D850

As a truly wild wildlife photographer, my models do not allow me to be as close as I would like. With 700 mm focal length, I don´t always get the photo I want. The D850 allows cropping without loss of detail. It allows me to reach out and touch my wildlife. Also, its dynamic range excels in capturing the details of fur and feathers, without sacrificing deep shadows or extremely bright light . Wildlife enjoys dusk and dawn. The D850´s sensor has exceptional low light capabilities. I´m impressed.

I began using Nikon in the late 1970´s because of its reputation for handling the abuse from an outdoor adventurer. My studio is the great outdoors and my cameras have been taken on adventures without being pampered or protected. My camera bodies show the same bumps and bruises as I do when we return to the comfort of home. I will always own Nikon and there will be one within arms reach no matter where I am.

What´s not to like? I prefer the heft of Nikon FX cameras and the D850 is no exception. I love its easy to navigate menu, the ease with which one can change (for example) ISO. Its buffer and improved fps over the D810 is exceptional and is already getting me great shots of BIF. One day I may upgrade my D300S (after passing it along to a family member who has no camera) and buy a 2nd D850. I have been shooting with Nikon gear since my first Nikkormat FTN in 1972, which I still own! The D810 improved upon the D800E, but the D850 outshines them all. I can hardly wait for the rumored Nikkor 600mm PF lens release.

I am a 20 year Nikon user. 6006 (film) -> F100 (film) -> D200 -> D7000 -> D610 -> D850. Moving from the D610 Full Frame (25 mpix) to the D850 (47 mpix) is a tremendous jump, same as moving from a D7000 DX to D610 FX.

SPORTS/SPEED: 7 fps at 47 mpix writing to 440 mbs XQD cards, I can take 40 compressed 14-bit NEF images before any buffer/card slow down. 40!

CONCERT: great bump up from the 610 for low iso

PORTRAIT: the ISO 64 has SO MUCH MORE dynamic range and oh, the colors!

I shoot historic steam railroads as a high-end enthusiast. For the past 5 years, my primary camera was a D4, which I used for 90% of my photos. I also carry a D750, typically for long telephoto or super-wide angle shots. I need cameras with good low-light capability and a high burst rate as I shoot action and I never know what I will get for weather. I take a lot of night shots as well.

With both existing cameras 5 years old, I looked to the D850 as an upgrade, primarily to replace the D4 for everyday use. I purchased the grip because I need the burst rate, and my only extra expense was the grip itself, as I already had the EL-EN18 batteries and charger for the D4. After about 5 days of shooting in a variety of conditions, I am less than impressed. In good weather, the D850 produces great image quality and the burst rate is 9 fps as advertised. When the sun is out, it´s a great camera. But in poor light the performance is not nearly as good. I have my shutter set to focus-release and I use single-point AF (D9). Shooting black locomotives on a dark and rainy day, I found that the burst rate wasn´t nearly 9 fps and the camera shot in fits and starts, probably because the AF was not keeping up with the shutter. The D4 never missed a beat under those conditions. Also, the image quality was noticeably poorer than the D4 above 2000 ISO. I did not have much success getting clean images above 3200 ISO. A pro photographer friend on the same shoot indicated to me that on dark days, he wouldn´t even take his 850 out of the bag. He shot with a D4s exclusively in bad weather.

So now, as I prepare for another trip with unknown weather, I´m trying to decide what to take with me and quite honestly, I am thinking D4 and D750. The D850 seems like a $3,700 failed experiment to me, because both of my older bodies have better low-light performance. The 850 hasn´t earned a place in my bag. I probably should have put the investment toward a D6, when it becomes available.

I am an astronomer. I bought the D850 to capture images of this amazing universe we live in and this even more amazing tiny blue speck we call home. This camera does it all. Paired with the right set of lenses and a competent operator it can produce spectacular images of anything from the Orion Nebula to the Super Bowl, to a candle light church service, to a Monarch butterfly to my grandkids. The menus are easy to use and in the auto mode, even a beginner can capture professional looking shots. A pop up flash would have been nice but not necessary. A guidebook written by a professional photographer would also be nice! Nikon support is the best I have seen. I could teach a course on the physics of light and optics with this camera but it goes beyond that. Using this camera produces beauty with a symphony of light and color. It is truly a universal camera for photographing the universe! Enough said.

I find the colors on the images very saturated, the blacks are blacker, everything is darker and bolder. I contribute it to the high megapixels count. With some lenses it is more apparent than with the others. With 50 f1.8, 35mm f1.4, Sigma (which I returned) 50mm f1.4, which was a complete disastrous combo with this camera. I constantly have to lift up the shadows and adjust the exposure. The only lenses, I find produce less darker and less contrasty rendition are so far is the 85mm F1.8 or1.4 and the 70-200 edFled VR. If s.o. Can help me with some feedback, would be greatly appreciated. Not so thrill with the robust body either. Too clunky for my taste. As an portraitist and events photographer, I am actually looking into Canon. I am on the fence with this camera, it is all right in some situation, not in all. I am not using these for printing either, maybe stretched would soft the saturation. The images include are the “better ones”.

I don´t just love the 850, I absolutely adore it! I´ve been shooting Nikon since the entry of the D200, and own a D800E and a D4, both which are now backup to the D850..still learning some of the new capabilities of the 850, but this camera is well worth the money! Best on the market!

I am not a professional photographer, that is to say I have not made a living with photography. I have been taking photographs for more then 50 years and I love it. To this point in my life I have always made do with whatever cameras I could afford, both film and inexpensive digital. Encouraged by my wife, I purchased both the Nikon D7000 and D850. To say that I am thrilled would be the understatement of the years. I worked in a technical trade so the complexity of the camera was not difficult to over come. I found it intuitive with well organized menus and instructions. This was easy if you have a solid understanding of photographic principles. While the heft of these cameras was a bit of a surprise the picture quality was stunning. I am saddened only by the fact that I waited so long to make the jump. Nikon is the best!

As a former film Nikon owner, I´m glad I finally took the plunge and bought the Nikon digital 850. It has been a big leaning curve, but the Nikon online manual and youtube have helped. I was taking photos of an eagle yesterday and was so impressed with the way the d850 responded. Very nice quality overall. Love it!