Nikon D750 Review and Test
Results
These test results and
comments are from Betternet, the testing lab for TIPA (Technical Image Press
Association) in which I serve on the Technical Committee.
The Nikon D750 is a full
frame DSLR with some features usually found APS-C sensor cameras (WiFi, swivel
monitor). The D750 offers 24MP and closes the gap between the D610 and the
D810. It is the follower of the six-year old D700, but has a completely new
design (sensor, AF system and more).
The new Nikon D750 fills a
niche between the Nikon D610 and the D810 cameras. It uses a new full-frame
sensor with 24MP and of course a Nikon F-mount. It has some rather unusual features
for a professional Nikon SLR such as a swivel monitor and an integrated Wi-Fi
system. Until now Wi-Fi was only used in Nikon's entry level or APS-C cameras
or was offered as an optional accessory system (the WT-5 for direct image
transfer to a server or WU-1b for wireless connection to smartphones or tablet).
The Nikon D750 has a sealed
body. The interfaces on the left hand side are covered by massive rubber caps.
The camera offers USB, HDMI, plus a microphone jack and an earphone jack for
sound control when recording video. In addition it has a Nikon interface for
optional remote control.
The D750 is a rather large
and robust camera with a sealed body that allows use under heavy rain or other challenging
conditions.
The handling will be quite
familiar to Nikon users. A large dial on accesses standard exposure modes,
scene modes, image effects and two user defined settings. Directly beneath the
mode dial is the setup dial to choose the drive mode (single frame, continuous
shooting, self-timer and more). Five function buttons sit on the left hand side
of the LCD screen, plus there are many other function buttons on the top and
back of the camera that allow the user to change all image parameters very
quickly and efficiently.
The large LCD screen can be
flipped up- and downwards. Function buttons on the left of the screen prevent the
ability to swivel the monitor side to side.
All function buttons and
setup dials on the back are very robust and handy. The photographer can access all
control elements very comfortably and easily.
The very handy and identified
buttons on the body allow for quick changes to, for example, ISO speed settings
and white balance modes. An 8-way control field allows for quick menu
navigation, along with two setup dials to change image parameters like shutter
speed and aperture. In addition, numerous individual settings and parameters
can be changed in the menu.
The camera uses a new AF
system called Multi-CAM 3500FX. It has 51 AF sensors and is remarkably fast. It
will keep even very fast moving objects in focus and works efficiently and
decisively. This makes it fun and rewarding to work in high-speed continuous
mode, with up to 6.5 frames per second. The focusing system is highly
configurable, among them a choice of groups of AF sensor areas for precise
focusing. It is also very easy to focus manually because the camera has a very
large and bright viewfinder. When using the LCD screen as viewfinder, the D750 can
magnify an image area for very precise control.
The Nikon D750 has a large
status LCD on top. Note the second shutter button for video recording. A large
setup dial on the left allows settings for standard exposure modes, scene modes
and user defined settings.
The D750 has a very large 3.2-inch
LCD screen that can be flipped up- and downwards. The resolution of the screen
is very high (1.2 million RGB dots).
Comments on Image Quality
Color: The automatic white balance system of the D750 worked
very well regardless of the ambient light conditions. In some shots it showed a
slight shift into the yellow and green direction, but these are only minor
effects. Our standard test image is reproduced with a very neutral gray
background. The portrait shot shows a slight shift into the yellow direction in
the background.
The average color errors are
on a low level. Only blue nuances are extremely boosted and the reason for the
high result of the average saturation (111.9 percent). While the blue nuances
show a large shift the red, yellow and green nuances have a much lower error
level. Skin tones are reproduced nearly perfectly.
Our color test chart shows a
high average saturation, which is based on the very intense blue nuances. The
portrait shot shows that the Nikon D750 has a much lower saturation in red and
yellow colors as well as in skin tones.
Sharpness: Somewhat surprisingly, the camera uses a sensor with
low pass filter: many other current Nikon DSLRs eliminated this filter.
Nevertheless, the resolution result is very good. The camera reproduced the
test chart with 3899 lines of 4016 lines, which is a very high result. Both
test images are reproduced with sharp structures without any aliasing or moiré
effects. Fine details like the hair of our model are reproduced very clearly and
naturally.
The standard test box shows
colors reproduced in a neutral way (gray background), and only blue nuances are
boosted. The camera reproduced fine details, like the structure of the red
spool, with very clear and natural color differentiation.
Noise: The
D750 showed a very good result in our noise tests. Luminance noise is slightly
higher than in images taken with other Nikon or Canon cameras, but keeps on a
very low level even at the highest ISO speed settings. Even at ISO 12,800 mode
it’s way below 1.0 percent. The color noise is very good. Up to ISO 3200 it is
nearly invisible; at ISO 6400 and ISO 12,800 mode some anti- noise filtering
effects get visible, but are still quite good. The dynamic range results are extremely
high. The camera gained a maximum of 11.9 f-stops and keeps a high level of
more than 10 f-stops up to ISO 3200 mode.
Comments on Video Capabilities
The new D750 the camera has some
new video features. It records video in full HD resolution, but now is able to
record at higher frame rates of 50 or 60 frames per second. In addition, it
offers a 24p mode, which is compatible to Blu-ray discs.
All video files are saved as
Apple QuickTime MOV files and H.264 video compression. It is also able to send
a “clean signal” without any overlays to the HDMI interface for external video
recording in higher quality/less image compression.
Shooting videos with the D750
is quite easy. The photographer can switch between photo and video mode by
using the “LV” button on the back. When using the Live View in video mode the
second shutter release button on the top starts video recording.
The camera allows the use of all
numerous modes for video recording such as P, S, or A, plus manually-chosen ISO
settings between 100 and 12,800. The sound can be controlled manually via a
microphone jack and an earphone jack for better sound quality and control.
Video Quality
The Nikon D750 showed a good
result in the video resolution tests. It reproduced the full HD frame with 836
of 1080 lines, which is very good and near the top of its class. Fine details
are reproduced very clearly, with the camera showing only very minor Moiré
effects. The color reproduction is similar to the color reproduction in photo
mode. The test chart showed boosted blue nuances, but other colors are
reproduced very naturally. The skin tones are very accurate and natural. Noise test
results and dynamic range are also similar to photo mode. The camera gained a
maximum of 11.9 f-stops in lower ISO modes and showed video images with very
good contrast reproduction.
Scorecard
Pro
very good image quality
excellent results in
resolution and sharpness tests
massive body
large optical viewfinder with
100 percent field
swivel monitor
Wi-Fi
enhanced video capabilities
Con
monitor cannot be moved
sideways (can only flip up- and downwards)
Price: $2299 (Nikon Store, price as of this posting)
