The Nikon D750 has the most advanced autofocus system Nikon has produced to date, thanks to its new Multi-CAM 3500 FX II autofocus module that is capable of focusing in dim light conditions with a -3 EV to +19 EV detection range. While the camera is capped at 6.5 frames per second of continuous shooting speed, one might be wondering how long the camera can shoot continuously, before the buffer fills up and the camera slows down. In this article, we will explore the buffer capacity of the Nikon D750 and compare it to the D610, D700 and the D810 cameras.
Take a look at the below chart:
| DSLR | Image Type | FX Size | DX Size | FX Buffer | DX Buffer | Cont. Shoot |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nikon D610 | NEF (RAW), Lossless compressed, 12-bit | 23.4 MB | 10.9 MB | 21 | 55 | 3.5 sec |
| Nikon D700 | NEF (RAW), Lossless compressed, 12-bit | 13.3 MB | 5.7 MB | 23 | 65 | 4.6 sec |
| Nikon D750 | NEF (RAW), Lossless compressed, 12-bit | 21.0 MB | 10.5 MB | 25 | 100 | 3.8 sec |
| Nikon D810 | NEF (RAW), Lossless compressed, 12-bit | 31.9 MB | 14.6 MB | 47 | 100 | 9.4 sec |
| Nikon D610 | NEF (RAW), Lossless compressed, 14-bit | 29.2 MB | 13.4 MB | 14 | 34 | 2.3 sec |
| Nikon D700 | NEF (RAW), Lossless compressed, 14-bit | 16.3 MB | 7.0 MB | 20 | 46 | 4.0 sec |
| Nikon D750 | NEF (RAW), Lossless compressed, 14-bit | 26.9 MB | 13.1 MB | 15 | 48 | 2.3 sec |
| Nikon D810 | NEF (RAW), Lossless compressed, 14-bit | 40.7 MB | 18.3 MB | 28 | 97 | 5.6 sec |
| Nikon D610 | NEF (RAW), Compressed, 12-bit | 20.7 MB | 9.7 MB | 26 | 73 | 4.3 sec |
| Nikon D700 | NEF (RAW), Compressed, 12-bit | 11.0 MB | 4.7 MB | 26 | 95 | 5.2 sec |
| Nikon D750 | NEF (RAW), Compressed, 12-bit | 19.2 MB | 9.8 MB | 33 | 100 | 5.1 sec |
| Nikon D810 | NEF (RAW), Compressed, 12-bit | 29.2 MB | 13.3 MB | 58 | 100 | 11.6 sec |
| Nikon D610 | NEF (RAW), Compressed, 14-bit | 25.4 MB | 11.7 MB | 14 | 54 | 2.3 sec |
| Nikon D700 | NEF (RAW), Compressed, 14-bit | 13.8 MB | 6.0 MB | 23 | 63 | 4.6 sec |
| Nikon D750 | NEF (RAW), Compressed, 14-bit | 23.9 MB | 11.9 MB | 21 | 100 | 3.2 sec |
| Nikon D810 | NEF (RAW), Compressed, 14-bit | 36.3 MB | 16.4 MB | 35 | 100 | 7.0 sec |
| Nikon D610 | JPEG Fine (Large) | 12.4 MB | 5.9 MB | 51 | 100 | 8.5 sec |
| Nikon D700 | JPEG Fine (Large) | 5.7 MB | 2.5 MB | 100 | 100 | 20.0 sec |
| Nikon D750 | JPEG Fine (Large) | 12.6 MB | 6.2 MB | 87 | 100 | 13.4 sec |
| Nikon D810 | JPEG Fine (Large) | 18.1 MB | 8.6 MB | 100 | 100 | 20.0 sec |
Sadly, it looks like the buffer size of the Nikon D750 is the same as on the lower-end D610. If you look at the above chart, you will notice that the size of RAW files actually got smaller compared to the D610, which explains why the D750 can fit some more images. Still, considering the 0.5 fps increase on the D750, the length of time shooting continuously did not get a whole lot better. Shooting 12-bit lossless compressed RAW files will only yield 25 frames, which is equivalent to 3.8 seconds of continuous shooting before the camera slows down. And if you choose to shoot at 14-bit lossless compressed, the shooting time will last a mere 2.3 seconds. In comparison, the Nikon D810 can shoot 2.5 times longer, making the D810 a much better tool for photographing fast, continuous action.
To be honest, I am disappointed with Nikon’s decision to limit the D750 with such a small buffer. On one hand, the camera has an amazing autofocus system and on the other hand, it is limited by its buffer. Sports and wildlife photographers would have to shoot in short bursts and wait for the camera to finish writing images to the memory card before they can shoot at 6.5 fps again. So it is not quite “the action” camera many of us anticipated to see. This, however, does not mean that the D750 will be useless for sports and wildlife. As I demonstrated in my D600 review, even the D600 can be used to take great action shots with its inferior 39 point AF system. You just has to understand the limitations of the D750 when action happens over a prolonged period of time.
Of course, buffer size limitations do not matter for portrait, studio and wedding photographers, so the D750 will be a great choice for many. And in my opinion, the D750 is going to be a better buy than the D610 in terms of value, thanks to its fast and much more robust autofocus system.