DSLRBodies

The good news is that there isn’t really a dud amongst all of Nikon’s last generation of DSLRs. The DX versions are all equipped with near-state-of-the-art or state-of-the-art 20mp crop sensors and differ primarily on how features are brought forward to the user and how many of those features there are. The FX versions come equipped with near-state-of-the-art sensors across the board, but with more variation in pixel count (20 to 45mp).

The great news is that several of Nikon’s DSLRs stand out from the rest, and are ones I can heartily recommend even here at the end of the DSLR era:

• D850. The D800 was the best all-around DSLR back in 2012, and the 2014 D810 refresh made enough changes that many  D800 shooters upgraded and were very happy they did. The D850 triggered that same cycle a second time. The latest D8xx model—the D850—is faster, has more pixels, a better autofocus system, and is just a little more refined all the way round. Any Live View issues of older models are (mostly) solved. The new 45mp sensor is about as good as it gets for those that want pixels over high ISO performance, not that it’s a slouch at higher ISO values, all else equal. The D850 stands as the best all-around DSLR that was ever made. Thom’s Review of the D850.
• D780. On paper it didn't look like a big change from the much older D750. In practice, the current model in this line is a lot different. Yes, the optional grip and internal flash were dropped, but pretty much everything else was refined and made better. The addition of phase detect on the image sensor means that the D780 acts like a mirrorless Z6 in Live View, which makes this the best Live View implementation on a DSLR, bar none. Nikon did a solid job polishing up their workhorse camera. Thom’s Review of the D780.
• D7500. The DX crop sensor has its pluses and minuses. For most of you, the minus is that it’s about a stop removed from the D780 sensor, all else equal, though you can get that back with some clever lens choice (e.g. the Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8). The bits of banding deep in the shadows of the D7100 are gone, and the new sensor is very well behaved. The pixel density has dropped a bit from the D7200 but is still near perfect for the wildlife shooter. The constrained buffer of the D7100 is gone, and the D7500 also blows past the D7200 in this respect, plus we now have a 1.3x crop option. Unfortunately, the frame rate and build quality isn’t at the D500 level. That said, the D7500 is the best consumer DSLR Nikon has made, hands down, and it manages a very respectable 4K video, too. Thom’s Review of the D7500.
• D500. This was a mini-D5 with all the Nikon D5 technology at its core. A new, better autofocusing system, high performance cards and buffer support at 10 fps, an improved metering system, and built-in SnapBridge. Great additional user controls in a carbon fiber/magnesium body. The 20mp sensor is arguably the best DX-sized sensor currently made (particularly at higher ISO values), the viewfinder and tilting touchscreen LCD top notch and a specification above the other cameras. Unfortunately, this camera is no longer available new (though you can still find a few lingering gray market models). Thom’s Review of the D500
• The D6 is really an expensive choice that you need to need. The D500 has virtually everything the D6 has except for two things: an FX sensor, and the new improved autofocus system. That new autofocus system is the best that was ever deployed in a DSLR; don’t discount it, as it was “the D6 difference.” The D6’s image sensor is highly tuned towards high ISO work, and the camera nets an additional 4 fps over the D500 in continuous shooting. Still, you pay a big premium for that, so you really have to need those specific things to justify buying a D6. That said, there was not a better DSLR made for sports and some types of photojournalism. Thom’s Review of the D6.

I can recommend any of the last Nikon DSLR models you see above. But if you’re not going to pick one of the above and are dipping into the used market, you should note a few things about your other recent Nikon options:

• The D3500 and D5600 use Compressed NEF only. What that means is that highlight information is sacrificed to make for more compact files. Nikon calls this visually lossless, and it truly is as long as you’re not making huge post processing changes in the highlights. It’s not a deal breaker, but it’s less than optimal. The D3500 and D5600 also have arbitrary feature reductions. With the exception of the swivel touch screen on the D5600, both these cameras remove features you’d find on the D7500, and sometimes controls (front command dial, for example). So run through the specifications list very carefully and make sure what you want is really there. Moreover, these two models changed so little from their predecessors I didn’t bother to create separate reviews for them. See my older reviews. Thom’s Review of the D3400, Thom’s Review of the D5500
• The D610 doesn’t need to be avoided, but is very old in feature set and focus system. The D600 dust/lubricant fiasco totally devalued the D6xx series in most people’s minds. Thus, you’ll find the D610 at ridiculously low prices as demand is low, even in the used market. As with the D3400 and D5600, you have to watch for arbitrary feature reductions (in the D610's case from the D750 and D810), but the D610 is a much more complete camera than those DX consumer DSLRs are to start with; the feature reduction is remarkably minimal. Thom’s Review of the D610
• The D750 is in FX like the D5600 is in DX: a middle model. Nikon really wanted you to buy the middle model in the DX and FX lineups. Note that both have desirable moveable rear LCD screens (the D750’s tilts up and down), something you usually don’t find on the other models below and above them. There’s nothing at all wrong with the D750. It’s a fine camera, and given its price differential, many of you bought it over a D810. That said, the D810 was enough better than I rarely used my D750, and the D850 is even better. You buy a used D750 these days because it’s a bargain for its performance.  Thom’s Review of the D750
• The Df is a bit strange. The DSLR sibling that is the most different is the Df. It’s not just the retro controls, it’s the entire mix of features starting with the 16mp sensor and no video. You really have to want what’s in this package to buy it, I think. For those of you who manual focus through the viewfinder, the Df does have the best focus screen of the Nikon DSLRs, which tells you something about the intended audience. That said, there’s just a little too much Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde to this camera’s personality. Nikon didn’t go all in with the retro-film-like-camera thing, nor did they remove all that much of the digital DSLR from it (it still has Live View, for instance). This makes it a bit of a “tweener” in design, and that shows in some of the control functions. However, this is the smallest of Nikon’s FX DSLRs and the sensor is wickedly good in low light, so coupled with a set of f/1.4 or f/1.8 primes, some folk will be very happy with this camera. The more you zoom, the more I’d suggest this isn’t the camera for you. Thom’s Review of the Df

Nikon DSLRs versus Mirrorless

How do the most recent Nikon DSLRs now line up against Nikon’s current mirrorless lineup?

• D6 < Z9 — The top pro cameras are both extremely capable, but the Z9 just has so much more that it can do than the D6 does, it’s not a close contest.
• D850 ~= Z8 — On the other hand, the D850 still mostly holds its own against the similar Z8. If you ignore the DSLR-only aspects versus the mirrorless-only aspects, they are near identical in what they can do and in their performance.
• D780 < Z6III — Before Nikon started iterating the original Z6, this would have been a close match. But today, the mirrorless camera is pulling away.
• D7500 = Z50II — This is one of the closest DSLR versus mirrorless matchups.
• D500 > Z50II — Nikon hasn’t made a mirrorless camera that equals or exceeds the D500. Okay, they have: the Z8 used in DX crop would best a D500, but that mirrorless camera is in another price category.

While I know I’ll get pushback in writing this: the DSLR era is over. Both Canon and Nikon are now proving that their mirrorless models can and will do more.