Nikon D780 In-Depth Look And Hands On

Earlier this week Nikon announced several products including the AF-S 120-300mm F2.8E FL ED SR VR fast super zoom pro telephoto lens, the Nikkor Z 70-200mm F2.8 VR S for Z mount cameras and the all-new full-frame DSLR – the D780 that will be replacing on of the most popular Nikon DSLR of the past decade.

We shall start with the D780 which for some reason didn’t get too many hands-on time until now by reviewers on YouTube (this will probably change soon) aside from the very basic video above.

The new D780 is, in many respects a sister to the Z6 camera introduced about a year and a half ago around Photokina 2018. It does get a few niceties from the D850 as well and add a few new features not found on any other Nikon camera.

The 24MP sensor comes from the Z6 with its built-in 273 phase-detect pixels, Eye-detect AF, 4K UHD video as well as the 10-bit N-log output. It has a new EXPEED 6, USB-C in-camera charging, two UHS-II SD cards and up to 12fps shooting in LV mode and extra-long shutter speed in camera.

Nikon official D780 product tour video

Here it is in more details:

Sensor: Backside illuminated 24.5-megapixel FF sensor.
Processor: EXPEED 6.
Shooting speed: up to 12fps with Silent shooting in LV mode (up to 7fps with the viewfinder.
AF system: the camera has a 51-point AF module when you shoot through the viewfinder, but it gains the 180,000 pixel RGB metering sensor and AF algorithms used in the D5. If you use Live View it is fairly similar to the Z6 (with 273 AF points ranged across 90% of the frame).
Buttons: the button layout has changed and is more in tune with what you might find on the D850 now (although the video/stills mode switch is closer to the viewfinder).
Video: Up to 4K 30p (120p in 1080p).
Memory cards: Dual UHS-II SD card slots.
Display: 3.2″ tilt touchscreen.
Battery: 2260 shots per charge (EN-EL15b battery).
Shutter speed: 900 sec-1/8000.
Connectivity: WIFI/B.T. USB-C and mini-HDMI.
Weight: 29.6 oz (840 g).
Pricing: $2300 (available later this month).

Besides the camera there are two new lenses:

The Nikon AF-S 120-300mm F2.8E FL ED SR VR – this huge 3.2KG (over 7lbs) F mount lens has 4 stops of VR, Nikon’s Arneo and Nano Crystal coatings all with 25 elements in 19 groups with a 9 blade diaphragm blades in a body made from Magnesium alloy. This lens will sell for $9500 in February 2020.
The Nikkor Z 70-200mm F2.8 VR S – this Z-mount lens has 21 elements in 18 groups it weighs 1.4kg (3.17 lb) it is also made from Magnesium with a min focus distance of 50cm. It will start selling next month for $2600.

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Iddo Genuth

Iddo Genuth is the founder and chief editor of LensVid.com. He has been a technology reporter working for international publications since the late 1990's and covering photography since 2009. Iddo is also a co-founder of a production company specializing in commercial food and product visual content.