I have owned about every top DSLR Nikon has ever put out. Some models have performance bumps, other models are ground-breaking. Anybody remember when the D3 came out? And the disbelief at image quality at ISO3200, 6400 and beyond. This camera ushered in the ‘ISO revolution’. Specs have continued to improve, and I have really been pleased with my pair of D810s. I have shot thousands upon thousands of images with this duo, and they never have let me down. Why upgrade to the D850? Because this isn’t a bump in features, it is a quantum leap.
I have been shooting the D850 for a number of jobs and workshops, and to say I’m impressed is an understatement. This camera improves so much it is going to be hard to list all the features. Let me start with a few of my favorites. First, tilting LCD screen with improved resolution. I have been waiting for an articulating screen in my pro body, and it is here. Second, 45MP sensor that lets you choose smaller sizes if you like. That’s right, you don’t want the eye-popping resolution of 45MP, then you can choose 25MP or 11MP in RAW with excellent results. Third, I can use my WR-R10 wireless radio transmitter to trigger my SB5000s over 100 feet away, no line-of-sight needed. Fourth, this camera can shoot at 7 FPS (or 9 FPS with grip) at 45MP. That is just incredible, and honestly, with these speeds I can shoot sports, wildlife, landscapes, portraits…I don’t need more than 9FPS for my sports work. Fifth, I can shoot in ‘mirrorless’ mode at 6FPS totally silent (30FPS in DX mode). Sixth, the camera has improved weather sealing, no popup flash on top of the body. And I won’t even go into video improvements, which are many.
Here is one benefit you aren’t hearing much about, and becomes readily apparent in the field. I just got done shooting a climbing trip, four days of shooting (not the entire day, but a decent amount), and my battery still showed 3 bars…incredible. I’d like to see a mirrorless camera make it one day. Nikon has improved battery life over 50 percent from the D810, which was already a great battery performer. I banged my D850 against the cliff, got tons of dust blown all over it, and packed it in miles down the trail without a hitch.
At $3200, this camera comes in where you would expect the price to be, and well worth it. I’ve sold my D810s, and already upgraded to a my new workhorse pair of D850s. Let the shooting begin!