Nikon D810 Key facts

Image sensor and processing

Although the D810 has the same megapixel count as the preceding D800 and D800e, it boasts a new image sensor, and the OLPF has been completely removed. The D810 also has a newer EXPEED 4 image processor.

Autofocus

Nikon’s Multi-CAM 3500 autofocus module is featured, with 51 AF points, of which 15 are cross-type and 11 work at f/8. However, it’s the original edition of the module, and in our tests, the D810’s autofocus accuracy and consistency weren’t quite as good as in the D750.

Continuous shooting

The burst rate of five frames per second is pretty amazing for such a high-resolution camera, and the buffer enables you to shoot 23 to 58 RAW files, depending on bit-depth and compression settings. You can boost the drive rate to seven frames per second by switching to DX crop mode.

Metering sensor

Like the D750, the D810 features the very latest 3D Colour Matrix III metering module with 91,000 pixels. It’s extremely reliable and consistent and works equally flawlessly in both cameras. Again, matrix metering mode is uncannily clever.

Construction

Tough and durable, the D810 is the only camera in this group to feature a body shell that’s made entirely from magnesium alloy. It also features extensive weather seals, as do the D7200, D610 and D750, but the D810’s overall build quality feels a cut above the rest, in keeping with its fully pro status.

Need to know

The D810 can munch through memory cards at an alarming rate, with individual RAW and TIFF files being as large as 75MB or 110MB respectively. However, when set to 14-bit compressed RAW shooting in our tests, we found file sizes averaged out to around 44MB.