Is the D750 a "pro" camera?

[Jakov Minić]

The flagship cameras, or the PRO Nikon cameras are the single digit cameras, and I believe that we don't have a query there. (From D3 onward.)

Now, where does the D750 belong?
I agree with other posts that Nikon official categorization should be followed.
If you were to become a Nikon Professional Photographer and become a member of Nikon Professional Services, you would need to have at least two Nikon camera bodies, of which at least one camera body from group 1!

Group 1:
D3, D3S, D3X, D4, D4S, D5, D800, D800E, D810, D750, D500

Group 2:
D700, D610, D300S, D7100, D7200, Df

In other words, if you own a D750 and a D7200, you could apply to Nikon for NPS membership.
Hence in my eyes the D750 is a professional camera body, because Nikon says so

Dear folks, please don't put the D610 and D750 in the same category because Nikon doesn't

You would also need two professional lenses from Group 1 (the list is extensive).
I have gathered this information from Nikon Netherlands. It may be different in other countries (but I doubt it)?

The link:

https://www.iamheretohelp.nl/downloads/NPS_Systeem_NL.pdf

[Frank Fremerey]

Are you saying that the exposure or AF systems in the lesser cameras are inaccurate (or at least less accurate) under certain conditions, where the better cameras aren't?

This is difficult to say, because I can only say it from my little island perspective and this is: MF and AF fast primes since 1983. "M" mode and "A" mode. Mostly portraits, architecture, food, some event too.

I could never judge the behavior of these cameras in sports, because the D500 is my first camera I use for "sports like subjects".
I could never judge the behavior of these cameras with zooms, because I do not use zooms.

The "nearly perfect" cameras in my opinion like the F4, (the F5/D5 I used the only for a short while) and D3 deliver as expected out of the box.
The "a little less"-category needs a little adjustment to deliver as expected, whereas
The "with some practice" category feel a little like a hammer made of wood or of rubber in bad cases, usable but you have to expect the unexpected and have to have backup on standby.

That is my experience. Reliability and reproducibility have their price. With a single digit body an error is always a user error, with the lesser models there could be some not so well designed issues one has to know and work around.

[Peter Connan]

Thanks Frank.

[David H. Hartman]

Jakov,

Not that it matters to me as a former semi-pro but I think a professional photographer could do very nicely without any lenses in the No.1 group. 

For me D750 doesn't have a professional control layout.

Anyway a professional will use any camera that consistently produces the product they need and an enthusiast will any camera they can rationalize, justify or whatever and that they can afford. Nikon needs all the students, want to be(s) and has beens they can get to support the professional cameras in sales and make them viable in the market.

Dave

I aspire to be a has been. --Robin Williams

[John Geerts]

Jakov,

The Dutch apply-list for NPS-registration is not based on the quality of the camera, but based to push sales of the current models. The same applies for the lenses. I do not really take that list serious.

[Jakov Minić]

John, how is a D3 or D300s a new model? I don't see a push in sales of new models? 

[Roland Vink]

Interesting discussion. It wasn't my intention to classify cameras on whether they are "pro" or not, I was simply trying more to show relationships between similar cameras. My logic goes something like this:

Pro - flagship single digit digit cameras designed for heavy professional use.

Advanced - cameras with similar features and UI as pro cameras in a smaller, lighter body. No vertical grip but battery pack can be added to make size and handling like the pro cameras. I included the Df mainly due to the price and it's unique interface, although on features it could easily go with the mid-range cameras.

Entry Level - low cost and compact "cupcake" cameras, starting with D50, D40 and continuing with D3xxx series. Aimed at novice photographers, limited manual controls, makes heavy use of automatic features such as scene modes.

Upper Entry - branched from entry level line with the D40x and continuing with the D5xxx series. Slightly better performance and feature set. Since the 5xxx series with tilt screens.

Mid range - fits between the entry level and pro series, starting with the D70 to the D7xxx series, and the D6xx and D750. Has pro features such as having a battery pack, high degree of manual controls, DOF preview, and AI metering (except D70-D90). Also retains entry level features such as scene modes, and the UI is different from the Pro models. The U1 and U2 custom settings are unique to this group.

Based on this criteria, D750 fits in the mid range section. You could argue with that with EXPEED4, CAM 3500 and 91K RGB meter it has features closer to the professional series like the D810, but I tend to go more by the UI, than by technical details.

[Akira]

Yes, I think that the UI is a very solid criterion to separate advanced models from the mid range ones.

[Frank Fremerey]

Yes, I think that the UI is a very solid criterion to separate advanced models from the mid range ones.

+1

[Bjørn Rørslett]

I agree the UI is a logical criterion for further grouping.

The Df is deliberately devoid of features otherwise ubiquitous (video etc.) so lack of such capability cannot count.

[David H. Hartman]

Yes, I think that the UI is a very solid criterion to separate advanced models from the mid range ones.

+2

[Frank Fremerey]

The Df is deliberately devoid of features otherwise ubiquitous (video etc.) so lack of such capability cannot count.

The Df is a special enthusiast camera in that it has two UIs to be operated with. The classical DSLR
"button, dial & menu" plus one unique UI derived from the Film area with "aperture, time, iso on rotating rings"

I feel the Df does thus not fit into the scheme.

[Ilkka Nissilä]

Any such classification is going to run into inconsistencies; Nikon does not develop cameras only by improving on a single previous model but often introduces new cameras that are mixtures of features from higher and lower end cameras, thus blurring these categories.

I think the D70 belongs squarely in the entry level segment. Its user interface is quite difficult from an advanced user's perspective, it has a pentamirror viewfinder (one of the most horrible of its kind), doesn't meter with Ai lenses, has no vertical grip option and it was clearly developed with price and compactness as driving factors. The D100 also was derived from the F80 film camera body, which is a mid level consumer body. A D7200 or D750 has clearly much more in common with the high end models than the D100 or D70.

For the sake of simplicity in your listing I think the current categorization is okay. I can understand how someone might feel a D750 and D70 don't belong in the same category, however.

If I were to classify the cameras I would go with something like this:

Professional
D1, D2, D3, D4, D5
D700, D800, D810
D300, D500

Enthusiast/Advanced amateur/Semi-pro
D100, D200
D7000, D7100, D7200
D610, D750
Df

Consumer
D70, D50, D40, D60, D80, D90, D3x00, D5x00

[simsurace]

I think the whole categorization issue is overvalued. I think categorization arises mainly as a marketing strategy by the manufacturer that serves to justify price differences that would otherwise be more difficult to defend (besides obvious differences in choice of materials etc.). The decisions to leave out features from certain models often seem arbitrary and cannot be easily explained by applying some ad hoc definitions of categories (e.g. tilting screens and pop-up flashes are often called amateurish even when many pros make use of them and many amateurs don't). Regardless of the category, purchase decisions should be based on features vs. price alone and not by some perceived nimbus of a category. There is no pride in owning a camera with features that you don't use. Cameras from 'lower' categories now have features and performance that previous-generation 'pro' models could only dream about.

[Frank Fremerey]

Ilkka! You nailed it. I appreciate such clear thinking.

My experience though is that in practical usage my D7000 (I forgot her in my list above, had her on daily use for 2 years) was less reliable with fast primes than both of my D70ies.

After I replaced her with the D600 I found an article by or member Andy (Former AndyE, aka Nikonandye), that told me that certain serial numbers of D7000 simply could not focus correctly with fast primes. Nikon never committed to the issue publicly but replaced large parts on the camera for free if you complaines insistently. Had I read that / known that my experience with the D7000 could have possibly have been much more pleasent. Had I used her with zoom lenses no issue would have been there. IIRC it was this article:

https://nikonandye.wordpress.com/articles/article-d7000-camera-weakness-with-fast-pro-lenses/

or Ilkka here:

http://photo.net/nikon-camera-forum/00aT6J?start=10