After a mere four years, Nikon is back with the successor to the D750 DSLR

A stupendous camera capable of outstanding results, whatever genre you shoot

Great images; Superb battery life; Well built;

Expensive; No internal log;

We hear a lot of talk about the death of the DSLR, and the unstoppable rise of mirrorless. But DSLRs remain the best choice for many photographers, particularly those who have existing lenses or honed their craft with optical viewfinders – and the D780 is one of the best full-frame options around.

Plenty of direct access controls; Tilting touch-sensitive screen; Dual card slots; Fast live-view focusing; Great battery life

Big and heavy; Expensive

For people who are familiar with Nikon DSLRs, the D780 will feel like "an old friend", with excellent handling and ergonomics, along with the latest technology and advances borrowed from the Nikon Z mirrorless range.

Excellent noise performance; Excellent image quality; 4K video looks great; Impressive battery life possible; Solid and dependable weather-sealed body; Built-in help system

OVF focus and metering not as advanced or accurate as live-view; Leaving Bluetooth transfer on can quickly reduce battery life; Some will miss the lack of built-in flash

The Nikon D780 is as good an SLR as you'll find, but it doesn't offer some of the advantages you get with mirrorless cameras.

Excellent 24MP full-frame sensor; 7fps bursts with tracking; 12fps electronic shutter; Tilting touch LCD; Phase detect focus for video; 4K with flat profile; In-camera charging.

More expensive than mirrorless alternative; Viewfinder autofocus has limited scope of coverage; Image sensor isn't stabilized.

Michael Topham looks at how Nikon has improved one of its most popular full frame DSLRs and made an even more impressive all-rounder

The Nikon D780 is a fabulous all-around stills and video camera for folks who prefer the DSLR-format. It's well-built, comfortable to shoot with and highly customizable. Autofocus performance is, for the most part, excellent.

Stills and video shooters looking for a DSLR-style camera that can do it all.

Anyone requiring in-body image stabilization or folks seeking a small/light package.

“The Nikon D780 is the DSLR to buy.”

Phase-detection in live view; Eye AF works very well; 4K video with 10-bit output; Weather-sealed design; 1/8000s to 15m shutter speed

Viewfinder AF feels dated; More expensive than Nikon Z 6; Few advantages over mirrorless

Even with its much larger lens mount compared to the D780, the Nikon Z6 body weighs just 1.29 pounds and costs $1,796.95. Who knew mirrors were so heavy and expensive? Bulk and cost aside, the Nikon D780 is a beautifully crafted and impeccably assembled camera that, while it was heavy in my US...