Review Date: March 2, 2015
Category: Serious to Advanced
Photoxels Gold Award – DSLR
USER’S EXPERIENCE
Tuesday, February 10, 2015 – Here’s what I receive in the box:
- Nikon D750 (black)
- Body Cap
- Eyepiece Cap
- No memory card [Nikon sent me a 16GB SanDisk Extreme SDHC I 45MB/s]
- Shoulder Strap
- Li-Ion Battery EN-EL15 7.0V 1900mAh 14Wh
- Battery Charger MH-25a with an AC wall adapter
- Interface Cable: USB
- User’s Manuals (English and French)
- Software CDs: ViewNX 2 (Win/Mac)
- AF-S Nikkor 24-70mm F2.8-4.5 G ED Lens w/lens hood, lens cap, rear cap, and travelling bag
Semi-professional powerhouse. Like the D610 before it, the Nikon D750 is a full-frame DSLR. A full-frame sensor is roughly twice the size as the sensor (24 x 16mm) used in Nikon’s APS-C DSLRs. The D750 is therefore billed as a natural upgrade for those who are currently using a Nikon APS-C DSLR and desire even better image quality.
If you are using a Nikon APS-C camera now (Nikon DX format) or a mirrorless from another brand, moving up to the Nikon D750 (FX format) will add size, weight as well as cost. If you are thinking of upgrading, factor in the cost of replacing your DX (or other brand) lenses with FX lenses. Also, even though the D750 is Nikon’s lightest full-frame DSLR (750g compares favorably against the D810’s 880g and the D4s’ 1180g), it is still a heavy camera (750g) especially when compared to a mirrorless. With the AF-S Nikkor 24-70mm F2.8-4.5 G ED Lens attached (900g), the camera plus lens combination comes up to about 1650g (more than 3 lbs) and feels quite heavy. Add a couple more FX lenses in your camera bag, and the weight adds on.
With a smaller and lighter lens attached, the D750 handling is superb. There are lots of buttons and so no need for finger contortions or fidgeting with tiny buttons. The D750 is a beautifully designed camera. It employs a monocoque body design, with the front body and front cover constructed from carbon-fiber reinforced thermoplastics, and the rear and top covers of magnesium alloy. From the feel of the texture to the tactile feel of the control buttons, this weather-sealed camera feels professional grade and inspires rugged confidence.
The AF-S Nikkor 24-70mm F2.8-4.5 G ED Lens is a superb lens but you need to find a comfortable way to hold it without touching the focus ring and therefore inadvertently nudging the focus off.
The optical viewfinder is larger and brighter than on a DX-format DSLR. Half-press the shutter release button and the Phase detection AF immediately snaps the image into focus. Just like that. No hunting to and fro. If you are used to slower contrast-detect AF, you may not believe the phase detection AF of the D750 has already locked focus as soon as you touch the shutter button.
I found that the Live View (Lv) on the D750 is quite usable, especially when compared to that on older DSLRs. Of course, don’t expect the same level of flexibility as Live View on a mirrorless. Lv uses Contrast-detect AF anywhere in the frame. (When using the optical viewfinder, the camera uses fast Phase detection AF which is restricted to a narrow band in the center of the frame, which misses a subject that is above or below the 51 AF points.) You can magnify the Live View screen to get a better view. You can use all shooting modes using Live View. The 3.2-in. LCD screen has 1,229,000 Dots resolution, features a Virtual Horizon Camera Indicator and now tilts up 90° and down 75°. The LCD gains up very well in low light. There is no eye-sensor that will automatically switch between viewfinder and Live View.
TIP: If you want the camera to focus and meter at the extreme edges of the viewfinder, switch to Live View. Then, simply use the Multi selector to reposition the AF Frame. Press OK to immediately return to center.
TIP: In Live View, you can resize the AF Frame from Normal to Wide by pressing the AF-mode button on the side of the lens barrel and rotating the Sub-command [front] dial.
TIP: In Live View, press INFO repeatedly to display the Virtual Horizon Camera Indicator. When using the optical viewfinder, you can assign the Virtual Horizon Camera Indicator to f2, then when you press that function button, a roll indicator displays in the viewfinder.
Movie mode uses contrast-detect AF and will refocus as you zoom and/or switch to a closer/further subject when using AF-F. The AF is spot on and a beautiful thing to experience. The auto focus, manual focus and manual zooming noises will be clearly picked up by the sensitive microphone. An optional external stereo microphone can be used to avoid picking the camera sounds.
For fans of timelapse movies, the D750 has a built-in intervalometer which will take photos at preset intervals. It can either take a number of stills that you can assemble together later in your favorite movie editing software or it can automatically assemble the stills for you in-camera. The second option unfortunately does not keep the original individual frames as it adds each frame to create the timelapse movie. An ‘exposure smoothing’ option helps eliminate flickering.
There are two construction features that deserve some attention. The tilt LCD (p. 18) and Focus-mode selector (p. 132) each highlights a couple of warnings in the User’s Manual. Though the LCD feels solidly built, there are a couple of warnings in the User’s Manual about a certain part of the mechanism you should avoid touching and not allowing “liquid to contact the inner surface” — which goes somewhat contrary to what a tough and weather-resistant camera should be capable of experiencing. Does it mean that we should avoid using the D750 in the rain? Or, at least avoid tilting the LCD when it’s wet? More seriously, when using older AF lenses, the User Manual also warns us to be careful not to set the Focus-mode selector to “AF” while leaving the lens focus mode switch to “M” — or risk damaging the lens and/or camera. That seems like something I would easily do without giving it a second thought. So just be careful to first set the Focus-mode selector to “M” before mounting older AF lenses onto the D750.
You can pretty much customize the D750 to work the way you like. Besides PASM modes, there is an AUTO mode and even Scene modes. So, if you are a point-and-shoot photographer itching to move to a full-frame DSLR, just set the D750 to AUTO and shoot! However, do consider that the D750 User’s Manual, at more than 500 pages thick, is larger and thicker than many of the ultra compact digicams you may be currently using! That should give you an idea of the complexity and real power under the hood of the D750.
When equipped with the optional SB-910, SB-900, SB-800, SB-700 or SB-600 flash unit, you can sync using a shutter speed as fast as 1/4,000 s. This allows you to use flash, a fast shutter speed and a large aperture in broad daylight for nice out-of-focus backgrounds when shooting portraits.
The self-timer can be set to release after 2, 5, 10 or 20 sec. and you choose the delay via a Custom Setting in the Menu (Custom Setting Menu – c Timers/AE lock – c3 Self-timer – Self-timer delay). I love the 5 seconds, which is not too fast and still gives the camera time to settle down after you’ve pressed the shutter release button. Unfortunately, only the one selected setting is then available when you switch to self-timer mode. It would have been nice to be able to use the Main command or Sub-command dial to simply dial in a desired self-timer delay time.
TIP: If you favor a 1s, 2s or 3s self-timer, and you will be using the camera in that mode for an extended shooting session, you can leave the camera on Single Frame and set the Exposure delay to 1s, 2s or 3s [Menu – Custom Setting Menu – d Shooting/display – d4 Exposure delay mode – Off, 1s, 2s, 3s]. Just remember to reset it to Off or you’ll be scratching your head as to why your camera has suddenly and quite mysteriously acquired a shutter lag.
The Nikon D750 has a MUP (Mirror UP) function. The mirror can be raised to minimize blurring caused by camera shake. Set the Release Mode Dial to MUP, frame and compose your picture, half-press the shutter release button to lock focus, then depress the shutter release button all the way and release it to lock the mirror up. Wait a few seconds for everything to settle down, then depress the shutter release button a second time to take the picture. Of course, your camera should be on a sturdy tripod, and you should be using an optional remote cord to release the shutter, otherwise it kinds of defeat the whole purpose of using MUP.
Installing ViewNX 2 also installs Movie Editor and Transfer 2. Installing CaptureNX-D also installs Picture Control Utility 2.
You can download Capture NX-D and its User’s Guide for Mac: http://nikonimglib.com/ncnxd/index_en_cnd.html#os-macintosh | Windows: http://nikonimglib.com/ncnxd/index_en_cnd.html#os-windows.
If you are considering the D750 for serious movie recording, then Nikon has configured a D750 Nikon Cinema Filmmaker’s Kit consisting of the D750, three prime lenses (NIKKOR f/1.8 family of 35mm, 50mm and 85mm FX-format), the Atomos Ninja-2 Smart Production HDMI Recorder, the ME-1 Stereo Microphone, a set of two Tiffen® Variable ND filters, two spare EN-EL15 batteries, and an HC-E1 HDMI cable.
I heard all the buzz about the incredible dynamic range of the D750 and therefore couldn’t help trying the following shot: take a severely underexposed RAW (NEF) picture (here shot at -5EV) such that it is almost all black, then use CaptureNX-D to adjust exposure up by +5EV to bring back the details. Amazing!
Picture taken in camera (RAW+JPEG) at -5EV:
Exposure of RAW adjusted by +5EV in CaptureNX-D (Exposure on Bamm-Bamm):
What I like about the D750:
- Excellent image quality from ISO 100 to ISO 800.
- Superb dynamic range.
- Very fast phase detection AF.
- Lots of external dials and buttons mean less reliance on Menu.
- Very good build, handling and weather-proofing.
- High resolution and tiltable LCD screen.
- Live View is usable.
- Large, bright and clear optical viewfinder (with 100% frame coverage).
No review is complete without a couple of improvement suggestions:
- Allow still shooting without interrupting movie recording.
- Provide exposure control when using smartphone/tablet as a remote monitor and control for the D750.
There are so many more nifty features of the Nikon D750 that we have not had time to experiment with. Suffice it to say that the D750 is definitely a semi-professional DSLR with full exposure flexibility and excellent image quality, including superb low noise capability. This means that it targets both the enthusiast upgrading to a full-frame DSLR and the pro who needs a second full-frame body. If you are thinking of “moving up” to a full-frame DSLR from the world of compact non-DSLR digital camera, you may want to consider carefully if you are willing to invest the time and effort required to learn and thoroughly master this camera. If you are, the Nikon D750 promises to reward you with excellent images and a world of full-frame digital photography to enjoy for years to come — backed up with more accessories and lenses than you would ever need. In which case, Welcome to the world of Nikon DSLR photography! Highly recommmended.
Next: Nikon D750 QuickFact Sheet / Buy
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