Nikon D750 Review

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Gear/ Long-term test

NIKON D750 Nikon’s range is bursting at the seams with high-quality options. Automotive photographer Jordan Butters has spent some quality time with the D750. Could this full-frame DSLR be Nikon’s sweet spot? Test: JORDAN BUTTERS

SPECIFICATIONS Price: £1,799 (guide price) / £1,400 (street price) Image sensor: Full-frame CMOS (35.9x24mm) Resolution: 24.3 megapixels Maximum image resolution: 6016x4016pixels AF points: 51 ISO range: 50-51200 Shutter speeds: 1/4000sec-30 seconds & Bulb Continuous frame rate: 6.5fps Storage: SD (SDHC/SDXC) Size: 140.5x113x78mm Weight: 750g (including battery & card)

THE D750’S AUTOFOCUS SYSTEM IS THE STAR OF THE SHOW AS FAR AS PERFORMANCE IS CONCERNED – IT’S INCREDIBLY QUICK AND ACCURATE

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ALL IMAGES: JORDAN BUTTERS

HEN THE TIME came to choose a second body to go alongside my trusty Nikon D800, I already had a fair idea of what I wanted. I knew it would be another full-frame Nikon to make switching between the two easy, and it had to have the latest autofocus system as I spend much of my time shooting fast-moving objects at the side of a road or racetrack. At the time, it all came down to a toss-up between the recently-released D750, a lightweight 24.3-megapixel full-frame model that looked as if it would almost do everything that I wanted, and Nikon’s flagship D4S monster that would have well and truly broken the bank. As this was to be a second body I couldn’t justify the jump in price, so before you knew it I had a shiny new D750 in front of me ready to put it through its paces. As it turns out, I think I made the right choice.

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Above: It took a while to adjust to its smaller size, but now I'm accustomed to how compact and light the camera feels I much prefer it to the bulkier D800.

Moving between the D800 and D750 took some getting used. It’s not until you pick up the D750 that you realise just how big and heavy the D800 body is! The D750 sits really nicely in hand and when paired with a small lens, such as a 50mm prime, it’s the perfect carry-anywhere DSLR. Because of this, I often find myself reaching for the D750 as a priority now – so much for 'second body'. Despite its diminutive size, the files produced are impressive. While it may lack the sheer resolution of its stablemate, image quality can't be faulted. The full-frame sensor delivers images with great clarity and

colour. I actually appreciate the manageable file size, too. With Raw files weighing in at around 24MB each (compared to the D800’s 45MB), I’m sure I can hear my computer breathe a sigh of relief when a D750 image is loaded in. Notably, noise is handled very well too, and only becomes an issue at very high ISOs. Speaking of which there’s a huge ISO range to hand – ISO 50-51200 to be precise. Dynamic range is impressive too – not quite up to the D800’s standards in my opinion, but still very good. The D750’s autofocus system is definitely the star of the show as far as performance is concerned – it’s incredibly quick and accurate. Boasting 51 autofocus points with 15 cross-type sensors, it is said to be a slightly tweaked version of the same system used in the D4S and D810. Coupled with the camera’s 6.5fps burst rate, the D750 is a body that excels at capturing action – it’s not struggled with anything I’ve thrown at it yet. In fact, I know a lot of professional D4 and D4S users who have opted for the D750 as a second body for this very reason. Five years ago, if you’d have asked me what features I look for most in a camera, Wi-Fi would certainly have not registered on my radar. However, the D750’s Wi-Fi functionality has helped me in ways that I hadn’t thought possible. Most notably, when I’m setting up a shot on my own and need to be able to see the view from the camera while I move subjects or props into place. Having instant LiveView in the palm of my hand allows for precise placement without as much back and forth and guesswork. The Wi-Fi also comes in handy when there’s not a remote release to

hand, and there’s the functionality to download images direct to your phone or tablet, although I have not need to use this feature extensively yet. Another big selling point of the D750 is its articulated screen. I’m a fan of unusual angles and the tilting screen allows for extremely low, or high, points of view that would have previously involved a degree of guesswork. The vulnerability of the screen does concern me, however: a friend has already seen his D750 fall victim to him snagging the screen and snapping it clean off, so that’s something to be aware of! As for negatives? During my time with the D750 so far I haven’t found many. The upper shutter speed limit can be an annoyance. Compared to the D800’s 1/8000sec limit, the D750’s maximum speed of 1/4000sec is the only real downfall in the camera’s impressive arsenal. I’m sure that this is

actually a physical restraint of the D750’s shutter mechanism, but the sceptic in me suggests that it does seem as if it was in place to maintain the D750’s position in Nikon’s hierarchy. Without it, the D750 would be knocking on the door of the D4S without a doubt. Don’t get me wrong – 1/4000sec is certainly fast enough to freeze almost any subject, but on a sunny day and when shooting at wide apertures it can become an issue, leaving you reaching for your ND filters to control the light levels. My solution to this is simply to restrict my fast primes to the D800 on bright days and reserve the slower 24-70mm f/2.8 and 70-200mm f/2.8 telezooms for the D750. Otherwise, there’s no eyepiece blocker for shooting long exposures and the D750 features an annoying removable, and easily losable, rubber eyepiece akin to Nikon’s enthusiast models rather than its pro range.

Clockwise from top: I've thrown everything I can at the D750 in the last few months, from shooting supercars in the dusty desert to a good ol' drenching in the UK – it's coped well! Far left: Crisp detail and amazing colour – the sensor is great.

SUMMARY When it comes to describing the D750, the magic word is 'balance’. Nikon really hit the sweet spot with this camera; it has pro-spec image quality and performance, mixed with the exquisite handling of a lightweight, compact body, some neat features and a reasonable price tag. Sure there are one or two niggles, and if there was a way to overcome that 1/4000sec shutter limit then Nikon would have built the perfect DSLR. But, as it is, it’s close enough and there’s not really much to complain about!

April 2016 Digital SLR Photography 107


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