Nikon Digital SLR Camera - Review and Buying Guide - 2022
When you think of great cameras, the Nikon brand immediately springs to mind.
Nikon Digital Single-Lens Reflex (DSLR) cameras offer excellent performance in many areas of photography.
With smartphone cameras taking over the point-and-shoot sector of the camera market, DSLRs continue to grow in popularity.
In fact, many people looking for a good entry-level camera are now looking for an entry-level DSLR rather than a point-and-shoot camera.
Nikon offers a large number of DSLR cameras ranging from entry level models to professional level models. This gives photographers who love Nikon the opportunity to find the DSLR that fits their skill level and budget.
Nikon DSLR Cameras vs. Other Cameras
If you already use a smartphone camera or a point-and-shoot camera, you may be wondering if you need a Nikon DSLR. Mirrorless interchangeable-lens cameras have also become popular. Below, you can read about the pros and cons of different types of cameras.
Pros and Cons of a Smartphone Camera
Pros
Most people carry a smartphone with them at all times, which makes it handy to use as a camera. People love the ability to instantly share photos on social media, and a smartphone camera excels in this area. The touch screen operation of this type of camera makes it much easier to use than a DSLR.
Cons
The image quality of a smartphone camera remains well below that of a DSLR camera, especially when shooting in bright lighting conditions. The optical zoom capability of a smartphone camera is significantly less than that of higher quality camera lenses.
The pros and cons of the point and shoot camera
pros
Many point-and-shoot cameras are smaller and weigh less than DSLR cameras. Point and shoot cameras are extremely easy to use. If you want a long telephoto lens that can reach faraway objects, the cost is less on a point-and-shoot camera than on a DSLR telephoto lens.
Cons
The overall image quality on a point and shoot camera cannot match that of a DSLR. If you want to take action shots or have minimal shutter lag, the DSLR far outperforms the point-and-shoot camera. You can't swap lenses with a point-and-shoot camera to get new features.
Mirrorless camera pros and cons
pros
A mirrorless camera has a slim body similar to that of a point-and-shoot camera, however it provides image quality closer to that of a DSLR. You can use interchangeable lenses with a mirrorless camera, which adds versatility. Mirrorless camera bodies tend to offer more design flair and versatility than DSLRs.
Cons
As a general rule, a mirrorless camera cannot match a DSLR camera in terms of image quality and performance speed. (They're close, but they're not quite the same yet.) Interchangeable lenses can get expensive over time.
DSLR camera pros and cons
pros
A DSLR camera produces the best image quality and performance speeds of any camera. Interchangeable lenses give the photographer more versatility. DSLR cameras are much easier to use than they were several years ago.
Cons
The only significant downside to a DSLR involves expense. DSLR camera bodies are expensive to start with, and owners incur additional costs for lenses and other accessories.
Understanding Nikon DSLR Image Sensor Formats
Nikon DSLR cameras will carry one of two sizes of image sensors. These image sensor sizes can affect how your lenses work, so you need to know the difference.
DX-format
A DX-format image sensor measures 24mm by 16mm, making it the smaller of the two options.
FX Format
The FX-format image sensor is about the same size as a frame of old 35mm film. The image sensor measures 36mm by 24mm. You'll also hear this referred to as a full-frame image sensor camera.
Due to the way Nikon DSLR lenses are designed, they have different capabilities with different image sensors. For example, Nikon makes both DX and non-DX lenses.
For a DX lens, you'll see "DX" in the lens name somewhere. If the Nikon DSLR lens doesn't say "DX" in its name, you'll refer to the lens as a non-DX lens.
(Nikon doesn't make lenses that say FX in the name; they're called non-DX lenses instead.)
DX lenses can be built smaller because they are designed to work with the smaller DX image sensor. Non-DX lenses are larger and heavier. We have compiled additional information on these two types of lenses as follows.
DX lenses
If you use a DX lens on a DX camera or a Nikon DSLR camera with an FX image sensor, you will receive a higher telephoto capability than you normally have. Nikon calls this situation the lens crop factor.
DX lenses have a crop factor of 1.5x. So a 50mm focal length lens would look like a 75mm focal length on the DSLR camera due to the crop factor.
This feature works well for people who want more telephoto capability, but trades off some wide-angle capability.
non-DX lenses
If you use a non-DX lens on a DX or FX Nikon DSLR camera, no crop factor is produced.
The cost of Nikon DSLR cameras
You will find Nikon DSLR cameras in various price ranges. The list here focuses on the camera body only, rather than kits with the camera body and a basic lens.
FAQ
Q. What are some of the additional costs I may incur with Nikon DSLR cameras?
A. Beyond the cost of the camera body, you can expect to pay for additional components. For example, you may need to purchase additional lenses separately. Individual lenses can cost anywhere from $100 to $1,000 or more. Plus, you can buy things like memory cards, extra batteries, and external flash units to use with your Nikon DSLR camera.
Q. How are professional-level Nikon DSLRs different from entry-level Nikon DSLRs?
A. You'll initially notice the price differential between these tiers of cameras. An entry-level DSLR body can be found for around $500, while pro-level Nikon DSLRs will cost $2,000 or more. For the extra cost of a pro-level DSLR, you'll get a larger image sensor, resulting in better image quality. You’ll also enjoy faster performance than an entry-level DSLR, resulting in less shutter lag and more shots per second.
Q. What is a lens kit?
A. When purchasing a Nikon DSLR camera, you may see some models that are sold as the camera body only and some models that are sold with a kit lens. The lens kit package includes both the camera body and a basic lens, so you can start taking photos right away. The camera body only package does not have a lens in the box, so you need to purchase a lens separately before you start shooting.
Q. Will old Nikon lenses work on a new Nikon DSLR camera?
A. Yes. As long as the lens uses an F mount, it will fit. All Nikon DSLRs use the F mount, so all Nikon F mount lenses fit all Nikon DSLRs. The only Nikon lenses that won't fit on a Nikon DSLR are interchangeable lenses made for Nikon mirrorless cameras. Even some Nikon F-mount lenses for film SLRs fit Nikon DSLRs.