Nikon D850

The Nikon D850 is a professional-grade full-frame digital single-lens reflex camera (DSLR) produced by Nikon.^[2] The camera was officially announced on July 25, 2017 (the 100th anniversary of Nikon's founding), launched on August 24, 2017, and first shipped on September 8, 2017.^[3] Nikon announced it could not fill the preorders on August 28, 2017 and filled less than 10% of preorders on the first shipping day.^[4] It is the successor to the Nikon D810.

Nikon D850

A Nikon D850 camera with attached optional MB-D18 battery grip
Overview
Type	Digital single-lens reflex
Released	24 August 2017
Lens
Lens	Interchangeable, Nikon F-mount
Sensor/medium
Sensor	45.4 megapixels (8,256 × 5,504) Nikon FX format
Sensor type	CMOS BSI
Sensor size	35.9 mm x 23.9 mm , 4.35 μm pixel size
Film speed	64–25,600 in 1, 1/2 or 1/3 EV steps (down to 32 and up to 102,400 as expansion)
Recording medium	Dual Card slots: One XQD slot and the second slot supporting SD/SDHC/SDXC
Focusing
Focus modes	Single-servo AF (AF-S); Continuous-servo AF (AF-C); auto AF-S/AF-C selection (AF-A), manual (M)
Focus areas	Multi-CAM 20K autofocus sensor module with TTL phase detection and fine-tuning, and 153 focus points (including 99 cross-type sensors and 15 sensors that support f/8)
Exposure/metering
Exposure modes	Programmed Auto [P] with flexible program; Shutter-Priority Auto [S]; Aperture Priority Auto [A]; Manual [M]
Exposure metering	TTL exposure metering using approximately 180K (180,000) pixels RGB sensor
Flash
Flash	No
Shutter
Shutter	Electronically controlled vertical-travel focal-plane mechanical shutter Electronic front-curtain shutter available in quiet shutter-release, quiet continuous shutter-release, and mirror up release modes
Shutter speed range	30 s – 1/8000 s, bulb
Continuous shooting	7 frames/sec or 9 frames/sec with a battery grip, up to 51 frames (raw) in 14-bit lossless. 170 in 12-bit lossless
Viewfinder
Viewfinder	Optical, 100% frame coverage
General
Video recording	4K up to 30 fps 1080p up to 60 fps
LCD screen	3.2-inch tilting TFT LCD with 2.359 million dots with touchscreen
Battery	EN-EL15a
Dimensions	146×124×78.5 mm (5.75×4.88×3.09 in)
Weight	915 grams (2.017 lb) (body only) 1,005 grams (2.216 lb) (including battery)[1]
Made in	Thailand
Chronology
Predecessor	Nikon D810
Successor	Nikon Z 8

The D850 is the first Nikon DSLR featuring a back-illuminated image sensor claiming overall a one-stop image quality (image noise) improvement.^[5] This camera was the first full frame DSLR achieving 100 points at Dxomark.^[6] The D850 also won Camera of the Year for 2017 at Imaging Resource.^[7]

Rear of the camera with articulating screen

Features

Logo for Nikon D850

• Nikon FX format 45.7 megapixel back-illuminated (BSI) CM sensor
• 4K UHD video in 30p, 25p, and 24p uncropped in MOV or MP4 encoding and simultaneously uncompressed (HDMI 2.0). New focus peaking aid.^[8]
• Slow motion video with up to 120 frames-per-second (fps) in 1080p
• Electronic image stabilization (vibration reduction, VR) in 1080p DX format video. This has shown a strong effect in practice.^[9]
• New viewfinder with 100% frame coverage and 0.75× magnification
• Nikon EXPEED5 image processor
• Active D-Lighting (five levels) for the first time also in video
• 180K pixel RGB metering system.
• Highlight-weighted metering preventing blown highlights or underexposed shadows. Additionally Highlight Display with Zebra Stripes and full aperture metering during live view and video
• Multi-CAM 20K autofocus module with TTL phase detection and fine-tuning, and 153 focus points (including 99 cross-type sensors and 15 sensors that support f/8), of which 55 (35 cross-type sensors and 9 f/8) sensors) are available for selection. Autofocus sensor joystick selector.
• Focus-shift mode (stacking) with special macro mode to shoot a sequence of up to 300 frames^[5]
• Live view mode with new Pinpoint autofocus^[8]
• Silent Photography mode in live view with up to 6 fps
• 8K resolution or 4k Ultra HD silent timelapse video / intervalometer controlled mode up to 9999 frames
• Built-in image sensor cleaning
• 7 fps continuous shooting for up to 51 raw images (14-bit lossless raw). Buffer jumps to 170 shots in 12-bit lossless raw. Can shoot 9 frames/s with optional battery grip and larger EN-EL18 battery.
• 3.2 inch 2.359-million dot tilting LCD touchscreen
• ISO 64–25600, selectable in 0.3, 0.5, 0.7, 1, or 2-stop increments. ISO expansion increases the range to 32–102400.
• Retouch Menu: D-Lighting, Distortion Control, Filter Effects, Image Overlay, Monochrome, NEF (raw), Processing, Perspective Control, Red-Eye Correction, Resize, Side-by-Side Comparison, Straighten, Trim, Trim Movie
• Selectable in-camera ISO noise reduction applied in post-processing
• New fast batch processing of many NEF (raw) images
• No Built-in flash, but an optional wireless radio flash control (like the Nikon D5 and Nikon D500) allows control of compatible external flashes.
• Film negative scanner with optional ES-2 Film Digitizing Adapter
• File formats include JPEG, TIFF, NEF (Nikon's raw image format compressed and lossless compressed), and JPEG+NEF (JPEG size/quality selectable)
• Dual memory card slot - XQD slot and SD / SDHC/ SDXC. SD slot is UHS-II compliant
• Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Low Energy
• Button illumination
• Magnesium alloy body with weather sealing
• No optical low-pass filter^[10]

With the camera's initial firmware version Wi-Fi only works with Nikon's proprietary "SnapBridge" app, this also applies to other Nikon models. Since a firmware updated in May 2019 Wi-Fi was opened to third party applications.^[11]

Reception

External media
Images
Nikon D850 sample, review and user images, >40MPix. Google Image search
Nikon D850 images >30MPix at Flickr
Video
Nikon D850 4k UHD sample, review and user videos: Google search
Nikon D850 4k UHD sample, review and user videos: Youtube
Timelapse Nikon D850 8k UHD sample, review and user videos: Google search

The D850 was awarded best Professional DSLR camera at the 2018 TIPA World Awards.^[12]

The D850 is also the first DSLR camera to achieve 100 points on the DxOMark sensor review.^[6]

The Verge and Fstoppers have compared the Nikon D850 favourably to the Canon 5D Mark IV.^[13][14] A wildlife photography needs (autofocus, noise, speed) review favours the D850 compared to other Nikons with special regard to the new viewfinder.^[15]

Comparisons with the Nikon D810 or Nikon D800E show significant image noise improvement.^[16][17][18]

Nikon D850 produced better image quality than the Canon 5D Mark IV.

The D850 won Camera Grand Prix [ja] Readers Award and Editors Award in 2018.^[19]