The Nikon D850 camera body is a formidable camera when compared to other camera manufacturers. Its features rival the previous Nikon D810. When you first pick up the D850, you’ll notice the ease of control, battery life, shutter speed, and aperture positioning are all well-balanced. Looking under the hood, there’s a 153-point AF system and EXPEED image processor borrowed from Nikon’s high-end D5 model. Plus full-frame 4K UHD, a stunningly fast AF system, crisp picture control and Wi-Fi built-in. These features make it a desirable choice for professional photographers, including wedding, sport, fashion, studio, astrophotography, photojournalism and commercial photography.

45.7MP of Outstanding Image Quality From the Full Frame Sensor

What makes the Nikon D850 ooze image quality is at the heart of the camera - the sensor. The 45.7-megapixels CMOS FX-format image sensor with back-side illuminated BSI design ensures light is captured at the highest optical quality without requiring an optical low pass filter. With the optical low pass filter void, astrophotographers can utilize this camera to obtain the clearest, sharpest night sky photographs using an array of Z series lenses. Professional photographers alike will be impressed with the output results of the Nikon D850. Photos will have an incredibly wide dynamic range while maintaining the highest possible image resolution.

EXPEED 5 Processing Engine Is The Same as Nikon’s Flagship Model

Powering the Nikon D850 is a very fast processor, or as Nikon calls it, ‘resolution meets extreme speed’. The high-performance EXPEED 5 image-processing engine in the Nikon D5 can also be found in D850, making it a welcome feature for those wishing to capture fast action. You’ll find the read and write times of files are met with extreme speed when Nikon turns up! Adding to this is the exceptional Wi-Fi, which now makes it possible to send photos to publishers or your phone quickly when out in the field. The EXPEED 5 processing engine combined with the full-frame sensor make the Nikon D850 a camera to contend with.

The Nikon D850 Houses a 3.2-Inch 2359k-dot Tilt & Touch LCD

Turning your attention to the rear of the Nikon D850 and you’ll see an intuitive touch-sensitive 2359k-dot LCD. The screen is rotatable in various directions to assist with the odd angles or space you may find yourself in. The clear resolution makes reviewing photos and videos a breeze. In addition, wedding photographers and photojournalists can utilize silent photography in live view using the rear torch screen LCD screen or viewfinder. This feature is made possible due to the new electronic shutter found in the flagship camera body.

Gain Up to 9 FPS Continuous and Silent Live-View Shooting

How fast is the Nikon D850? Put simply, this DSLR camera’s continuous shooting speed is insane. Nine fps Continuous at 45.7 MP is unlocked with the optional Nikon MB-D18 battery grip. Or straight out of the camera, you’ll still achieve 7 frames per second. We think sports and wildlife photographers will enjoy continuous shooting, especially when paired with a longer telephoto lens such as the Nikon Z 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 VR S Lens.

The Best Autofocus on the D850: 153 Point AF with 99 Cross-Type Points

Impressed with the new Nikon D850 yet?

Well, you get the best autofocus system in a Nikon DSLR. Like the Nikon D5, the D850 promotes the same 153-point AF system. Backing this, 99 cross-type points deliver accurate subject tracking across the entire frame. If you find there isn’t too much light around, use the centre point of the frame as the Nikon focusing engineers have managed to make it sensitive enough to cater to -4EV. Meaning, any low light situations you may face, the D850 will have no trouble focusing.

Get True 4K with 8K Time-Lapse

Forget a camcorder or digital cine camera; the Nikon D850 has the works. Now you can film in true full-frame 4K UHD and capture incredible 8K time-lapse scenes. Or if you want to slow things down, there’s that option too in a lower Full HD mode, more on that later, though. Focusing on the Full frame 4K, you’ll be amazed at the ultra-sharp video footage. When recording, you have the option to record internally or to an external recorder such as an Atomos Ninja V+. 

Slow Down Your Footage to 5x Slow Motion at Full HD

As we mentioned, the Nikon D850 can slow down footage in Full HD, recording up to four to five times slower than in real-time. With this functionality, you can certainly create some unique effects in-camera, but be aware you’ll only get 70 minutes of video recording before the battery dies. That’s why we recommend the optional MB-D18 battery for video recording, as you’ll no doubt want to keep recording and exploring the camera when out in the field.

Forget The Optical Low Pass Filter. The D850 Doesn’t Need One.

The brilliant thing about removing the optical low pass filter is that there is no alternation in the image data when light hits the 45.7-megapixel sensor. The advantage is photographers can obtain a much clearer, sharper image than all other DSLR that contain this filter when using compatible Nikkor lenses. Therefore, Nikon has been able to capitalize on this by having the lowest native to 64 when shooting RAW images. On the other end of the scale, the default ISO range can max out at 25,600 or expand from an impressive ISO 32 to ISO 102,400.

New Focus Stacking Mode and Focus Peaking Manual Focus 

Nikon has broken new imaging ground with the release of the in-body focus stacking feature. Focus stacking works by combining a sequence of images shot at different focal lengths. The resulting final image has a deeper depth of field, making it ideal for macro or close up photography. This feature is ideal if you use either the Nikon AF-S Micro 60mm f/2.8G ED Lens or the Nikon AF-S Micro 105mm f/2.8G IF-ED VR Lens, as you can now turn on focus peaking which aids in focus when using focus stacking.

Metering To a New Level with a 180K-pixel RGB Sensor

The way Nikon metering works in camera is something of a marvel. Colour science is well-known to the brand, and the Nikon D850 is well adapted to producing accurate results. This is due to a 180K-pixel RGB sensor that measures all available light and then calculates the correct colour mode and white balance. The output for such a task is true colour correct images and videos.

Transfer Photos Directly from the Camera to Nikon’s SnapBridge App

While you may not have heard of SnapBridge, you certainly would have heard of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Both of these functions are available in the popular Nikon D850, enabling your photos and videos to connect to Nikon’s branded “SnapBridge” mobile app. Using photos, you can, of course, transfer photos, but did you know there’s also the option to control the camera straight from your smartphone or tablet remotely?

Get Double The Recording Capability: Dual High-Speed Card Slots

By the time your jaw has dropped looking at the Nikon D850, you may have found the dual memory card slots on the side of the camera. The D850 accommodates both a larger XQD memory card and an SD card at a higher UHS-II read and write speed. This combination of onboard memory storage lets you record videos and photos separately or use the storage as a backup mechanism. The camera doesn’t include memory cards upon purchase, so ensure you pick a few up as well as a good quality fast card reader.

Save RAW Files at Different Sizes for Easy Batch Processing

It’s important to note that photographers have a choice when shooting RAW. On the Nikon D850, there are three options. After the Back-side illuminated BSI sensor captures the images, files can save in either large, medium or small RAW file sizes. Adding this feature is that it becomes a more manageable workflow when dealing with 8K time-lapse sequences.

Weather-Sealed Magnesium Alloy Construction

Nikon has built a reliable system. Professionals can be reassured that the magnesium alloy body is strong enough to handle almost anything. The body is designed with weather sealing in mind to protect against dust, freezing and splash damage.

Why Buy The Nikon D850?

The Nikon D850 is a finely tuned imaging tool that is the result of extensive user feedback. It delivers the high-speed shooting capabilities and lighting fast autofocus performance that today’s creatives require. Created to meet and exceed the most demanding expectations, it has been carefully designed to be an absolute workhorse for professional shooters.

With silent photography in live view now an option with the electronic shutter (which minimizes sound or mechanical vibration with every shutter button press), the Nikon D850 is now a stealthy tool for weddings and photojournalists. Plus, with an optional MB-D18 battery, users can photograph or film for longer periods without the need for additional power.