In conclusion, I have written some answers to common questions - if there's anything else people would like to know - I'd be happy to answer!
Would I buy a D780?
Yes * - if this is the only hybrid slr that Nikon make then yes I would. However, if there was an update to the D850 with the eye af etc. in live view that'd be a winner for me as the ease of shooting portraits with this camera is amazing.
Is it worth the 2200 Nikon are retailing this camera for?
IMO no - it doesn't feel like a camera of that price point and in my experience, live view aside, the overall package is not significantly better than the D750 imo.
Would I use this as my only camera?
In my circumstances no. That's nothing against the camera - I shoot sport and events etc. and my equipment usually takes a hammering etc. and I need the speed of the pro bodies. Furthermore, with no vertical grip it's too small to handhold the larger lenses confidently - however I agree this is a personal opinion and if you are comfortable with an D750 and bigger glass then my opinion is not of use!
Would I buy this as an addition to my current kit?
Definitely, I can see this fitting my workflow really well - especially communicating with my subject whilst shooting as live view brings me further away from the camera etc.
Are there any downsides?
Yes - shooting in live view in bright sunlight can be a nightmare, as you cannot see the screen!
Diopter issue
Is the camera 'fast' or will I have to work around the camera re. buffer et
Nope - the camera is fast and really love to use. The buffer clears nice and fast - surprisingly so - I was using the gold sandisk cards and never felt the need to put the black pro cards in for what I was shooting. No issues with the camera locking up (it happens fairly frequently when I shoot my brothers a7riii for example), buffer clears nice and fast - with my cards I was never having to wait for the camera to do anything. Usual Nikon instant start up and shoot etc. It's something I think we all take for granted, but the D780 (like many Nikon cameras) just gets out the way and does what it does.
Would I recommend this as a replacement to a D750 user?
Straight off the bat no ... Unless the D750 user was complaining of af accuracy issues. It's a really good camera, but I continue to see spectacular images from the D750 so why change?
Could you see this being used for a busy wedding photographer?
I've never shot a wedding professionally, but have done many, many live events etc. Yes - I could see this working really well for a wedding gig. The live view would be brilliant for the bride and groom shots and then it'd be business as usual for the rest of the day. With the added bonus of using cheap SD memory.
Could you use this camera for sports?
Yes - I believe you could. The view finder AF appears typical modern Nikon DSLR. The buffer clears pretty quickly and although we all love the 10/12 fps, 7 is adequate if you are in a bind and this is the only camera you've got. I could easily make it work.
What are the files like?
Playing with the files in lightroom, there seems to be loads of dynamic range that Nikon shooters love. It's a welcome break from some canon files I have been working on recently.
I think that's all the things I had in my head! I'll update the topic if I think of anything else / people what further clarification on my ramblings.
If you got this far - thanks for reading
Chris