excellent, while automatic white
balance does a good job of keeping
colours accurate.
Unlike the Z6, however, there’s
no in-body image stabilisation.
Instead, you’ll have to rely on your
lenses. This means that occasionally
you might see a little bit of blur if
you don’t keep a good eye on
shutter speeds, particularly in
darker conditions. We’d
recommend setting a minimum
shutter speed if critical sharpness is
an issue for you – and, of course,
look out for lenses with VR.
The D780 doesn’t offer one
particular feature that’s mind-
blowing, and it’s a shame there’s no
in-body image stabilisation or
built-in flash. But it does have
plenty of good, solid, and versatile
features that ensure it’s suitable for
a wide variety of photographers.
In many ways, it is a cross
between the D750 and the Z6. It
has the same AF system as the
latter, which comes in handy for
shooting action sequences, while
the latest EXPEED processor helps
to support fast shooting, too.
If you’re not already equipped
with a set of DSLR lenses, whether
you choose to go for this over a
mirrorless option will be down to
personal preference. Want a larger,
chunkier full-frame camera with an
optical viewfinder and fantastic
battery life? This is one of the best
options around.
The only real downside is that, at
the moment, the D780 is expensive,
particularly compared to a camera
like the Z6, but we’re hopeful the
price will drop in the coming
months. Then again, buying this
camera, and keeping your existing
glass, will still be cheaper than
switching over to mirrorless.DSLRs remain the best camera for
many, and the D780 is one of the
best full-frame options around.for video shooting, but the tilt
screen (which you’ll also find on the
D750) is still useful for framing stills
from high and low angles.
Features and autofocus
The D780 has been designed to be
a good all-rounder, appealing to a
broad cross-section of
photographers. Keen amateurs are
perhaps the main target audience,
but professionals who don’t crave
the huge resolution (and unwieldy
file sizes) of the D850 may also find
the D780 an enticing, and more
than capable, option. At its heart is
a back-illuminated 24.5MP
full-frame sensor, which is matched
with the latest EXPEED 6 processor
- the same combination you’ll find
in the Nikon Z6. Other interesting
specifications include up to 12fps
shooting (when in Live View),
in-camera charging via USB and 4K
video recording.
Naturally, a full-frame DSLR has a
much bigger body than a mirrorless
equivalent, and one of the benefits
this brings is space for two memory
cards – here we have two UHS-II-
compatible SD card slots.
In terms of autofocusing, there
are two systems in play. The D780
uses the same on-chip phase-
detection for the 273-point
autofocus system as the Nikon Z6,
but the crucial difference is that this
only engages when you’re shooting
via Live View, rather than using the
optical viewfinder. If you prefer to
shoot in the traditional way you get
a decent 51 points, but they’re all
clustered in the centre of the frame.Performance
This is probably not a camera that
will appeal to dedicated sports and
action photographers, but if you’re
photographing something with a
relatively predictable movement
pattern, then it can cope fairly well.Both AF systems are reliably quick
and accurate, but if you’re
capturing a moving subject then
shooting via the screen is a little
more responsive. Especially since
you can shoot at 12fps when using
the screen, compared to 7fps
through the viewfinder.
You can shoot up to 68 Raw files
or 100 JPEGs before it needs to take
a breather. That’s not amazing for
those in the ‘spray and pray’ camp,
but the buffer does clear pretty
quickly allowing you to get back to
shooting quick, well-timed bursts.
We were confident that image
quality from the D780 would be
good, and on the whole it is.
Colours are nicely saturated, while
the overall impression of detail is
fantastic. Dynamic range is“At its heart is a back-illuminated 24.5MP full-frame
sensor matched with the latest EXPEED 6 processor”
Upgrade
Nikon D780
May 2020 | |^69
NikonD780
Supplier http://www.nikon.com
Sensor 24.5MP full frame CMOS
Burst speed 7FPS (12FPS in Live View)
AF points 52 (273 in Live View)
Screen 3.2in touchscreen
Card slots 2x UHS-II SD
Connectivity Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, USB, HDMISpecs as reviewed