Poll reveals the best Nikon camera of all time and I disagree! But what do you think?

A user poll has crowned the Nikon Z8 the best Nikon camera of all time, not surprising for a body that received five stars on test. The fantastic tournament-style survey, conducted by Photography Life, has revealed its readership's top 10 Nikon cameras, ranging from Nikon’s SLR era, some of its best DSLRs, right through to its best mirrorless cameras. And while I do disagree with the results, it's still a very formidable list of cameras. Besides, you'll probably disagree with my list (which is coming up later).

The Nikon Z9 took the runner-up spot in Photography Life's list, which has a pro-grade form factor and a few hardware updates, but is otherwise almost identical to the Z8’s innards. Then comes the first film camera on the list, 1980's Nikon F3. This pro-level SLR was adopted by some of the biggest photographers in the industry and was also the first Nikon designed by legendary Italian designer, Giorgetto Giugiaro.

Then comes the Nikon D850, a camera that needs no introduction, and honestly, I’m surprised it didn’t rank higher. The Nikon D500 is next, a flagship APS-C camera with Nikon D5 DNA that many Nikon owners would love to see replicated in Z-Series form. The Nikon F6 fittingly takes the sixth spot. This was the last-ever Nikon film camera left in production, continuing right up until 2020.

Then, its predecessor, the Nikon F5, and at number eight, perhaps the most sought-after Nikon camera for film purists, 1982's Nikon FM2. A camera so beloved and so beautiful, it served as the inspiration for the Nikon Z fc and Nikon Zf. The F4 comes in at number nine, and the Nikon Z6 III rounds off the proceedings at number 10.

A fine list of Nikon cameras to be sure, but not necessarily a list I agree with myself. Personally, I think the best Nikon camera of all time is the Nikon D850, and that’s coming from someone who’s owned / currently owns the Nikon D850 and Nikon Z8. The D850 is an interesting camera; it wasn’t so much a groundbreaking camera as it was a near-perfect refinement of the DSLR that (in my humble opinion) hasn’t been beaten. So, without further ado, here’s my top 10 list…

1. Nikon D850
2. Nikon FM2
3. Nikon F
4. Nikon D1
5. Nikon F6
6. Nikon Z8
7. Nikon D5
8. Nikon Z5 II
9. Nikon D3500

The Nikon Z8 might be a technically superior camera, but I still think there’s plenty of headroom for improvement, as far as mirrorless technology is concerned. That’s why the Nikon D850 is my top pick. It represents the very pinnacle of DSLR tech, and at the time of its release, it was near perfection. The Nikon FM2 is up next. When I think of a Nikon film camera, I immediately think of the FM2. It’s built like a tank, can operate without batteries, and debuted the world’s first 1/4000 sec shutter speed – truly a groundbreaking camera.

Then it’s the Nikon F, the camera that started it all (as far as F-mount is concerned) and a reminder that the ‘Big N’ hit the nail on the head at the first time of asking. The Nikon D1 occupies my list for a similar reason. Not only was it the first DSLR Nikon produced entirely in-house, but it was arguably the first DSLR to be taken seriously as a professional tool, thus ushering in the beginning of the end for film’s dominance. The Nikon F6 is the most technologically advanced Nikon film camera of all time, the Nikon Z8 (together with the Z9) is the most powerful Nikon camera of all time and easily the best Nikon mirrorless.

Of all the flagship Nikon DSLRs, the Nikon D5 was the best all-arounder in my book, so much so that the D6 was really just an incremental update. And a bit of a curveball here at number eight, the very recent Nikon Z5 II. I really think this camera punches well above its weight and is the best in its class. When you consider both the price and specs, it’s hard to come up with a better value camera.

And finally, I suppose I could have put any of the D3XXX cameras here, so I opted for the D3500 as it was the line-up’s pinnacle. To this day, I wish Nikon would release a true mirrorless successor. Arguably, no camera series – with the exception of Canon’s entry-level line-up – has kick-started the careers of so many photographers in the digital age. So, there you have it. Do you agree with the Photography Life poll, or do you prefer my choices? Well, you can have your say by contributing to the Digital Camera World poll below. Oh, and one last thing. The Nikon I (1948) should get an honorable mention. After all, it's the rangefinder camera that started it all.

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If you’re a Nikon fanboy like me, I’ve got plenty more opinions! Wait a minute… is Nikon suddenly cool again? Maybe you’re still thinking about buying a Nikon D850. Or perhaps you’re wondering whether I regretted buying a Nikon Z8 weeks before the Nikon Z6 III was released.