The best Nikon cameras

Nikon is one of the top brands for digital cameras. The company was already a major player in the analog photographic equipment industry and has continued to innovate since digital technology became dominant. Nikon provides a broad range of models, including digital single lens reflex (DSLR) cameras, mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras, and compact cameras that come with a built-in lens. It also uses a variety of imaging sensors in its models, ranging from full-frame, over APS-C and One-inch, to small 1/2.3-inch sensors.

The choice of a particular type of camera depends very much on the intended use. A professional wedding photographer has different requirements than a casual family holiday shooter, and a sports reporter has different needs than a landscape artist. The importance of individual preferences and selection criteria means that the question which camera is best is not easy to answer. That said, general camera rankings can give a useful overview of the overall capabilities of various camera models and thereby provide the basis for more use-specific model comparisons and assessments.

The highest rated Nikon cameras

The Camera Elo represents a comprehensive rating that takes the body, sensor and feature characteristics of digital cameras into account. It is based on the outcomes of thousands of pair-wise comparisons undertaken via the CAM-parator app.

The Nikon Z8 is currently the top-ranked Nikon camera with a Camera Elo of 3127, followed in second place by the Nikon Z9 with a rating of 3077. The table below lists the 20 highest ranked Nikon cameras in descending order of their Elo. It also reports the cameras' DXO Mark sensor quality score, which can be taken as indicators of pure image quality. For both the Camera Elo and the DXO score, higher values represent better performance.

The Cameras with the Highest Elo

		Camera Model	Lens Type	Camera Elo	DXO Score	Camera Type	Resolution (MP)	Video Format	Camera Launch	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price
1.		Nikon Z8	Nikon Z	3127	98	Mirrorless	45.4	8K/30p	May 2023	3,999	amazon.com
2.		Nikon Z9	Nikon Z	3077	98	Mirrorless	45.4	8K/30p	Oct 2021	5,499	amazon.com
3.		Nikon Zf	Nikon Z	3068	96	Mirrorless	24.3	4K/60p	Sep 2023	1,999	amazon.com
4.		Nikon Z6 II	Nikon Z	3010	94	Mirrorless	24.3	4K/60p	Oct 2020	1,999	amazon.com
5.		Nikon Z7 II	Nikon Z	2997	100	Mirrorless	45.4	4K/60p	Oct 2020	2,999	amazon.com
6.		Nikon Z5	Nikon Z	2883	95	Mirrorless	24.2	4K/30p	Jul 2020	1,399	amazon.com
7.		Nikon Z30	Nikon Z	2820	86	Mirrorless	20.7	4K/30p	Jun 2022	709	amazon.com
8.		Nikon D780	Nikon FX	2812	95	DSLR	24.3	4K/30p	Jan 2020	2,299	amazon.com
9.		Nikon D6	Nikon FX	2770	95	DSLR	20.7	4K/30p	Feb 2020	6,499	amazon.com
10.		Nikon Z7	Nikon Z	2754	99	Mirrorless	45.4	4K/30p	Aug 2018	3,399	ebay.com
11.		Nikon Z fc	Nikon Z	2744	85	Mirrorless	20.7	4K/30p	Jun 2021	959	amazon.com
12.		Nikon Z6	Nikon Z	2715	95	Mirrorless	24.3	4K/30p	Aug 2018	1,999	ebay.com
13.		Nikon Z50	Nikon Z	2713	84	Mirrorless	20.7	4K/30p	Oct 2019	859	amazon.com
14.		Nikon D850	Nikon FX	2612	100	DSLR	45.4	4K/30p	Jul 2017	3,299	amazon.com
15.		Nikon D7500	Nikon DX	2432	86	DSLR	20.7	4K/30p	Apr 2017	1,299	amazon.com
16.		Nikon D500	Nikon DX	2426	83	DSLR	20.7	4K/30p	Jan 2016	1,999	ebay.com
17.		Nikon D5600	Nikon DX	2376	84	DSLR	24.0	1080/60p	Nov 2016	699	ebay.com
18.		Nikon D5	Nikon FX	2359	88	DSLR	20.7	4K/30p	Jan 2016	6,499	ebay.com
19.		Nikon P950	24-2000 mm f/2.8-6.5	2251	52	Compact	15.9	4K/30p	Jan 2020	799	amazon.com
20.		Nikon P1000	24-3000 mm f/2.8-8.0	2248	51	Compact	15.9	4K/30p	Jul 2018	999	amazon.com
Note: DXO values in italics represent estimates based on sensor size and age.

You can access more detail on the listed cameras by clicking on the camera's name. Alternatively, you can compare two Nikon cameras using the search boxes below. Just enter two model names into the input fields and you will promptly be taken to a respective comparison.

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