Nikon D850

B&H Photo - Video - Pro Audio

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The D850 is the long-awaited update to 2014's old D810.

The D850 now has the hot-rod AF system from the D5 and adds more speed, more resolution, Bluetooth and WiFi over the D810, but removes the D810's built-in flash.

New since the D810

● 45MP back-side Illuminated (BSI) CMOS sensor.

● Same AF system as the D5 and D500.

● 7 FPS; 9 FPS with battery grip.

● One SD and one XQD slot (no CF slot).

● Tilting touch 3.2" LCD.

● Illuminated buttons.

● 3 image sizes settable for RAW, JPG or TIFF images: Large (45.4-MP), Medium (25.6-MP) and Small (11.4-MP). Especially with raw images, this greatly reduces file size while preserving raw quality, and the 25MP and 11MP settings result in sharper images than if shot directly on cameras with that lower resolutions because starting with 45MP largely or completely eliminates Bayer interpolation.

● Can batch process RAW files in-camera.

● 0.75× viewfinder magnification, highest ever in a Nikon DSLR.

● Basic radio-controlled flash mode like the D5 and D500 with the optional SB-5000 flash and WR-A10 and WR-R10 adapters.

● Improved 1,840 shots or 70 minutes of video battery life (CIPA).

● Focus bracketing ("Focus Shift") for up to 300 sequential shots. Put your D850 on a tripod and you can program it to make many shots at different focus distances. It can't process these in-camera for pan-focus; you'll have to composite these images in your computer with your own software.

● WiFi.

● Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE).

● Full-frame 16:9 (20 × 36mm) 4K/23.976 and 29.97 UHD video.

● New electronic-shutter intervalometer option lets you make very long sequences (think time-lapse) without noise, vibration or wear, and along with Live View lets the D850 set automatic exposures long enough for night-sky shooting.

● 1,080/120p slo-mo.

● Uncompressed live 4:2:2 8-bit 4K UHD output via HDMI for an external recorder, and can record to a card at the same time.

● New audio input attenuator. (has built-in stereo mic, headphone and mic jacks just like D810.)

● Silent electronic shutter in Live View only.

● Live-View focus peaking and zebra stripes.

● Film scanner mode with optional ES-2 film digitizing adapter and a Nikon 1:1 macro lens. Can scan negatives, too!

Good

● In-camera 1.2x, DX, 5:4 and 1:1 square crop modes with viewfinder shading.

Missing

● No built-in flash.

● No more CF slot, replaced with an XQD slot.

● No GPS.

● No MODE dial and still no U1, U2 or U3 instant camera-state recall modes.

Lens Compatibility

Nikon D850. bigger.

With an in-camera AF motor and an aperture-ring feeler, the D850 is compatible with all the usual AF and AF-S lenses back to the 1980s, and manual-focus AI and AI-S lenses back to the 1970s.

Curiously Nikon doesn't specifically call out compatibility with the newest AF-P lenses or older AF-I lenses, but I'll presume it's perfectly compatible.

Nikon says:

Compatible with AF NIKKOR lenses, including type G, E and D lenses (some restrictions apply to PC lenses), and DX lenses [using DX (24x16) image area], AI-P NIKKOR lenses, and non-CPU AI lenses (exposure modes A and M only.

IX-NIKKOR lenses, lenses for the F3AF, and non-AI lenses cannot be used

The electronic rangefinder can be used with lenses that have a maximum aperture of f/5.6 or faster (the electronic rangefinder supports 15 focus points with lenses that have a maximum aperture of f/8 or faster, of which 9 points are available for selection).

AF-S or AF lenses fully compatible.

Metering with AI lenses.

More at Nikon Lens Compatibility, specifically the DSLR section.

Specifications

Frame Rates & Advance Modes

C_H mode: 7 FPS at full resolution. (up to 9 FPS at full resolution with optional MB-D18 battery grip and EN-EL18a/b battery.)

C_L mode settable as low as 1 FPS.

Quiet (Q) and Quiet Continuous (Q_C) mode at 3 FPS.

Silent Live View electronic shutter: up to 6 fps with locked focus and exposure at full resolution; up to 30 FPS in 8MP DX mode.

Buffer (Burst) Sizes

51 frames of 14-bit lossless RAW

170 frames of 12-bit lossless RAW.

Image Sensor

45.4 MP.

23.9 × 35.9 mm Back-Side Illuminated CMOS.

Ultrasonic cleaner.

No anti-alias (optical low-pass) filter.

Image Sizes (JPG, TIFF & RAW)

8,256 × 5,504 pixels native Large (45.44 MP).

6,192 × 4,128 Medium (25.5 MP)

4,128 × 2,752 Small (11.3 MP)

Cropped Image Sizes

20 × 30mm (1.2x crop)

6,880 × 4,584 Large (31.5 MP)

5,152 × 3,432 Medium (17.6 MP)

3,440 × 2,288 Small (7.8 MP)

4:5 crop (24 × 30mm)

6,880 × 5,504 Large (37.8 MP)

5,152 × 4,120 Medium (21.2 MP)

3,440 × 2,752 Small (9.4 MP)

Square crop (24 × 24mm 1:1)

5,504 × 5,504 Large (30.2 MP)

4,128 × 4,128 Medium (17.0 MP)

2,752 × 2,752 Small (7.5 MP)

DX crop (16 × 24mm)

5,408 × 3,600 Large (19.4 MP)

4,048 × 2,696 Medium (10.9 MP)

2,704 × 1,800 Small (4.8 MP)

16:9 crop (shot during FX movie recording)

8,256 × 4,640 Large (38.3 MP)

6,192 × 3,480 Medium (21.5 MP)

4,128 × 2,320 Small (9.5 MP)

16:9 crop (shot during DX movie recording)

5,408 × 3,040 Small (16.4 MP)

4,048 × 2,272 Medium (9.1 MP)

2,704 × 1,520 Small (4.1 MP)

ISO

ISO 64 ～ 25,600; ISO 64 is optimum.

As low as ISO 32 and as high as ISO 102,400 in push and pull modes.

Still Formats

sRGB and Adobe RGB color spaces.

NEF Raw

12 or 14 bit.

Uncompressed, losslessly compressed or compressed

Large, medium or small image sizes. Medium and small images are fixed at 12 bits, lossless compression.

Also can record JPG along with NEF.

JPEG

FINE, NORMAL or BASIC compression levels.

LARGE, MEDIUM or SMALL image sizes.

Two settings; constant size or constant quality.

Also can record NEF along with JPG.

RGB TIFF

Video

Maximum take length

29:59 (a half hour) maximum take length.

The D850 may split long takes into as many as 8 different 4GB files if there's that much data.

Frame Sizes and Rates

8K Time Lapse

See Intervalometer.

3,840 × 2,160 (4K UHD )

29.97p, 25p or 23.976p.

1,920 × 1,080

59.94p, 50p, 29.97p, 25p or 23.976p

4× slow-motion (overcrank) shot at 119.88 or 100 FPS and then stored as 29.97p or 25p.

5× slow-motion (overcrank) shot at 95.904 FPS and then stored as 23.976p.

1,280 × 720

59.94p or 50p.

Data Encoding Formats

H.264/MPEG-4 video and PCM or AAC audio.

Selectable quality levels at the regular 1,080p and 720p rates.

Only high quality at 4K and only normal quality in slow-mo/overcrank.

File Storage Formats

.MOV and .MP4

Audio

Linear PCM or AAC format recorded only along with video.

Stereo microphones built in.

3.5mm Mic-in jack with plug-in power overrides built-in mic.

3.5mm Headphone jack.

Autofocus

Same system as the D5 and D500:

Works down to LV -4, which is full moonlight on sand.

55 selectable points.

Of these selectable 55 points, 35 are cross-type and 9 work with lens combinations as slow as f/8.

153 total AF points are hidden under the hood, but you can't select all these manually; you only can select 55 of them.

99 of these 153 hidden sensors are cross-type.

15 of these 153 hidden sensors work with f/8 lens combinations.

Face-Priority AF; should automatically find faces and focus on them.

Multi-CAM 20K AF sensor module.

Light Meter

TTL exposure metering with 180,000 pixel RGB sensor.

3D Color Matrix, 75% Center-Weighted to 8,12, 15 or 18mm spot, 4mm (1.5%) Spot on selected focus point and optional highlight-weighted metering.

Metering Range with f/1.4 lens

Matrix and Center-Weighted: LV -3 ~ +20.

Spot: LV +2 ~ +20.

Highlight-Weighted: LV 0 ~ 20 EV.

My experience has shown that Nikons always meter to much lower levels in auto exposure than rated, which is great.

Finder

100% coverage.

0.75× magnification with 50mm lens.

17mm eyepoint.

-3 ～ +1 diopters.

Type B BriteView Clear Matte Mark VIII with AF Area Brackets.

Selectable grid lines.

Shutter

Mechanical Shutter

1/8,000 ～ 30 seconds, Bulb and Time modes.

Electronic Shutter

Works silently, but only in Live View mode.

Intervalometer

New silent option lets the D850 capture loads of images without mechanical shutter wear.

Use silent and exposure smoothing modes to let you shoot day-into-night time-lapses with automatic exposures for each frame. In this mode the D850 can meter exposures to much less than LV -3.

In-camera RAW batch-processing lets you shoot and save RAW images, and also let the camera convert them all to another format for faster work if making them into a time lapse later.

While Nikon's earlier PR suggested 8K time-lapse ability, in fact all the D850 does is shoot frames at its usual still resolution (which is more than 8K), but you then have to assemble these frames into time-lapse movie files using your own software on your own computer.

Remote Releases

Ten-pin terminal for MC-30A or MC-36A remote cords, ML-3 modulite remote control sets, WR-R10 (requires WR-A10 adapter) or WR-1 wireless remote controllers,

Flash

1/250 sync speed.

Auto FP high-speed sync mode, too.

Built-in Flash

NONE.

External Flash

Dedicated hot shoe.

Standard PC (Prontor-Compur) flash sync terminal.

Basic radio-controlled flash mode like the D5 and D500 with the optional SB-5000 flash and WR-A10 and WR-R10 adapters.

LCD Monitor

3.2" (81 mm) diagonal.

2,359,000 dots.

4:3 aspect ratio.

Swivels up and down, but not left or right.

Connectors

3.5mm mic-in.

3.5mm headphone.

Mini-HDMI type C.

Micro-B USB 3.0.

Ten-pin remote terminal for MC-30A or MC-36A remote cords, ML-3 modulite remote control sets, WR-R10 (requires WR-A10 adapter) or WR-1 wireless remote controllers, or GP-1/ GP-1A GPS.

WiFi

IEEE 802.11b or g.

2,412 ~ 2,462 MHz (channels 1 ~ 11).

8.5 dBm EIRP maximum.

Open system WPA2-PSK authentication.

Bluetooth

Version 4.1

Bluetooth Low Energy.

2,402 ~ 2,480 MHz.

Storage

Nikon D850. bigger.

One SD and one XQD slot (no CF slot).

Body

Nikon D850. bigger.

Weather-sealed magnesium alloy body.

Power & Battery

EN-EL15a Battery

This is a backwards-compatible newer version of Nikon's very common EN-EL15.

Rated up to 1,840 shots at full resolution or approximately 70 minutes of video on a single charge (CIPA).

Fill the MB-D18 grip with extra batteries and get up to 5,140 shots (CIPA).

Charger

Same MH-25a charger as used for years. It has a bizarre flipping socket which requires either an awkward short US plug, or a standard "figure-8" charger cord.

The charger is clumsy, requires you slip the battery into the hole instead of popping it in from the top like most good chargers, and is useless unless you also bring a cord or plug.

The charge light is Nikon's standard. It blinks slowly while charging and goes solid when done. There is no indication of charge percentage while charging.

Nikon MH-25a charger, included with Nikon D850. enlarge.

Bottom, Nikon MH-25a charger. enlarge.

AC Adapters (optional)

EH-5c or EH-5b AC Adapters, either of which requires the EP-5B Fake Battery Connector to poke in the battery bay.

Size

4.9 × 5.8 × 3.1 inches HWD.

124 × 146 × 78.5 millimeters HWD.

Weight

35.4 oz. (1,005g) with battery and XQD card.

32.3 oz. (915g) stripped.

Operating Environment

0 ～ 40 º C (32 ～ 104 º F).

Up to 85% RH, noncondensing.

Included

Camera.

DK-17F fluorine-coated finder eyepiece cover.

BF-1B Body Cap.

AN-DC18 Strap.

EN-EL15a Rechargeable Li-ion Battery.

MH-25a Charger

UC-E22 USB Cable.

HDMI/USB Cable Clip.

Announced

12:01 AM NYC time, Thursday, 24 August 2017.

There was a press release with zero information mentioning it on 25 July 2017, Nikon's 100th anniversary:

TOKYO - Nikon Corporation is pleased to announce the development of the next-generation full-frame, high-resolution, high-speed digital SLR cameras with the upcoming release of the highly anticipated Nikon D850.

The D850 will be a formidable tool for creators who will not compromise on exceptional image quality and versatility, including aspiring and professional photographers, as well as hobbyists, who shoot landscapes, commercial sports, fashion and weddings, and multimedia content creators.

The D850 is the successor to the D810, which was highly praised by its users for offering extremely sharp and clear rendering, with rich tone characteristics. This powerful new FX-format digital SLR camera is engineered with a range of new technologies, features and performance enhancements that are a direct result of feedback from users over the years – who demand the very best from their camera equipment. The D850 will exceed the expectations of the vast range of photographers that seek the high resolution and high-speed capabilities that only a Nikon of this caliber complemented by NIKKOR lenses can offer.

Promised for

September 2017.

Price, USA

$3,297, August 2017. (see also Accessories)

Accessories

ML-3 modulite remote control set.

Included

DK-17F fluorine-coated finder eyepiece cover.

BF-1B Body Cap.

AN-DC18 Strap.

EN-EL15a Rechargeable Li-ion Battery.

MH-25a Charger

UC-E22 USB Cable.

HDMI/USB Cable Clip.

Optional

MB-D18 Multi Power Battery Pack: $396.95.

D850 with MB-D18 and 24-70/2.8 VR. bigger.

Front, MB-D18. bigger.

Back, MB-D18. bigger.

Remote Cords

MC-30A or MC-36A remote cords.

WR-R10 (requires WR-A10 adapter) or WR-1 wireless remote controllers.

Flash

For radio-controlled flash, you'll need the SB-5000 and WR-A10 and WR-R10 adapters.

Of course all the usual modern Nikon flashes work great as well.

Film Scanner Attachments

ES-2 film digitizing adapter: $139.95.

FH-5 slide mount holder: $24.95.

FH-4 film strip holder: $34.95.

(Use these with any full-frame Nikon 1:1 macro lens, like any of the 55/2.8 AF, 60/2.8 AF-D, 60/2.8G, 105/2.8 AF/D, 105/2.8 VR or 200/4 AF-D for best results.)

GPS

GP-1 and GP-1A GPS.

AC Adapters

EH-5c or EH-5b AC Adapters, either of which requires the EP-5B Fake Battery Connector to poke into the battery bay.

Recommendations

This is easy; if you need Nikon's highest image-quality camera ever, it's the D850. Ever since DSLRs hit 24MP you haven't heard anything from me about 35mm film which I now consider completely obsolete except as a special effect, and now the D850 is ahead of the D810.

While you can weigh the new hot-rod AF system, more speed, more resolution, Bluetooth and WiFi against losing the built-in flash of the Nikon D810, the simple fact is that the D850 doesn't cost that much more than the now obsolete D810. A new D850 is a no-brainer.

Remember that the cost of a camera is what you pay for it, minus what you get for it when sold to get your next camera. A few years from now the D850 will still be current, while the D810 you might be considering today will be worth only half as much as the D850 if sold used in a few years.

Unless you really miss the built-in flash, there's no way I'd buy a new D810 today over simply ordering the D850 and being patient until September. The prices are too close when bought new, and used prices between of the D810 will be dropping fast. You can't afford not to order a D850 today.

I'd get mine at Adorama, at Amazon or at B&H.

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