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PROS: This camera provides excellent image quality without sacrificing features.
CONS: A maximum shutter speed of 1/4000s limits your aperture settings when shooting in bright light.
The Nikon D750 is a full-frame DSLR that provides not only excellent image quality and performance but also best-in-class features and design. For this reason, the D750 is one of the best cameras available for professionals and enthusiasts alike.
The Nikon D750 is a professional DSLR that strikes an impressive balance between image quality, performance, design, and features. It boasts top-of-the-line scores for color depth, dynamic range, and low-light performance, and it features built-in Wi-Fi, as well as an articulating LCD. That’s more than can be said about most professional DSLRs, yet surprisingly, the D750 is still relatively affordable. For this reason, the Nikon D750 wins our Top Ten Reviews Gold Award.
Image Quality
Image quality is undoubtedly the most important aspect of any DSLR camera. While much of the professional feel of DSLR photography is attributable to the lens, other important aspects such as color depth, dynamic range, and low-light performance are all functions of your camera’s sensor. The D750 features a full-frame or a 35mm sensor, which is the standard for professional DSLRs. These sensors are large and typically perform better than smaller options. In this case, the D750’s sensor performs better than most anything, achieving scores consistently higher than the class averages for professional DSLRs.
In color depth, the D750 scored an impressive 24.8 bits – 0.45 bits higher than our lineup average. While this isn’t enough to put it noticeably ahead of the competition, it means that the D750 can produce the nuanced and accurate colors that you expect from cameras of this caliber.
Scores for the dynamic range are even more impressive, beating the category average of 13.3 Evs with a score of 14.5 Evs. This is one of the highest scores on our lineup and beyond excellent for cameras of any category. With scores like this, you’ll be able to capture an unprecedented level of detail in areas that would typically be lost to overwhelming highlights or shadows.
In low-light performance, the D750 again achieved one of the highest scores in our review. It scored at 2956 ISO, which means that you can reach that ISO before any significant image degradation sets in. This score is especially impressive when considering the category average of 2320 ISO.
The video capture abilities of the D750 are also very good, offering full 1080p resolution at framerates of up to 60 frames per second. This makes for a video that’s clear and sharp on larger screens and smoothes even when slowed down.
Like most professional DSLRs, this camera utilizes an anti-aliasing filter, which sits in front of the sensor to help prevent moiré artifacts. Moiré is a strange-looking effect that sometimes happens when photographing intricate patterns. While the filter helps to reduce that, it also reduces the sharpness of details in your images.
Performance
Battery life is the one aspect of your camera upon which everything else depends. Thankfully, the D750 has one of the best batteries on our lineup and, according to the CIPA standard for measuring battery life, allows for up to 1,230 shots per charge.
Continuous shooting is slightly below average at 6.6 frames per second but is still good enough for most applications. Sports and action photographers, however, would likely prefer the faster framerates of the Canon 1D X or Nikon D4S.
Nikon doesn’t feature built-in image stabilization in any of its pro-level DSLRs and offers instead a series of lenses with their proprietary vibration reduction. While stabilization using this method can be more effective, it’s obviously only going to work if you shell out the cash for a VR lens.
The D750 sports a respectable 51 autofocus points, 15 of which are cross-type. This isn’t the most we’ve seen, but it’s certainly up there. Although not always the case, greater numbers of autofocus and cross-type points generally equate to quicker and more accurate focusing.
The maximum native ISO is the highest sensitivity that a camera’s sensor is designed to achieve. Low-light performance scores are more important when interpreting meaning here. Although many cameras can reach higher sensitivities than the D750’s 12,800 ISO, most cannot do so while retaining the same level of quality.
Unlike most professional DSLRs, which reach up to 1/8000 of a second, the D750’s shutter speed tops out at 1/4000. This is plenty fast for freezing action, but faster shutter speeds allow you to do more than just capture actions. It’s about controlling light; a faster shutter speed means less light, which in turn allows you to shoot at wider apertures in bright light without having to apply a neutral density filter.
Design
Most professional DSLRs have a similar design. They have robust controls, large viewfinders, and bright, fixed displays. But design among pro DSLRs is often more about including necessities than conveniences. The D750 bucks this trend, becoming one of the first professional-grade DSLRs to offer a built-in flash, an autofocus assist light, and an integrated articulating display. While these features are commonplace in other categories, they make the D750 somewhat of an anomaly for professional DSLRs.
The D750 also includes dual-card slots, both of which are SD only; no compact flash compatibility here. This won’t be an issue for most, but if you’re heavily invested in the compact flash standard, you may want to consider the Nikon D810 or Canon 5D Mark III.
Despite its inclusion of many features not typically found in professional DSLRs, we found that the D750 weighs only slightly above average and is actually smaller than many of its more lightly featured counterparts.
Additional Features
The D750, although not exactly bursting with additional features, offers many more than typical professional DSLRs. The most notable of these is built-in Wi-Fi, as well as time-lapse and HDR shooting modes. Despite its widespread presence among compacts and other categories, built-in Wi-Fi is still a rarity in professional DSLRs. In this case, it enables you to transfer files from your camera to a mobile device or shoot remotely, using a phone or tablet to adjust your settings or release the shutter.
Help & Support
Support for the D750 is standard. Nikon offers a one-year warranty against defects and a FAQs section on the website to help you figure out any non-defect issues. If you have any issues that are unresolvable by these means, you can contact Nikon directly via email or phone.
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Summary
The Nikon D750 is the best professional DSLR currently available. Although there are cameras that outperform it in certain categories, nothing is as consistently good as the D750. It provides best-in-class image quality, solid performance, and an excellent design. There are areas in which it could do better, but the D750 really has no significant weaknesses – even its price is good. There are better options for specialized applications like sports or high-resolution shooting, but for all-around performance, the Nikon D750 is second to none.
