameras

Nikon D810A has a higher Overall Score than the Canon 5DS and would be our choice if we have to decide between these two cameras.

Nikon D810A
Nikon D810A
$3,796.95

Canon 5DS
Canon 5DS
$3,699.00

Canon 5DS vs Nikon D810A Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Nikon D810A Canon EOS 5DS
Brand Nikon Canon
Announced 2015-02-10 2015-02-06
Body Type Mid-size SLR Mid-size SLR
Price $3,796.95 $3,699.00
Sensor
Type CMOS CMOS
Size Full frame Full frame
Dimensions 35.9 x 24 mm 36 x 24 mm
Area 861.60mm2 864.00mm2
Megapixels 36 megapixels 51 megapixels
Max Resolution 7360 x 4912 8688 x 5792
Max Native Light sensitivity 12,800 ISO 6,400 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity 51200 ISO 12800 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity 200 ISO 100 ISO
Min Boosted Light Sensitivity 100 ISO -
RAW Support
Autofocus
AF Touch
AF Continuous
AF Single
AF Tracking
AF Selective
AF Center
AF Multi Area
AF Live View
AF Face Detection
AF Contrast Detection
AF Phase Detection
Number of Focus Points 51 61
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount Nikon F Canon EF
Number of Available Lenses 286 251
Screen
Type Fixed type Fixed type
Size 3.2″ 3.2″
Resolution 1,229k dots 1,040k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Optical (pentaprism) Optical (pentaprism)
Viewfinder Coverage 100% 100%
Viewfinder Magnification 0.7 0.71
Photography Features
Max Shutter Speed 1/8000s 1/8000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization No No
Built-in Flash
Flash Range 12.00 m (at ISO 100) no built-in flash
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 5.0 fps 5.0 fps
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution 1920 x 1080 1920 x 1080
Video Formats MPEG-4, H.264 H.264
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity Optional None
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 880g 930g
Dimensions 146 x 123 x 82mm 152 x 116 x 76mm
Battery Life 1200 shots 700 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS Optional None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score not tested 87
DxO Color Depth not tested 24.7
DxO Dynamic Range not tested 12.4
DxO Low Light ISO not tested 2381
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