The Nikon D850 updates the Nikon D810 from 2014 and is a significant upgrade, with an all-new 45.7mp full-frame BSI CMOS sensor, fast continuous shooting at 7fps (up to 9fps with battery grip), 4K UHD video recording, a tilting 3.2inch touch-screen, and built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. The camera is also capable of creating 4K timelapse videos in-camera.

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Nikon D850 Features

The Nikon D850 features an all new 45.7mp full-frame (Nikon FX) BSI CMOS sensor, with no optical low-pass filter for better detail recording, and gapless microlenses for better light collecting performance. The sensor has a native ISO range of ISO64 to ISO25600 which extends to ISO32 all the way up to ISO102400 (Hi2) - this extended ISO range is also available for 4K video recording.

Read our comparison article to find out 9 differences between the Nikon D850 and D810.

The focus system is the same as found in the Nikon D5 and features 153 AF points with the centre point offering sensitivity down to -4EV. The rest of the focus points are sensitive down to -3EV. 99 of these focus points are cross-type sensors. Fine Tune AF uses live-view to help auto fine-tune the AF of lenses. 

The camera will shoot at 7fps at full resolution, or 9fps when the optional battery grip, MB-D18, is attached. The camera has a buffer capable of taking 51 raw shots before slowing down. The camera has a continuous shooting quiet shutter mode, plus a silent shutter mode using an electronic shutter. Using this it's possible to shoot at 6fps, or alternatively, you can shoot at 30fps, when shooting 8.8mp (DX crop) images. 

On the back is a 3.2inch tilting touch-screen, with 2360K dots. This allows precise focus peaking when using manual focus in live-view, and pinpoint focus is also available. The touch-screen can be used to scroll through menus and change settings.

There is no built-in flash, and this means Nikon was able to put a large 0.75x Optical ViewFinder (OVF) in the camera - making it the largest in any Nikon DSLR.

Video - 4K UHD, 30, 25, 24fps video recording is possible, using the full-frame of the sensor. It's also possible to output uncompressed video to an external recorder or monitor. You can record slow motion video giving 4 or 5x slower playback, at FullHD resolution up to 120fps. Stereo mics are built-in, and on the side, you'll find microphone and headphone sockets. Electronic image stabilisation is available when recording FullHD video.

4K time-lapse video creation is possible in camera, with 8K time-lapse creation possible using images from the camera. A focus stacking mode, called "Focus shift shooting" lets you take up to 300 images, which can then be merged together on a computer, using 3rd party software, such as Helicon Focus or Adobe Photoshop. 

In camera, RAW batch processing can process 1000 raw images in 25 minutes. You can choose what size raw files you want, with a choice of full size 45.7 megapixels (Large), 25.6 megapixels (Medium), or 11.4 megapixels (Small) images. 

Nikon D850 With Battery Grip

Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are built-in to the camera to allow low-power image transfer, using Nikon's SnapBridge app, which is available for iOS and Android devices. 

The camera body is made out of magnesium alloy and is weather-sealed, with illuminated buttons for use in low-light (like the Nikon D5). On the side, you'll find two memory card slots, one SD (UHS-II) and one XQD slot.

Battery life is rated at an impressive 1840 shots, with the standard battery. This can be extended to 5140 shots using the optional battery grip. 

Key Features

• 45.4mp Full-Frame BSI CMOS sensor, with no OLPF
• 3.2inch tilting touch-screen, with 2360K dots
• 0.75x magnification OVF
• 153 focus points
• EXPEED 5 image processor
• ISO64-ISO25600, extended: ISO32-ISO102400
• 180K pixel RGB sensor (same as D5)
• 200,000 shutter life rating
• 7fps continuous shooting - 9fps with battery grip
• 4K UHD video, at 30, 25, 24fps with stereo mics
• High-speed FullHD video at 120/100fps
• 4K Timelapse creation in-camera
• 8K Timelapse creation possible (off-camera)
• Wi-Fi, Bluetooth built-in
• Dual-axis electronic level
• 1840 shot battery life
• Weather-sealed camera body

Nikon D850 Handling

As you would expect for a professional weather-sealed Digital SLR from Nikon, the D850 feels extremely well-built. The camera has a solid construction made of magnesium alloy, and weather-sealing means it should survive use outdoors in less than ideal conditions. The grip is large and has a rubber grip covering a large area of the camera from the front, to the back. On the back, there is ample grip for your thumb, making it possible to get a firm grip of the camera, even if you want to hold it with just one hand. There is rubber grip on the left of the camera, to help you keep a firm grip if using two hands to hold the camera.

The optical viewfinder (OVF) is large, and comfortable to use, even if wearing glasses. There is dioptre adjustment if needed, and the black focus points illuminate in red in the viewfinder confirming the focus point and correct focus. The focus points give a wider coverage area when compared to the D810, and focus was rapid, particularly when using the optical viewfinder. Live view focus uses a contrast detection AF system and was not as rapid. 

Nikon D850 Viewfinder

The 3.2inch tilting touch-screen looks good, with good colour reproduction, clear sharp text, and great viewing angles thanks to the gapless design. The screen can be tilted up down and has solid metal hinges. The touch-screen is responsive, which makes viewing and reviewing images in playback quick and easy. The touch-screen can be used to set the focus point in live-view as well as take photos, releasing the shutter when pressed. 

The side access to the memory card slots makes it easy to change memory cards, even when the camera is mounted on a tripod, and the camera supports UHS-II SD memory cards, as well as XQD memory cards 

The buttons are illuminated, along with the top LCD screen, and this makes it easier to use the camera in low-light, or when shooting at night. For anyone who is familiar with other Nikon DSLRs, such as the Nikon D810, or D500, the Nikon D850 should feel extremely familiar, as the camera follows Nikon's traditional DSLR styling. There are a number of Function (Fn) buttons that can be customised, including a number of other buttons, including PV (Preview), and the AF-On (back button focus). You can also customise the rear joypad, letting you change what happens when you press it, or when you move it. By default it can be used to change the focus point.

The menus are clearly laid out, and each section is clearly colour coded, as well as being neatly organised into logical sections, such as playback, photo, video, setup etc. For anyone who's used a recent Nikon Digital SLR, the menus should be easy to navigate, although there are a long list of options available. Helpfully, the "MyMenu" menu can be customised with your favourite settings, to give you quick access. For those new to Nikon, then the built-in help can be used to guide you through the options available. You can also use the touch-screen to navigate settings, and change options. You can view the full menu options in the video below (simply pause the video if you need more time).

Wi-Fi features - Using Nikon's SnapBridge app you can automatically transfer images to your smartphone via Bluetooth. By default, these are sent over at 2mp. The option to transfer the original full-size images over to your smartphone is greyed out. I would imagine that trying to transfer 45mp images over Bluetooth would be painfully slow. You can use the app to setup remote control of the camera, and this uses a Wi-Fi connection. The options available when using this to shoot remotely includes the ability to select the focus point using the smartphone touch-screen. You can also press the button on the smartphone to release the shutter. There is no way to change settings, or start video recording. This limited control might be reasonable on a budget point-and-shoot camera, but to have so little control on a professional Digital SLR is extremely disappointing. 

Battery life - Battery life is rated at 1840 shots according to Nikon test results, which is excellent. You can increase this to over 5000 shots with the optional battery grip.