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

Two cards slots; Great for video; Sturdy;

Expensive;

An all-rounder DSLR built like a tank, borrowing some tricks from its mirrorless siblings

Two cards slots; Great for video; Sturdy

Expensive

There’s nothing particularly headline grabbing about the D780, but we found the D780 to be a grower with some very desirable qualities. The video specs are excellent, there's an updated and advanced autofocus system, serious battery performance, and a body built like a tank that will serve you well on any adventure. Asking £2,199 (body-only) seems a little steep and a considerable hike from the Nikon Z6, but this is combining a lot of goodies form the Z6, plus all the qualities many love from a DSLR. Only time will tell is this is the last dying breath of the DSLR, or a sign of more to come.

Two cards slots; Great for video; Sturdy;

Expensive;

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

You do not have to be a traditionalist to appreciate the features of Nikon's thoroughbred SLR camera Nikon D780.

Beautiful still image quality and razor-sharp 4K video. Close to perfect ergonomics, large viewfinder, extreme battery life, weatherproofing and touch screen. Great all-round SLR camera.

More expensive than the Nikon Z6 it is related to, moderate firing rate, no image stabilizer or the possibility of vertical grip. Missing joystick / pointing focus.

If you want a DSLR, the full-frame Nikon D780 is the one to buy. The follow-up to 2014’s popular D750, the $2,300 D780 is a new Goldilocks camera and Nikon’s first DSLR to include on-chip phase-detection autofocus. But do you want a DSLR? Look. I like the D780. It’s a balanced camera with strong performance and great image quality. But in 2020, I have hard time coming up with a reason I would choose it over the smaller, lighter, and cheaper Nikon Z 6, the D780’s mirrorless counterpart. Instead of stoking my enthusiasm for DSLRs, shooting the D780 further tilted the scales in favor of mirrorless. It’s a good camera, but it’s part of a dying breed. The DSLR is the direct evolution of the film-era SLR, or single lens reflex camera. Revolutionary for its time, an SLR let photographers see directly through the lens using a reflexive (that’s old-timey speak for reflective) mirror and prism. DSLRs carried this design into the digital era, replacing silver with silicon, but leaving the mirror ...

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;

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 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.