Whilst a lot of the dialogue surrounding the Artemis II group’s stunning pictures from their Orion spacecraft has targeted at the pictures themselves, and they’re incredible photographs, one of the vital dialogue has surrounded the cameras used to seize the pictures. Photographers love chatting tools, finally. Whilst the Nikon D5 DSLR would possibly appear to be a puzzling selection as the main digicam on a prestigious area venture in 2026, it’s the most productive software for the activity.

Even if the Artemis II group effectively campaigned to get Nikon’s present flagship digicam, the mirrorless Z9, aboard on the final minute, the group is the use of the carefully examined Nikon D5 DSLR from 2016 as the primary digicam. Now not the Nikon D6, Nikon’s final skilled DSLR that used to be discontinued in 2025, however the 10-year-old D5.

It’s simple to surprise why the Artemis II astronauts, who’re a part of an Artemis program costing many billions of greenbacks to perform, are the use of an outdated DSLR that, frankly, used to be no longer in particular cherished on the time of its free up.

On the other hand, it’s no longer bizarre when the context is teased aside. Past one of the essential components, that the Nikon D5 is a confirmed, examined digicam that NASA is aware of can care for the tough atmosphere of area, the D5 may be a uniquely succesful digicam for this particular state of affairs.

When Nikon launched the D5, a large a part of its advertising and marketing used to be that it would succeed in an obscene prime ISO worth of three,280,000. Whilst that high mark is most often a large number of scorching air and ISO 3.28 million appears horrible and is nearly pointless, the D5’s extremely touted low-light efficiency is some distance from advertising and marketing mumbo jumbo. The D5 used to be, and stays, Nikon’s very best prime ISO performer. Now not only for DSLRs, however all Nikon virtual cameras ever made.

The NASA Artemis II venture, which is orbiting the Moon on the time of writing, is taken with taking pictures as a lot helpful visible knowledge of the Moon as imaginable. This implies excellent, sharp, and blank pictures of the lunar floor. Certain, the Nikon Z9 aboard the Orion spacecraft has extra megapixels than the D5 DSLR, however it isn’t as adept at prime ISO values, and area is extraordinarily darkish.

Imagine the beautiful pictures NASA Artemis II astronaut Reid Wiseman captured out of the Orion spacecraft’s home windows final Friday. One of the most pictures used to be captured at ISO 51,200 with a shutter pace of simply 1/4s. Whilst positive, Wiseman will have unfolded his Nikon AF-S 14-24mm f/2.8G lens to f/2.8, slightly than sticking to f/4, that may have made little distinction. It used to be all the time going to be shot at an excessively prime ISO.

Whilst Wiseman and his fellow astronauts, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen, will be capable to stay their ISO low when photographing the illuminated Moon, what concerning the darkish aspect of Earth’s satellite tv for pc? Top ISO might be very important.

There’s little question that the Nikon Z9 the group has up in area will carry out effectively and seize nice pictures. On the other hand, when the sunshine is dim and confirmed reliability is of maximum significance, the Nikon D5 stays the awesome selection. Numerous sides of cameras has gotten higher for the reason that D5’s release, together with autofocus and pace. Symbol high quality, on the other hand, has no longer universally stepped forward within the mirrorless generation. Digicam makers are prioritizing different sides of general imaging efficiency. Nikon prioritized prime ISO efficiency at the D5 in some way it hasn’t since with its more recent cameras.

As an apart, it’s decidedly much less obtrusive that the 30-year-old Nikkor 35mm f/2 AF-D lens the group has up in area used to be a better choice than the Nikon AF-S 35mm f/1.4G or 35mm f/1.8G ED lenses, however it’s neat {that a} vintage Nikkor high is in area, and it’s obviously doing simply advantageous.

Is the Nikon D5 the most productive Nikon digicam, and even DSLR, ever made? Now not by way of an extended shot. Nevertheless it’s the appropriate software for the Artemis II venture, regardless of its age. For the reason that Nikon is transferring to the Z9 platform for the Artemis III venture with the next-generation Hand held Common Lunar Digicam (HULC), Artemis II may be most probably the D5’s final hurrah. Being utilized by the Artemis II group whilst they set the brand new report for the farthest distance people have ever traveled from Earth — 252,760 miles (406,778 kilometers) — is one heck of a swan music.

Symbol credit: Nikon, NASA