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

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

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;

Two cards slots; Great for video; Sturdy;

Expensive;

While it's a shame that picture and sound quality haven't been upgraded, the iPhone 13 was great in these regards and the iPhone 14 is, too Excellent display Admirable headphone performance Solid build quality No upgrades to picture or sound Familiar design Notch is still present

The Nikon D780 may not look especially new on the surface, but it still manages to improve upon one of the most impressive DSLRs ever, the D750, in a number of important ways. This is a deeply refined camera, unlike many others on the market today; Nikon now has so much institutional knowledge with...

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

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

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