Sony a7 IV vs Nikon D5

This is a full comparison between the cameras Sony a7 IV and Nikon D5. We compare them by looking at the categories you see below.

Sony a7 IV

Nikon D5

Manufacturing

Sony a7 IV is manufacturered by Sony but Nikon D5 is from Nikon. Both Sony and Nikon are well known brands though.

Sony a7 IV were released 2021 and Nikon D5 was released 2016. That is a 5 years difference. In tech, this period can be of interest since technology is always improving, etc.

Camera	Released
Sony a7 IV	2021
Nikon D5	2016

Type of camera

Sony a7 IV is a Mirrorless camera while Nikon D5 is a DSLR camera. More information about their differences will come soon.

Sensors / crop factor

Even though the camera sensors might be called differently they are both considered Full frame which means that the focal length of the lenses is not affected. There is no crop factor on any of these cameras and sensors.

Camera	Focal length, 50mm f/1.8 **
Sony a7 IV	50 mm Full-frame sensor No crop factor/focal length multiplier
Nikon D5	50 mm Full-frame sensor No crop factor/focal length multiplier

** Experienced focal length when using a lens such as a common "50mm f/1.8"

Learn more about crop factor and focal length multiplier here:
Camera selection can affect the focal length (Sony)
Camera selection can affect the focal length (Nikon)

Resolution

Sony a7 IV has a 33 MP (Megapixels) resolution while Nikon D5 has 21 MP. If we break down this in more detail this is the data behind the numbers:

Camera	Megapixels
Sony a7 IV	33 MP 32741376 pixels 7008 x 4672
Nikon D5	21 MP 20742656 pixels 5588 x 3712

Sony a7 IV has a 58 % larger resolution than Nikon D5. This could give you more details in the picture but also a possibility to crop more in the pictures, afterward while editing the pictures, if needed that is.

ISO range

Nikon D5 has a larger ISO-range than Sony a7 IV. Nikon D5 has an ISO range that stretches from 100 to 102400 while Sony a7 IV has 100 to 51200.

Camera	ISO Range
Sony a7 IV	100-51200
Nikon D5	100-102400

Autofocus and lens compatibility

Both of these cameras have a built-in autofocus motor. Some lenses, that support autofocus, do not have an autofocus motor of their own but this won't cause any problems with these two cameras.

Here is a complete overview of which lenses work with each camera:
Lens compatibility chart for Sony a7 IV
Lens compatibility chart for Nikon D5

Pictures per second

Depending on what you are shooting the FPS, or frames/pictures per second, can definitely be of interest. Sony a7 IV can shoot up to 10 pictures per seconds and Nikon D5 can shoot up to 14 pictures per seconds.

Camera	FPS (Frames per second)
Sony a7 IV	10
Nikon D5	14

Ability to record movies

It is becoming more and more popular to record movies with digital cameras.

In this case, both Sony a7 IV and Nikon D5 can shoot movies.

Weight

The weight of the camera can be an extremely important factor, especially if the camera is about to be used, or carried around, for several hours at a time.

Nikon D5 weighs 1415 gr (equal to 3.12 lb) which is 115% heavier than Sony a7 IV and its 659 gr (or 1.45 lb).

Camera	Weight
Sony a7 IV	659 gr 1.45 lb
Nikon D5	1415 gr 3.12 lb