The evolution of Nikon cameras

Nikon has a lot of DSLR cameras. Sometimes you can go crazy choosing the right option for yourself. Also, it is very difficult to understand the range of cameras. There are many cameras that are professional on the one hand and amateur on the other.

I broke all the cameras on 4 class:

  1. Flagship (often these cameras are called true professional cameras). It is easy to distinguish by such features as the fact that they do not have a built-in flash, have an additional second handle for portrait photography, use very capacious batteries and fast memory cards CF. These cameras have two additional displays. They can do everything that professional cameras can do.
  2. Professional (often these cameras are called semi-professional cameras). These cameras do not have automatic modes, have a weatherproof body, use fast memory cards CF and special connectors for control. They can do everything that advanced amateur cameras can do.
  3. Advanced amateur (often these cameras are called mid-range cameras). Use cards SD, can control external flashes, support fast synchronization with flashes. Unlike amateur cameras, they have an additional display and an additional control wheel, as well as a depth-of-field preview button.
  4. Amateur (they are amateur in Africa). They are light in weight and have few controls. Use SD cards.
I II III IV V VI
  • D3 (FX)
  • D3x (FX)
  • D3s (FX)
  • D4 (FX)
  • D4s (FX)
  • D5 (FX)
  • D6 (FX)
  • Z9 (FX)
  • Df (FX)
  • D800 (FX)
  • D800E (FX)
  • D810 (FX)
  • D810a (FX)
  • D850 (FX)

Here is my distribution of cameras by class:

The main distribution criteria:

Pro line of Nikon camera classes

About the line of Nikon camera classes. increase.

Useful plate with the dates of the announcements of cameras. Green indicates Nikon FX full-length cameras.

Camera Release date
d1 15.06.1999
d1h 05.01.2001
d1x 05.01.2001
d100 21.01.2002
d2h 22.07.2003
d70 28.01.2004
d2x 16.09.2004
d2hs 16.01.2005
d70s 01.04.2005
d50 20.04.2005
d200 01.10.2005
d2xs 01.06.2006
d80 09.08.2006
d40 16.11.2006
d40x 06.03.2007
d3 23.08.2007
d300 23.08.2007
d60 01.01.2008
d700 01.07.2008
d90 27.08.2008
d3x 01.12.2008
d5000 14.04.2009
d300s 30.06.2009
d3000 30.07.2009
d3s 14.10.2009
d3100 19.08.2010
d7000 15.09.2010
d5100 05.04.2011
d4 06.01.2012
d800 06.02.2012
d800e 06.02.2012
d3200 19.04.2012
d600 13.09.2012
d5200 07.11.2012
d7100 01.02.2013
d610 08.10.2013
d5300 17.10.2013
df 05.11.2013
D3300 07.01.2014
D4s 25.02.2014
D810 26.06.2014
D750 11.09.2014
D5500 06.01.2015
D810a 10.02.2015
D7200 02.03.2015
D5 06.01.2016
D500 06.01.2016
D3400 17.08.2016
D5600 10.11.2016
D7500 12.04.2017
D850 24.08.2017
Nikon z6 23.08.2018
Nikon z7 23.08.2018
D3500 30.08.2018
Nikon z50 10.10.2019
D780 07.01.2020
D6 11.02.2020
Nikon z5 21.07.2020
Nikon z6 ii 14.10.2020
Nikon z7 ii 14.10.2020
Nikon z9 10.03.2021
Nikon Z fc 29.06.2021
Nikon z30 29.06.2022
Nikon z8 10.05.2023
Nikon Zf 20.09.2023
  1. Nikon DX SLR cameras with APS-C sensor are marked in white
  2. Nikon DX mirrorless cameras with APS-C sensor are marked in pink
  3. Green indicates full-frame SLR cameras
  4. Full frame mirrorless cameras are marked in blue

Also, with the Nikon F mount, there are the following cameras: Fujifilm FinePix S1 Pro, S2 Pro, S3 Pro, S3 Pro UVIRS5 Pro, IS Pro, Kodak DCS PRO 14n (and its modifications) and Kodak DCS Pro SLR / n (and its modifications)

Which cameras use the same sensor can see here.

My calculations on the performance of the Nikon CZK can be viewed here.

Letters S, H, X, E in Nikon camera names

  • S - usually this letter is attributed to the camera, which is simply updated version previous model without major modifications. for example Nikon D70s, D300s, D3s, D4s. These cameras have the same body and a similar matrix as in Nikon D70, D300, D3, D4. Roughly speaking, this is a cosmetic update to the camera with the addition of new useful features.
  • H - usually this letter is added to updated camera models when they want to show that the updated camera has the possibility of a good fast continuous shooting. Roughly speaking, a camera for sports photographers, photojournalists. D1h, D2h, D2hs - have just amazing frame buffer.
  • X - usually this letter is added to the updated camera model in which increased number of megapixels, but the main characteristics remained similar to the previous version. For example, Nikon D40 \ D40x, D1 \ D1x, D2x, D2xs, D3 \ D3x.
  • E - for cameras with missing low-pass filter (Nikon D800e)
  • A - for cameras designed for astro photography (Nikon D810a)
  • F - Fusion "Fusion" for cameras with retro body design (Nikon Df)
  • II - second version of the camera (Z6 -> Z6 II)

Comments on this post do not require registration. Anyone can leave a comment. Many different photographic equipment can be found on AliExpress.

Conclusions

Using my tablet, you can immediately determine which class the Nikon digital SLR camera belongs to. Considering that each new round of evolution (from left to right) only improves the performance of cameras, it becomes very simple to choose the best option.

When choosing a Nikon SLR camera, I advise you to look in the 'Which Nikon camera to choose?'.

Material prepared Arkady Shapoval. Training/Consultations | Youtube | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Telegram

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Comments: 290, on the topic: The evolution of Nikon cameras

  • Igor IVANOVICH

    Good afternoon ! Dear Arkady Nikon D-5 was released: 06.01/2016/419, what was its price for that period, and when did it drop to 990 .6 rubles? What is your forecast when the price of Nikon D-419 drops to 990 .XNUMX rubles:?

    • B. R. P.

      You are unlikely to get an answer from Arkady, because he does not deal with such forecasts. I don’t know how much in rubles, as far as I remember in dollars, the price of the D5 was 6500. Cameras of this class are getting cheaper slowly. And, in fact, why do you need this forecast? Lost 419990 p?

  • Julia

    Hello! Thank you very much for this helpful blog! Let me ask you, in your opinion, which camera is better than the nikon d5600 or the canon eos 250d? For quality photography for a beginner with big plans for development in photography.) Thank you!

    • Alexey

      the price for Nikon optics is slightly higher than for Kenon optics. different ideology and ergonomics. just try it yourself, which will be more convenient. junior Nikon cameras cannot use old high-quality Nikon lenses, there will be no autofocus. you can install almost any old manual lenses on the kenon for inexpensive and have an excellent picture. Well, which of the familiar photographs is shooting what? you can rent optics from them. in short, there are many variables when choosing a system and the camera itself.

    • Ivan

      For a beginner, for their own development, any camera is suitable.

      • Alexey

        I started with 5DMkII, I chose it myself from many.

        • Ivan

          And I started with "Vilya-auto". And I also know a lot of examples when moneybags start with top-end cameras, but their photos are worse than real photography lovers who shoot with their phones.

          • Alexey

            I'm talking about DSLRs, and if at all about the beginning, then I shot at FED, then Zenith, then film soap boxes, then Nikons, various film mirrors, then digital cameras, and then DSLRs.

            • Ivan

              That's all right. The main thing is to love photography. And you can start with anything.

  • Jury

    What can you say about Coolpix p1000?

    • Ivan

      A bridge camera that looks like a DSLR costs almost like a DSLR and is much worse than a DSLR. And lenses cannot be changed on it. And on the simplest DSLR, you can put a lens with the same focal length and enjoy shooting.

  • Love

    Good day. The help of the collective conscious is very necessary. I'm shooting now on d7000 and a bunch of 1.8 35mm, 1.8 85mm. I shoot moving people in low light, sometimes very bad. Working iso 2000-3200, in the worst cases 6400. Today the main pain is braking focusing (because often even contrasting areas cannot be found) and noise. Please advise which way to look. Cameras, lenses? What can solve my two main problems? Budget up to 50t. From the second-hand market d600, 700, 800, d3, d3s, Canon. I studied a bunch of reviews and reviews, a mess in my head. Should you change anything at all? Today I squeeze out, in my opinion, all that I can from what I have. People are happy, but sometimes my eyes bleed from the quality of the picture.

    • Victor

      It would be nice to have a couple of examples of what comes out and at the same time does not suit.

      • Love

        When I get to the computer, I'll throw

      • Love

        Well, for example, unprocessed

      • Love

        here are not the most obvious noises, the rest is worse, but here I see them too. Anyone, even a minimal noise reduction, immediately kills the details

    • Novel

      External flash, synchro with AF-assist illuminator not an option?

      • Love

        Flash is not an option at all (((In our environment, this is highly discouraged

    • Alexey

      D3s, and AF and low noise at high ISO are all good for club shooting.

      • Love

        So I was inclined to it, but for some reason here it was not recommended in favor of 610, like, very old. I read about all of them, and so I realized that 610 did not go far from 7000, just for the sake of switching to full frame, is there any point in spending money. Photography is not a way to make money, but only a hobby, but the blood from the eyes from the noise and the amount of post-processing sometimes kills, even though I love it. Of course, I find a way out in all sorts of special effects, but damn it, sometimes I just want to see pure colors. At the price at the moment for 42-45 there is a zero 610 and d3s with a mileage of 212 thousand (I don't know how much you can believe this). Just d3 (100k) for 30, but I read that if you take d3s. And at the same time, with the same one hundred mileage, there are 700th thousand for 25.

        • Vladimir

          So he will be dull in such conditions ... In addition, in the 600s, the focusing coverage area is very small, for example, in the frame the dancer's face, it is usually above the center, and that's all, you have to focus first, and then re-frame, and this also wasted time and frames.

          • Love

            that's the question, will d3s also be blunt in such conditions? I am trying to understand how justified the waste of money is. Everyone speaks of the machine as a beast, but what will happen in reality in such conditions can only be said by the one who worked with it.

            • Vladimir

              I don’t know about d3s, I can say about d750, when I changed d7000 to d750, I didn’t notice any incredible improvement in focusing (and the focusing area became a little smaller, sometimes it’s critical), but the image quality is yes, and very much. So for this kind of dark reporting, it's worth changing. Much still depends on the lens ...

        • Alexey

          "But damn it, sometimes I just want to see pure colors." and here miracles do not happen. no light, no color. physics cannot be deceived. whatever the camera is. at least the fourth Sonya. anything. if you want true color - find something to highlight the faces at least a little.

          • Love

            Alexey, this is understandable. If the flowers are in complete trouble, I translate them into monochrome without regret. But, unfortunately, some even do not translate well into it and, in addition to low contrast, become very blurry due to noise reduction.

            I understood everything, thank you so much for the advice! I hope I have a new pet soon

      • Love

        on the other hand, when I bought the seven thousandth one, I chose it as one of the coolest in terms of the picture and characteristics, there was no money at all for ff. And at first it was really space, especially after the pentax of k-x with manual tair 11 ... but now this has ceased to suit. Yes, I read that 3s is praised for its picture and speed, but 7000 is also praised, but in reality I try to focus for 10 frames in the twilight, and I just miss more than half of the interesting moments because it dulls. There, in the example above, it is still quite suitable light, more often at least twice as bad. As a result, 3-4 thousand frames are recruited for the event, of which 300 frames are exhausted for processing.

        • Dmitry Kostin

          D3s, D4, D4s, D750 - focus works well in low light conditions.
          D3s was, left a very positive impression. An excellent built-in color profile, a minimum of color edits, a quick screwdriver, iso3200 clean. A bit narrow DD, but this is critical only in hard daylight.
          D4 has a different color profile (more green, but within reason), slightly better AF and work with screwdriver lenses. Wider DD.
          D750 - iso3200 clean, work with screwdriver lenses is worse (not so vigorously turns, we feel a lag from pressing the shutter button to focusing), color profile for an amateur.
          There will be no problems with focusing in the dark on these cameras.

        • Alexey

          if you only needed AF, then I would say take something from the units (1D \ 1Ds, there are several different ones) kenon. but there are low ISO workers. and 1DX is a different league and price. Of the Nikons, the D300s have excellent AF, but this crop and working ISO are also not so hot. D3s, for your case, has the best combination of all parameters. and the 600 \ 610 are the same amateur toys as the six of the kenon. everything that can and cannot be cut off there.

          • Dmitry Kostin

            1Dx after the release of R5 / R6 has fallen heavily on the secondary.
            There were many cameras with small runs.
            Cameras with runs of several hundred thousand frames are sold for 80-100 thousand rubles.
            For 150-170 thousand cameras with low runs are sold.
            But here is such a moment - the new 4th Pyatak costs about the same.

    • Anna

      Love, and your genre does not involve the use of flash? I have a red mesh on my puff, which is triggered by half-pulling the trigger and illuminates the model. The camera captures focus well. I shoot on d800, my own puff speedlight 900

      You can't really recommend anything else. To shoot dark shots on crop is a disastrous business. If no puff, try full frame and 16-bit wide range and a light fix lens. The entrance is drawn in the lightroom. Not fiction, of course, but it works.
      If there is no word, then take a regular flashlight and use it to highlight the focus.
      You can pull a white cloth on the back of a tripod, and visit it with a flashlight, you get such a softbox. You can catch the light that is with this fabric.
      You can buy a ready-made large-size reflector on alik and use the silver side.
      But my good advice to you, in your case you need to go to full frame. The same d800 with fixes will become your friend👍

  • Teapot

    Dear professionals and gurus of cameras and photo / video shooting :) Can you please help? Any tips for a newbie between Nikon d5200, Nikon d3300 and Canon 700d?

    • Arkady Shapoval

      Not much difference. Better camera is simpler - but the lens is better, like 18-105, 18-135, 18-140

      • Teapot

        I just heard that Nikon shoots better on video but makes more noise, and Nikon D-eshki is better in photos and less noise, but the video is not very good, etc. there are also some "differences" by years of production and model

        • Oleg Shevchenko

          Canon - better color reproduction, more noticeable noise at high ISO, better video recording.
          Nikon is less noisy at high ISOs, resulting in lame color reproduction. Video filming is “lame”.
          But this is so, very, very generalized.

      • Teapot

        A mistake, or rather Canon speaks better for video, but also photo norms, but makes more noise, and Nikons are better in the photo and make less noise than Canon, but the video is not very straightforward

        • Oleg Shevchenko

          The park of native optics on Nikon is very, very rich. The ergonomics of the cameras are mostly very comfortable.
          In general, there is not much difference - Nikon or Canon. It is there, but for a beginner it will be completely irrelevant.

          • Teapot

            And which lens is better to take, I found Nikkor 18-105 and 18-140s, read some say 18-105 is better. How do you think?

            • Victor

              Yes, they are of the same type. Except for 140 brass mount, and 105 - plastic.

              Whichever you find in the best condition, that one can be taken.

      • Teapot

        And which lens is better to take, I found Nikkor 18-105 and 18-140s, read some say 18-105 is better. How do you think?

        • Oleg Shevchenko

          You can even take a used one in good condition. Get carried away with photography - you want something more - most likely sell it. Taking a used one and selling it a year later - you won’t lose anything in money.

        • Arkady Shapoval

          18-140 definitely

  • galaxy con

    And what category does Nikon coolpix P1000 belong to?

    • B. R. P.

      Soap dish.

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