APERTURE NOTES

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Nikon D780 review: a full-frame DSLR with mirrorless-style Live View

Nikon's successor to the D750, launched in 2020 at $2,299.95 (body only). Who it suits: wedding and event shooters who want an optical finder plus strong video autofocus.

October 23, 2026 · Camera · Review

Related on site: The camera it replaced: our Nikon D750 review. The higher-resolution Nikon DSLR: our Nikon D850 review. A mirrorless Nikon at a similar level: our Nikon Z6III review.

A Nikon D780 with a large zoom lens on a dark surface
Nikon D780 body.
Photo: Henry Söderlund via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 (resized)

HIGHLIGHTS

Why it exists. Nikon built the D780 as the D750's successor, bringing autofocus from its Z mirrorless cameras to a full-frame DSLR. Jay Vannatter, Executive Vice President at Nikon Inc., said: "The Nikon D780 is not only a huge leap in technology over the D750, but it also integrates Nikon's latest cutting-edge technologies to offer the best video feature-set and imaging capabilities in a full-frame DSLR… A demand exists for a successor to the D750, which offers the unbeatable combination of versatility, image quality and value."

Nikon launched the D780 in January 2020 at $2,299.95 body-only. Through the optical viewfinder it uses a 51-point AF system; switch to Live View and it uses a 273-point on-sensor hybrid AF system, with silent shooting up to 12 fps. It adds full-frame 4K video, dual UHS-II SD slots, USB-C charging and a CIPA rating of about 2,260 shots per charge.

The caveats: viewfinder bursts top out at 7 fps, and it uses the F mount, where Nikon's new lens development has slowed in favor of Z. Who should buy it? Wedding and event shooters who want an optical viewfinder for stills and mirrorless-style AF for video. Our gallery comes from five photographers: Japanese fatsia fruit, a Portuguese chapel, a Florida alligator, a misty Grand Teton morning, mouflons in Switzerland and Grand Prismatic Spring.

The story

Nikon announced the D780 in January 2020 (the global release is dated January 7, 2020), with US availability from late January at $2,299.95 for the body or $2,799.95 with the AF-S NIKKOR 24-120mm f/4G ED VR (Nikon Corporation).

The release describes the D780 as the D750's successor and lists the EXPEED 6 engine, the 273-point Live View AF system, 4K UHD video and 10-bit HDMI output with N-Log or HLG.

Nikon's D780 product page carries the full spec table, including the ISO range, card slots, weight and battery rating (Nikon D780 specifications).

Specifications

Key specs for the Nikon D780, from Nikon's D780 specifications and Nikon Corporation's January 2020 release. Source for each row in brackets.

SensorFX back-illuminated CMOS (35.9 × 23.9 mm), 24.5MP effective; EXPEED 6 [Nikon specifications, Nikon release]
ISO100–51200; expandable to ISO 50 and ISO 204800 equiv. [Nikon specifications]
Autofocus (viewfinder)51 points (15 cross-type) [Nikon specifications]
Autofocus (Live View)273-point on-sensor hybrid phase-detection AF [Nikon specifications, Nikon release]
BurstsUp to 7 fps (viewfinder); up to 12 fps silent in Live View [Nikon release]
Video4K UHD 3840 × 2160 at 30/25/24p, full frame; Full HD up to 120p; 10-bit HDMI with N-Log or HLG; MOV/MP4 [Nikon specifications, Nikon release]
CardsDual SD (UHS-II) [Nikon specifications]
ConnectivityUSB-C charging; Wi-Fi and Bluetooth [Nikon release]
BatteryEN-EL15b; approx. 2,260 shots (CIPA) [Nikon specifications]
WeightApprox. 840 g with battery and SD card (755 g body only) [Nikon specifications]
Announced / priceJanuary 2020; $2,299.95 SRP body only (US); $2,799.95 with 24-120mm [Nikon release]

Sample photos

Six photos taken with the Nikon D780 by five photographers, shared on Wikimedia Commons under Creative Commons licenses. Select a photo to enlarge it. More samples from Wikimedia Commons

Round green clusters of Japanese fatsia fruit among large leaves
A bunch of Japanese fatsia fruit.
Photo: 小石川人晃 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)
A very wide panorama of rocky hills and valleys under a blue sky
A chapel at Pitões das Júnias, Portugal (panorama).
Photo: John Gammel via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 (resized)
A cypress swamp hung with Spanish moss, an alligator low in the water
An alligator on patrol.
Photo: Kevin Crosby via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0 (resized)
Mist on a still lake at dawn with silhouetted pines and mountains
A misty morning in Grand Teton National Park.
Photo: Suzie Tremmel via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 (resized)
A group of mouflon resting on gravel, one ram with curled horns
Mouflons at Wildpark Bruderhaus, Switzerland.
Photo: Markus Aeschimann via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0 (resized)
Steam rising over the colored edge of Grand Prismatic Spring
Grand Prismatic Spring, Yellowstone.
Photo: Suzie Tremmel via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 (resized)

Nikon: Launched at $2,299.95 in 2020 (US, body only).

Verdict

Who it's for: wedding, event and travel shooters who want an optical viewfinder for stills, strong Live View autofocus for video, and long battery life.

Want more resolution in a Nikon DSLR? See our Nikon D850 review.

Strengths

  • 273-point hybrid AF in Live View, with 12 fps silent shooting
  • Full-frame 4K, Full HD 120p and 10-bit HDMI with N-Log or HLG
  • Dual UHS-II SD slots
  • About 2,260 shots per charge (CIPA)
  • USB-C charging, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth

Trade-offs

  • 7 fps through the viewfinder
  • The 51-point viewfinder AF is far less advanced than the Live View system
  • F mount: new lens development has moved to Nikon Z
  • Fixed 24.5MP is less room to crop than the D850
Check price: Amazon (new, body)

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Further discussion

Sources