How to Use the Nikon D750
The Nikon D750 still holds its own as one of the best full-frame DSLRs you can buy on a budget in 2026. Nikon packed it with a 24.3-megapixel FX sensor, a 51-point autofocus system, and a tilting LCD that makes it practical for everything from street photography to wedding gigs. It also has built-in Wi-Fi, which was a big deal when it first came out and is still useful for transferring shots to your phone between sessions.
Whether you just bought one secondhand or you’ve had it sitting in the bag for months without really learning the menus, this guide covers the settings and techniques that actually matter day to day.
Initial Setup
Battery and Charging
Start by removing the terminal cover from the EN-EL15 battery. Slide the battery into the compartment at the bottom of the camera until it clicks into place. Connect the included charger to the battery and plug it in. A full charge takes about two and a half hours, and you’ll get roughly 1,230 shots per charge, which is solid for a DSLR.
After you’re done shooting, take the battery out and store it in a cool, dry place. Leaving a fully charged battery sitting in the camera for weeks on end isn’t great for its longevity.
Language, Date, and Time
When you power the camera on for the first time, it walks you through language selection, time zone, date format, and daylight savings. Get these right from the start because every photo you take gets stamped with this info. If your timestamps are wrong, sorting images in Lightroom or any other editor becomes a mess.
Press the MENU button on the back of the camera to open the main menu. Use the multi-selector (the small joystick-like pad) to move between menu tabs and scroll through options. Press OK to confirm your selection.
The menu tabs are organized by icons along the left side: Playback, Photo Shooting, Custom Settings, Setup, and Retouch. Once you know where things live, you can jump to specific settings fast. A useful shortcut is pressing the back button to highlight the current menu icon, which lets you hop between tabs without scrolling through every option.
Interested in this area? We go deeper in our how to use Nikon d3200 guide.
Understanding the 51-Point Autofocus System
The D750’s autofocus is one of its strongest features. It uses the same Multi-CAM 3500FX II module found in higher-end Nikon bodies, with 51 focus points and 15 cross-type sensors clustered in the center.
You have three main AF modes to choose from:
AF-S (Single Servo) locks focus when you half-press the shutter. Best for still subjects like portraits, landscapes, and product shots.
AF-C (Continuous Servo) keeps adjusting focus as long as you hold the shutter button halfway down. Use this for anything that moves: kids, pets, sports, or street photography.
AF-A (Auto Servo) lets the camera decide between AF-S and AF-C. It works fine in casual shooting, but you’ll get more consistent results picking the right mode yourself.
For the focus area mode, Single-point AF gives you precision control over which point is active. Dynamic-area AF (with 9, 21, or 51 points) lets surrounding points assist if your subject drifts from the selected point. Group-area AF uses a cluster of five points and works well for fast-moving subjects that are hard to track with a single point.
Setting Up Back-Button Focus
A lot of experienced photographers swear by back-button focus, and the D750 makes it easy to set up. Go to Custom Setting Menu > a4 (Assign AE-L/AF-L button) and set it to AF-ON. Then go to a5 and change it so the shutter button only meters, not focuses.
Now your shutter button handles metering and taking the shot, while the AE-L/AF-L button on the back handles focusing. This gives you more control, especially when you’re shooting subjects that alternate between moving and standing still. You focus by pressing the back button, and you can fire the shutter without the camera hunting for focus again.
Shooting Modes Explained
The mode dial on top of the camera gives you access to several shooting options.
Auto mode handles everything for you, including flash, ISO, white balance, and focus mode. It’s a good fallback if you’re handing the camera to someone who isn’t familiar with it.
P (Program Auto) sets both aperture and shutter speed automatically, but you can shift the combination by turning the command dial. You also keep control over ISO, white balance, and other settings.
A (Aperture Priority) is where most photographers spend their time. You pick the aperture, and the camera selects the shutter speed. This is the go-to mode for portraits (wide aperture for background blur) and landscapes (narrow aperture for sharpness front to back).
S (Shutter Priority) lets you pick the shutter speed while the camera handles aperture. Use this when motion control matters more than depth of field, like freezing a runner at 1/2000 or blurring a waterfall at 1/15.
M (Manual) gives you full control over both aperture and shutter speed. The exposure meter in the viewfinder shows whether you’re over or underexposed, so it’s not as intimidating as it sounds.
ISO, Metering, and Exposure
ISO Sensitivity
The D750’s native ISO range runs from 100 to 12800, expandable down to 50 (Lo 1) and up to 51200 (Hi 2). In practice, the sensor delivers clean images up to about ISO 3200, and shots at ISO 6400 are still very usable with some noise reduction in post.
To change ISO, hold the ISO button on the back of the camera and spin the rear command dial. You can also enable Auto ISO through the Photo Shooting menu. With Auto ISO on, set a maximum sensitivity (3200 or 6400 is a good starting point) and a minimum shutter speed based on your lens. The camera adjusts ISO automatically to maintain proper exposure.
For the complete picture, our how to connect Nikon d3400 to iPhone guide fills in the gaps.
Metering Modes
The D750 offers three metering options. Matrix metering evaluates the entire scene and does a good job in most situations. Center-weighted metering reads the whole frame but gives extra weight to the center, which works well for portraits. Spot metering reads only a tiny area around the active focus point, giving you precise control when the lighting is tricky, like a backlit subject.
Switch between metering modes by holding the metering button (near the shutter) and spinning the command dial.
Exposure Compensation
Sometimes the camera’s meter gets it close but not quite right. That’s where exposure compensation comes in. Hold the +/- button near the shutter and turn the command dial to brighten or darken the image by up to 5 stops in either direction. Snow scenes and bright backgrounds often need +1 to +1.5 to avoid underexposure. Dark backgrounds may need -0.5 to -1 to keep things from blowing out.
Video Recording
The D750 shoots Full HD 1080p video at 60, 50, 30, 25, and 24 fps. It doesn’t do 4K, but the 1080p footage looks great, especially with the camera’s flat Picture Control profile applied for color grading in post.
To start recording, flip the Live View switch to the video camera icon and press the red record button. You can use aperture, shutter speed, and ISO controls during recording, though the command dials can sometimes pick up in the audio. An external mic plugged into the 3.5mm jack is recommended if audio quality matters.
The built-in stereo mic works in a pinch, but wind noise and handling noise are hard to avoid. The headphone jack lets you monitor audio levels while shooting.
Wi-Fi Transfer
The built-in Wi-Fi lets you connect the D750 to your phone using Nikon’s app. Go to the Setup menu, select Wi-Fi, and choose Network connection. On your phone, connect to the camera’s Wi-Fi network and open the app. From there you can browse, select, and transfer images wirelessly.
The transfer speed isn’t blazing fast for full-resolution files, but it works well for pulling a few shots to post on social media from the field.
Tips for Common Shooting Situations
Portraits: Set the mode dial to A, open the aperture to f/2.8 or wider, and use AF-S with single-point AF aimed at your subject’s nearest eye. Matrix metering works well, but add +0.3 to +0.7 exposure compensation for lighter skin tones.
Landscapes: Stick with A mode, set the aperture between f/8 and f/11, and use a tripod. Enable the two-second self-timer or a remote shutter release to avoid camera shake. Keep ISO at 100 for the cleanest files.
Low Light: The D750 handles low light well. Push ISO to 3200 or higher, open the aperture wide, and switch to AF-C if your subjects are moving. The 51-point AF works down to -3 EV, so it can grab focus in surprisingly dim conditions.
Action and Sports: Switch to S mode, set the shutter speed to at least 1/500 (faster for quick-moving subjects), and use AF-C with Dynamic 21-point area mode. Set the drive mode to continuous high (6.5 fps) and keep shooting through the action.
Wrapping Up
The Nikon D750 rewards you for learning its controls and menus. Spend some time with the autofocus modes, practice switching between aperture and shutter priority, and get comfortable with exposure compensation. Once those become second nature, this camera will deliver results that hold up against bodies costing twice as much.