How many Megapixels does the Nikon D850 have?

The Nikon D850 is equipped with a a full frame sensor that offers an image resolution of 45.4 megapixels (MP), or 45.4 million pixels. With its native aspect ratio of 3:2, the sensor has 8 256 horizontal pixels and 5 504 vertical pixels.

A 35mm film slide or negative contains 5-15 MP of useful detail, so that the Nikon D850 can be considered to be a high-resolution camera that outresolves any 35mm film camera.

A high megapixel count makes it possible to crop any captured image substantially or to make very large prints from the image file. On the downside, large megapixel files are slower to transfer and take up more storage space on the computer harddisk. Also, high-resolution imaging requires sharper, more expensive lenses than low-res picture taking.

How large can I print with 45.4 MP?

The maximum print size of the Nikon D850 for good quality output (200 dots per inch) amounts to 41.3 x 27.5 inches or 104.9 x 69.9 cm, for very good quality (250 dpi) 33 x 22 inches or 83.9 x 55.9 cm, and for excellent quality (300 dpi) 27.5 x 18.3 inches or 69.9 x 46.6 cm. Few people actually print their images that large on a regular basis, but it is nice to have the option to make very large prints of exceptional shots. Also, as mentioned earlier, a key advantage of high-MP cameras is that it is possible to crop an image ex-post and thereby, for example, change the composition of the capture or zoom in on some detail.

Sensor specs and performance

The table below compares the sensor specs of the Nikon D850 to those of several similar cameras. In addition to sensor class and megapixel count, DXO values are reported as indicators of the sensor's imaging quality (higher is better). Three aspects are covered: color depth (DXO Portrait), dynamic range (DXO Landscape), and high-ISO noise (DXO Sports). Larger sensor cameras tend to outperform cameras of the same generation that are equipped with a smaller imager. On the other hand, larger sensors are more expensive and require bigger and heavier lenses than smaller light receptors.

Sensor Characteristics

		Camera Model	Sensor Class	Resolution (MP)	Horiz. Pixels	Vert. Pixels	Video Format	DXO Portrait	DXO Landscape	DXO Sports	DXO Overall
1.		Nikon D850	Full Frame	45.4	8256	5504	4K/30p	26.4	14.8	2660	100
2.		Canon 5DS	Full Frame	50.3	8688	5792	1080/30p	24.7	12.4	2381	87
3.		Canon 5DS R	Full Frame	50.3	8688	5792	1080/30p	24.6	12.4	2308	86
4.		Nikon D5	Full Frame	20.7	5588	3712	4K/30p	25.1	12.3	2343	88
5.		Nikon D600	Full Frame	24.2	6016	4016	1080/30p	25.1	14.2	2980	94
6.		Nikon D610	Full Frame	24.2	6016	4016	1080/30p	25.1	14.4	2925	94
7.		Nikon D800	Full Frame	36.2	7360	4912	1080/30p	25.3	14.4	2853	95
8.		Nikon D800E	Full Frame	36.2	7360	4912	1080/30p	25.6	14.3	2979	96
9.		Nikon D810	Full Frame	36.2	7360	4912	1080/60p	25.7	14.8	2853	97
10.		Nikon Df	Full Frame	16.2	4928	3280	none	24.6	13.1	3279	89
11.		Sony A99 II	Full Frame	42.2	7952	5304	4K/30p	25.4	13.4	2317	92

In the United States, the D850 was initially launched in July 2017 at a price of $3,299.

Check D850 price at
amazon.com

Camera to camera comparisons

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