D850

While I started off shooting 35mm film with a hand-me-down Pentax, I switched to digital after watching the technology mature to a state that seemed to be on-par with SLRs of the time. After using both Sony and Canon DSLRs for over 10 years, Nikon caught my eye starting with its lineup in 2016.

However, when the specifications (as well as the sample images) for the D850 were released, I knew I had to take the plunge and I´m incredibly happy with the outcome. Versatility was the #1 attribute I needed, and right out of the box I was able to shoot street/portrait photography then switch to landscape with little to no adjustment of lenses thanks to easy swappable programmable settings (wildlife requires a bit more effort due specific attributes of getting a clean shot of a wild animal, however, my gear/settings swap out time is under 3 minutes even for this style of shooting in most cases).

What I like the best about the D850 is just how little I´ve had to invest in aftermarket add-ons, and that the ones I do need are readily available. A simple but unquestionably useful piece of hardware, such as an expanded eyecup can be had for under $10, and while my collection of F mount lenses and other equipment will grow to fit my needs, not having to spend a lot of money to get the base camera ´´up to spec´´ really puts the D850 in a league of its own when it comes to cost/performance.

After using the D850 for just over a week, I sold my D5. For my photography needs, mostly landscape and wildlife, the D850 is simply a better camera. And, I can still shoot action photography with a respectable 9 fps with the MB-D18 battery grip and EN-EL18a/b battery. Hands down, this is the best camera that I have ever owned.

This camera feels great in the hand with easy access to controls. High ISO setting available for those hard to get low light or high shutter speed shots. High ISO noise quality is better than the D500 but not perfect yet. I recommend this camera for semi-pro and professional photographers.

I switched from a D800 to the D850 and was amazed at the improved tonal range and color accuracy of the D850. When I calibrated the color using DataColor Spyder Checker the profile only adjusted a few of the color swatches by 1 or 2. The images I get over the D800 just seem to pop without any adjustment. The high ISO capability of this camera is just outstanding. I´ve used it several time to shoot some concert photos in an auditorium at 4000 to 25,400 ISO and the images look great even without applying any noise reduction. The image sharpness and detail is a significant improvement over the D800. I shot some birds of prey using a tripod and a calibrated lens (Sigma 150-600mm) and every line and strand of their feathers is razor sharp. I thought the D800 was a fantastic camera. Such and improvement in all areas.

I own the D850 and a D5 and shoot almost exclusively motorsports. The D850 is a very capable sports shooter and, while the autofocus is just a tad less capable than the D5, IMO, it does an outstanding job with fast moving objects. The high resolution allows me to shoot in 1.5X or 1.2X crop mode and still produce decent size images for my clients. As a result, I´ve been using the D850 more than the D5 at the track.

I´ve owned the D800, D810, and now the D850 and without a doubt, the D850 is a huge and well worthwhile upgrade to both the D800 and D810. The build quality is great and the new features like focus stacking and others take this camera to the next level.

Love my new D850. It has outstanding focus and low light performance which were critical attributes for me. You can´t go wrong with the D850.

I bought my D850 and could not be happier. I am using a 70-200 f 2.8 on it, and I am getting some of the best photos of my life. I can thoroughly endorse this camera. Its the closest thing to a medium format camera you can get.

Love it, and with the MB-D18 it feels great! It really is the new medium format.