In the Nikon and Canon worlds, the D810 and 5D Mark IV occupy the same space: high-megapixel, technically advanced full-frame cameras for enthusiasts and professionals alike. The Canon 5D Mark IV is significantly more expensive than the Nikon D810, however, this is explained in part because Canon's model offers newer features and is a much more recent camera than Nikon's offering.
Design
Both cameras offer a similarly-sized shooting platform, with both cameras weighing about two pounds. The Nikon D810 is just slightly larger and weighs slightly more -- 34.9 ounces compared to the 31.4 ounces of the 5D Mark IV. The LCD screens of both cameras are 3.2" diagonally and both cameras' screen are fixed in place -- no tilt or articulating design -- but the 5D Mark IV offers a better experience, with touchscreen functionality and a screen that also has 75% more pixels than that of the D810.
Without delving too deeply, both cameras offer a wide array of controls. These are advanced cameras, and the photographer is expected to be aware of the implications of how each setting is used. The Canon 5D Mark IV does include an "automatic" operation, which could be useful if you were to ask someone unfamiliar with the camera to use it. The Nikon D810 offers no such feature.
Both cameras offer a variety of connectivity options for transferring data, video and audio: USB-3 is the data transfer standard, and both offer HDMI video out in the form of a type C mini-HDMI port. The Nikon D810 offers a 10-pin expansion terminal for various accessories while the Canon does not; the Canon 5D Mark IV offers wireless, NFC and built-in GPS.
The Nikon D810 includes a built-in pop-up flash with a guide number of 12; the Canon 5D Mark IV has none. The flash sync speed of the Nikon D810 is 1/250s, while for the Canon 5D Mark IV,it's 1/200s.
Both cameras offer dual memory card slots, being able to accept a CompactFlash card (up to UDMA7) and an SD card (up to UHS-I).
Shooting performance
The resolution of the Nikon D810 is slightly higher, at 36.2 megapixels, offering a maximum image size of 7360 x 4912 pixels. The sensor of the Canon 5D Mark IV is 30.1 megapixels, creating a maximum image size of 6720 x 4480 pixels. Despite the fact that the Nikon sensor packs more pixels into the same surface area (36mm x 24mm), according to DxO it is able to capture a greater dynamic range when compared to the Canon sensor (14.8 stops, compared to 13.6 stops). In the same testing, the Canon sensor has a slightly greater maximum effective ISO score when compared to the Nikon (2995 vs 2893 ISO).
In terms of raw shooting power, the Canon 5D Mark IV can shoot faster, at 7 frames per second compared to the 5 frames per second of the Nikon D810. When shooting in the JPEG format, the Canon 5D Mark IV can shoot until the cows come home, with the buffer clearing faster than the images can be shot. With the Nikon D810, you can shoot 57 images before the camera will lag behind its ability to write the images to the memory card. It's a slightly different story when shooting RAW; the Nikon D810 can shoot 23 images in RAW before needing to pause to write out the buffer; the Canon 5D Mark IV can shoot 19. And when shooting in 5D IV's new Dual Pixel RAW mode, the buffer can only shoot 7 images before needing to be written out.
The 5D Mark IV offers a much more advanced autofocus system than the D810. In the 5D Mark IV, there are 61 autofocus sensors, 41 of which are the cross-type sensor; in the Nikon D810, there are 51 autofocus points, but only 15 are cross-type. In addition, Canon has innovated in its autofocus technology by providing dual-pixel CMOS autofocus, essentially providing phase-detect style autofocus while in live-view. By contrast, the Nikon D810 is still using comparatively antiquated contrast detection autofocus technology while in live view, which results in slower AF in live view.
Between the two cameras, the Nikon D810 offers more shots per battery charge. Under standardized CIPA testing, the Canon 5D Mark IV can manage approximately 900 shots on a fully-charged battery, compared to a much greater 1,200 shots with the fully-charged Nikon D810; when using live view, the Canon 5D Mark IV offers only 300 shots (the Nikon D810 wasn't tested to get a comparable result).
Image Quality
Nikon has elected to go without an Optical Low-Pass Filter on the D810, which has been used traditionally to soften the image slightly and reduce the incidence of moiré. The tradeoff is to produce sharper images, especially when the camera is used at its lower ISO settings. As ISO is increased, this sharpness is hampered by increased noise, so generally, this advantage is only present when you use an ISO speed less than ISO 1,600.
Otherwise, both cameras can capture excellent images with many options for fine-tuning contrast, saturation and hue.
Here's a summary of the file sizes produced by the cameras:
| Nikon D810 |
Canon 5D Mark IV |
Uncompressed 14-bit RAW |
73.2 MB |
RAW |
36.8 MB |
Uncompressed 12-bit RAW |
55.9 MB |
Dual Pixel RAW |
66.9 MB |
Uncompressed 12-bit sRAW |
27.8 MB |
mRAW |
27.7 MB |
Compressed 12-bit RAW |
29.2 MB |
sRAW |
18.9 MB |
At this point, the Canon 5D Mark IV begins to show how much newer it is than the Nikon D810, offering a Dual Pixel RAW mode that allows the photographer to do some intriguing post-processing work, at the expense of essentially combining two photographs into one and hence doubling the file size of the image.
Features
Of the two cameras, the Canon 5D Mark IV offers better options for connectivity, including NFC (near field communication) and Wi-Fi connections. The Nikon D810 offers only a wired USB connection, unless you add the optional UT-1 communications unit and the WT-5A wireless adapter. If getting your photos off your camera without a wire is important to you, the 5D Mark IV is the obvious choice in this regard. The 5D Mark IV also offers an integrated GPS; with the Nikon D810, you can capture GPS data with every shot, but you'll need a separate GPS attachment.
Both cameras can shoot Full HD video at up to 60 frames per second, and both are limited to a maximum shooting time of 29 minutes and 59 seconds. Canon's 5D series achieved and maintains a popularity as an excellent video shooter, and the 5D Mark IV maintains this technical superiority over the Nikon D810 with its inclusion 4K video at up to 30 frames per second and faster live view autofocus. However, the codec used to create this 4K video is Motion-JPEG, which will result in huge file sizes (it encodes at 500 Mbits/second).
Both cameras use the PCM codec to encode audio during movie capture, can accept external microphones, and offer a headphone jack to monitor audio.
Conclusion
The Nikon D810 is slightly less expensive at this point in the product cycle, and is the iterative result of a tried-and-true shooting platform since the initial design (the D800) launched in 2012. The D810 was released two years later, and is overdue for a replacement, especially when you consider the comparative advancements by Canon.
The Canon 5D Mark IV is the fourth iteration in the 5D series, beginning first as Canon's high-megapixel camera, and achieving prominence as the indie movie shooter's favorite camera in the form of the 5D Mark II. The Mark III and IV models have continuously improved in this area, and the camera as a whole has become the showcase model for Canon's latest technology.
Both the Canon 5D Mark IV and the Nikon D810 are extremely capable cameras, offering a wide array of features that will allow any photographer to customize their shooting experience to their liking. If you are looking for a DSLR to shoot 4K video, the Canon is the current leader in this area; for shooting stills, the Nikon produces slightly better and larger images.
