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Nikon D850 Comparison Review

The Nikon D850 is a DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) camera that was announced in July 2017 and is equipped with a full frame sensor. It offers a resolution of 45.4 megapixel.

camera

Is the Nikon D850 a good camera? The D850 has a Camera Elo of 2601. This rating puts the D850 among the top 10 percent of all digital single lens reflex cameras. In terms of its sensor size category (full frame cameras), the D850 ranks among the top 50 percent. Based on its within category standings, the camera earns a 4-star performance rating.

Headline Specifications
Nikon D850
Digital single lens reflex
Nikon F mount lenses
45.4 MP, Full Frame Sensor
4K/30p Video
ISO 64 - 25 600 (32 - 102 400)
Optical viewfinder
3.2 LCD, 2359k dots
Tilting touchscreen
9 shutter flaps per second
Weathersealed body
1840 shots per battery charge
146 x 124 x 79 mm, 1 005 g

Read on to find out more about the camera's size, sensor, features, reception by expert reviewers, and how it compares to other digital cameras.

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Body comparison with a credit card

An illustration of the physical dimensions of the Nikon D850 vis-à-vis a credit card is provided in the side-by-side display below. Three consecutive perspectives from the front, the top, and the back are presented. All width, height and depth dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

Nikon D850 vs credit card front
D850 versus credit card top view
D850 and credit card rear side

The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the Nikon D850 alongside a set of similar cameras. If you want to review a particular camera pair side-by-side, just move across to the CAM-parator tool and choose from the broad selection of possible comparisons there.

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Body Specifications
#   Camera
Model
Camera
Width
Camera
Height
Camera
Depth
Camera
Weight
Battery
Life
Weather
Sealing
Camera
Launch
Launch
Price (USD)
Street
Price
1.
 
Nikon D850 146 mm 124 mm 79 mm 1005 g 1840 Y Jul 2017 3,299 amazon.com
2.
 
Canon 5DS 152 mm 116 mm 76 mm 930 g 700 Y Feb 2015 3,699ebay.com
3.
 
Canon 5DS R 152 mm 116 mm 76 mm 930 g 700 Y Feb 2015 3,699ebay.com
4.
 
Nikon D5 160 mm 159 mm 92 mm 1415 g 3780 Y Jan 2016 6,499ebay.com
5.
 
Nikon D810 146 mm 123 mm 82 mm 980 g 1200 Y Jun 2014 3,299ebay.com
6.
 
Nikon Df 144 mm 110 mm 67 mm 760 g 1400 Y Nov 2013 2,749ebay.com
7.
 
Nikon D610 141 mm 113 mm 82 mm 850 g 900 Y Oct 2013 1,999ebay.com
8.
 
Nikon D600 141 mm 113 mm 82 mm 850 g 900 Y Sep 2012 2,099ebay.com
9.
 
Nikon D800 146 mm 123 mm 82 mm 1000 g 900 Y Feb 2012 2,999ebay.com
10.
 
Nikon D800E 146 mm 123 mm 82 mm 1000 g 900 Y Feb 2012 3,299ebay.com
11.
 
Sony A99 II 143 mm 104 mm 76 mm 849 g 490 Y Sep 2016 3,199ebay.com
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.
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The listed prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The Nikon D850 was launched in the US market at a price of $3,299. 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.

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Check D850 price at
amazon.com

Sensor comparison with a 35mm slide

The size of the sensor inside a digital camera is one of the key determinants of image quality. A large sensor will generally have larger individual pixels that offer better low-light sensitivity, provide wider dynamic range, and have richer color-depth than smaller pixels in a sensor of the same technological generation. Further, a large sensor camera will give the photographer additional creative options when using shallow depth-of-field to isolate a subject from its background. On the downside, larger sensors are more costly to manufacture and tent to lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.

The Nikon D850 features a full frame sensor and has a format factor (sometimes also referred to as "crop factor") of 1.0. Within the spectrum of camera sensors, this places the Nikon D850 among the large-sensor cameras that aim for top notch image quality.

Nikon D850 sensor measures

For most cameras, data on sensor performance has been reported by DXO Mark. This service determines an overall sensor rating, as well as sub-scores for low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and color depth ("DXO Portrait"). The table below summarizes the physical sensor characteristics and sensor quality findings and compares them across a set of similar cameras.

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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 55044K/30p26.414.82660100
2.
 
Canon 5DS Full Frame 50.3 8688 57921080/30p24.712.4238187
3.
 
Canon 5DS R Full Frame 50.3 8688 57921080/30p24.612.4230886
4.
 
Nikon D5 Full Frame 20.7 5588 37124K/30p25.112.3234388
5.
 
Nikon D810 Full Frame 36.2 7360 49121080/60p25.714.8285397
6.
 
Nikon Df Full Frame 16.2 4928 3280none24.613.1327989
7.
 
Nikon D610 Full Frame 24.2 6016 40161080/30p25.114.4292594
8.
 
Nikon D600 Full Frame 24.2 6016 40161080/30p25.114.2298094
9.
 
Nikon D800 Full Frame 36.2 7360 49121080/30p25.314.4285395
10.
 
Nikon D800E Full Frame 36.2 7360 49121080/30p25.614.3297996
11.
 
Sony A99 II Full Frame 42.2 7952 53044K/30p25.413.4231792
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Many modern cameras cannot only take still pictures, but also record videos. The D850 indeed provides movie recording capabilities. The highest resolution format that the D850 can use is 4K/30p.

Feature comparison

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. For example, the D850 has an optical viewfinder that provides a field of view of 100% and a magnification of 0.75x. The adjacent tables list some of the other core features of the Nikon D850 along with similar information for a selection of comparators.

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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.
 
Nikon D850optical Y3.2 / 2359 tilting Y 1/8000s 9.0/s n n
2.
 
Canon 5DSoptical Y3.2 / 1040 fixed n 1/8000s 5.0/s n n
3.
 
Canon 5DS Roptical Y3.2 / 1040 fixed n 1/8000s 5.0/s n n
4.
 
Nikon D5optical Y3.2 / 2359 fixed Y 1/8000s 14.0/s n n
5.
 
Nikon D810optical Y3.2 / 1229 fixed n 1/8000s 5.0/s Y n
6.
 
Nikon Dfoptical Y3.2 / 921 fixed n 1/4000s 5.5/s n n
7.
 
Nikon D610optical Y3.2 / 921 fixed n 1/4000s 6.0/s Y n
8.
 
Nikon D600optical Y3.0 / 921 fixed n 1/4000s 5.5/s Y n
9.
 
Nikon D800optical Y3.2 / 921 fixed n 1/8000s 4.0/s Y n
10.
 
Nikon D800Eoptical Y3.2 / 921 fixed n 1/8000s 4.0/s Y n
11.
 
Sony A99 II2400 Y3.0 / 1229 full-flex n 1/8000s 12.0/s n Y
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.
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The LCD screen on the Nikon D850 is flexibly attached to the body. In particular, the LCD can be tilted vertically to facilitate odd-angle shots in landscape orientation. This tilting design is often preferred, for example, by street photographers to a fully articulated, swivel type of LCD attachment, as it is more unobtrusive during shooting than a screen that flips out to the side.

articulated screen
Flexible screen on the D850

One useful feature of the D850 is a presence of a top-level LCD. While being, of course, smaller than the rear screen, the control panel conveys some of the essential shooting information and can be convenient for quick and easy settings verification.

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Connection 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 Nikon D850 and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

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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.
 
Nikon D850Ystereo / monoYYmini3.0YYY
2.
 
Canon 5DSYmono / monoY-mini3.0---
3.
 
Canon 5DS RYmono / monoY-mini3.0---
4.
 
Nikon D5Ystereo / monoYYmini3.0---
5.
 
Nikon D810Ystereo / monoYYmini3.0Y--
6.
 
Nikon DfY- / ---mini2.0---
7.
 
Nikon D610Ymono / monoYYmini2.0---
8.
 
Nikon D600Ymono / monoYYmini2.0---
9.
 
Nikon D800Ymono / monoYYmini3.0---
10.
 
Nikon D800EYmono / monoYYmini3.0---
11.
 
Sony A99 IIYstereo / monoYYmicro2.0YYY
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It is notable that the D850 has a microphone port. Such an external microphone input can help to substantially improve the quality of audio recordings when a good external microphone is used.

Further information on the features and operation of the D850 can be found in the free online Nikon D850 Manual or on the Nikon support site.

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Expert reviews

While the comparison of the spec-sheets of cameras can offer a general idea of their imaging potential, it remains partial and cannot reveal, for example, the handling experience and imaging performance when actually working with the D850. 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. This is where reviews by experts come in. The adjacent 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]).

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Review Scores
#    Camera 
 Model 
 AP 
 score 
 CL 
 score 
 DCW 
 score 
 DPR 
 score 
 EPZ 
 score 
 PB 
 score 
Camera
Launch
Launch
Price (USD)
Street
Price
1.
 
Nikon D8504.5/5+ +5/589/1004.5/55/5 Jul 2017 3,299 amazon.com
2.
 
Canon 5DS..+..83/1004.5/54.5/5 Feb 2015 3,699ebay.com
3.
 
Canon 5DS R5/5+..83/1005/54.5/5 Feb 2015 3,699ebay.com
4.
 
Nikon D5....4/589/1004.5/55/5 Jan 2016 6,499ebay.com
5.
 
Nikon D8105/5..5/586/1005/54.5/5 Jun 2014 3,299ebay.com
6.
 
Nikon Df4/5....81/1004/54/5 Nov 2013 2,749ebay.com
7.
 
Nikon D6104/5+ +..87/1004.5/54.5/5 Oct 2013 1,999ebay.com
8.
 
Nikon D6004/5+ +..87/1005/54.5/5 Sep 2012 2,099ebay.com
9.
 
Nikon D8005/5+ +..82/1005/55/5 Feb 2012 2,999ebay.com
10.
 
Nikon D800E......84/1005/55/5 Feb 2012 3,299ebay.com
11.
 
Sony A99 II....4.5/585/1004.5/54.5/5 Sep 2016 3,199ebay.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.
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The above review scores should be interpreted with care, though. The assessments were made in relation to similar cameras of the same technological generation. Thus, a score needs to be put into the context of the launch date and the launch price of the camera, 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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Check D850 price at
amazon.com

Nikon D850 FAQ

Below are some additional questions and answers concerning some particular features of the D850.

What is the technology behind the imaging sensor in the Nikon D850?

The camera has a BSI-CMOS (Backside Illuminated Complementary Metal–Oxide–Semiconductor) sensor at its core.

Which image processing chip is used in the Nikon D850 to convert the raw signal into an image file and perform noise reduction and image sharpening?

Nikon equipped the D850 with the EXPEED 5 image processor.

What is the ISO sensitivity range of the Nikon D850?

The camera has a native sensitivity range from ISO 64 to ISO 25600, which can be extended to ISO 32-102400.

What is the life expectancy of the shutter in the Nikon D850?

Nikon mentions a shutter rating of 200 000 actuations for the D850. This number represents a Mean Time before Failure, that is an average value. The shutter might fail earlier, or it might last longer. Anyway, in order to exhaust the expected shutter life of the D850 over, say, three years, one would have to take about 200 pictures each and every day.

How do I find the shutter count on my Nikon D850?

Nikon embeds the number of shutter actuations in image metadata. You can check the number of shots that your D850 has taken up to now by uploading a recent image to the free online shutter count finder app.

Do I need to purchase an external camera trigger to shoot time-lapse sequences with the Nikon D850?

No, the Nikon D850 has an intervalometer built-in, so that low frequency shooting (for example, flower blooming, sunset, moon rise) can be undertaken without the need to purchase a separate external intervalometer and related software.

What is the fastest shutter speed that can be used with the Nikon D850 for flash photography?

The D850's flash sync speed is 1/250 sec.

Does the Nikon D850 support the Ultra High Speed (UHS) bus interface for SD cards?

Yes, the camera can indeed use UHS-II cards (data transfer speed of up to 312 MB/s).

Which battery does the Nikon D850 use?

The camera gets its power from the EN-EL15a (here at amazon), which is a rechargeable Lithium-Ion power pack.

Is there a vertical grip available for the Nikon D850?

Yes, Nikon offers the MB-D18 as an optional accessory to facilitate shooting in portrait orientation and to provide additional battery power.

Where can I find the best deals for the Nikon D850?

Grey imports from Asia, as found on ebay, are often very attractively priced. However, these cameras come without a warranty from Nikon.

Camera to camera comparisons

If you would like to see a side-by-side review with another camera, just make your choice using the following search menu. An 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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    Specifications Summary
    Camera Model Nikon D850
    Camera Type Digital single lens reflex
    Camera Lens Nikon F mount lenses
    Launch Date July 2017
    Launch Price USD 3 299
    Sensor Specs
    Sensor Technology BSI-CMOS
    Sensor Format Full Frame Sensor
    Sensor Size 35.9 x 23.9 mm
    Sensor Area 858 mm2
    Sensor Diagonal 43.1 mm
    Crop Factor 1.0x
    Sensor Resolution 45.4 Megapixels
    Image Resolution 8 256 x 5 504 pixels
    Pixel Pitch 4.35 μm
    Pixel Density 5.30 MP/cm2
    Moiré control no AA filter
    Movie Capability 4K/30p Video
    ISO Setting 64 - 25 600 ISO
    ISO Boost 32 - 102 400 ISO
    Image Processor EXPEED 5
    DXO Sensor Quality (score) 100
    DXO Color Depth (bits) 26.4
    DXO Dynamic Range (EV) 14.8
    DXO Low Light (ISO) 2660
    Screen Specs
    Viewfinder Type Optical viewfinder
    Viewfinder Field of View 100%
    Viewfinder Magnification 0.75x
    Top-Level Screen Control Panel
    LCD Framing Live View
    LCD Size 3.2 inch
    LCD Resolution 2359k dots
    LCD Attachment Tilting screen
    V-logging Friendliness No front-flip
    Touch Input Touchscreen
    Shooting Specs
    Focus System Phase-detect AF
    Manual Focusing Aidno Peaking Feature
    Maximum Shutter Speed 1/8000s
    Continuous Shooting 9 shutter flaps/s
    Shutter Life Expectancy200 000 actuations
    Silent Shootingno E-Shutter
    Time Lapse PhotographyIntervalometer Built-in
    Fill Flash no On-Board Flash
    Storage Medium SDXC or XQD cards
    Single or Dual Card Slots Dual card slots
    UHS card support UHS-II
    Connectivity Specs
    External Flash Hotshoe
    Studio Flash PC Sync socket
    USB Connector USB 3.0
    HDMI Port mini HDMI
    Microphone Port External MIC port
    Headphone Socket Headphone port
    Wifi Support Wifi built-in
    Near-Field Communication NFC built-in
    Bluetooth Support Bluetooth built-in
    Body Specs
    Environmental SealingWeathersealed body
    Battery Type EN-EL15a power pack
    Battery Life (CIPA)1840 shots per charge
    Body Dimensions 146 x 124 x 79 mm
    (5.7 x 4.9 x 3.1 in)
    Camera Weight 1 005 g (35.5 oz)

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