Nikon has been slower than other camera makers, such as Panasonic or Canon, to embrace the idea of professional video. But Nikon was actually the first company to put video into a DSLR, with the D90, even though its video capabilities were rather limited.
Other cameras, though, including Canon’s 5D mk II and the Panasonic GH2, have made more inroads into the world of film making.
Nikon has, though, continued to build its video capabilities, especially with the D800. And the company recently announced its first 4K-capable DSLRs, the full frame D5 and the APS-C-based D500.
However, it is the D750 that, in many ways, remains Nikon’s best camera for video and film making. The D750 eschews the 36 megapixel sensor of the D800 and D810, but adds most of the pro video features missing from the company’s APS-C and lower-end full frame cameras. In fact, the D750 has a combination of features that no other current Nikon DSLR offers.
The D750: inside and out
The D750 is a full-frame (35mm equivalent) DSLR based around a 24.3 megapixel chip. This is a similar sensor to those used in Nikon’s cheaper D610, but it is coupled with different image processing unit.
This gives the D750 continuous stills shooting at 6.5fps, as well as video at up to 50fps/60fps. Sensitivity, for video, goes up to ISO 51,200, but also down to ISO 100. Videos are recorded in h.264 QuickTime movies to one of the camera’s two SD card slots.
The basic layout of the D750 is similar to both the D610 and Nikon’s higher-end APS-C cameras, rather than to the D800 series. This has pros and cons: there are assignable user modes – as well as shooting modes — on the left hand dial wheel.
Next: Controls and inputs
