Nikon D850 DSLR vs Z7 & Z6 Full-Frame Mirrorless Cameras

As there's been quite a bit of talk on how the Nikon Z7 and Z6 full-frame mirrorless cameras compare with the popular Nikon D850 DSLR, we've lined the specs up side-by-side, along with a few comparison shots, so you can see what features they share and also what's different about the cameras (apart from the different formats, of course). 

If you just want a quick glance at how the specs compare, have a scroll to the bottom of the article where you'll find a comparison table with all of the features and tech-specs for all three cameras sat side-by-side. 

Image Sensor

The Nikon Z7 offers the same resolution as the Nikon D850 (45.7Mp) but the Nikon Z6's resolution sits a little lower at 24.5Mp. They, also, all share the same sensor type (full-frame) and type (Back-lit CMOS).  

Camera Body Weight, Size & Design 

A 3.2-inch, tiltable touch-screen monitor is built into all three cameras but the DSLR does offer slightly better screen resolution overall. As for size, unsurprisingly, the Nikon D850 is bigger and heavier but the Z7 does take style cues from SLRs with a large grip for your hand, front/rear command dial and a soft rubberised texture surrounding the grip that extends round to the back of the camera, as well as the left-hand-side of the camera. The top shutter release button, and surrounding on/off switch will look familiar to anyone who's used other Nikon DSLRs, and the layout of buttons around this is also the same. 

Image Stabilisation 

In the new Z6 and Z7 mirrorless cameras, there's 5-axis sensor-based image stabilisation built-in which works with Z mount lenses when they are used, but also works when you use a Nikon F lens with VR, with the FTZ adapter, so that you can benefit from both image stabilisation systems. The system is said to give up to 5-stops of image stabilisation. There's no sensor-based image stabilisation built into the Nikon D850 but video captured with the DSLR is stabilised electronically. 

ISO 

The Nikon D850 has an extended ISO range that starts at 32 and finishes at 102400 - the same as the Nikon Z7. The Nikon Z6 has an extended ISO range that starts at 50 and finished at 204800. 

Continuous Shooting

The ISO range isn't the only area the Z6 is slightly better as it captures 3 more frames per second (12) than the Z7 (9) and the Z7 captures 2 more frames per second than the Nikon D850 DSLR (7). 

Video 

All three cameras capture video in 4K or FullHD with stereo sound and optical zoom can be used. 

Battery

The Nikon Z7 will take the same EN-EL15 battery as previous Nikon DSLRs, however, if you want to use the USB charging feature, then you'll need to use the EN-EL15B battery provided with the camera. Battery life is rated at 310 shots for the Z6, and 330 shots for the Z7, according to CIPA testing standards which is much lower than the 1840 shots (extendable to 5140 shots using the optional battery grip) you can capture with the Nikon D850. However, Nikon is working on a battery grip for the camera, which will extend the battery life.

Price 

The Nikon D850 is available for just under £3000, body only, which is around a £500 price-drop since its launch. The Nikon Z7, body only, is priced at £3399 ( a similar value to the launch price of the Nikon D850) and the Nikon Z6 is available for £2099, body only, which is due to the specs etc. not sitting as high as those on the Nikon Z7. 

The Nikon Z7 arrives late September while the Nikon Z6 hits the shops late November but we should get our hands on the cameras for a full review and comparison with the Nikon D850 before then. 

In the mean-time, have a look at our news section that's brimming with information on the Nikon Full-Frame Mirrorless Cameras and accompanying lenses. There's also a lens roadmap that charts the planning for the Nikon Z series in 2019 and 2020.