If you’re into photography and use cameras other than the one on your phone, then you may understand the importance of selecting just the right camera to get the perfect shot.

For NASA’s Artemis II crew, the solution was to bring a variety of cameras to capture all sorts of images. Two Nikon cameras, an iPhone and a number of compact action cameras were included on the trip.

But what got photo blogs and message boards buzzing was the choice of a classic, the Nikon D5, an older model that’s no longer in production. Unlike today’s cameras, which are mirrorless, the Nikon D5 is a DSLR version that was first introduced in 2016.

Jack Peralta at District Camera‘s Burke, Virginia location, explained that the D5 “was a very popular camera when it was around. It’s just a 20-megapixel camera, and it’s a little bit on the heavier side.”

It was considered a workhorse, “very easy to use, but very much a professional camera,” Peralta said.

Megapixels are the tiny dots that make up a digital image and enhance the resolution of the pictures you capture. In contrast to the D5, the iPhone 17 Pro that the Artemis crew is currently using is 48 megapixels.

Peralta said that photographers who want to upgrade their cameras will often trade these in.

“When we do get a D5 in, it will definitely go very quickly,” he said.

The Artemis crew also has a Nikon Z9 camera, a top-of the line mirrorless camera that many pros use now.

But a check of the photo gallery from the NASA website shows that the older models are capable of taking spectacular images, something that could hearten those new to photography who may suffer sticker shock when looking at the latest cameras as they consider what to buy.

Of course, there’s constant debate over whether there’s a need for cameras in the age of mobile phones that are jam-packed with technology that allow users to capture images that are dazzling compared to years past.

To that, Peralta said when customers struggle to decide whether a camera is worth the investment, “I keep, on my phone, a picture that I’ve taken of something with the phone and with the camera, and show them the difference between the two.”

He said that’s often enough to tip the scales in the favor of a sale.

His advice to people brand new to cameras? Put more money into the lens quality, not the camera body.

“That (lens) adds a lot more to the quality of your pictures,” he said.