Long-term test Nikon D780 DSLR and mirrorless got married

TWO WEEKS WITH THE NIKON D780

Diamond geyser

Despite the meteoric rise of the mirrorless, Nikon is still developing super-hard DSLRs – so Stuff (pre-COVID) went to Iceland to test its latest in extreme conditions

from R39 000 (body only) / ormsdirect.co.za

DAY 01

with trusty Nikon ergonomics and a vast selection of Nikkor F lenses, it borrows a few tricks from Nikon’s mirrorless Z series, offering high-performance live - view AF and 4K video. It’s a marriage of mirrorless technology and DSLR substance, which means a camera with zero compromises. It has a big battery and two UHS-II card slots, and is fully guarded against extreme weather – which is why we tested it in Iceland. Because if it works there, it’ll handle almost anything Mzansi can throw at it.

Coming to this Nikon from a mirrorless camera, it feels

Eye-Detection AF letsyou select which eye to focus on… but it can be confused by

Dragging a DSLR into the new decade is a bit like trying to convince everyone to start buying CDs again instead of streaming music. There are some advantages , sure, but when convenience is king you may as well be extolling the virtues of 44kHz quality to a flock of puffins.

However, there remains a place in our hearts for this still extremely capable format, and

there are some areas in which even a full-frame mirrorless camera might not fit the bill. For those times when you need serious grunt in the battery department, weather-beating ruggedness, dual card slots and (the clincher for some ) an optical viewfinder, a DSLR will always do its duty.

Nikon’s D780 mixes a modern imaging approach with traditional DSLR form and function. Armed

lashes . enormous – and it isn’t light at 840g. But being big has some perks, like room to twiddle dials and press buttons without the risk of clumsy errors.

Most shooting controls are positioned on the right, as well as the ‘i’ button for accessing the quick menu. There’s even room for a top plate so you can see things like ISO, shutter speed and remaining shots on your card. W e’re expecting to find ourselves using this a lot in a place like Iceland, where conditions can change in an instant, we’re bound to be a little rushed and we’re hoping to reduce that as much as possible.

Tech specs

Sensor 24.5MP full-frame CMOS Autofocus 51pt phase - detect, 273pt hybrid phase - detect ISO range 100-51200 Video 4K @ 30fps, Full HD @ 120fps Displays Optical pentaprism, 3.2in 2359k-dot tilting LCD touchscreen Connectivity Wi-Fi, Bluetooth Dimensions 144x 116x76mm, 840g Snowboots on the ground , we’ve noticed the rear screen doesn’t fully articulate –a shame given its 4K creds, but the tilting mechanism works well for getting up close or shooting from the hip.

This works great in live view, but when using the OVF we’ve found our frozen nose causing unwanted activity, so we ’ve decided to disable the touchscreen.

DAY 05

The D780 has a back-illuminated 24.5MP sensor paired with the latest Expeed 6 image processor. For continuous shooting it hits 12fps in live view and 7fps in viewfinder shooting. We love the satisfying ‘kerrr-chonk’ of the mechanical shutter, but Q and Qc are quieter.

What really makes the D780 a step up from the D750 is that it’s as great for video as it is for stills. It’ll shoot 4K at up to 30fps and 1080p HD at up to 120fps . There’s no Eye AF in video mode, but you can shoot 4K timelapses.

DAY 08

Today it’s -6 °C, with an unrelenting spray from the waterfalls. Keeping a clear head is tough – and we have to remember to switch to live view manually , as we’re used to mirrorless cameras doing it automatically.

The ISO range is 100-51 200 and there’s an extended shutter speed range from 1/8000 to 900s, so if you like long exposures you’ll have a ball… and we’re in a landscape that’s crying out for them. Nikon claims an impressive 2260-shot battery life, but in this cold that drops to just under 2000.

DAY 10

We should be using an ND grad filter for these landscapes, but we’re too lazy to trek back to the car for it . Luckily, the camera handles bright skies superbly –and shooting in RAW means overexposed areas can be fixed later.

Colours are true to life and well balanced, with no aggressive sharpening or saturation. White balance is also well managed using Nikon’s natural mode.

DAY 14

There’s nothing headline - grabbing about the D780, but boy does it have some desirable qualities. The video specs are excellent, as is the advanced AF system. The asking price is a big hike from the Z6 … but with its DSLR resilience, this might be the last of the dinosaurs.

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LONG-TERM TEST

Donut of Truth ™

01 It’s got the video chops to match its stills prowess , which is a welcome surprise 02 Having two card slots saves stress in the heat of the moment 03 It’s built to take a battering in extreme environments 04 It simply can’t match a mirrorless on portability … 05 …and it simply can’t match a mirrorless on price

Landscape tips

Instead of bemoaning other people getting in the way, make them part of the shot to get a sense of scale, and turn

DAY 02

them into ants in the process. Of course there are thousands of identical photos of most famous beauty spots, so go abstract by zooming in on shapes and textures.

Get a sturdy tripod, because that’s the only way you’ll be able to take otherworldly long-exposure photos of swirling rivers and falls.