In the mirrorless world, the Nikon D780 has been able to keep up by staying true to its DSLR roots while adopting its mirrorless cousin's more advanced capabilities. Are its efforts enough? It's certainly compelling for those who still love the look and feel of DSLRs over anything else.

Excellent sensor; Great ISO performance; 4K at 30fps video capability with N-Log; Long battery life; Articulating touchscreen LCD; Comfortable grip; Rugged built

Optical viewfinder has limited AF area; No in-body image stabilization; Bulkier than mirrorless bodies

Mastering the Nikon D780 is a new book in the NikoniansPress/RockyNook series by Darrell Young ( digitaldarrell ) providing a wealth of experience-based information and insights for owners of the new D780 camera.

First introduced in January 2020 , Nikon D780 is a 25.0MP Advanced DSLR camera with a Full frame (35.9 x 23.9 mm ) sized BSI-CMOS sensor, Tilting touch screen and Nikon F lens mount. Nikon replaced the older D750 with this model.

Built-in Wireless (Wi-fi); Bluetooth Connectivity; Articulating Screen; 4K (UHD) Video; No crop on 4K Videos; Touch Screen; Optical Built-in Viewfinder; Face Detection Focusing; 25.0MP - High Resolution Sensor; 51.200 Max ISO; 51 Focus Points; Large 3.2" Screen; 2.359k dots LCD Resolution; 1/8000s...

No Image Stabilization; Heavy Body: 840g

The D780 proves that you can still have plenty of modern, truly useful features, while offering the DSLR experience you probably already know and love.

Incredible image quality & video quality; Best live view experience of any DSLR; Impressive battery life; Dual UHS-II SD card slots; Speed & responsiveness improvements; Portability without sacrificing durability; Goldilocks ergonomics; Articulated touchscreen; Value

A refurbished D750 is still a great value; Missing out on Z-mount lenses and sensor stabilization; Battery grip unlikely; Minor physical differences from D750 & D850; Wireless apps

“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...

The Nikon D780 a great DSLR and is an excellent choice of camera for anyone wedded to an optical viewfinder. It has a solid, dependable body and impressive battery life. It also has Nikon's best Live View system to date, which makes the camera that bit more versatile.

Excellent Live View AF system; Great battery life; Dual UHS-II SD card slots

High launch price; SLR design means the Live View is not visible in the viewfinder; No joystick for speedy AF point selection when using the viewfinder

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. It combines great image quality, a weather-proof build, superb battery life and modern autofocus skills. It's a shame there's no in-body image stabilization and it's currently pretty pricey, but the D780 is otherwise a superb all-round DSLR.

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

Big and heavy; Expensive

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

Great images; Superb battery life; Well built;

Expensive; No internal log;

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.