Canon 5D Mark II vs Nikon D810

Nikon D810 advantages over Canon 5D Mark II

• Less expensive
  $2079 vs $2999
  Save money for lenses or accessories
• Higher effective ISO

  Higher effective ISO

  Maximum effective ISO is an estimate of the highest sensitivity at which a camera can capture excellent quality photos.

  Cameras with higher effective ISO will be better choices for indoor photography, night shooting, and indoor sports photography, especially if you intend to make large prints.

  You can learn more at our glossary entry.

  Maximum effective ISO test data courtesy of DxO Mark.

  D810 test data on DxO Mark 5D Mark II test data on DxO Mark
  2,853 vs 1,815 iso
  Take photos in low light with less noise
• More dynamic range

  More dynamic range

  Cameras with more dynamic range allow you to take photos with dramatic differences in highlight and shadow areas while retaining detail in both.

  Think of a brilliant sunset on a rocky beach: Bright sunset in the background, with dark rocks in the foreground. High dynamic range means more of the extremes will be faithfully reproduced.

  Dynamic range test data courtesy of DxO Mark.

  D810 test data on DxO Mark 5D Mark II test data on DxO Mark
  14.8 vs 11.9 evs
  Retain detail in highlight and shadows
• Longer stills battery life
  More info

  Longer stills battery life

  Cameras with longer battery life can take more photos before exhausting their batteries.

  Special note: The measurement standard for battery life stipulates that if a camera has an internal flash, it must be used for 50% of photos taken. For this reason, comparisons of one camera with an internal flash to another without will not be comparable

  1200 vs 850 shots
  Capture more photos
• Internal flash
  Internal flash vs None
  Useful in a pinch for fill flash
• More cross-type AF points
  15 vs 1
  Cross-type AF points improve autofocus performance
• Newer
  10 years vs 16 years old
  Newer cameras often support more advanced features
• Shoots 24p video
  Yes vs No
  Gives your movies a big-screen feel
• More dots on screen
  1229k vs 920k dots
  Can mean greater resolution or a brighter screen
• More pixels
  36.3 vs 21.1 megapixels
  Higher resolution photos
• Shoots 60p video
  Yes vs No
  A faster framerate can give you more editing options
• Dual card slots
  Yes vs No
  Gives you more storage flexibility
• More AF points
  51 vs 15
  More AF points improve autofocus
• Headphone jack
  Yes vs No
  Monitor audio recording while you shoot video
• Lacks anti-aliasing filter
  No Filter vs Filter
  Enjoy sharper photos
• Faster JPEG shooting
  5.1 fps vs 3.9 fps
  Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
• Faster RAW shooting
  5.1 fps vs 3.9 fps
  Faster RAW shooting in burst mode
• Bigger RAW buffer
  23 vs 11 shots
  Larger buffer for RAW shots (burst mode)
• Higher extended ISO
  51200 vs 25600 ISO
  Higher extended ISO can give more low-light flexibility