Consumer Reports

This powerful point-and-shoot simply takes great photos and video. The built-in Zeiss lens has a bright f/1.8 maximum aperture, allowing for photos with almost no visual noise even in extreme low-light situations.  At 10 ounces (with battery, memory card, and strap), the camera is lightweight, which is a big plus whether you're hiking up a mountain or strolling down a busy city street. It has built-in image stabilization and a convenient pop-up electronic viewfinder, which is a rarity in cameras of this size. And the large, swiveling liquid crystal display (LCD) is handy for composing and reviewing photos.
As a wireless model, it can easily transfer images to your phone or computer through an app, too.
But like most of the cameras on this list, the Sony lacks a hot-shoe mount, so you'll have to make do with the onboard flash if you're shooting in low light.

This powerful point-and-shoot simply takes great photos and video. The built-in Zeiss lens has a bright f/1.8 maximum aperture, allowing for photos with almost no visual noise even in extreme low-light situations.  At 10 ounces (with battery, memory card, and strap), the camera is lightweight, which is a big plus whether you're hiking up a mountain or strolling down a busy city street. It has built-in image stabilization and a convenient pop-up electronic viewfinder, which is a rarity in cameras of this size. And the large, swiveling liquid crystal display (LCD) is handy for composing and reviewing photos.As a wireless model, it can easily transfer images to your phone or computer through an app, too.But like most of the cameras on this list, the Sony lacks a hot-shoe mount, so you'll have to make do with the onboard flash if you're shooting in low light.

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RTINGS

The Nikon D780 is the best full-frame DSLR camera that we've tested. This enthusiast-grade DSLR is weather-sealed and feels very well-built. It's comfortable to shoot with thanks to its large textured handgrip, extensive physical controls, and intuitive menu system, which includes a ton of customization options, so you can set the camera's controls to suit your own shooting preferences. Going with a DSLR also gives you a huge range of native lenses to choose from and better overall battery life.

Performance-wise, this camera is well-suited to a wide range of photography styles. It delivers excellent image quality straight out of the camera with colors that look true to life and sharp, detailed images even at high ISOs. It also performs well when shooting in RAW, with fantastic noise handling, so you can shoot in low light without sacrificing too much quality. It also has a robust hybrid autofocus system, with accurate focusing through the viewfinder and a phase-detect AF system through Live View that gives you wider coverage and quicker focusing.

That said, the camera doesn't have in-body image stabilization, which means you'll need to use optically stabilized lenses if you want more stability when shooting handheld. There's also an electronic stabilization feature, but enabling it incurs a small crop. Despite lacking IBIS, however, the camera does a fantastic job smoothing out camera shake with its optically stabilized kit lens. All in all, if you don't mind a bit more bulk and weight, this is an excellent all-around camera.

The best DSLR that we've tested with a full-frame sensor is the Nikon D780. This enthusiast-level DSLR feels very well-built, with a large, textured handgrip and well-spaced physical controls. Its screen can tilt upward if you like to shoot from the hip, and there's also a small display on the top of its body that lets you easily check settings and remaining battery life. That, along with its remarkably easy-to-navigate menu system, makes it very comfortable to shoot with. It's also advertised to be weather-sealed against rain and humidity.

The camera delivers amazing overall image quality. It has incredible RAW noise handling capability at higher ISO levels, so you can take photos at high ISOs in low light without introducing too much noise. Its autofocus system is also fantastic, with 51 advertised detection points and a superb success rate when tracking moving objects, so your subject should stay in focus even when moving, whether you're taking photos or shooting video. It also has an exceptional battery life that should last for approximately 2,260 photos, according to Nikon.

That said, it doesn't have in-body image stabilization, meaning you'll have to rely on the optical stabilization of whichever lens you're using. With its Nikkor 24-120mm f/4G ED VR kit lens attached, it does a poor job of reducing camera shake when recording video without a tripod, particularly in 4k. On the upside, it performs a lot better for photography, allowing you to get clear shots even when shooting handheld at slower shutter speeds. Overall, this is one of the best cameras we've tested for photography.

The best DSLR camera that we've tested is the Nikon D780. This full-frame DSLR feels robust and well-built. It has a ton of customizable buttons and menu options that you can adjust to suit your shooting preferences, made easy by its highly intuitive menu system. Unlike mirrorless options, it has an optical viewfinder that gives you an unfiltered, lag-free view of your subjects. It also has a small display on top that lets you check settings, battery life, and remaining storage space at a glance.

The camera delivers amazing overall image quality thanks to its full-frame sensor. It's well-suited to low-light photography since photos have very little visual noise at higher ISO settings. Photos also look sharp out of the box, with a good amount of dynamic range to bring out more detail in high-contrast scenes. It also has a fantastic hybrid autofocus system, borrowing the AF system from the mirrorless Nikon Z 6 for quicker focusing in Live View while maintaining a more traditional DSLR AF system when shooting through the viewfinder.

That said, this is a heavy, bulky camera, so it's not the best option if you need to travel light. Still, even though it's a hefty camera, its weight is well-distributed and feels good in the hand. Also, while it lacks in-body image stabilization, its Nikkor 24-120mm f/4G ED VR kit lens has optical stabilization and does a superb job of minimizing camera shake when taking handheld photos. It's a DSLR that combines the best of the mirrorless and DSLR worlds, making it a fantastic all-around camera and one of the best DSLRs we've tested.

The Nikon D780 is among the best DSLR cameras we've tested, and it's also uniquely suited among DSLRs for video work, thanks to its hybrid autofocus system. When shooting in Live View, it uses an AF system borrowed from the mirrorless Nikon Z 6, giving you quicker focusing and coverage to the edges of the frame. If you shoot through the optical viewfinder, you get a more typical DSLR AF system with more accurate centralized focus points. All in all, it works very effectively to keep moving subjects in focus.

As far as video quality is concerned, the D780 yields fantastic 4k video quality in more controlled lighting setups as well as in low light, thanks to its high-resolution full-frame sensor. It captures oversampled 4k video at up to 30 fps and 1080p video at up to 120 fps if you want to incorporate slow-motion footage. It supports Log recording, and it can output 10-bit footage to an external recorder over HDMI to give you more to work with when color-grading.

That said, the camera doesn't have in-body stabilization, although it does have an electronic stabilization feature, which does a decent job reducing camera shake in 1080p, though enabling it incurs a slight 1.1x crop. Unfortunately, the stabilization doesn't work as well when shooting in 4k, even with the optically stabilized kit lens. Overall, it's a very capable hybrid DSLR with many video features for aspiring filmmakers.

The Nikon D780 is the best camera for birding or wildlife photography that we've tested in the DSLR category. This robust full-frame camera has a wide array of customizable buttons and settings, including custom shooting modes, that you can set to your preferences. This means you can focus more on your subjects and less on scrolling through menus. Its optical viewfinder is large and comfortable, and the camera has a weather-sealed body for more adverse weather conditions.

This camera has an incredibly long battery life that's advertised to last for approximately 2,260 photos, which is more than suitable for long shooting days, though battery performance also depends on your usage habits. Its full-frame sensor gives it excellent high ISO performance, with outstanding RAW noise handling. It also has a highly effective autofocus system, which does an amazing job of tracking moving subjects. It can fire off bursts at 8 fps in its high-speed continuous shooting mode, though it's limited to 4 fps in silent mode.

Unfortunately, this camera doesn't have in-body image stabilization, so you have to use an optically stabilized lens when shooting handheld. Still, Nikon offers a wide range of DSLR lenses, many of which have effective optical stabilization. For instance, the Nikkor 24-120mm f/4G ED VR kit lens we tested the camera with does a fantastic job of reducing camera shake. Overall, it's a well-constructed, full-featured DSLR that makes for a great wildlife photography camera for most people.

The Nikon D780 is the best camera for night photography or low-light photography that we've tested in the DSLR category. This full-frame DSLR feels incredibly well-built and comfortable to shoot with. It has a large handgrip and an optical viewfinder with 100% coverage, so you get a clear, unfiltered view of your subjects. Its weather-sealed body also has extensive physical controls and several customizable options that you can adjust to suit your shooting preferences.

The camera's 24.5-megapixel sensor has incredible RAW noise handling capability, so you can shoot at high ISO settings in low light without introducing too much visual noise. Its JPEG image quality is also excellent, with minimal noise and loss of sharpness at higher ISOs if you don't want to process your photos yourself. It also has an exceptional battery life that's advertised to last for approximately 2,260 photos depending on your shooting habits and settings.

Unfortunately, it doesn't have in-body image stabilization, so you may need to use a tripod to shoot at slower shutter speeds at night or in very dimly-lit conditions. That said, its Nikkor 24-120mm f/4G ED VR kit lens does feature optical stabilization, and the camera does a superb job of reducing the effects of camera shake with it attached. Overall, if you're looking for a DSLR for low-light photography, this is one of the best DSLRs we've tested.

Nikon is another top camera brand with a long history of producing optical devices, cameras, and lenses. Nikon was one of the pioneering manufacturers of digital cameras throughout the 1990s and continues to hold its own against competitors like Canon. In recent years, Nikon has similarly been moving more and more into the realm of mirrorless cameras, though it's still primarily known for its DSLRs, from the easy-to-use Nikon D3500 to well-regarded professional models like the Nikon D850, as well as consumer point-and-shoots. Its mirrorless lineup has steadily improved, and the company now offers mirrorless models to suit different experience levels, including the entry-level Nikon Z 50, the retro-inspired Nikon Z fc, and the full-frame Nikon Z 6II. Nikon is known for pushing boundaries with some of its cameras, like the Nikon COOLPIX P1000, which has the longest fixed zoom lens on the market.

The Nikon D780 is the best Nikon camera we've tested. This premium DSLR has a 24.5-megapixel full-frame sensor, and it performs very well at high ISO settings, with minimal noise. Overall image quality is excellent with good dynamic range to give you more latitude when processing your photos and very accurate colors out of the box. It has a hybrid AF system with a more traditional DSLR AF system when shooting through the optical viewfinder and a phase-detect system borrowed from the mirrorless Nikon Z 6 when shooting with the screen in Live View, giving you the best of both worlds. The camera also has an exceptional battery life, advertised to last for about 2,260 photos on a full charge. That said, it's also a very heavy, bulky camera that's less suited to travel or street photography.

The Nikon D780 is the best camera for landscape photography of the DSLRs we've tested. This full-frame camera is great for enthusiasts and offers an incredibly comfortable shooting experience thanks to its deep, textured handgrip and extensive physical controls. Its menu system makes it easy to operate and lets you customize several buttons and settings to suit your shooting preferences.

The body is weather-sealed against moisture and dust, and the camera has an exceptional advertised battery life of 2,250 photos, so you can easily go days without having to recharge it, depending on your usage habits. Its 24.5-megapixel full-frame sensor delivers excellent JPEG image quality with a good amount of dynamic range. The camera is also very well-suited to low-light photography, thanks to its incredible RAW noise handling capability.

Unfortunately, it's not the most portable option on this list. It's one of the heavier, bulkier cameras we've tested, making it harder to carry around without fatigue on hikes or long days of shooting. It doesn't have in-body image stabilization (IBIS) either, which can be a problem if you're using non-stabilized lenses and shooting handheld. However, it does an amazing job of reducing camera shake with its optically stabilized kit lens.

Short of looking at true pro cameras like the Nikon D850, you won't find a better full-frame DSLR than the Nikon D780. It has all the features you'd want in a high-end photography camera. For one, it's weather-sealed and built to last, with an incredibly long-lasting battery, so it can last for days of extensive use if needed. A tilting screen makes it easy to shoot from waist level, and the camera has a small top display so you can quickly check settings, battery life, and storage at a glance.

The real standout feature of this camera is its hybrid autofocus system. It features an on-sensor phase-detection autofocus system, borrowed from the mirrorless Nikon Z 6, in addition to a more typical contrast-detection system when shooting through the viewfinder. What that means is you get the best of DSLR tech and the best of mirrorless tech (but only when using Live View) in one camera, giving it serious versatility.

While the D780 can pretty much do it all, the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV deserves a shoutout. It's showing its age now and lacks some of the fancier new tech options that Nikon put into the D780, but it's still hugely popular among professional photographers and hobbyists alike. You'll get fantastic image quality out of it, and it's built like a tank to withstand pro-grade use, but overall, the innovations and lower price tag of the D780 make it a better all-around pick.

If you don't need IBIS and don't mind a heavier DSLR, the Nikon D780 is a fantastic low-light camera that's a bit more affordable than the Canon EOS R6. It's an enthusiast camera that marries the best features that DSLRs have to offer with on-sensor phase detection AF borrowed from the mirrorless Nikon Z 6, giving it a ton of versatility. Beyond that, its sensor performs incredibly well in low light, producing photos with very minimal noise, even at high ISO levels.

It is less portable than a mirrorless model like the R6, but on the upside, you get much better battery life, plus an entire stable of Nikon DSLR lenses to choose from. On top of that, it's built like a tank and weather-sealed, so you can rest assured it can put up with extensive use. All in all, it's a fantastic camera for low-light photography if you can live without built-in sensor stabilization.

While there are more expensive pro models that'll get you even remarkably high-resolution photos, the enthusiast-oriented Nikon D780 is a fantastic DSLR for landscape photography. It has an incredible battery life, so it can easily last you throughout long shooting days at remote locations where you're likely to be far from a power source. It's also remarkably well-built, weather-sealed, and feels great in the hand, with plenty of physical controls and customization options. It also has a tilting screen that makes it easy to frame your shot from a tripod. Aside from its design and ergonomics, the D780 is well-suited to landscape photography because of its excellent backside-illuminated full-frame sensor.

At 24.5 MP, it isn't the highest resolution option you can get, but for most users, that'll be more than enough to give you some cropping leeway and make reasonably-sized prints. It also has a fantastic dynamic range and high-ISO performance for trickier lighting conditions. If you think you'd prefer something with some extra megapixels without necessarily getting into pro territory, the Sony &alpha;7 IV is one of the best enthusiast mirrorless models on the market and has a 33 MP full-frame sensor. However, it's more expensive, and most of its advantages are in video rather than photography, so we still recommend the D780 over it for landscapes.

DSLR Camera Comparison