Top/Best Nikon Pro/Enthusiast DSLR's of 2017 reviewed and compared

LAST UPDATED: 09/15/2017

If you are a photo enthusiast using Nikon DSLR's or upgrading from an entry level camera, and need advice on what camera you should get next you have come to the right place.

Nikon's high end DSLR's are designed towards very specific audiences of photographers. Here is the gist.
* D5 = This is the ultimate sports, nature and news camera. There is nothing better out there if you can afford it.
* D4s = The old version of the D5
* D500 = This is a sports, nature and news camera if you are on a budget and want to keep using your DX (crop sensor) lenses (or not carry such a heavy camera). In essence it shares an audience with the D5, but is smaller and targets a lower budget.
* D810 = The highest technical image quality available for a Nikon camera. It's targeted at nature, fashion and product photography. You can not get clearer images in a controlled environment.
* D750 = This is the higher end general usage camera. Not best at anything, but an all-round amazing camera.
* D610 = This is the entry level camera in the full sensor category. It is a great all-round camera and what you should get to start building your full format lens collection.

	Nikon D5	Nikon D4S	Nikon D500	Nikon D810	Nikon D750	Nikon D610	Nikon Df
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gistGear Recommended Buy (1-6 on the Dice)
The Gist	This is the ultimate sports, nature and news camera. There is nothing better out here.	(Older model) D4S is a minor refresh of the D4.	The D500 is an amazing and odd camera. It’s the only professional DX (cropped sensor camera). It's essentially the D5 in a smaller body and with a price targeted at enthusiasts.	The Nikon D810 has the highest technical image quality available. It's targeted at nature, fashion, product photography and with it's 36.3 MP sensor you can not get clearer images in a controlled environment.	The D750 is an amazing camera for the money. If you want a full sensor camera at a reasonable price that has 90% of the capabilities of cameras much more expensive, the D750 is for you. It's not best at anything, but an all-round great value for general photography.	The D610 is Nikons entry level camera for full size sensor photography. It performs great in most areas, but has some issues with autofocus in low light situations. The D600 had issues with dust accumulating on it's sensor and the D610 was a quick replacement for Nikon to put this issue behind them.	The Nikon Df is a camera for especially interested enthusiasts. It's all metal and built as a tank and has a retro look and may not be very practical.
Differentiating Features	👍Amazing fast and durable camera. 👍Autofocus is instant and always right on as if it was anticipating what to focus on and how objects move. 👍It always picks the right subject in the frame to focus on 👍The frame rate is 12+ FPS even with continuous auto focus 👍Very bright and comfortable view finder. 👍Great quality at very high ISO values. It can practically see in the dark.E6 👍Very high resolution LCD display 👍It can shoot 4k Video 👎High price	👍Very fast 👍High video frame rate 👍New group area AF mode 👍Long battery life	👍The D500 is the best Nikon news and sports camera ever with a cropped sensor 👍The cropped (DX) sensor give you 1.5x more reach than a camera with a full size sensor. 👍It has great low light performance given its smaller sensor, but not quite up to par will the top full size sensor cameras. 👍It can shoot 10 frame per second 👍It has a buffer with room for around 80 images 👍It has an amazing 153 point autofocus system that works in near complete darkness. 👍It has a tilting screen 👍It has a touch screen 👍It can shoot 4k Video 👍It has Nikon snapbridge allowing continuous loading of images to your phone (without reconnecting every time) 👎Video autofocus is not very good	👍It produces extremely sharp images 👍The autofocus is great but not quite on par with the D5 and D500. 👍It's faster and quieter than the previous D800 model. 👍It has no anti-alias filter 👍Better video capability than D800 (Zebra stripes and higher framerate) 👎No 4K Video	👍Great autofocus performance (similar to D4s and D810) 👍Good low light performance 👍6.5 FPS shooting speed 👍Has Wi-Fi 👍Relatively small and a great travel camera. 👍Built in flash 👎Dedicated function buttons 👎No snapbridge.	👍Great all-round camera 👍Almost the same spec's as it's predecessor (D600), but has slightly faster shooting speed at 6 FPS. 👍The D610 is not the best at anything, but is an incredible value for your money. Instead of buying a cropped sensor consumer camera and have to replace all your lenses when you move up later, get the D610 if you are on a budget and you will be able to keep you lenses for many decades as you get new camera. Combine this camera with the unique AF-S NIKKOR 28-300mm lens and you have an amazing package for a reasonable amount of money. 👎The autofocus system could have been better	If you are looking to stand out from the crowd of similar DSLR cameras and have a lot of money to spend, this is the camera for you. You do not get the best of any specific technology, but it’s a great all-round camera. Pared with a f/1.2 or f/1.4 prime lens it will take amazing picture (in a stylish way) in controlled environments.
Title	Nikon D5 20.8 MP FX-Format Digital SLR Camera Body (CF Version)	Nikon D4S 16.2 MP CMOS FX Digital SLR with Full 1080p HD Video (Body Only)	Nikon D500 DX-Format Digital SLR (Body Only)	Nikon D810 FX-format Digital SLR Camera Body	Nikon D750 FX-format Digital SLR Camera Body	Nikon D610 24.3 MP CMOS FX-Format Digital SLR Camera (Body Only)	Nikon Df 16.2 MP CMOS FX-Format Digital SLR Camera Body (Black)
Features	20.8MP FX-Format CMOS Sensor EXPEED 5 Image Processor 3.2" 2.36m-Dot Touchscreen LCD Monitor 4K UHD Video Recording at 30 fps Multi-CAM 20K 153-Point AF System Native ISO 102400, Extend to ISO 3280000 12 fps Shooting for 200 Shots with AE/AF 180k-Pixel RGB Sensor and Group Area AF 14-Bit Raw Files and 12-Bit Raw S Format Supplied With: EN-EL18a Rechargeable Li-ion Battery, MH-26a Battery Charger, USB Cable Clip, HDMI Cable Clip, UC-E22 USB Cable, AN-DC15 Strap, DK-27 Eyepiece Adapter, DK-17F Fluorine-Coated Finder Eyepiece, BF-1B Body Cap, BS-3 Accessory Shoe Cover, BL-6 Battery Chamber Cover, Warranty, Network Guide Supplied With: EN-EL18a Rechargeable Li-ion Battery, MH-26a Battery Charger, USB Cable Clip, HDMI Cable Clip, UC-E22 USB Cable, AN-DC15 Strap, DK-27 Eyepiece Adapter, DK-17F Fluorine-Coated Finder Eyepiece, BF-1B Body Cap, BS-3 Accessory Shoe Cover, BL-6 Battery Chamber Cover, Warranty, Network Guide	16.2 megapixel FX-format CMOS sensor 30% faster EXPEED 4 image processing engine 51-point AF system and 3D Color Matrix metering III with a 91,000-pixel RGB sensor Noise-free shooting from ISO 100 to 25,600 Professional video and audio capabilities	20.9MP DX-Format CMOS Sensor EXPEED 5 Image Processor 3.2" 2,539k-Dot Tilting Touchscreen LCD 4K UHD Video Recording at 30 fps Multi-CAM 20K 153-Point AF System Native ISO 51200, Extend to ISO 1640000 10 fps Shooting for Up to 200 Frames Built-In Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and NFC 180k-Pixel RGB Sensor and Group Area AF In-Camera Time Lapse, Up to 9999 Frames Supplied With: EN-EL15 Rechargeable Li-ion Battery, MH-25a Battery Charger, USB Cable Clip, HDMI Cable Clip, DK-17 Eyepiece, UC-E22 USB Cable, AN-DC17 Strap, BF-1B Body Cap, User's Manual, Warranty	36.3 MP FX-format CMOS sensor without an Optical Low Pass Filter (OLPF) 30% faster EXPEED 4 image processing engine 51-point AF system and 3D Color Matrix metering III with a 91,000-pixel RGB sensor ISO 64-12,800 expandable to 51,200 Featuring a new RAW Small Size option, which produces 16MP images with much smaller file sizes Professional video and audio capabilities	Full frame 24.3 megapixel CMOS image sensor and EXPEED 4 image processor Full HD 60/50/30/25/24p video Built-in Wi-Fi connectivity and compatibility with the WT-5a + UT-1 Communication Unit Shoot up to 6.5 fps at full resolution Pro Video feature set including: Simultaneously record uncompressed and compressed, Manually control ISO, shutter speed and aperture while recording-even use Power Aperture control for smooth iris transitions and Auto ISO for smooth exposure transitions. Compact, lightweight and slim unibody (monocoque) body design with tilting Vari-angle LCD display	24.3MP full-frame CMOS sensor 39-point AF system (9 cross-type) ISO 100-6400 expandable up to 25,600 3.2 inch LCD with 921,000 dots 1080/30p, 25p or 24p or 720/60p, 50p or 30p HD video (MPEG-4 AVC/H.264) 6 frames per second continuous shooting 100% viewfinder coverage 2,016-pixel RGB TTL metering sensor Single-axis level in viewfinder, dual-axis level in live view 10.5MP DX-format crop mode Uncompressed video recording via HDMI Dual SD card slots	16MP full frame CMOS sensor 5.5 frames per second continuous shooting 39-point autofocus system with 9 cross-type points ISO100 - 12800 3 inch LCD with 921,000 dots 0.7x viewfinder with 100% coverage Raw and Raw + JPEG shooting Optional external flash via hot shoe or PC sync SD/SDHC/SDXC Wi-Fi compatible via WU-1a mobile adapter (sold separately) Collapsible coupling lever makes it compatible with all Nikon F-mount lenses, even non-AI Magnesium Alloy body with mechanical exposure dials
Price (09/15/2017)
Links	- Nikon - DxOMark (88 Score)	- Nikon - DxOMark (89 Score)	- Nikon - DxOMark (84 Score)	- Nikon - DxOMark (88 Score)	- Nikon - DxOMark (88 Score)	- Nikon - DxOMark (94 Score)	- Nikon - DxOMark (89 Score)
Model Number	1558	1541	1559	1542	1543	1540	1525
Salesrank in category	10943	9064	2417	1351	360	3949	4931
Category	Photography, camera digital, slr	Photography, camera digital, slr	Photography, camera digital, slr	Photography, camera digital, slr	Photography, camera digital, slr	Photography, camera digital, slr	Photography, camera digital,
First available on Amazon	2016-03-25	2014-03-06	2016-04-21	2014-07-17	2014-09-23	2013-10-18	2013-11-28
Item Dimensions	3.7 x 6.3 x 6.3 inches 9.4 x 16.0 x 16.0 cm	6.18 x 3.58 x 6.3 inches 15.7 x 9.1 x 16.0 cm	3.2 x 4.6 x 5.8 inches 8.1 x 11.7 x 14.7 cm	4.84 x 3.23 x 5.75 inches 12.3 x 8.2 x 14.6 cm	4.45 x 3.07 x 5.55 inches 11.3 x 7.8 x 14.1 cm	4.45 x 3.23 x 5.55 inches 11.3 x 8.2 x 14.1 cm	4.33 x 2.64 x 5.67 inches 11.0 x 6.7 x 14.4 cm
Package Dimensions	6.5 x 8.5 x 11 inches 16.5 x 21.6 x 27.9 cm	6.9 x 8.5 x 11.2 inches 17.5 x 21.6 x 28.4 cm	5.9 x 6.3 x 9.7 inches 15.0 x 16.0 x 24.6 cm	5.91 x 6.61 x 9.69 inches 15.0 x 16.8 x 24.6 cm	5 x 5 x 14.02 inches 12.7 x 12.7 x 35.6 cm	4.02 x 7.01 x 12.01 inches 10.2 x 17.8 x 30.5 cm	4.4 x 7.2 x 10.2 inches 11.2 x 18.3 x 25.9 cm
Reviews	See Amazon Reviews	See Amazon Reviews	See Amazon Reviews	See Amazon Reviews	See Amazon Reviews	See Amazon Reviews	See Amazon Reviews
Model	D5	D4S	D500	D810	D750	D610	Df
Release Date	2016 1Q	2014 1Q	2016 1Q	2014 2Q	2014 3Q	2013 3Q	2013 4Q
Image processor	EXPEED 5	EXPEED 4	EXPEED 5	EXPEED 4	EXPEED 4	EXPEED 3	EXPEED 3
Sensor format	Full-frame	Full-frame	APS-C	Full-frame	Full-frame	Full-frame	Full-frame
Sensor type	CMOS	CMOS	CMOS	CMOS	CMOS	CMOS	CMOS
Sensor manufacturer	Nikon	Nikon		Sony	Sony	Sony	Nikon
Megapixels	20.8	16.2	20.9	36.3	24.3	24.3	16.2
Focus points	153	51	153	51	51	39	39
Metering pixels	180000	91000	180000	91000	91000	2016	2016
Viewfinder coverage	1	1	1	1	1	1	1
Viewfinder magnification	0.72x	0.7x	1x	0.7x	0.7x	0.7x	0.7x
ISO min (expanded)	50	50	50	32	50	50	50
ISO min	100	100	100	64	100	100	100
ISO max	102400	12800	51200	12800	12800	6400	12800
ISO max (expanded)	3280000	409600	1640000	51200	51200	25600	204800
LCD monitor	3.2″ 2359k dots	3.2" 921k dots	3.2″ 2359k dots	3.2" 1229k dots	3.2" 1229k dots	3.2" 921k dots	3.2" 921k dots
Storage media	CF (x2) or XQD (x2)	CF, XQD	SD/SDHC/SDXC, XQD	CF, SDHC, SDXC	SD SDHC SDXC (x2)	SD/SDHC/SDXC (×2)	SD/SDHC/SDXC
Live view	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Movie mode	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Top continuous shooting speed (frames/sec)	12	11	10	5	6.5	6	5.5
Weight (g)	1235	1180	760	880	750	760	710
Wi-Fi	WT-5 / WT-6	WT-5	Yes (Built-in)	-	Yes (Built-in)	-	-
GPS	GP-1(A)	GP-1(A)	GP-1(A) + SnapBridge	GP-1(A)	GP-1(A)	GP-1(A)	GP-1(A)

Top/Best Nikon Pro/Enthusiast DSLR's of 2017 reviewed and compared

LAST UPDATED: 09/15/2017

If you are a photo enthusiast using Nikon DSLR's or upgrading from an entry level camera, and need advice on what camera you should get next you have come to the right place.

Nikon D5

Nikon D4S

Nikon D500

Nikon D810

Nikon D750

Nikon D610

Nikon Df