With D780, Nikon finally shows fans of its midrange DSLR some love

It has much improved live view capabilities, because Nikon's learned from mirrorless.

Lori Grunin Senior Editor / Advice

I've been reviewing hardware and software, devising testing methodology and handed out buying advice for what seems like forever; I'm currently absorbed by computers and gaming hardware, but previously spent many years concentrating on cameras. I've also volunteered with a cat rescue for over 15 years doing adoptions, designing marketing materials, managing volunteers and, of course, photographing cats.

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Lori Grunin

Jan. 9, 2020 6:41 a.m. PT

2 min read

Sure, I love mirrorless. But there's a place in my heart where SLRs still reside, and the full-frame Nikon D750 is one of the occupants. But it's five years old now, and a lot's changed in cameras since then. Most of what's new in the D780, announced Monday at CES 2020, is derived from Nikon's mirrorless work -- the live view and video advancements, which makes sense. Don't care about modern features? Good news: The D750 will hang around for a while at a lower price.

The Nikon D780 is expected to ship at the end of January for a body-only price of $2,300; you'll pay $2,800 for a kit with the AF-S Nikkor 24-120mm f/4G ED VR lens.

The D780 uses the same 24.5-megapixel full-frame sensor as the Z6, and has gained its 273-point phase-detection autofocus in live view, its tracking smarts, effects and its video capabilities. The latter includes slow motion, 10-bit HLG recording (not in-camera) and 4K/30p with full pixel readout.

nikon-d780-ovr — Nikon D780 is a follow-up to the D750. The new camera packs mirrorless camera features like autofocus tracking, and professional video specs into a DSLR form-factor.
Sarah Tew/CNET

The 51-point system for the optical viewfinder remains the same, but has been upgraded with the algorithms from the pro D5 and Expeed 6 processor. Continuous shooting is a hair faster than the D750, up to 7 frames per second from 6.5 (12 fps in live view with electronic shutter); the shutter is a little faster as well, hitting a maximum of 1/8,000 second.

The D780 has better weather sealing, but to achieve it Nikon jettisoned the on-camera flash. Other physical changes include USB-C (works for charging), Bluetooth and Wi-Fi (with direct connect to a PC) and a slightly larger LCD.