44 4 April 2020 I http://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk I subscribe 0330 333 1113
The D780’s natural light auto white balance mode
was predominantly used for outdoor scenes
Nikon D780, Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8 DG HSM Art, 1/10sec at f/4, ISO 200recorded at up to 120fps at
Full HD 1080p resolution.
Videographers will also appreciate
being able to record 10-bit
footage in N-Log to preserve as
wide dynamic range as possible,
and with support of hybrid log
gamma recording and timecode
output via 10-bit HDMI, the D780
is a very serious tool for video use.
Adding to this is the option to
shoot 4K UHD time-lapse movies
in-camera and I’d recommend
turning exposure-smoothing on,
which effectively reduces
variations between images to
create seamless transitions.
At the side of the body there are
three rubber flap openings. The
microphone and headphone ports
are located behind one at the top,
there’s a separate port in the
middle for plugging in a remote
release and beneath it you’ll find
an HDMI Type C connector and
USB Type C port that facilitates
in-camera charging with
compatible EN-EL15b batteries.
Build and handling
Photographers who have used the
D750 will be familiar with the feel
of the D780 in the hand, whereas
those who are maybe looking at it
as an upgrade from an entry-level
DSLR will immediately sense that
it’s significantly larger and heavier.
Viewed alongside the Z 6 and Z 7,
it looks as if Nikon’s mirrorless
cameras have been on a lean diet
of fruit and vegetables compared
to the D780 that has a noticeably
more muscular appearance.
Weighing 840g (body only), the
D780 is 165g heavier than the
Nikon Z 6 and Z 7. Although this
may not seem like much on paper,
the extra weight of the D780 was
obvious when I switched between
Nikon’s DSLR and mirrorless
systems and had to carry them
both for long periods. Extensive
weathe- sealing and a tough
magnesium alloy body are to be
expected from a model of the
D780’s calibre and price. It’s an
extremely strong and well-
constructed camera that’ll allow
users to continue to work when
the going gets tough or when
challenging conditions persist.
For anyone who has large hands
and fingers, or isn’t particularly
fond of the handling characteristics
of smaller mirrorless models, the
D780’s size won’t be an off-
putting factor. The advantage that
comes with having a larger body is
that there’s more space for
buttons, which don’t have to be
crammed close together. Like the
D750, buttons and dials are large
and there’s a line of five buttons
arranged vertically down the side
of the screen, but not all of these
are the same. In reply to customer
feedback, Nikon has shifted the
ISO button and placed it between
the exposure compensation and
movie-rec button on the top plate
for more intuitive control in
combination with the rear dial.
What was the ISO button on the
D750 is now the metering modebutton. Other changes see the
Live View button that’s encircled
by the stills/video switch shifted up
so it’s in easier reach of the thumb.
A new AF-ON button for
back-button focusing is added
alongside and the AE-L/AF-L
button takes the place of where
the info button was on the D750.
The info button has since moved
below the four-way controller and
with no joystick; the four-way
controller is used to shift the AF
point during viewfinder shooting. It
offers diagonal movement as well
as left, right, up and down, but I
knocked the lock switch around it
by accident occasionally, which did
cause me to wonder why I couldn’t
move the AF point. The D780 no
longer has a pop-up flash like the
D750, however radio-controlled
advanced wireless lighting is
supported and the flash
compensation button allows -3 to
+1EV control in P, A, S, M shooting
modes. In most other respects it’s
similarly laid out to the D750.
Users can glance down at a large
rectangular top plate LCD, there’s
a button below the lens release to
take quick control of AF modes
and the preview button and Fn
button on the opposite side of the
lens mount are both customisable.Viewfinder and screen
There’s not a great deal new to
report regarding the viewfinder. It
inherits the same pentaprism
optical viewfinder from the D750,
which has a magnification of 0.7xand offers 100% frame coverage.
It’s possible to turn on a framing
grid display to aid composition and
I assigned the Fn button to
viewfinder virtual horizon, which
loads a helpful levelling guide on
the horizontal and vertical axis to
avoid shooting wonky horizons.
Unlike the D850, there isn’t a
switch to block out the viewfinder
to prevent any light leak issues
during long exposures, however
the rubber eyepiece can be
removed and replaced with the
supplied DK-5 eyepiece cover.