5 Reasons why DSLRs rule in 2024 - Featuring the Nikon D850 

If you are outside of Sweden you can find a used D850 at MPB and by using the links below you also support my channel. MPB US, prf.hn/l/DLOZYGj MPB UK, prf.hn/l/2MjOG0w PPB EU, prf.hn/l/Oqz02JW The D850 and lenses where on loan from the Swedish camera store Kameradoktorn and they can be purchased used on their site. I get no financial compensation or commission. www.kameradoktorn.se

I'm a Pentax photographer . . . so I mean . . .

Having had my D850 for over seven years now, I couldn’t agree with you more. It was great then. It still is today.

Two points that I had to cut out to make the video shorter, but definitely worth mentioning: 1. The battery life of DSLRs are a thousand percent better than mirrorless. 2. People should think about why the manufacturers are pushing mirrorless. It could be because they are trying to help you. Or it could be because they are cheaper to make, and gives them an opportunity to sell lenses to already existing customers, at a much bigger profit than the camera bodies. More often than not, it’s even the same lenses that the customer already owns. Case in point is video AF with tracking. The first time I tried it and thought “wow, this can actually be useful in certain situations” was in a DSLR, the 6Dmkii. And it did become extremely popular among bloggers. But it was too late, the R was just around the corner. We were so close to a DSLR/mirrorless hybrid. But now it won’t happen due to profit. PS. I shoot mirrorless professionally and I have no intention of switching. My next video will be about an absolutely fantastic mirrorless camera. But the narrative that DSLRs don’t offer enough or that they aren’t as “smart” of an investment as mirrorless is absolutely BS and just marketing brainwashing. PS 2 I completely understand why they do it. DSLRs where in every photographers home, the lenses they needed as well. And if not they could buy used. All of it would last them a life time and it is actually much easier to repair than one might think. In other words, people already had what they needed and stopped shopping. So they had to make up a new reason for people to buy cameras. So they stopped implementing new features in their DSLRS, even though they are more than capable, in order to sell the new mirrorless and most af all, new lenses to existing customers. And the marketing was extremely successful, borderline brainwashing customers (myself included for a while) to believe that perfectly good cameras are suddenly bad. And that limited mirrorless gear is worth the drawbacks. It was an epic stunt and should be part of higher education as an example of how to make sell sand in the Sahara.

Recent convert to the 5D and 5Dii… fantastic cameras with superb image quality, bought both for pocket money, never looking back.

Still using my Canon 6D for my shoots (14 years old)! The quality is so good!

I got my D700 a year ago and the shutter sound is crisp and very satisfying.

I came 'home' to DSLR's recently; I still have my mirrorless cameras, but.....I decided to pick up a D810 and see if I was missing anything. And I was. Build quality, ergos, design and use language.....all just about perfect and easy to return 'home' to. Great video.

I'm currently using my 5D and D200 and everytime i pick up these cameras I'm reminded how amazing and well built these machines are.

Yes - I thought I was moving to Nikon Z6 mirrorless (I can't afford the fancy up-market models), but I didn't like half as much as my Nikon DSLRs. After all the hype about "mirrorless is the future", I was underwhelmed and certainly did NOT like using the EVF compared with a proper viewfinder. The Z6 is gone and all the DSLRs are still with me and doing fine.

"Honey, grab the Nikon. Mattias just dropped a video. And it's about DSLRs!"

I picked up a 16+ years Olympus e420 as a joke to see the difference from modern cameras. I can't sell it! The images are beautiful and it is super tactile and rugged.

Just bought a 5D II And i love it Especially because of the included m42 adapter + a Takumar 55mm 1.8. The files are beautiful streight out of the camera! The perfect combo for portraits

I have recently gone back to using a DSLR, I have a Pentax K200D and a K5 and I am loving my photography much more again :)

Great video. Still rocking a Nikon D700, D200 and D40. And the lens choice is amazing, too.

It taste so good to see such a vide Matthias! After many mirrorless i ended up with a D3s, D810 & D700. I do weddings with 90% of the D3s and family events. The clients are so lucky.

The pendulum swings back to DSLR ! 👍✌️🙏

Absolutely agree. Missed a DSLR and got mine a used D750. Lovely gem of a camera.

my grandfather gave me his old D700, and after i’d been using my Lumix G80 (which your video inspired me to get! while i was writing my thesis) the extra size and weight came as a shock - but man that handling and image quality can’t be beat

Intending to swap a Z6ii kit for a D5 kit. I don't get that much satisfaction out of mirrorless anymore, and shooting experience means so much to me.

Just got myself a mint 645D yesterday. True viewfinder rules!

I recently bought a D40x on ebay for like $40 and I love it. Original D40 was my first slr 15 years ago.

Just picked up an old d300..super snappy, great ergonomics, lovely colors, those pro DSLRs are built like tanks. And yes the cheap lens choices don’t hurt!

I recently got a D700 off the back of one of your vids, loving it so far!

For the past 8 months I've been using a D750 alongside my newly acquired Zf. I love having both. At fast-moving social events I like the Zf's outstanding face/subject detection and lighter weight. But the 750 has really surprised me with how satisfying it is to use. I considered the 850, but I don't need the megapixels it's 3x the cost. The 750 is an amazing bargain and still so powerful. With the FTZ adapter I can share F lenses between them with ease, so I can take both with me to an event. And just today my Megadap adapter arrived to allow me to mount EF lenses to my Zf. First one I tried was the Canon 85mm f/1.4L - a true gem of a lens that can be gotten for a fraction of what it used to go for. I'm really enjoying straddling the land of the Zf for mirrorless advantages and my D750 and 5D Mark II for their beautiful colors and more filmic look.

I today bought myself a Canon 5D (mk1). Tried several mirrorless cameras in the course of the past few years and they're all insanely capable in terms of technology and speed but somehow the most advanced ones are the ones that I couldn't really get comfortable with. Let's see what my first experiences with a DSLR will be. I'm excited!

Great video. I'm rocking a D810 alongside my ZF.

I have to agree with you, Mattias, and with your comments below. I've been a Pentax shooter for over 35 years, but I "abandoned" Pentax and DSLRs over four years ago to switch to the Fuji mirrorless system... but I still kept my Pentax K5 and all my old manual glass going back to the 80s and 90s. But now, four years on, I'd had enough of looking through EVFs and longed for the return of a "real" viewfinder, and seeing things in real time. After re-watching your video for the Pentax K1, I finally bit the bullet and bought one a month ago. I love it! Much as I love the Fuji XT2, I never liked the EVF so I'm going to sell it and just keep an XT10 or XT20 as a small walkabout camera. And now, being able to use all my old Pentax manual glass on the K1 with excellent focus confirmation, I will be staying with DSLRs, thank you very much! 🙂

Still using my D700 and getting beautiful images

Battery life is a big plus as well for DSLRs. I’m always switching mirrorless on and off to preserve battery, and still burn through a few in an afternoon of shooting. Meanwhile DSLRs go forever

Nikon D200 still going strong 💪🏾

DSLRs have never failed in the past, and will never fail in the future. My mirrorless just sits and I use the DSLR all the time. Battery life, the feel, mirror slapping sound, and the nostalgia. Sorry, but cannot beat them. When I want small, I will use the mirrorless.

I still miss my D750. What an amazing camera that was back in the day, for reasonable money even back then.

You changed your channel name! I still have my 5D Mk IV, relatively lightly used at about 10 years old or so, and it works just fine. Given that I have a host of high-quality DSLR lenses, I just can't justify trading it all in, or selling it, to go mirrorless, at least not right now. Cheers.

I still shoot with my 5D II. It's so rugged and the pictures look great right out of the camera.

It's true... I have a couple of old DSLRs and mirrorless cameras and while I like the compactness of the m43 cameras, the Nikons feel more like... cameras, I guess.

I am still using my Nikon D800. 11 years now, I have taken thousands of photos and hundreds of hours if video. Plus as I was not upgrading the camera I could afford to buy really nice lenses. The large viewfinder on the camera is really cool and the camera is robust and reliable.

"Pretend Viewfinders" Lol Interesting name change btw. "Two things that will never cease to exist, dirty dishes and change". Looking forward to more videos, as you figure out your journey and yourself.

I love my D780. She hasn't let me down yet and she's 3yrs running.

Love my DSLR's....I use a D7100 and a D500....both are great & I can use all my lrnses on both cameras....I also still have an old D70s which I get out from time to time...just love the ergonomics of all three Nikons... cheers 😀

Many of my best shots are from my old D810, or my D500 with the 80-400. They are so fast to focus and shoot, I sometimes think simpler is better. I saw a D850 for 1250 USD at my local shop, and I was tempted.

I might not have a D850 which is an excellent camera but my D3500 can hold its own as a wonderfully capable Nikon DSLR. I bought it new in 2019 and I couldn't be happier. The DSLR isn't dead yet.

d850 is one of my main cameras... along with the x100s, nikon fe, ... all these gear channels really need to stop blowing us up 🤣

Although I have been using mirrorless a lot lately mainly due to the size of the camera, I took out my Nikon Df for a shoot with some friends and have to say it was an absolute pleasure to shoot with. I will never get rid of my dslrs as I think they will always hold up incredibly well, no matter how well technology continues to advance.

Yep, still having and using my "old" Canon 5Ds (Mk I-III) and Nikon D700. Just loving them.

Keeping my D810 with my D700 in reserve for all of the above mentioned reasons.

I take my Nikon D4s out on the odd occasion and my mirrorless experience doesn’t come close.The image quality isn’t necessarily better from Nikon but it is certainly more pleasing…..

I was recently gifted an old 60D and I find myself grabbing it more than my other cameras because it just feels so nice to use.

Like many of us, i use mirrorless and have since its inception. I still love my Dslr though. The Canon 6D and 5D classic i own, still produce lovely files. Crazy how people tell you you need the top of the line mirrorless to be a landscape or wedding photographer and forget people have been coping admirably for years with Dslr’s or film Slr’s etc.

After eighteen years of enthusiast shooting digital cameras of many types - aps-c , full frame , mirrorless aps-c , m43 , I have returned to a Canon EOS 1Ds Mark ii - I picked up a mint condition model with a 28k shutter count plus a 24-85mm ef lens for £230 - most of the cameras I have owned , and that's a lot , don't generate the experience of shooting like this. Huge bright viewfinder , built like a tank and that shutter sound !! - the quality of the images that the 16mp full frame sensor delivers is more than adequate for my needs.

I never owned a d850 but I always get fascinated how almost all the camera reviewers on RU-vid talks about it very, very lovingly. And no matter which channel, all the samples out of thos camera are aimply chef's kiss

Perfect video! I’ll never stop using my canon DSRLs . I love them. Nobody will ever ask me “ did you shoot that photo with a mirrorless”?

D850 its a gem of photography, I m looking for used to get one, i love this camera so much

My d700 broke but I want the d850 it was my favourite 😊

I wanted a good camera for my landscapes and well I found my Canon 6D and Canon 24-85 for $350 USD and the images are so good and the best part about shooting with a DSLR is the freaking battery life. I mean it just keeps going and going god I love it.

My D600 just came in the mail today :-)))

Nice new channel name. =D

Bought 5D M4 in addition to my EOS R not so long time ago. I really missed the optical viewfinder since I started use a mirrorless camera. DSLRs are wonderful!

Pentax KP's have just gotten down to the 500-600 USD range again, don't spoil the fun... ah wait, it's Pentax, nobody but me would buy that, lol. I'm really surprised the KP hasn't had another surge of popularity. I guess it's because of the, "if it's not full frame, it's bad mentality." Their loss, it has image quality that rivals FF of the era, is tiny for a DSLR that's about as close to "pro" as you can get without 2 card slots, and the limited lenses from Pentax are hard to beat for the price. My work gear is still MFT for now (not gonna lie, slowly using my fp L in crop mode more and more since it gives me the small size and reach without many things given up), but both me and my work partner have a pile of Pentax gear. I don't count them for my body limit... so I have a KP, K-1.ii, and 645Z along with lenses from early M42 all the way to current in all 3 formats (APS-C/FF/645).

I dust off the ol' Konica Minolta 7D and Olympus E500 once in a while. Both still take beautiful pics.

Congratulations with the real cameras. They will never die.

That Nikon 300 f/2.8 produces really incredible images.

I too find that DSLRs are much more fun and satisfying to use than mirrorless cameras.

Ordered a brand new D850 last week and it's now on the way to me from Hong Kong. Cost me A$ 3500,-- but I would not have anything else. Carl 🇦🇺

I wished Canon and Nikon continued making DSLRs. I appreciate them committing to the 1DX iii and D6 but I was hoping they’d make a 5D v.

I shot this camera with the 200-500 all last year for airshows and live firing here in Michigan and I can honestly say it's the best camera ive ever used for that and I own an R5C and still sing the D850 praises whenever I can hahaha

I just upgraded from the EOS 80D to the 5DmIV as they are flooding my local used-market. I got a low-shutter-count version and am blown away by the upgrade in IQ when coupled with the Sigma 85mm 1.4 I also picked up for a bargain. Happy days...

Love my 6+ years old D850, have quite a few Sigma Art primes and Tamron zooms, I'm really happy with the results I get.

I like my XT5. I LOVE my D800e and Pentax K3 (brilliant camera). The image quality is just as good if not better on these. But the experience with DSLR is much better: the OVF is nicer and more natural to shoot with, and is more of a film camera experience, as is the shutter click. Also the access to stunning, cheaper vintage lenses on the same mount. I'm just glad they're still cheap (overall) to buy.😊

Muy buen vídeo. Yo acabo de adquirir un d610 y estoy disfrutando mucho de ella y lentes 1.8 a muy buen precio.

We had image quality and the important features figured out about a decade ago... at this point the improvements mostly happen in Marketing.... the only advantage Mirrorless have (and not even that much) is weight and size... while DSLR have price, lens selection and most importantly battery life as their big advantages... if money is no object go with a mirrorless... but for everyone else a used DSLR is worth more than just the consideration

Well, so much for waiting for the D850 to go sub $1000. Then again, I own a D500 as my favorite camera so I can't complain to much.

Ha, i got the bug a few weeks ago. 15 years ago I sold my last Nikon gear, now it has returned in the form of a D200, on purpose for the ccd. 18k clicks, pristine, for 60 euros. Works like a charm for all the reasons you mentioned. Added three DX lenses for cheap, but enjoy it the most with my FE's pancake E-series 50mm f/1.8, specially in B&W mode! Effectively like film, but better! :)

Haven't found a reason to leave my D850 for mirrorless yet. The camera is very refined and near perfect.

I bought a used D500 and I love it. It was my first camera with seriously good af and at 10fps it's great to action shots.

I have mirrorless, but I still want to own a D850 one day.

I can relate a lot with that video... I used to do a little photography on and off with my father's camera for about a decade (2009-2019) with his Nikon D60. In 2020 I started being a little more interested into putting work in my images, and I started using my phone more, until 2021 where I finally made the jump and bought the first camera of my own : a Canon M50. I hated that thing, toy-ish, not a whole lot of features and I really didn't like the screen design, so 3 months later I sold it and went with a Fuji X-T1 (after seeing your video about it !). I still have it. I used mirrorless Fuji cameras for a LONG time, but from time to time I picked up the old Nikon D60 and that reminded me how much I missed the actual optical viewfinder, so I started searching in 2022 for a nice DSLR that would complement my photography kit well (composed of the time of an X-T1 and an X-T2, that I was using for event and portrait work). I ended up getting a Nikon D700, because I could fully use my dad's film era lenses on it, and it would be the occasion to have a full frame camera (could be handy for the photography genres I was interested in). From that point forward, I really learned to appreciate how cheap the whole DSLR ecosystem can be, and how you can get a full pro kit for peanuts while mirrorless cameras make you pay a huge premium. I became a little bit of a camera nerd in the process I will admit, and started building a camera collection of very old cameras (like a Nikon D1X, D2H and D2X) which I have a lot of fun with. Speaking of the D2X, I bought mine for a 134€ and for that price that camera is absolutely amazing. Super good autofocus, sharp 12MP sensor (sharper than other 12MP sensors of the time), decent dynamic range and noise performance (enough for my needs) and all the benefits that come with a large rugged pro body (incredible weather sealing, superior ergonomics, battery life that litterally lasts weeks) Currently, my main camera is a Nikon Z6... because the EVF isn't particularly exciting to look at but I can't deny that it made me a little more efficient shooting when I'm paid to do so. I've shot several events with my D700 and had no major problems, but I saw that I was able to react better to situations with an EVF when it comes to exposure compensation ect. That and the fact that I have IBIS and on-sensor phase detection points which are really handy for viedeo, which my clients generally ask of me as well as photography. A Z6+ FTZ adapter basically gives you all the advantages of mirrorless, paired with the cheap glass of DSLRs. My Z6 has the FTZ II permanently glued on at this point, and is effectively a full frame mirrorless F mount camera :D

Great video! I love my Nikon D800s for pro work. And I also love my Nikon D5600 & D5100 series for daily usage. I will get a mirrorless eventually. The D5600 camera is selling really cheap now days. And if I wanted to get started as new photographer, but wanted it low cost. The D5600 is a great option. It has tilt & twist rear screen as well. The D800 is way heavier. But it has incredible dynamic range, just like the Nikon Z8 or Z9.... Which many people don't realize. If you want to really exercise your brain, get a D800. The D850 seems like a dream. But it's worth noting that it doesn't come with an onboard flash. which I personally need from time to time. Plus, I really like how the D800 is designed and made in Japan. The D810 is made in Thailand. Which might be just fine. But I think the D800 is like a work of art and the results I get are impressive.

I have a d750 … and I am very pleased with it when I have to shoot a long day event.

The D850 is on sale right now!, and the Z7II is even cheaper!!!!, Sadly I dont have enough money for both of them lol.

So this drops after I just traded in my Pentax KP to one of the big used sites... ...Of course, I traded it for a K-1 ii. I'm looking forward to it, particularly with some legacy glass. Still kept my DA Limited lenses, tho. I figure the 16mp crops of the 36mp sensor will be enough for me.

I fell into the mirrorless trap too. I tried the Z6 but quickly fell back into the optical viewfinder on my D700 and Df.

Nice timing, I adore the way you think and reason man! ;) I just came to the same conclusion lately. I will be soon getting a 5d mark3. Lately was going crazy because I was searching frantically for an upgrade body option at a reasonable price that has: 1.very good grip and handling. 2. very nice and big EVF that looks natural 3. amazing skin tone color science with the Raws 4. affordable lens options. 4. And possibly good video as well. And without spending crazy amount on a pro body could not find a mirrorless that ticked all. And then it hit me: just get and older pro DSLR (canon or nikon). So I arrived at the 5d mk3 (magic lantern big plus). Only thing that would miss is the tilt screen, but I don't care anymore. I miss the shooting experience of DSLR. I hate the stupid small grips and awful EVF'S. I would add another very important thing to your list: color science. I did incredible amount of time comparing bodies and raw's lately (with my own bodies) as well as with the Dpreview studio comparison tool. I came to the conclusion that most modern mirrorless bodies are producing much worse colors in the Raws. This is especially true with canon bodies. They have this stupid green tint in the shadows and awful skin tones. They just look more digital and less organic. Maybe this crazy race for dynamic range and BSI sensors but they look worse. While the older 5d mk1, mk3, mk3, 6d and 1d models look stunning. And they are much cheaper and much reliable, much better handling. So here is the solution. Maybe have one good mirrorless with ibis for video or get a blackmagic and be done with chasing the one perfect hybrid camera, because it does not exist...especially for my price range.

Own a mirrorlless Fuji X-T3 but nothing gives me more satisfaction than shooting with my PENTAXs (K1 + KP).

My main camera is a Canon 5DMkIV. Still amazing for its age and price, still capable of making me money (although I rarely do commercial work)

I am…this close to trading in my 1DXMK3 kit for a D850/grip/ and the Nikkor 28mm F/1.4 😊

I own the Nikon ZF and it's a fantastic camera to use. When combined with Nikon's Z lenses, the images are phenomenal. However, that doesn't mean I have given up on DSLRs. In fact, I use one for taking pictures when I go to different construction sites to document my inspections. The D750 plus the 24-120mm f4 are an awesome combination for my situation. With the built in wifi, I can transfer the pictures from the D750 to my Android phone wirelessly. I also have the D700 with about 50,000 shutter counts, the D610, and the D810. These two cameras and the D750 I found with less than 8,000 shutter counts for each camera. They are top quality cameras and do not want to get rid of them until they driven to the ground.

I do miss my 6D but in the end I got fed up with the weight and have gone to the other end of the scale with a tiny Olympus E-PL10. I love looking like a tourist and not a 'pro' - it's lovely being able to blend in in a way I never could with the 6D.

Mirrorless viewfinders do kind of suck, it's why i love leica M's, fuji x-pros & will definitely be picking up an old dslr at some point

Ha! Not shot with DSLRs since about 2014. Definitely cheaper because of the second hand market, personally though... if I am going the route of SLR, I am going with film :)

I own a D850, but what about the Af in comparison with mirrrorless like z8? What is your experience? Thank you in advance

I have used Nikon D4 for a long time, and jumped to Z6II because of the weight and video difference. I must say I was way more confident when taking shots with D4 than with Z6II. I may go back to dslr, because the viewfinder is something that can't be replaced.

Just took my D850 to Alaska and got some amazing shots. I’m sure I’ll pick up a Z8 at some point, but I’ll never get rid of my D850.

I bought a D700 for 150€ last year, amazing camera, but the most beautiful files come out a Canon 5D (original) that I bought for €75 with heavy use and no charger.

I have yet to take my photography bug seriously, but i never consider taking the mirrorless path...optical view finder and battery life are all the convincing i need....i might not need the fps and live view focusing that mirroless boasts.....

Great 😊

Thank you for the video. My name is DSLR forever i.e., never going to switch to those tiny toys that I don’t feel like calling cameras, at best call them point & shoot cameras - no different from my smartphone. The mirrorless camera promoters are shouting their vocal cords out for last almost five years but failed to kill the DSLRs. Because real cameras are here to stay and never even think of their death. Two clear reasons stand out: The great pro or prosumer bodies like Nikon D850, D750, D500 and Canon 5D, 1D and 7D series cameras have an unbelievable long life. Therefore, those cameras will be used for at least ten years more from now on. Then there is Pentax for us with open arms. Who knows, Canon and Nikon might reintroduce some great DSLRs again in future! Thanks again.

I absolutely love my D500, and don't think I will ever get rid of it. It just feels so intuitive to use and the image quality is outstanding. I used to have a few Sony mirrorless cameras, and there are a few features that I miss in certain shooting situations. Particularly, mirrorless is great for macro. The EVF and IBS are really helpful in those scenarios. Related to that is adapting vintage lenses. There are some great vintage lenses to use (which is what I do for macro), and adapting onto mirrorless is a lot easier because of the flange distance. I can't adapt a lot of lenses onto my Nikon without the adapter having a compensating element, which then degrades the image quality. Also, silent shooting is helpful for scenarios like concerts, so I don't have to wait for a loud moment to snap my shots. That being said, while I will eventually get another mirrorless camera, I will be keeping my D500 when I do.

Also Pentax man, I don’t think I ever switch.

Excellent video and straight to the point. One of the big pros of a DSLR versus a mirrorless camera with its viewfinder is that the batteries don't get drained when composing a picture.