D6

The Nikon D6 is the final and finest DSLR Nikon will make — released in 2020 as the successor to the D5, it refines rather than reinvents. The headline upgrade is the AF system: 105 focus points, all cross-type, compared to the D5's 99 out of 153. Combined with a new Auto-Area AF mode that tracks subjects automatically across the frame, the D6 delivers AF performance that rivalled early mirrorless systems at launch. The sensor is carried over from the D5 at 20.8MP — resolution was never the point — and burst rate improves from 12fps to 14fps. The D6 also adds built-in high-speed LAN (Ethernet) for direct wired file transmission to picture desks, a feature critical for press photographers working to tight deadlines. CFexpress Type B / XQD slots mean the fastest cards available can be used. Nikon has confirmed the D6 as their last professional DSLR; its successor in the Z9 uses a different mount and a different philosophy entirely.