Reasons to choose D5
Released in 2016, D5 has about 856 mm² of sensor area, 20.8 MP effective resolution, and a 1,415 g body. Use these values to narrow the field, not as an overall image-quality score.
Side-by-side comparison
Nikon D5
vs Pentax K-1
VS
Sensor area
856 mm²
D5862 mm²
K-1- Area ratio
- 1.01:1
- Absolute difference
- 6 mm²
- Relative difference
- 0.7%
The K-1 has the larger sensor area. More area usually means greater light-gathering potential, though real image quality still depends on sensor architecture and generation.
Key specification differences
D5MetricK-1
20.8 MPEffective pixels36.4 MP
35.8 × 23.9Sensor35.9 × 24
6.41 µmPixel pitch4.87 µm
41.14 µm²Pixel area23.67 µm²
2.43 MP/cm²Pixel density4.22 MP/cm²
1.01Crop factor1
3,840 × 2,160Maximum video1,920 × 1,080
1,415 gWeight1,010 g
CF1 / XQDStorageSD/SDHC/SDXC (UHS-I)
EN-EL18a lithium-ion battery Li-ion batteryBatteryD-LI90 lithium-ion battery Li-ion battery
Amber marks the value that is generally preferable in this comparison context. It is not an overall camera score.
How to choose between these cameras
The K-1 has the larger sensor area. The K-1 has the lighter body. The K-1 has the higher effective resolution. The D5 and K-1 were both released in 2016. Also consider the lens system and subjects you shoot.
Reasons to choose K-1
Released in 2016, K-1 has about 862 mm² of sensor area, 36.4 MP effective resolution, and a 1,010 g body. Use these values to narrow the field, not as an overall image-quality score.