Canon 850D vs Nikon D810

The Canon EOS 850D (called Canon T8i in some regions) and the Nikon D810 are two digital cameras that were announced, respectively, in February 2020 and June 2014. Both are DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) cameras that are based on an APS-C (850D) and a full frame (D810) sensor. The Canon has a resolution of 24 megapixels, whereas the Nikon provides 36.2 MP.

Below is an overview of the main specs of the two cameras as a starting point for the comparison.

Headline Specifications

Canon 850D		Nikon D810
Digital single lens reflex		Digital single lens reflex
Canon EF mount lenses		Nikon F mount lenses
24 MP – APS-C sensor		36.2 MP – Full Frame sensor
4K/24p Video		1080/60p Video
ISO 100-25,600 (100 - 51,200)		ISO 64-12,800 (32 - 51,200)
Optical viewfinder		Optical viewfinder
3.0" LCD – 1040k dots		3.2" LCD – 1229k dots
Swivel touchscreen		Fixed screen (not touch-sensitive)
7.5 shutter flaps per second		5 shutter flaps per second
not weather sealed		Weathersealed body
800 shots per battery charge		1200 shots per battery charge
131 x 103 x 76 mm, 515 g		146 x 123 x 82 mm, 980 g

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Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Canon EOS 850D and the Nikon D810? Which one should you buy? Read on to find out how these two cameras compare with respect to their body size, their imaging sensors, their shooting features, their input-output connections, and their reception by expert reviewers.

Body comparison

The side-by-side display below illustrates the physical size and weight of the Canon 850D and the Nikon D810. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three consecutive views from the front, the top, and the rear side are shown. All width, height and depth dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Nikon D810 is notably larger (33 percent) than the Canon 850D. Moreover, the D810 is substantially heavier (90 percent) than the 850D. It is noteworthy in this context that the D810 is splash and dust-proof, while the 850D does not feature any corresponding weather-sealing.

The above size and weight comparisons are to some extent incomplete since they do not consider the interchangeable lenses that both of these cameras require. A larger imaging sensor will tend to go along with bigger and heavier lenses, although exceptions exist. You can compare the optics available for the two cameras in the Canon EF Lens Catalog (850D) and the Nikon Lens Catalog (D810).

Concerning battery life, the 850D gets 800 shots out of its Canon LP-E17 battery, while the D810 can take 1200 images on a single charge of its Nikon EN-EL15 power pack.

The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the two cameras alongside a broader set of comparators. In case you want to display and compare another camera duo, you can use the CAM-parator app to select your camera combination among a large number of options.

Body Specifications

		Camera Model	Camera Width	Camera Height	Camera Depth	Camera Weight	Battery Life	Weather Sealing	Camera Launch	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price
1.		Canon 850D	131 mm	103 mm	76 mm	515 g	800	n	Feb 2020	749	ebay.com
2.		Nikon D810	146 mm	123 mm	82 mm	980 g	1200	Y	Jun 2014	3,299	ebay.com
3.		Canon 5DS	152 mm	116 mm	76 mm	930 g	700	Y	Feb 2015	3,699	ebay.com
4.		Canon 77D	131 mm	100 mm	76 mm	540 g	600	n	Feb 2017	899	ebay.com
5.		Canon 200D	122 mm	93 mm	70 mm	453 g	650	n	Jun 2017	549	ebay.com
6.		Canon 250D	122 mm	93 mm	70 mm	449 g	1070	n	Apr 2019	599	amazon.com
7.		Canon 750D	132 mm	101 mm	78 mm	555 g	440	n	Feb 2015	749	ebay.com
8.		Canon 760D	132 mm	101 mm	78 mm	565 g	440	n	Feb 2015	649	ebay.com
9.		Canon 800D	131 mm	100 mm	76 mm	532 g	600	n	Feb 2017	749	ebay.com
10.		Canon 2000D	129 mm	101 mm	78 mm	475 g	500	n	Feb 2018	449	amazon.com
11.		Canon G5 X Mark II	111 mm	61 mm	46 mm	340 g	230	n	Jul 2019	899	ebay.com
12.		Canon G7 X Mark III	105 mm	61 mm	41 mm	304 g	235	n	Jul 2019	749	amazon.com
13.		Canon RP	133 mm	85 mm	70 mm	485 g	250	n	Feb 2019	1,299	amazon.com
14.		Nikon D610	141 mm	113 mm	82 mm	850 g	900	Y	Oct 2013	1,999	ebay.com
15.		Nikon D800	146 mm	123 mm	82 mm	1000 g	900	Y	Feb 2012	2,999	ebay.com
16.		Nikon D800E	146 mm	123 mm	82 mm	1000 g	900	Y	Feb 2012	3,299	ebay.com
17.		Nikon D850	146 mm	124 mm	79 mm	1005 g	1840	Y	Jul 2017	3,299	amazon.com
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.
Convert to Imperial

Any camera decision will obviously take relative prices into account. The listed launch prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The 850D was launched at a markedly lower price (by 77 percent) than the D810, which puts it into a different market segment. Usually, retail prices stay at first close to the launch price, but after several months, discounts become available. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down. Then, after the new model is out, very good deals can frequently be found on the pre-owned market.

Sensor comparison

The size of the imaging sensor is a crucial determinant of image quality. All other things equal, a large sensor will have larger individual pixel-units that offer better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and richer color-depth than smaller pixels in a sensor of the same technological generation. Moreover, a large sensor camera will give the photographer more control over depth-of-field in the image and, thus, the ability to better isolate a subject from the background. On the downside, larger sensors tend to be associated with larger, more expensive camera bodies and lenses.

Of the two cameras under consideration, the Canon 850D features an APS-C sensor and the Nikon D810 a full frame sensor. The sensor area in the D810 is 160 percent bigger. As a result of these sensor size differences, the cameras have a format factor of, respectively, 1.6 and 1.0. Both cameras have a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 3:2.

With 36.2MP, the D810 offers a higher resolution than the 850D (24MP), but the D810 nevertheless has larger individual pixels (pixel pitch of 4.88μm versus 3.72μm for the 850D) due to its larger sensor. However, the 850D is a much more recent model (by 5 years and 7 months) than the D810, and its sensor will have benefitted from technological advances during this time that enhance the light gathering capacity of its pixel-units. Coming back to sensor resolution, it should be mentioned that the D810 has no anti-alias filter installed, so that it can capture all the detail its sensor resolves.

The resolution advantage of the Nikon D810 implies greater flexibility for cropping images or the possibility to print larger pictures. The maximum print size of the D810 for good quality output (200 dots per inch) amounts to 36.8 x 24.6 inches or 93.5 x 62.4 cm, for very good quality (250 dpi) 29.4 x 19.6 inches or 74.8 x 49.9 cm, and for excellent quality (300 dpi) 24.5 x 16.4 inches or 62.3 x 41.6 cm. The corresponding values for the Canon 850D are 30 x 20 inches or 76.2 x 50.8 cm for good quality, 24 x 16 inches or 61 x 40.6 cm for very good quality, and 20 x 13.3 inches or 50.8 x 33.9 cm for excellent quality prints.

The 850D has on-sensor phase detect pixels, which results in fast and reliable autofocus acquisition even during live view operation.

The Canon EOS 850D has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 25600, which can be extended to ISO 100-51200. The corresponding ISO settings for the Nikon D810 are ISO 64 to ISO 12800, with the possibility to increase the ISO range to 32-51200.

Technology-wise, both cameras are equipped with CMOS (Complementary Metal–Oxide–Semiconductor) sensors. Both cameras use a Bayer filter for capturing RGB colors on a square grid of photosensors. This arrangement is found in most digital cameras.

Consistent information on actual sensor performance is available from DXO Mark for many cameras. This service is based on lab testing and assigns an overall score to each camera sensor, as well as ratings for dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), color depth ("DXO Portrait"), and low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports"). The following table provides an overview of the physical sensor characteristics, as well as the sensor quality measurements for a selection of comparators.

Sensor Characteristics

		Camera Model	Sensor Class	Resolution (MP)	Horiz. Pixels	Vert. Pixels	Video Format	DXO Portrait	DXO Landscape	DXO Sports	DXO Overall
1.		Canon 850D	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/24p	24.0	13.5	1873	83
2.		Nikon D810	Full Frame	36.2	7360	4912	1080/60p	25.7	14.8	2853	97
3.		Canon 5DS	Full Frame	50.3	8688	5792	1080/30p	24.7	12.4	2381	87
4.		Canon 77D	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.6	13.3	971	78
5.		Canon 200D	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.6	13.4	1041	79
6.		Canon 250D	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/25p	23.9	13.4	1791	82
7.		Canon 750D	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/30p	22.7	12.0	919	71
8.		Canon 760D	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/30p	22.6	12.0	915	70
9.		Canon 800D	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.7	13.1	1586	80
10.		Canon 2000D	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/30p	22.6	11.9	1009	71
11.		Canon G5 X Mark II	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	4K/30p	22.2	12.4	583	65
12.		Canon G7 X Mark III	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	4K/30p	22.2	12.4	583	65
13.		Canon RP	Full Frame	26.0	6240	4160	4K/30p	24.3	11.9	2977	85
14.		Nikon D610	Full Frame	24.2	6016	4016	1080/30p	25.1	14.4	2925	94
15.		Nikon D800	Full Frame	36.2	7360	4912	1080/30p	25.3	14.4	2853	95
16.		Nikon D800E	Full Frame	36.2	7360	4912	1080/30p	25.6	14.3	2979	96
17.		Nikon D850	Full Frame	45.4	8256	5504	4K/30p	26.4	14.8	2660	100
Note: DXO values in italics represent estimates based on sensor size and age.

Many modern cameras cannot only take still pictures, but also record videos. Both cameras under consideration have a sensor with sufficiently fast read-out times for moving pictures, but the 850D provides a higher video resolution than the D810. It can shoot video footage at 4K/24p, while the Nikon is limited to 1080/60p.

Feature comparison

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a variety of features. The 850D and the D810 are similar in the sense that both have an optical viewfinder. The latter is useful for getting a clear image for framing even in brightly lit environments. The viewfinder in the D810 offers a wider field of view (100%) than the one in the 850D (95%), so that a larger proportion of the captured image is visible in the finder. In addition, the viewfinder of the D810 has a higher magnification (0.70x vs 0.51x), so that the size of the image transmitted appears closer to the size seen with the naked human eye. The following table reports on some other key feature differences and similarities of the Canon 850D, the Nikon D810, and comparable cameras.

Core Features

		Camera Model	Viewfinder (Type or 000 dots)	Control Panel (yes/no)	LCD Specifications (inch/000 dots)	LCD Attach- ment	Touch Screen (yes/no)	Max Shutter Speed *	Max Shutter Flaps *	Built-in Flash (yes/no)	Built-in Image Stab
1.		Canon 850D	optical	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	7.5/s	Y	n
2.		Nikon D810	optical	Y	3.2 / 1229	fixed	n	1/8000s	5.0/s	Y	n
3.		Canon 5DS	optical	Y	3.2 / 1040	fixed	n	1/8000s	5.0/s	n	n
4.		Canon 77D	optical	Y	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	6.0/s	Y	n
5.		Canon 200D	optical	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
6.		Canon 250D	optical	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
7.		Canon 750D	optical	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
8.		Canon 760D	optical	Y	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
9.		Canon 800D	optical	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	6.0/s	Y	n
10.		Canon 2000D	optical	n	3.0 / 920	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	n
11.		Canon G5 X Mark II	2360	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/2000s	30/s	Y	Y
12.		Canon G7 X Mark III	none	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/2000s	30/s	Y	Y
13.		Canon RP	2360	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	5.0/s	n	n
14.		Nikon D610	optical	Y	3.2 / 921	fixed	n	1/4000s	6.0/s	Y	n
15.		Nikon D800	optical	Y	3.2 / 921	fixed	n	1/8000s	4.0/s	Y	n
16.		Nikon D800E	optical	Y	3.2 / 921	fixed	n	1/8000s	4.0/s	Y	n
17.		Nikon D850	optical	Y	3.2 / 2359	tilting	Y	1/8000s	9.0/s	n	n
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.

One differentiating feature between the two cameras concerns the touch sensitivity of the rear screen. The 850D has a touchscreen, while the D810 has a conventional panel. Touch control can be particularly helpful, for example, for setting the focus point.

The Canon 850D and the Nikon D810 both have an intervalometer built-in. This enables the photographer to capture time lapse sequences, such as flower blooming, a sunset or moon rise, without purchasing an external camera trigger and related software.

The 850D writes its imaging data to SDXC cards, while the D810 uses Compact Flash or SDXC cards. The D810 features dual card slots, which can be very useful in case a memory card fails. In contrast, the 850D only has one slot. Both cameras can use UHS-I cards, which provide for Ultra High Speed data transfer of up to 104 MB/s.

Connectivity comparison

For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Canon EOS 850D and Nikon D810 and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

Input-Output Connections

		Camera Model	Hotshoe Port	Internal Mic / Speaker	Microphone Port	Headphone Port	HDMI Port	USB Port	WiFi Support	NFC Support	Bluetooth Support
1.		Canon 850D	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	-	Y
2.		Nikon D810	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	mini	3.0	Y	-	-
3.		Canon 5DS	Y	mono / mono	Y	-	mini	3.0	-	-	-
4.		Canon 77D	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	Y
5.		Canon 200D	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	Y
6.		Canon 250D	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	-	Y
7.		Canon 750D	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-
8.		Canon 760D	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-
9.		Canon 800D	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	Y
10.		Canon 2000D	Y	mono / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-
11.		Canon G5 X Mark II	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	3.1	Y	-	Y
12.		Canon G7 X Mark III	-	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	3.1	Y	-	Y
13.		Canon RP	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
14.		Nikon D610	Y	mono / mono	Y	Y	mini	2.0	-	-	-
15.		Nikon D800	Y	mono / mono	Y	Y	mini	3.0	-	-	-
16.		Nikon D800E	Y	mono / mono	Y	Y	mini	3.0	-	-	-
17.		Nikon D850	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	mini	3.0	Y	Y	Y

It is notable that the D810 has a headphone jack, which makes it possible to attach external headphones and monitor the quality of sound during the recording process. The 850D lacks such a headphone port.

Studio photographers will appreciate that the Nikon D810 (unlike the 850D) features a PC Sync socket, so that professional strobe lights can be controlled by the camera.

Both the 850D and the D810 have been discontinued, but can regularly be found used on ebay. The D810 was replaced by the Nikon D850, while the 850D does not have a direct successor. Further information on the features and operation of the 850D and D810 can be found, respectively, in the Canon 850D Manual (free pdf) or the online Nikon D810 Manual.

Review summary

So what is the bottom line? Is the Canon 850D better than the Nikon D810 or vice versa? Below is a summary of the relative strengths of each of the two contestants.

Arguments in favor of the Canon EOS 850D:

• Better moiré control: Has an anti-alias filter to avoid artificial patterns to appear in images.
• Better video: Provides higher definition movie capture (4K/24p vs 1080/60p).
• Better live-view autofocus: Features on-sensor phase-detection for more confident autofocus.
• More flexible LCD: Has a swivel screen for odd-angle shots in portrait or landscape orientation.
• Fewer buttons to press: Is equipped with a touch-sensitive rear screen to facilitate handling.
• More selfie-friendly: Has an articulated screen that can be turned to be front-facing.
• Faster burst: Shoots at higher frequency (7.5 vs 5 flaps/sec) to capture the decisive moment.
• More compact: Is smaller (131x103mm vs 146x123mm) and thus needs less room in the bag.
• Less heavy: Is lighter (by 465g or 47 percent) and hence easier to carry around.
• Easier wireless transfer: Supports Bluetooth for image sharing without cables.
• More affordable: Was introduced into a lower priced category (77 percent cheaper at launch).
• More modern: Reflects 5 years and 7 months of technical progress since the D810 launch.

Reasons to prefer the Nikon D810:

• More detail: Has more megapixels (36.2 vs 24MP), which boosts linear resolution by 23%.
• Maximized detail: Lacks an anti-alias filter to exploit the sensor's full resolution potential.
• Better sound control: Has a headphone port that enables audio monitoring while recording.
• More complete view: Has a viewfinder with a larger field of view (100% vs 95%).
• Larger viewfinder image: Features a viewfinder with a higher magnification (0.70x vs 0.51x).
• Easier setting verification: Features a control panel on top to check shooting parameters.
• Larger screen: Has a bigger rear LCD (3.2" vs 3.0") for image review and settings control.
• More detailed LCD: Has a higher resolution rear screen (1229k vs 1040k dots).
• Faster shutter: Has higher mechanical shutter speed (1/8000s vs 1/4000s) to freeze action.
• Longer lasting: Gets more shots (1200 versus 800) out of a single battery charge.
• Better sealing: Is splash and dust sealed for shooting in inclement weather conditions.
• Faster data transfer: Supports a more advanced USB protocol (3.0 vs 2.0).
• Better studio light control: Has a PC Sync socket to connect to professional strobe lights.
• Greater peace of mind: Features a second card slot as a backup in case of memory card failure.
• More heavily discounted: Has been around for much longer (launched in June 2014).

If the number of relative strengths (bullet points above) is taken as a guide, the D810 emerges as the winner of the match-up (15 : 12 points). However, the pertinence of the various camera strengths will differ across photographers, so that you might want to weigh individual camera traits according to their importance for your own imaging needs before making a camera decision. A professional wildlife photographer will view the differences between cameras in a way that diverges from the perspective of a family photog, and a person interested in architecture has distinct needs from a sports shooter. Hence, the decision which camera is best and worth buying is often a very personal one.

How about other alternatives? Do the specifications of the Canon 850D and the Nikon D810 place the cameras among the top in their class? Find out in the latest Best DSLR Camera listing whether the two cameras rank among the cream of the crop.

In any case, while the specs-based evaluation of cameras can be instructive in revealing their potential as photographic tools, it remains incomplete and does no justice, for example, to the way the 850D or the D810 perform in practice. At times, user reviews, such as those published at amazon, address these issues in a useful manner, but such feedback is on many occasions incomplete, inconsistent, and unreliable.

Expert reviews

This is why expert reviews are important. The adjacent summary-table relays the overall verdicts of several of the most popular camera review sites (amateurphotographer [AP], cameralabs [CL], digitalcameraworld [DCW], dpreview [DPR], ephotozine [EPZ], photographyblog [PB]). As can be seen, the professional reviewers agree in many cases on the quality of different cameras, but sometimes their assessments diverge, reinforcing the earlier point that a camera decision is often a very personal choice.

Expert Camera Reviews

		Camera   Model	AP   score	CL   score	DCW   score	DPR   score	EPZ   score	PB   score	Camera Launch	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price
1.		Canon 850D	4/5	+	3/5	80/100	4/5	3.5/5	Feb 2020	749	ebay.com
2.		Nikon D810	5/5	..	5/5	86/100	5/5	4.5/5	Jun 2014	3,299	ebay.com
3.		Canon 5DS	..	+	..	83/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2015	3,699	ebay.com
4.		Canon 77D	4.5/5	..	4/5	82/100	4.5/5	4/5	Feb 2017	899	ebay.com
5.		Canon 200D	4/5	+ +	4/5	78/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jun 2017	549	ebay.com
6.		Canon 250D	4/5	o	4.5/5	79/100	4/5	4/5	Apr 2019	599	amazon.com
7.		Canon 750D	5/5	..	..	75/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2015	749	ebay.com
8.		Canon 760D	5/5	+	..	77/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2015	649	ebay.com
9.		Canon 800D	4.5/5	..	3.5/5	80/100	4.5/5	4/5	Feb 2017	749	ebay.com
10.		Canon 2000D	3/5	o	3.5/5	..	3.5/5	3.5/5	Feb 2018	449	amazon.com
11.		Canon G5 X Mark II	4/5	+	4/5	82/100	..	4/5	Jul 2019	899	ebay.com
12.		Canon G7 X Mark III	..	+ +	4/5	81/100	4/5	..	Jul 2019	749	amazon.com
13.		Canon RP	4/5	+	4/5	..	4.5/5	4/5	Feb 2019	1,299	amazon.com
14.		Nikon D610	4/5	+ +	..	87/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Oct 2013	1,999	ebay.com
15.		Nikon D800	5/5	+ +	..	82/100	5/5	5/5	Feb 2012	2,999	ebay.com
16.		Nikon D800E	..	..	..	84/100	5/5	5/5	Feb 2012	3,299	ebay.com
17.		Nikon D850	4.5/5	+ +	5/5	89/100	4.5/5	5/5	Jul 2017	3,299	amazon.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

Care should be taken when interpreting the review scores above, though. The ratings are only valid when referring to cameras in the same category and of the same age. Hence, a score should always be seen in the context of the camera's market launch date and its price, and rating-comparisons among cameras that span long time periods or concern very differently equipped models make little sense. It should also be noted that some of the review sites have over time altered the way they render their verdicts.

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Other camera comparisons

Did this review help to inform your camera decision process? In case you would like to check on the differences and similarities of other camera models, just make your choice using the following search menu. As an alternative, you can also directly jump to any one of the listed comparisons that were previously generated by the CAM-parator tool.

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