I was looking to upgrade at about the time Nikon was launching the D850. I bit the bullet and forked over the money. I have owned it for one year this month and I am pleased to say I could not be happier. It does all I expected and more. First I will say I do not use it for video, other than time lapse. The very first images I took, I raced home to download them and closely examine them. I was struck by the dynamic range, the color detail, the amount of detail, the ability to crop and lose very little data, hardly noticeable even. I have taken thousands of images with it since then. I have shot in extreme conditions of all sorts. Freezing, sleet, mountains, deserts, and since I live on the Oregon Coast, water of all sorts. It is a rugged workhorse, the images are phenomenal, the touchscreen has spoiled me for life, the options and features are everything I need in my daily workhorse camera. It is heavy, to be sure. However every time I hike into an area and take that heavy backpack off my shoulders, I am happy and confident knowing I am going to pull out my D850. If the shot gets messed up, missed or ruined, it is my fault and not the camera at all.
I bought mine in January, I sold my D810 and had a feeling that the D850 somehow was the camera that I was to keep for a number of years and I still feel that being the case. In the first ten months I did not have a chance of fully testing it out, a lot of issues in my life. But in the last month I was able to take it on an extended inter-continental trip and I was struck by the fact that I was getting a picture quality straight out of the camera I had not seen before. I do recommend that you set it to Vivid and bump it up for mainly out of doors shots (definitely not indoors or under artificial light) and even without resorting to Lightroom or Photoshop, the shots just had pop and colours and detail that was amazing. I use RAW and Fine as that suits me (OK, need a fair bit of memory), so I am not limited in post, but some of those Fine Jpegs right out of the box just amazed me. If you can, if you are up to the challenge, want a camera that is going to continue to challenge your abilities and technique, you will not be disappointed. About the price, consider what medium format cameras sell for, and many are technically deficient in ways the D850 is not, then unless you live in countries that have rip-off prices (like Australia, but the price has come down), this camera is almost a bargain. Bottom line? A camera for camera lovers - but, you need good glass too. May I suggest the Nikon 16-35mm F4 highly, I shoot well over 50% of my shots with it. Also, be not afraid to shoot in DX mode, they still look superb and great for sports. And focusing abilities etc, not perfect but still top drawer - and that it makes it such a good all-rounder and maybe that is the best news of all.
Nikon cameras are quite well designed, the silly problems they have are usually down to assembly issues like dirt/ excess oil. I shoot Nikon too, but hate Nikon as a company. Having had problems with Nikon cameras, their after sales service is poor. Screws too tight they break the plastic casing. BAD!They are also an arrogant company. Look at the latest D7500, the D3500, like why take basics away? Money grabbing. You are too nice a guy to deal with Nikon.
@@derekgillan7314 thank you Derek, that's very nice of you to say. My experience of their repairs has been pretty average so far to be honest so you're probably right 👍
I waited to try out the Z7, then I bought the far superior D850. Super discount sale with free grip promo too. Easier to hold and operate (I don’t have lady hands). Balances well with the pro lenses. Dual cards, faster focus tracking, functional grip, backlit buttons, etc, etc. I hike with lots of gear and the body is the least of these... my video results are amazing ... no complaints. I always use it with the grip. Makes it easier to hold and to adjust. I don’t see smaller as a benefit, rather it is a huge hindrance to shooting. If you need lighter then you might have some health issues you should address.
I just love these sort of reviews. Totally relaxing and entertaining at the same time. I prefer stuff like this over the commercial cooked reviews of the top vloggers on UA-cam.
Cracks are NOT wear and tear. Send it back and get that part replaced and tell them to pass on a message to not overtighten and to use the correct torque screwdriver.
I have had the D850 since August. Since then I have started a gradual shift to Sony mirrorless with the a7III. I sold my D800 and D4, but I am hanging on tight to the 850 because I love it and, like others, I believe its the best DSLR ever made. Mirrorless is the future and in the short time I've had my Sony, I can certainly see why, so the 850 is likely my last DSLR I will ever buy but in the few yearsI have left before I retire, I believe the two systems can co-exist for me. I am in the stage of sorting out which camera works best for which type of job. It's re-energized me. These are fun times!
I have been fortunate to get my hands on the Nikon 500 mm f5.6 PF, and this lens coupled with the D850 has been the largest change in bird photography in 30 years. Except for video, the tripod stays in the car. The 500 is a little bit longer but no heavier than my Nikon 70-200 f2.8, and I am hand-holding the D850 and the 500 with a 1.4 extender for 700 mm. Who would have believed it?
@@bentebbens Let me give another update. I have since acquired a Z9, and by incredible luck was able to get the Nikon 800mm f 6.3 PF. Forget the 500, this thing changes the world! A five pound 800mm that can be hand held! I just took it to Panama for bird photography, and when using the 1.4x, I had 1120mm with a full frame sensor on the Z9. Little birds that were once dots in the frame are now portraits. Unbelievable.
I upgraded from the d7100 to the d810 and couldn't be happier. I'm a traveler, I needed a pro body, the excellent dynamic range is a definite bonus. The improved ISO performance with an FX sensor is great too
I think your review is spot on. Absolutely spot on! Ironically my screen cracked. Still not sure how. Now wondering if that is a similar to the cracks around the eye piece you have experienced. Other than that - the positives out weight the negs two-fold. I do love the joy stick but find that if the back screen is slightly opened for live view - the corner of the screen can block the joy stick movement. It’s just a bit awkward. It is heavy camera - not for everyone. Not an issue for me, it makes me pack light. I’m not shy to pull out a monopod or tripod. It requires a good sturdy tri-pod too. The photos are spectacular! The camera rises to the occasion very time! I absolutely love it!
Thanks again James, for your fair unbiased and thorough review! I just bought the D780 w/kit lens 24-120mm. (and added a Nikkor 50mm f/1.8G) I couldn't afford the more expensive D850. Hopefully I won't regret my decision - especially since I'm a totally green amateur but anxiously wanting to learn about photography. Again thanks for your hard work and straight-shooting reviews!
So this will be the video that sealed my final purchasing decision. I found this very informative. I've been using the Nikon D500 and am now about to get a secondary camera. I've been on the ropes, should I go mirrorless? Should I wait for the D6, etc. This video helped me relax and realize that I won't regret my decision. Thank you for sharing, and cheers from Texas!!!
A year on from my first exciting encounter with my D850, and it still amazes and delights. In truth, my D800e was almost on par with image quality and DR (pop up flash aside, that is a really tough body too!), but the D850 is hands down the better camera in terms of usability (faster, much better AF, lower base ISO, better ergonomics etc, etc). I use it a lot for wildlife photography, and it tracks fast subjects really well (impressive hit rate). This will be my main camera for a few years to come, by which time Nikon's mirrorless cameras will hopefully be as, or more formidable than the D850.
Thanks for sharing your experience of the d850! A superb camera body! I suspect that the era of mirrorless is about to take off and that my next camera purchase (years away) will be a mirrorless model 👍
Great review I own a Nikon D850 and a D750 and I got to tell you they're both great cameras I do landscape Sports wildlife and I have not found one negative thing about the d850 it is a great camera
Great review, many thanks. I ordered mine yesterday after procrastinating for ages! :) Can't wait for it to arrive. Been using the D800 and D800E for years..... the D850 looks to be a huge step-up. Didn't know about the backlit buttons (although I should've done)...... as an astro shooter I share your glee at this feature. Didn't know about the focus peaking either. In 2020 XQD cards are still pricey, as I'm sure you know. Managed to get a 64Gb from E-Infinity for A$219.
Thanks for taking the time to make this review. I've been using the d750 for several years, largely for video (yes, I know--most videographers use Canon or Sony--but I had so much Nikon glass and I didn't want to start over). Anyway, I purchased a d850 earlier this year and was excited by some of the new features for video--especially focus peaking (despite its limitations). One of the first jobs I was capturing with the d850 was a live dance performance. I was shooting in 1080p mode when, 4 minutes into the show, the camera stopped recording and I got an onscreen message saying "Recording has stopped". I broke out in a cold sweat as I tried to get the camera recording again. It took removing the battery and, rather than take a chance, I grabbed for my d750 to get the rest of the show. Long story short, I spent an hour or more on the phone with Nikon and they seemed both uniformed and, frankly, disinterested in what I went through. I finally got someone on the phone who pulled out a d850 and was able to replicate the "recording has stopped" problem while I was on the phone with them. All they could say was, "Yeah, it shouldn't do that. You'll probably want to send it back." Since then, I've tried to get reassurance from Nikon that this is a known problem and that it's been addressed in some sort of firmware update. No one at Nikon was willing to address the problem with me or reassure me that I could buy another d850 and record video with confidence. As a result, I do not own a d850 and can't imagine buying a new Nikon for my video work.
Thanks for sharing your experience! Sounds like absolutely awful customer service and I can totally sympathise with your decision. Nikon have a bit of a bad rep for their support which is such a shame
I left a comment some 5 months ago, love your review. You hit great points and cover many things I didn't know. Prices finally cropped a bit so I ordered mine and I LOVE it. Then I realized that the only full frame glass I have is Sigma? 28-200mm f3.5-5.6 I think. Soft junk and worthless. Since I added a, Nikkor AF-S 24-120mm f4 G ED VR and the Nikkor AF-S 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR and the Battery Grip, not for the 9-FPS but added battery life. Now, you can complain about how heave it is. I'm gonna get that old guy seat with wheels to cart this around. That or a "Fork lift" I may add a nice 20 or 24mm, f2.8 prime if its faster or sharper than the zoom. I love the low light shooting. My son races so the 4K video is just wonderful to have. As for the cracks, If I start seeing anything like this, you'll know. You will hear me scream from across the pond! Thanks again for one of the best, intelligent and most informative reviews.
Everything you said in this review has been my experience with camera as well. I can never get over having 8356 pixels on the long side! I didn’t know about the focus stacking
I was impressed by this review, the way it was delivered and the standard of presentation were excellent. I own a D3 and have had since it was first introduced, I have used it in many situations and it has never let me down all in all a great camera. But I have decided that an upgrade is needed to either a D5 or D6 {when available}, the review has made me add the D850 to my checklist, and, it might be that I get this camera instead.
Good review. Have a D850 and like you impressed having been a Nikon owner from the FE2 through the digital age when the FUJIFILM FINE PIX S2 PRO in a nikon body ruled it as did the FUJIFILM F5 Pro in a nikon body Good to see they have sorted the software.Nothing but praise for the Nikon HQ in Kingston Sorted many lenses out for me due to travel and sand so a minor issue you had
James, this is a great review of the camera, both the pros and cons. The crack in the eyepiece, could that have been done when you sent it in for repairs by someone overtightening the screw when it was places back on the camera? The weight of the camera is partially due to the metal that is the body. I look at it as "solidly built". Plastic cameras are surely lighter. One more comment, if the camera weighs a lot on long hauls, you may consider using a shoulder strap to help support the weight. This is a world of give and take and I feel like you do, this is the best camera purchase I have made to date.
I've had mine for a little over a year. I am not a professional (not even a good amateur) but I really like this camera. I expect that mine will last for ten years or more so I "went big" as well. I think the auto focus is great and I use the spot focus and it works great. I have used the higher ISO and have been impressed with the quality of the images at the higher ISO. The down side is, as James states, it is heavy. I typically keep my 28-70mm lens and that is adds to the weight (with my 50mm, feels really light). I don't use the video features. Overall, I've been tickled with it.
I'm 6'2" 210 lbs and I hear this thing is heavy, if that's all I see that is a huge negative, then I'm moving forward with buying it. I appreciate everyone's comments negative and positive. I have the Sony a77 and I pretty much hate it. Was great to learn on but I'm done with it.
@Goggle products lol I was getting out that my stature isn't going to matter with this camera. I did buy it 2 weeks ago and absolutely love it. I think the only thing I don't like about it, that I can see, is you can't see your photos in the optical view finder only in the live view. If you can do this I'd like to know because the live view is not as good as some people are claiming. You still need to an eye loop of some sort if you want to see if your picture is sharp. I turned up the brightness as far as it will go and it helped but on a sunny day, especially in snow I still couldn't see my photos very well.
If people really think that 900g on a pro body is heavy, go out and shoot a medium format film body for a day. My Pentax 645n weights roughly 1.7kg without and over 2.5kg with a lens. Carried with a strap all day. But here is the thing: You NEED a good strap! OP/Tech makes really good ones. Under 1kg for a camera body isn't that heavy at all... Even my Nikon F4 weights roughly 200g more than this. lol.
Best feature: the JPEG and MP4 pretty much always nails it. Especially the white balance, it's astonishing! So there is no need to mess around with RAW or C-LOG in most situations. That that is a HUGE time saver! Also because of the insane resolution, 8-bit JPEG still allows pretty decent shadow recovery. Subsampling to 23 mpixel 16-bit also means that you roughly have the RAW recovery options from the D750 in JPEG!
Hello Michael. I have both the D850 (a recent purchase), and also the D700 . Yes, the D700 is quite heavy add an 80-200 or any other long lens it gets exhausting. The D850 is slightly lighter though.
Hi James, I'm a bit late to the party here, but still thought I might weigh in. Just read your review of the Z7 as well as I have both cameras and shoot primarily landscape. I had been using the D810, another phenomenal camera, but jumped to the 850 for focus stacking, focus peaking, and the updated view screen. I moved to the Z7 recently primarily for the reduced weight/bulk and the ability to shoot with the new 2.8 S trinity zooms. Agree with your assessments on both the 850 and Z7. BTW, I saw another user of the 850 that sent it off to Nikon and it came back cracked at the eyepiece...I think the 810 had a better design at this location. The 850 was not a huge leap from the 810 for me, but the Z7 from the 850 was, in terms of weight, EVF, and easier controls. The transformational change for me is in the new Z glass, in particular the 14-24 2.8, and the 24-70 2.8. I'm using the Kase Wolverine magnetic 112mm with both which has dramatically lightened the load/bulk of my kit and I'm delighted to not having to lug Lee's SW150 filter system around. Top that with the super sharp new S lens and I am now content. Great content and authenticity on your channel!
Just bought a used D850 (good shape 2200$) joining my D750. Reason why? Because I own a lot of precious (VR) lenses and interested in perfect image quality mostly for landscape photography. I also considered moving to SONY but the cost of all the new lenses let me decide this way - Your review after 1 year of using the camera in various condition tends to justify my purchase but it looks like that I will not be happy with the video performance which might lead to buying a special video camera some day. I hope you still stick to your judgment about your D850 and time will tell if I took a good decision today.
Update on my d850 dim focus box comment. I went to a Camera store to check out another d850 and indeed that one had an equally dim focus box. Called Nikon to see if there would be a firmware update to allow for adjustment and they said they didn't know of one. I love the d850. Even bought the grip and special battery (with special end cap). But if I can't focus on my client's eye in a wedding reception, I'm very limited. So, I sent it back and bought the D5. (The D5 focus box has adjustable brightness on the focus box). (Sidenote: the Mac Lightroom RAW download issue was indeed on my end. My computer ended up crashing due to an unrelated issue. Thanks for the comments and thanks again for your review of the d850. If they fix the dim focus box I'll consider picking one up for landscape photos.
D850 was my camera and simply loved it to bits. BUT. I eventually jumped to the NIKON Z 7 II ….. new learning for new mirrorless camera - but lighter. The Z7 to me is just like my old D850 but more compact, still has truly amazing performance …. Good review by the way
One year in and I can only really say I have one negative issue to report on the camera: the red light up focus points on this body as way dimmer than with any other Nikon pro body I have owned. That can be frustrating when you are in a hurry and you lose your focus point in frame when trying to composer a shot in dinner situations. I'm nota video shooter so I have no experience with that. Build quality seems excellent and I use the larger batteries with the grip in conjunction with my D4s so I don't have to worry about 2 different batty sizes. Yes it is heavy (especially with the grip) but I have always liked a heavier body. As I age (48 now) I do notice my wrist getting a little tired after a long day of shooting. That's not going to change my preference for a heavier body anytime soon however. I like that they went with the XQD cards as I use them with my D4s. I would have preferred 2 XQD over the use of an SD card as I find them slow, flimsy and easily dropped as they are so tiny. Going CFast would have been better (backwards compatible with XQD) but they are not even out yet. There does seem to be a different process with quick formatting cards through the shortcut rather than the menu than my D4s. Muscle memory seems to be stumbling a bit on the D850 (that's picky). Honestly, the only fault that I can really feel bothered about is the dim focus points in the view finder. In studio I have lost the single point (which i mostly use) completely for a few seconds when going back to frame a new images. As studio stuff is slower than any action, that's irritating but livable. Switching to a different focus mode did help me find the point in lower room light situations, but when I want single point (99% of the time) it can be a little bit of a bother. Of course I'd buy the D850 again in a heartbeat as I think it's an incredible camera, the best all around DSLR ever built.
Natural wear and tear VS build quality? I've owned the Nikon D850 since day one of it's release. My camera has never been dropped. While is has been cared for exceptionally; keeping it in a proper gadget bag when not in use, etc... The Nikon D850 is one of the best cameras made for professional use and also overall durability, including weather resistance. As a matter of fact, the levels of weather resistance for the Nikon D850 actually exceed the Nikon D5. The amounts of use of my Nikon D850 for both still photography, and also for video, also in extraordinary level of poor weather conditions... I still have zero issues with the camera; including naturally no hair line fractures and zero issues with build quality. A note for most people; the cost of the camera is not just limited to the cost of that camera body and a few lenses. Strongly weigh adding in a battery grip, and the best choice for the battery grip is also the most expensive one - presently exceeding nine hundred usd. Consider having four batteries and preferably two chargers. Since this camera body has two card slots; try to have two cards of each type - noting you get what you pay for. Be sure to add in that camera bag to your preference. Noting that this is a larger 24x36 full frame camera. If one elects to have the battery grip continually attached along with a quality lens, and perhaps a few more lenses and then also additional lighting options... Be sure to be aware of the size of the bag, and that one will also be limited as to the top limits of that bag for transportation restrictions, especially for regional flights and also some overseas flights.
I’ve had mine for 6 years now and when I retired I sold a photo bag full of top-of-the-line Nikon glass and replaced it with the 28-300mm Nikon zoom. Maybe not the best glass in the world, but it makes for an extremely versatile camera setup that travels well. Over the years I’ve captured some amazing images with this camera but I’m almost 60 now and the weight is becoming an issue. But it’s by far the best Nikon DSLR I’ve ever owned, and I’ve owned quite a few.
Great review, very helpful! Thank you. I have a D800 for 7 years, it's a workhorse, held together with Gaffer's tape after many years on the road and many falls it still works flawlessly for photography but is outdated for video. I'm a pro video shooter and I want the 4K video so this could be my B cam instead of my D800 as C cam. I trust Nikon's solid engineering and will expect to get 5-7 years from the D850 when it comes my way, soon hopefully. Thanks for the review!
Very nice review and I like that you waited to do it. I was set to buy one in 2020 but found a refurbished D810 for enough less that I settled. I now wish I’d held out for the touch screen, joystick, extra focus points, articulating screen, and backlit buttons.
Thank you for the amazing review, I got the D850 a few months ago and I am based in West Africa, weather conditions are rough most of the year for electronics, the camera has been doing very well with heat, rain and humidity. At first I was again any screens that move because of the possibility of it breaking but its been the total opposite. One thing that I needed to manage also was the size of the raw files which obviously I cant complain but it needs a super computer to be able to handle that and it takes a long time even with a good one.
Hello James, great video and nice, short, to the point, comments on each aspect of this camera. I own the D850, and I love it. I am an aspiring enthusiast..lol. But I have been shooting for quite a while, and have tried various other bodies out. To me, and in my opinion, I love the Nikon menu. Add to that, the 850, as you stated, took all the "would like to have's" that many photographers wanted, and put them into this body. I really don't have much to add to what you stated, but would really like to emphasize the magnification of your technical ability..lol. 45mp does bring out any flaws you have in any hand holding captures for sure. Even with a lens that has VR on it, the slightest vibration can be seen. And yes, that is a big deal if you print big. But, because of that, I use this bad boy almost strictly on tripod. Overall, I still love it after a year, and don't see a trade in, or upgrade any time soon. The Z7 might be an option after it has been out a while. Thanks again for great video!
Hi James, Re the viewfinder screw: That crack is due to over tightening on repair, over time, it would not have cracked if it was done appropriately. Just received ours and it is a terrific camera, we particularly like the square format amongst other things.
I’ve been using a D500 for some time now and love the 10 fps. I keep thinking I want to go FF and the D850 looks promising. Your video was very helpful. Thanks!
Really good review. I wish more were like this - no fluff or shouting, just good info. Thank you. I too own a D850 and 100% agree with what you said. Just add that you can go the other way and make it lighter to carry on a long hike by fitting just a light prime lens. Makes it easier on all day hikes.
Just ordered ours yesterday 2021, with grip after working with D800's that are brilliant workhorses. Mainly still life but recently wildlife and commercial. Terrific review and very useful, the D800's are heavy as are the lenses so no problem there, used to go to the gym and can be used for exercising the biceps! Thanks for sharing. Most work leans towards gallery prints and fine art.
James, that crack were the screw is on the viewfinder housing, could be from being over torqued when it was repaired. It should not of cracked if the screw was properly torqued. Great video.
Thanks for your review. I've had my D850 for about 6 months, and my primary lens is also the Tamron 24-70 G2. It's one of my only lenses (in addition to a Tamron 70-300) that does not work well with the camera's live view autofocus. All my other lenses work flawlessly.
@@JamesBrewphoto At about 10:26 of your video, you mentioned that the live view autofocus "absolutely sucks," which is why I brought it up. Maybe you just meant that it hunts too long or that it fails altogether? With the 2 lenses I mentioned, it reports that my given focus point is a focus lock (indicated by a green square), but the point is in fact usually blurry (out of focus). My workaround is to either tweak the focus manually or to focus through the viewfinder instead.
@@BuckChristensen75 I find that the auto focus is just poor full stop regardless of which lens I'm using. Its something which Nikon really need to get better at 👍
I ordered the D850 today and expect delivery tomorrow. (As I write this, Jessops have a 12 month interest free deal on). Upgrading from the D800. What I didn't realize is that the D850 does not have a built in flash which I think is useful for adding a bit of highlight or filling in shadows, so I have bought an Sb N5 as well. Moving into library image submissions. Will keep you posted. And could you tell me what the camera grip is that you seem to have on your D850. Thanks
You're welcome JB. Now get it done, don't put it off. In fact when you get it fixed do a short video on that whole experience, good or bad. I'm looking at the D850 as my next and final camera so your perspective is great to hear.
Super review James. Agree with everything you've said. Moved up from a D750. On top of the downsides you mentioned, my minor gripes are, Snapbridge mostly sucks. Kills battery if left on, so I keep mine on Airplane mode. And the other tiny thing, the AF points aren't illuminated brightly enough through the viewfinder!
@@alleyeson2594 I actually love it. It does almost everything beautifully. But, whilst my multiple gripes with the D850 are minor, the 1 gripe with the D750 is major. The buffer! I shoot weddings and although I don't need a super fast camera, I do sometimes need to shoot multiple frames (first kiss, walk down the aisle, first dance etc) and the buffer would fill up too fast. I used the best SD cards possible (although I was writing to two cards) but it would still not be able to keep up. No such issues with the d850 though! The d750 is still my back up camera and after 220k shutter actuations it's still going strong :) What about you?
Fair review - not much I'd disagree with. I've had a D850 from the day of release and I love using it. So many great features. I use live view a lot - good for seeing live histogram and focus peaking. My only gripe is that it doesn't have an EVF so I can see the information from live view in the view finder. Other than that, pretty well perfect DSLR.
Yeah an EVF would be pretty cool. Seriously though there's really so little bad things to say about it. Awesome camera body! Thanks for sharing your thoughts Julian 👌
I’m a proud owner of a 850 and concur with you all the positives and the few negatives you shared. Apart from the live view auto focus. I’ve had mine about two years and I find it fantastic. Also if you drop the camera and break the eye piece I think you are unfair regarding the durability in that area. You know doubt weakened that area hence the cracks. All in all though it’s a great bit of kit and I think it must have been about half the price of my D4S hence great value for money.
It's an exceptional full frame camera!!! I've used it since March and couldn't believe the dynamic range and detail of my images. Like you mentioned, "it's unforgiving." If you don't nail the focus, your photos will be trashed. So now I use a tripod midday, unless there's lots of sun light. Great review!
I own the D850, my first full frame. It is to me the best DSLR camera on the market right now. You are right though, the video mode needs a big firmware update.
I almost bought the D850 but ended up getting the Sony A7iii instead. there was some very big factors for me in this choice. Those factors included 1) price point 2) Sony A7iii is a great hybrid system for both photography and Video 3) Its mirrorless technology. Overall the Sony A7iii is a great camera and the image quality is very good especially with the sharpness with Sony Glass and the great quality at high ISO's. The main downsides to the Sony cameras is only getting 8 bit color depth and the lenses are a bit more expensive than their Canon and Nikon Counterparts on average. But the Video quality and how it handles for video is truly amazing.
I want to buy one so I've watched a lot of videos. Yours was the most straight forward and covered some features no one else has. Thanks from across the pond
Excellent review James. I don't have the D850 but I decided to buy the D810 shortly after the D850 came out, which meant I got it for a really good price (about half the price of the D850 with some careful looking around) and it's still a really good camera. There are definitely some features on the D850 that I would have liked on my D810, like the crop previews and the tilt screen, but not enough for me to pay the extra. Like you I'm hoping to get a few years out of my D810 and by the time I want to change I suspect that mirrorless will be the only way to go.
Thanks Ralph. The d810 is still an exceptional piece of kit. It's very much a case of diminishing returns with the rate of quality improvements in these bodies now. I suspect that both these cameras will last us a very long time indeed. Mirrorless definitely looks the way the entire market is going though👍
Great review James! Very detailed and accurate! I've upgraded from Nikon D5200 to Nikon D810 with Nikkor 105mm f2.8 and Nikkor 24-120mm F4, and the difference is night and day! Amazing camera! I aimed for Nikon D850, but it was too expensive, but no argue is the superior camera!
Great honest review. I bought one recently and have yet to find time to get in to it. I’ll get back to you soon as spring is here soon.... Mind what I have used has been impressive especially the cleanness of high ISO and the resolution.
Love it. Hard to justify as an enthusiast, but if I ever get serious..maybe. The size and weight are serious deterrents, even professionally. The entry level D5500 is a sleeper, and woefully under estimated for pure image quality. That will do, for now.
2:40 "Why did you take a picture of me!?" - "I didn't want to, the camera's just too good!" Thanks for the video - will probably buy that one too. :) If I remember this video after a year or so (or UA-cam randomly recommends me that vid) I'll gladly give you my opinion on the D850 if I go through with the purchase.
Thanks for the video on positives and negatives regarding the Nikon D850. I currently own one and agree that it does lack important features but the build of the camera and ample features do outweigh the few options Nikon could have built into the camera.
Happy I found your video! Im still in the mind process if I should switch from my old Canon 5D mark ii. I only own two lenses for now for my canon, so wouldn't be that big lose to switch. Im using my camera everyday and seems like a good investment like you said. You got any words that can make me decide..
Yes on the positives. And yes on the negatives, but I haven't seen any cracking. I found some issue with the shutter release button after being in some heavy rain, but it was OK after it dried out. And the live view autofocus is absolute rubbish. And man is it heavy. Thank you thank you thank you for saying this. I didn't want to keep thinking I was a wimp. But it is a great camera. I'm so glad I bought it.
I use my D850 for wildlife still photography.. I'm very happy and agree with this review.. I find video editing too labour intensive so for me this is the perfect camera..
Great review, I’ve just bought a as new D850 as an upgrade from a D800 so it’s good to hear you are happy On the cracking around the viewfinder screws, that looks like they have been over tightened maybe?
Nice review! I use a Indigo Marble Padded Neoprene Anti-Slip Sling Camera Strap with the 850. Really works well and allows the camera to ride my thigh/hip and cut down on fatigue.
Definitely subscribing..... I was about to buy this one but with the Z7, Z6 I hold my decision and now I honestly don`t know what to do... this was a very very good video as you pointed out a few times there are way more positives than negatives and I'd say this is a near-perfect camera. Excellent video.
Cheers Bruno! I can totally sympathise with your difficult decision. I guess you just have to assess the pros and cons of each and how well suited they are to your needs. Once you've done that it will hopefully be clear which way you need to go. Good luck! 🙂
Very accurate review of the D850. I have owned mine for about 9 months taking pictures from Grandchildren's rugby games to hockey games to a recent trip to the Grand Canyon. The images it produces are amazing compared to my D810. You do need the best Nikon glass to compliment this camera, I generally use the 300mm f/2.8G and 70 - 200 f/2.8E lenses. Great camera, can't wait to see what replaces it.
Nice video. I upgraded to a D810 18 months ago and have been very impressed by it. My last camera (D300) lasted me 9 years, so I doubt I'll ever need to replace the D810 :)
It’s a beast of a body man and like you said an overall very strong camera. I still have my Mark IV but really think within the next 12 or so months it may be time to upgrade. I can honestly say I’ve never tried the D850 but have been out in the field with others. I thought the focus stack feature was fantastic. Happy shooting James.
Thanks very much Diego! A mirrorless upgrade is probably the way to go but I'd wait until the next gen offerings come out within the next 12-18 months 👌
I decided to add to my collection the D850. I have the APSC D7500 which in love too. I had a Z6 but returned it. I like that the D lenses are cheaper than the Z lenses, I can user all my Nikon lenses. No buying EXPENSIVE z fx lenses. I love the huge megapixels and the dynamic range and the backlights. This camera feels GREAT in the hands too. I just love it!
I have Panasonic G9 but like the iso performance, picture quality and dynamic range you mentioned on D850. If passionate for that work flow or quality of final product believe nagging issues are small. Love having a niche result using a Voigtlander dream lens on G9 and in body stabilization allows for a lot of freedom with it. Best regards on your D850 adventures.
A pretty interesting take on the D850. The lack of IBIS and the excessive weight are probably the deal breakers for many photographers, at least at this price point. Considering image taking is more important to you than video the Nikon Z7 might be worth considering. It's lighter smaller with equal image quality. I'd enjoy seeing you review it if you can get your hands on one.
I really enjoyed you review of the D850. I was thinking of upgrading to the D850 until watching your review. I love my photography but I also equally enjoy my videography but I cannot afford to buy two separate camera, so it looks like I will have to keep with my D7200 for now. And look at another brand that will give me both.
5 or 6 years? I am hoping to get a lot more than that out of mine! I have gotten 10 years out of my D700 and it is still my back up camera. As for the hairline cracks around the screws, I suspect that occurred at the repair facility when they were torqued down way tighter than necessary. If the piece were metal instead of plastic this might not have been an issue, but I suspect Nikon made it from plastic to keep costs and weight down.
Very honest review James. As an enthusiast, the D850 is too much camera for me. I've played with the Z6 and if I ever upgraded from my D7200, I might consider it. Having said that the mf3 cameras are still the job for travel. The D850 is working for you so keep up the good work 👍
Thanks very much Eltin! Yeah the Mirrorless models looks interesting but I strongly suspect it maybe better waiting for the following ups which are likely to be significantly better. Advancements with new technology are always more rapid therefore I see mirrorless accelerating very quickly from here on in. I reckon mirror dslrs will go the way of the dinosaur eventually 👍
Hello James, good review by the way. I currently use the Nikon D-810 and enjoy the camera very much. I used to own the 5D2 for years and I learned a lot with that camera. I switched to Nikon for the resolution, dynamic range, and the price really? From your review and what I thought about the D-850 I agree with you on the XQD cards. I have quite a few CF cards for my D810 that I prefer using those. Also a fully articulated screen is what I really prefer and I wish Nikon would introduce another version of the D-850 but I doubt it it would happen. All the other points you mentioned about the usability of the cameras are excellent indeed. Having two bodies is always helpful when traveling and I might purchase it in the future. Cheers.
Great review James. Understand where your coming from when your on about weight, came from Canon & moved over to a mirrorless set-up & I've never looked back.
James Brew I shoot with the Sony A7 Rii for photography & the Sony A6300 as my vlogging Camera. Not been out shooting for a while due to work commitments, bit of street photography here & there. Planning on getting back out very soon to shoot some landscapes, & getting some videos uploaded, it’s been too long ha. Maybe the break will of done me good, sometimes you need it.
Awesome review James. Spot on. I love my D850 and you've covered all the reasons why. I've shot corporate videos with it and mostly used the slow mo HD video feature. Can do it all this Nikon beast. Cheers mate :)
Cheers Adrian! I think it's a great video camera but just a bit clunky to use. Hate the auto focus systems too, Nikon need to up their game there significantly in future. Overall those are just minor gripes, the camera is an absolute triumph 👍
Just about to purchase one with 70-200mm, this review definitely help me made the decision, D850 is at a good value now. I was hard to choose in between Z7 vs 850, I think I will go for D850 now.
I own this, I don't use it for video so that is not a problem for me. I am very pleased with with my purchase and would do so again if lost or damaged. Great video.
I was looking to upgrade at about the time Nikon was launching the D850. I bit the bullet and forked over the money. I have owned it for one year this month and I am pleased to say I could not be happier. It does all I expected and more. First I will say I do not use it for video, other than time lapse. The very first images I took, I raced home to download them and closely examine them. I was struck by the dynamic range, the color detail, the amount of detail, the ability to crop and lose very little data, hardly noticeable even. I have taken thousands of images with it since then. I have shot in extreme conditions of all sorts. Freezing, sleet, mountains, deserts, and since I live on the Oregon Coast, water of all sorts. It is a rugged workhorse, the images are phenomenal, the touchscreen has spoiled me for life, the options and features are everything I need in my daily workhorse camera. It is heavy, to be sure. However every time I hike into an area and take that heavy backpack off my shoulders, I am happy and confident knowing I am going to pull out my D850. If the shot gets messed up, missed or ruined, it is my fault and not the camera at all.
Thanks for sharing your d850 story. I 100% agree with everything you say. Especially the point of having confidence in your camera 👌
I bought mine in January, I sold my D810 and had a feeling that the D850 somehow was the camera that I was to keep for a number of years and I still feel that being the case. In the first ten months I did not have a chance of fully testing it out, a lot of issues in my life. But in the last month I was able to take it on an extended inter-continental trip and I was struck by the fact that I was getting a picture quality straight out of the camera I had not seen before. I do recommend that you set it to Vivid and bump it up for mainly out of doors shots (definitely not indoors or under artificial light) and even without resorting to Lightroom or Photoshop, the shots just had pop and colours and detail that was amazing. I use RAW and Fine as that suits me (OK, need a fair bit of memory), so I am not limited in post, but some of those Fine Jpegs right out of the box just amazed me.
If you can, if you are up to the challenge, want a camera that is going to continue to challenge your abilities and technique, you will not be disappointed. About the price, consider what medium format cameras sell for, and many are technically deficient in ways the D850 is not, then unless you live in countries that have rip-off prices (like Australia, but the price has come down), this camera is almost a bargain.
Bottom line? A camera for camera lovers - but, you need good glass too. May I suggest the Nikon 16-35mm F4 highly, I shoot well over 50% of my shots with it. Also, be not afraid to shoot in DX mode, they still look superb and great for sports. And focusing abilities etc, not perfect but still top drawer - and that it makes it such a good all-rounder and maybe that is the best news of all.
I would be interested in videos too actually, but I’m not sure :/
Same here on my purchase of the D850 it is incredible Nikon really developed a magnificent camera to celebrate their 100 anniversary
This is one of the most refreshing reviews I've ever seen. No BS, just accurate observations and honest opinions. Very well done. Cheers!
Thanks very much David! Glad you enjoyed it 🙂
screws are too tight after repair, tell the repair centre they screwed up.
Cheers Derek! I suspect you are right. It may have to go back for further repairs
Nikon cameras are quite well designed, the silly problems they have are usually down to assembly issues like dirt/ excess oil. I shoot Nikon too, but hate Nikon as a company. Having had problems with Nikon cameras, their after sales service is poor. Screws too tight they break the plastic casing. BAD!They are also an arrogant company. Look at the latest D7500, the D3500, like why take basics away? Money grabbing. You are too nice a guy to deal with Nikon.
@@derekgillan7314 thank you Derek, that's very nice of you to say. My experience of their repairs has been pretty average so far to be honest so you're probably right 👍
Never any problem for the last 45 years.....BEST COMPANY.
Derek is absolutely right. It is not the material, it is the technician that overdid the tightening.
I waited to try out the Z7, then I bought the far superior D850. Super discount sale with free grip promo too.
Easier to hold and operate (I don’t have lady hands). Balances well with the pro lenses. Dual cards, faster focus tracking, functional grip, backlit buttons, etc, etc.
I hike with lots of gear and the body is the least of these... my video results are amazing ... no complaints.
I always use it with the grip. Makes it easier to hold and to adjust. I don’t see smaller as a benefit, rather it is a huge hindrance to shooting.
If you need lighter then you might have some health issues you should address.
I just love these sort of reviews. Totally relaxing and entertaining at the same time. I prefer stuff like this over the commercial cooked reviews of the top vloggers on UA-cam.
Thanks very much!
Cracks are NOT wear and tear. Send it back and get that part replaced and tell them to pass on a message to not overtighten and to use the correct torque screwdriver.
I have had the D850 since August. Since then I have started a gradual shift to Sony mirrorless with the a7III. I sold my D800 and D4, but I am hanging on tight to the 850 because I love it and, like others, I believe its the best DSLR ever made. Mirrorless is the future and in the short time I've had my Sony, I can certainly see why, so the 850 is likely my last DSLR I will ever buy but in the few yearsI have left before I retire, I believe the two systems can co-exist for me. I am in the stage of sorting out which camera works best for which type of job. It's re-energized me. These are fun times!
Frank Zayas which camera do you like better between your Sony and D850? In terms of picture dynamic range/quality or however you would compare
I have been fortunate to get my hands on the Nikon 500 mm f5.6 PF, and this lens coupled with the D850 has been the largest change in bird photography in 30 years. Except for video, the tripod stays in the car. The 500 is a little bit longer but no heavier than my Nikon 70-200 f2.8, and I am hand-holding the D850 and the 500 with a 1.4 extender for 700 mm. Who would have believed it?
Thanks so much for telling us!
@@bentebbens Let me give another update. I have since acquired a Z9, and by incredible luck was able to get the Nikon 800mm f 6.3 PF. Forget the 500, this thing changes the world! A five pound 800mm that can be hand held! I just took it to Panama for bird photography, and when using the 1.4x, I had 1120mm with a full frame sensor on the Z9. Little birds that were once dots in the frame are now portraits. Unbelievable.
I upgraded from the d7100 to the d810 and couldn't be happier. I'm a traveler, I needed a pro body, the excellent dynamic range is a definite bonus. The improved ISO performance with an FX sensor is great too
I am considering the D810 today. I wonder what your opinion of it is now?
I think your review is spot on. Absolutely spot on! Ironically my screen cracked. Still not sure how. Now wondering if that is a similar to the cracks around the eye piece you have experienced. Other than that - the positives out weight the negs two-fold. I do love the joy stick but find that if the back screen is slightly opened for live view - the corner of the screen can block the joy stick movement. It’s just a bit awkward. It is heavy camera - not for everyone. Not an issue for me, it makes me pack light. I’m not shy to pull out a monopod or tripod. It requires a good sturdy tri-pod too. The photos are spectacular! The camera rises to the occasion very time! I absolutely love it!
Thanks again James, for your fair unbiased and thorough review!
I just bought the D780 w/kit lens 24-120mm. (and added a Nikkor 50mm f/1.8G)
I couldn't afford the more expensive D850. Hopefully I won't regret my decision - especially since I'm a totally green amateur but anxiously wanting to learn about photography. Again thanks for your hard work and straight-shooting reviews!
This was a fantastic summary, thank you. Having owned a D90 for over 10 years now, if I make this leap, I guess I'll see a quantum leap in changes.
Lol I'm still shooting with the d90 too! But it's definatetly time.
Lol it’s like upgrade a Nissan 2010 to a Lamborghini 2021 lol
Lol I did make the leap, and quite a keep it is too
So this will be the video that sealed my final purchasing decision. I found this very informative. I've been using the Nikon D500 and am now about to get a secondary camera. I've been on the ropes, should I go mirrorless? Should I wait for the D6, etc. This video helped me relax and realize that I won't regret my decision. Thank you for sharing, and cheers from Texas!!!
A year on from my first exciting encounter with my D850, and it still amazes and delights. In truth, my D800e was almost on par with image quality and DR (pop up flash aside, that is a really tough body too!), but the D850 is hands down the better camera in terms of usability (faster, much better AF, lower base ISO, better ergonomics etc, etc).
I use it a lot for wildlife photography, and it tracks fast subjects really well (impressive hit rate).
This will be my main camera for a few years to come, by which time Nikon's mirrorless cameras will hopefully be as, or more formidable than the D850.
Thanks for sharing your experience of the d850! A superb camera body! I suspect that the era of mirrorless is about to take off and that my next camera purchase (years away) will be a mirrorless model 👍
@@JamesBrewphoto i dont like mirrorless
Great review I own a Nikon D850 and a D750 and I got to tell you they're both great cameras I do landscape Sports wildlife and I have not found one negative thing about the d850 it is a great camera
Great review, many thanks.
I ordered mine yesterday after procrastinating for ages! :)
Can't wait for it to arrive.
Been using the D800 and D800E for years..... the D850 looks to be a huge step-up.
Didn't know about the backlit buttons (although I should've done)...... as an astro shooter I share your glee at this feature.
Didn't know about the focus peaking either.
In 2020 XQD cards are still pricey, as I'm sure you know. Managed to get a 64Gb from E-Infinity for A$219.
I need to sell more of my body parts to be able to afford this camera. One day I'll own one, if there's anything left of me. Great review.
MOL (Meowing Out Loud)!
Just don't sell your arms. You can't use the camera of you don't have arms
Thanks for taking the time to make this review. I've been using the d750 for several years, largely for video (yes, I know--most videographers use Canon or Sony--but I had so much Nikon glass and I didn't want to start over). Anyway, I purchased a d850 earlier this year and was excited by some of the new features for video--especially focus peaking (despite its limitations). One of the first jobs I was capturing with the d850 was a live dance performance. I was shooting in 1080p mode when, 4 minutes into the show, the camera stopped recording and I got an onscreen message saying "Recording has stopped". I broke out in a cold sweat as I tried to get the camera recording again. It took removing the battery and, rather than take a chance, I grabbed for my d750 to get the rest of the show. Long story short, I spent an hour or more on the phone with Nikon and they seemed both uniformed and, frankly, disinterested in what I went through. I finally got someone on the phone who pulled out a d850 and was able to replicate the "recording has stopped" problem while I was on the phone with them. All they could say was, "Yeah, it shouldn't do that. You'll probably want to send it back." Since then, I've tried to get reassurance from Nikon that this is a known problem and that it's been addressed in some sort of firmware update. No one at Nikon was willing to address the problem with me or reassure me that I could buy another d850 and record video with confidence. As a result, I do not own a d850 and can't imagine buying a new Nikon for my video work.
Thanks for sharing your experience! Sounds like absolutely awful customer service and I can totally sympathise with your decision. Nikon have a bit of a bad rep for their support which is such a shame
Sony are the worst... a commercial giant who dont care
I left a comment some 5 months ago, love your review. You hit great points and cover many things I didn't know. Prices finally cropped a bit so I ordered mine and I LOVE it. Then I realized that the only full frame glass I have is Sigma? 28-200mm f3.5-5.6 I think. Soft junk and worthless. Since I added a, Nikkor AF-S 24-120mm f4 G ED VR and the Nikkor AF-S 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR and the Battery Grip, not for the 9-FPS but added battery life. Now, you can complain about how heave it is. I'm gonna get that old guy seat with wheels to cart this around. That or a "Fork lift" I may add a nice 20 or 24mm, f2.8 prime if its faster or sharper than the zoom. I love the low light shooting. My son races so the 4K video is just wonderful to have. As for the cracks, If I start seeing anything like this, you'll know. You will hear me scream from across the pond! Thanks again for one of the best, intelligent and most informative reviews.
Thanks for your kind words. You've made a wise purchase 👍
Everything you said in this review has been my experience with camera as well. I can never get over having 8356 pixels on the long side! I didn’t know about the focus stacking
I was impressed by this review, the way it was delivered and the standard of presentation were excellent. I own a D3 and have had since it was first introduced, I have used it in many situations and it has never let me down all in all a great camera. But I have decided that an upgrade is needed to either a D5 or D6 {when available}, the review has made me add the D850 to my checklist, and, it might be that I get this camera instead.
Good review. Have a D850 and like you impressed having been a Nikon owner from the FE2 through the digital age when the FUJIFILM FINE PIX S2 PRO in a nikon body ruled it as did the FUJIFILM F5 Pro in a nikon body
Good to see they have sorted the software.Nothing but praise for the Nikon HQ in Kingston
Sorted many lenses out for me due to travel and sand so a minor issue you had
James, this is a great review of the camera, both the pros and cons. The crack in the eyepiece, could that have been done when you sent it in for repairs by someone overtightening the screw when it was places back on the camera? The weight of the camera is partially due to the metal that is the body. I look at it as "solidly built". Plastic cameras are surely lighter. One more comment, if the camera weighs a lot on long hauls, you may consider using a shoulder strap to help support the weight. This is a world of give and take and I feel like you do, this is the best camera purchase I have made to date.
I've had mine for a little over a year. I am not a professional (not even a good amateur) but I really like this camera. I expect that mine will last for ten years or more so I "went big" as well. I think the auto focus is great and I use the spot focus and it works great. I have used the higher ISO and have been impressed with the quality of the images at the higher ISO. The down side is, as James states, it is heavy. I typically keep my 28-70mm lens and that is adds to the weight (with my 50mm, feels really light). I don't use the video features. Overall, I've been tickled with it.
Thanks for this. Laughed when I heard you describe why you waited a year - I can relate to “end of the honeymoon”!
I'm 6'2" 210 lbs and I hear this thing is heavy, if that's all I see that is a huge negative, then I'm moving forward with buying it. I appreciate everyone's comments negative and positive. I have the Sony a77 and I pretty much hate it. Was great to learn on but I'm done with it.
@Goggle products lol I was getting out that my stature isn't going to matter with this camera. I did buy it 2 weeks ago and absolutely love it. I think the only thing I don't like about it, that I can see, is you can't see your photos in the optical view finder only in the live view. If you can do this I'd like to know because the live view is not as good as some people are claiming. You still need to an eye loop of some sort if you want to see if your picture is sharp. I turned up the brightness as far as it will go and it helped but on a sunny day, especially in snow I still couldn't see my photos very well.
I'm 6"3, 250 lbs. I was really worried when I got my D3S, as it is a tank. I don't even notice it now, even with the heavy 28-300 on it
188cm 100kg - d810 is f*ng heavy. I'm thinking of buying something lighter for travelling.
in 5'6 and its lighter than the 810 theres more plasticky bits on the 850 . on the back anyway
If people really think that 900g on a pro body is heavy, go out and shoot a medium format film body for a day.
My Pentax 645n weights roughly 1.7kg without and over 2.5kg with a lens.
Carried with a strap all day. But here is the thing: You NEED a good strap!
OP/Tech makes really good ones. Under 1kg for a camera body isn't that heavy at all...
Even my Nikon F4 weights roughly 200g more than this. lol.
Best feature: the JPEG and MP4 pretty much always nails it. Especially the white balance, it's astonishing! So there is no need to mess around with RAW or C-LOG in most situations. That that is a HUGE time saver! Also because of the insane resolution, 8-bit JPEG still allows pretty decent shadow recovery. Subsampling to 23 mpixel 16-bit also means that you roughly have the RAW recovery options from the D750 in JPEG!
Thanks!!!! I've been debating whether to buy it - You've given me a lot to think about.
You do not review the Nikon D850. The Nikon D850 reviews you.
Hahahaha
😂 so true
You ain’t lying my new camera just telling me hey rookie you suck go back and do your homework 😂
The best D850 analysis, congratulations and thank you!
I have carried my d700 with 24 70 for 10 years now, heavy yes, similar weight to D850. Its made me minimise the contents of the camera bag.
Same for me. I’ am used to the weight of theD700. And some other old stuff is heavy aswell
Hello Michael. I have both the D850 (a recent purchase), and also the D700 . Yes, the D700 is quite heavy add an 80-200 or any other long lens it gets exhausting. The D850 is slightly lighter though.
Nikon D850 King 🤴 of DSLR,TODAY TOMORROW AND FOREVER ❤❤❤👌🏻👍🏻
Hi James, I'm a bit late to the party here, but still thought I might weigh in. Just read your review of the Z7 as well as I have both cameras and shoot primarily landscape. I had been using the D810, another phenomenal camera, but jumped to the 850 for focus stacking, focus peaking, and the updated view screen. I moved to the Z7 recently primarily for the reduced weight/bulk and the ability to shoot with the new 2.8 S trinity zooms. Agree with your assessments on both the 850 and Z7. BTW, I saw another user of the 850 that sent it off to Nikon and it came back cracked at the eyepiece...I think the 810 had a better design at this location. The 850 was not a huge leap from the 810 for me, but the Z7 from the 850 was, in terms of weight, EVF, and easier controls. The transformational change for me is in the new Z glass, in particular the 14-24 2.8, and the 24-70 2.8. I'm using the Kase Wolverine magnetic 112mm with both which has dramatically lightened the load/bulk of my kit and I'm delighted to not having to lug Lee's SW150 filter system around. Top that with the super sharp new S lens and I am now content. Great content and authenticity on your channel!
Just bought a used D850 (good shape 2200$) joining my D750. Reason why? Because I own a lot of precious (VR) lenses and interested in perfect image quality mostly for landscape photography. I also considered moving to SONY but the cost of all the new lenses let me decide this way - Your review after 1 year of using the camera in various condition tends to justify my purchase but it looks like that I will not be happy with the video performance which might lead to buying a special video camera some day. I hope you still stick to your judgment about your D850 and time will tell if I took a good decision today.
Update on my d850 dim focus box comment. I went to a Camera store to check out another d850 and indeed that one had an equally dim focus box. Called Nikon to see if there would be a firmware update to allow for adjustment and they said they didn't know of one.
I love the d850. Even bought the grip and special battery (with special end cap). But if I can't focus on my client's eye in a wedding reception, I'm very limited.
So, I sent it back and bought the D5. (The D5 focus box has adjustable brightness on the focus box).
(Sidenote: the Mac Lightroom RAW download issue was indeed on my end. My computer ended up crashing due to an unrelated issue.
Thanks for the comments and thanks again for your review of the d850. If they fix the dim focus box I'll consider picking one up for landscape photos.
D850 was my camera and simply loved it to bits. BUT. I eventually jumped to the NIKON Z 7 II ….. new learning for new mirrorless camera - but lighter. The Z7 to me is just like my old D850 but more compact, still has truly amazing performance …. Good review by the way
One year in and I can only really say I have one negative issue to report on the camera: the red light up focus points on this body as way dimmer than with any other Nikon pro body I have owned. That can be frustrating when you are in a hurry and you lose your focus point in frame when trying to composer a shot in dinner situations. I'm nota video shooter so I have no experience with that. Build quality seems excellent and I use the larger batteries with the grip in conjunction with my D4s so I don't have to worry about 2 different batty sizes. Yes it is heavy (especially with the grip) but I have always liked a heavier body. As I age (48 now) I do notice my wrist getting a little tired after a long day of shooting. That's not going to change my preference for a heavier body anytime soon however. I like that they went with the XQD cards as I use them with my D4s. I would have preferred 2 XQD over the use of an SD card as I find them slow, flimsy and easily dropped as they are so tiny. Going CFast would have been better (backwards compatible with XQD) but they are not even out yet. There does seem to be a different process with quick formatting cards through the shortcut rather than the menu than my D4s. Muscle memory seems to be stumbling a bit on the D850 (that's picky). Honestly, the only fault that I can really feel bothered about is the dim focus points in the view finder. In studio I have lost the single point (which i mostly use) completely for a few seconds when going back to frame a new images. As studio stuff is slower than any action, that's irritating but livable. Switching to a different focus mode did help me find the point in lower room light situations, but when I want single point (99% of the time) it can be a little bit of a bother. Of course I'd buy the D850 again in a heartbeat as I think it's an incredible camera, the best all around DSLR ever built.
Fantastic summary Bruce! Thanks for sharing your thoughts 🙂
Natural wear and tear VS build quality?
I've owned the Nikon D850 since day one of it's release.
My camera has never been dropped. While is has been cared for exceptionally; keeping it in a proper gadget bag when not in use, etc... The Nikon D850 is one of the best cameras made for professional use and also overall durability, including weather resistance. As a matter of fact, the levels of weather resistance for the Nikon D850 actually exceed the Nikon D5.
The amounts of use of my Nikon D850 for both still photography, and also for video, also in extraordinary level of poor weather conditions... I still have zero issues with the camera; including naturally no hair line fractures and zero issues with build quality.
A note for most people; the cost of the camera is not just limited to the cost of that camera body and a few lenses. Strongly weigh adding in a battery grip, and the best choice for the battery grip is also the most expensive one - presently exceeding nine hundred usd. Consider having four batteries and preferably two chargers. Since this camera body has two card slots; try to have two cards of each type - noting you get what you pay for.
Be sure to add in that camera bag to your preference. Noting that this is a larger 24x36 full frame camera. If one elects to have the battery grip continually attached along with a quality lens, and perhaps a few more lenses and then also additional lighting options... Be sure to be aware of the size of the bag, and that one will also be limited as to the top limits of that bag for transportation restrictions, especially for regional flights and also some overseas flights.
Some great tips and insights Ronald 👍
And which bag have you chosen, Ronald?
I’ve had mine for 6 years now and when I retired I sold a photo bag full of top-of-the-line Nikon glass and replaced it with the 28-300mm Nikon zoom. Maybe not the best glass in the world, but it makes for an extremely versatile camera setup that travels well. Over the years I’ve captured some amazing images with this camera but I’m almost 60 now and the weight is becoming an issue. But it’s by far the best Nikon DSLR I’ve ever owned, and I’ve owned quite a few.
Great review, very helpful! Thank you. I have a D800 for 7 years, it's a workhorse, held together with Gaffer's tape after many years on the road and many falls it still works flawlessly for photography but is outdated for video. I'm a pro video shooter and I want the 4K video so this could be my B cam instead of my D800 as C cam. I trust Nikon's solid engineering and will expect to get 5-7 years from the D850 when it comes my way, soon hopefully. Thanks for the review!
I'm sure that you'd get 20 years or more from the D850 if you just don't stop using it for 20 years
Very nice review and I like that you waited to do it. I was set to buy one in 2020 but found a refurbished D810 for enough less that I settled. I now wish I’d held out for the touch screen, joystick, extra focus points, articulating screen, and backlit buttons.
D810 IMAGE QUALITY IS THE SAME
Thank you for the amazing review, I got the D850 a few months ago and I am based in West Africa, weather conditions are rough most of the year for electronics, the camera has been doing very well with heat, rain and humidity. At first I was again any screens that move because of the possibility of it breaking but its been the total opposite. One thing that I needed to manage also was the size of the raw files which obviously I cant complain but it needs a super computer to be able to handle that and it takes a long time even with a good one.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts! Agree that the raw files are ludicrously large 👍
Hello James, great video and nice, short, to the point, comments on each aspect of this camera. I own the D850, and I love it. I am an aspiring enthusiast..lol. But I have been shooting for quite a while, and have tried various other bodies out. To me, and in my opinion, I love the Nikon menu. Add to that, the 850, as you stated, took all the "would like to have's" that many photographers wanted, and put them into this body. I really don't have much to add to what you stated, but would really like to emphasize the magnification of your technical ability..lol. 45mp does bring out any flaws you have in any hand holding captures for sure. Even with a lens that has VR on it, the slightest vibration can be seen. And yes, that is a big deal if you print big. But, because of that, I use this bad boy almost strictly on tripod. Overall, I still love it after a year, and don't see a trade in, or upgrade any time soon. The Z7 might be an option after it has been out a while. Thanks again for great video!
Thanks for watching and sharing your thoughts Rob :-)
I've had mine for about two weeks. Loving it so far.
I want to buy it in 2020 on Black Friday. I own a D300 and a D500. I am 71 ys now and a Nikon user since 1980. This would be my last camera!
Good review, just purchase my D850 and getting all the knowledge I can get before my exploration begins
Hi James, Re the viewfinder screw: That crack is due to over tightening on repair, over time, it would not have cracked if it was done appropriately. Just received ours and it is a terrific camera, we particularly like the square format amongst other things.
I’ve been using a D500 for some time now and love the 10 fps. I keep thinking I want to go FF and the D850 looks promising. Your video was very helpful. Thanks!
Really good review. I wish more were like this - no fluff or shouting, just good info. Thank you. I too own a D850 and 100% agree with what you said. Just add that you can go the other way and make it lighter to carry on a long hike by fitting just a light prime lens. Makes it easier on all day hikes.
Thanks very much! Glad you enjoyed it
My first full frame and this past Milkway season was my first! I’ve been in love with this camera since I bought it.
Just ordered ours yesterday 2021, with grip after working with D800's that are brilliant workhorses. Mainly still life but recently wildlife and commercial. Terrific review and very useful, the D800's are heavy as are the lenses so no problem there, used to go to the gym and can be used for exercising the biceps! Thanks for sharing. Most work leans towards gallery prints and fine art.
James, that crack were the screw is on the viewfinder housing, could be from being over torqued when it was repaired. It should not of cracked if the screw was properly torqued. Great video.
Cheers John! I think you're spot on correct. A bit dissapoiting 😪
Thanks for your review. I've had my D850 for about 6 months, and my primary lens is also the Tamron 24-70 G2. It's one of my only lenses (in addition to a Tamron 70-300) that does not work well with the camera's live view autofocus. All my other lenses work flawlessly.
Thanks for watching Buck. Interesting, I've not encountered any issues myself.
@@JamesBrewphoto At about 10:26 of your video, you mentioned that the live view autofocus "absolutely sucks," which is why I brought it up. Maybe you just meant that it hunts too long or that it fails altogether? With the 2 lenses I mentioned, it reports that my given focus point is a focus lock (indicated by a green square), but the point is in fact usually blurry (out of focus). My workaround is to either tweak the focus manually or to focus through the viewfinder instead.
@@BuckChristensen75 I find that the auto focus is just poor full stop regardless of which lens I'm using. Its something which Nikon really need to get better at 👍
I ordered the D850 today and expect delivery tomorrow. (As I write this, Jessops have a 12 month interest free deal on). Upgrading from the D800. What I didn't realize is that the D850 does not have a built in flash which I think is useful for adding a bit of highlight or filling in shadows, so I have bought an Sb N5 as well. Moving into library image submissions. Will keep you posted. And could you tell me what the camera grip is that you seem to have on your D850. Thanks
Good luck with your purchase. That is an L Bracket plate on the bottom of the camera :-)
Trustworthy honesty i think, I'll be watching more of your films. Thanks James
You're welcome JB. Now get it done, don't put it off. In fact when you get it fixed do a short video on that whole experience, good or bad.
I'm looking at the D850 as my next and final camera so your perspective is great to hear.
I own a D850 and have to say this is the best camera out there. Exceptional IQ and beast of a body!
Super review James. Agree with everything you've said. Moved up from a D750. On top of the downsides you mentioned, my minor gripes are, Snapbridge mostly sucks. Kills battery if left on, so I keep mine on Airplane mode. And the other tiny thing, the AF points aren't illuminated brightly enough through the viewfinder!
Thank you! Excellent additional points, Snapbridge is just the Worst!!
How did you like D750?
@@alleyeson2594 I actually love it. It does almost everything beautifully. But, whilst my multiple gripes with the D850 are minor, the 1 gripe with the D750 is major. The buffer! I shoot weddings and although I don't need a super fast camera, I do sometimes need to shoot multiple frames (first kiss, walk down the aisle, first dance etc) and the buffer would fill up too fast. I used the best SD cards possible (although I was writing to two cards) but it would still not be able to keep up. No such issues with the d850 though! The d750 is still my back up camera and after 220k shutter actuations it's still going strong :) What about you?
Fair review - not much I'd disagree with. I've had a D850 from the day of release and I love using it. So many great features. I use live view a lot - good for seeing live histogram and focus peaking. My only gripe is that it doesn't have an EVF so I can see the information from live view in the view finder. Other than that, pretty well perfect DSLR.
Yeah an EVF would be pretty cool. Seriously though there's really so little bad things to say about it. Awesome camera body! Thanks for sharing your thoughts Julian 👌
I own a D810 myself and love it. Excellent review and really nice pictures!
I’m a proud owner of a 850 and concur with you all the positives and the few negatives you shared. Apart from the live view auto focus. I’ve had mine about two years and I find it fantastic. Also if you drop the camera and break the eye piece I think you are unfair regarding the durability in that area. You know doubt weakened that area hence the cracks. All in all though it’s a great bit of kit and I think it must have been about half the price of my D4S hence great value for money.
It's an exceptional full frame camera!!! I've used it since March and couldn't believe the dynamic range and detail of my images. Like you mentioned, "it's unforgiving." If you don't nail the focus, your photos will be trashed. So now I use a tripod midday, unless there's lots of sun light. Great review!
Thanks very much Robert! There's certainly no hiding when using the d850!
I own the D850, my first full frame. It is to me the best DSLR camera on the market right now. You are right though, the video mode needs a big firmware update.
Awesome camera 👌
I think they are pushing the Z line for video. I can't wait to see the fabled Z8 when it comes out.
I almost bought the D850 but ended up getting the Sony A7iii instead. there was some very big factors for me in this choice. Those factors included 1) price point 2) Sony A7iii is a great hybrid system for both photography and Video 3) Its mirrorless technology. Overall the Sony A7iii is a great camera and the image quality is very good especially with the sharpness with Sony Glass and the great quality at high ISO's. The main downsides to the Sony cameras is only getting 8 bit color depth and the lenses are a bit more expensive than their Canon and Nikon Counterparts on average. But the Video quality and how it handles for video is truly amazing.
8-bit color?
and you think that's a great hybrid system for both photography and video?
I want to buy one so I've watched a lot of videos. Yours was the most straight forward and covered some features no one else has. Thanks from across the pond
Excellent review James. I don't have the D850 but I decided to buy the D810 shortly after the D850 came out, which meant I got it for a really good price (about half the price of the D850 with some careful looking around) and it's still a really good camera. There are definitely some features on the D850 that I would have liked on my D810, like the crop previews and the tilt screen, but not enough for me to pay the extra. Like you I'm hoping to get a few years out of my D810 and by the time I want to change I suspect that mirrorless will be the only way to go.
Thanks Ralph. The d810 is still an exceptional piece of kit. It's very much a case of diminishing returns with the rate of quality improvements in these bodies now. I suspect that both these cameras will last us a very long time indeed. Mirrorless definitely looks the way the entire market is going though👍
Great review James! Very detailed and accurate! I've upgraded from Nikon D5200 to Nikon D810 with Nikkor 105mm f2.8 and Nikkor 24-120mm F4, and the difference is night and day! Amazing camera! I aimed for Nikon D850, but it was too expensive, but no argue is the superior camera!
Great video.... today was at the store and still didn't buy it. But now for sure will buy it! Thanks for kicking me off the fence! )))
Great honest review. I bought one recently and have yet to find time to get in to it. I’ll get back to you soon as spring is here soon.... Mind what I have used has been impressive especially the cleanness of high ISO and the resolution.
Love it. Hard to justify as an enthusiast, but if I ever get serious..maybe. The size and weight are serious deterrents, even professionally. The entry level D5500 is a sleeper, and woefully under estimated for pure image quality. That will do, for now.
Great review! Thx a lot. I order now the Nikon D850!
2:40 "Why did you take a picture of me!?" - "I didn't want to, the camera's just too good!"
Thanks for the video - will probably buy that one too. :)
If I remember this video after a year or so (or UA-cam randomly recommends me that vid) I'll gladly give you my opinion on the D850 if I go through with the purchase.
Thanks for the video on positives and negatives regarding the Nikon D850. I currently own one and agree that it does lack important features but the build of the camera and ample features do outweigh the few options Nikon could have built into the camera.
Happy I found your video! Im still in the mind process if I should switch from my old Canon 5D mark ii. I only own two lenses for now for my canon, so wouldn't be that big lose to switch. Im using my camera everyday and seems like a good investment like you said. You got any words that can make me decide..
Follow your gut instinct and you'll choose wisely 👍
James Brew I actually did a upgrade to the d850 yesterday. Couldn't be happier with it! Love it.
Yes on the positives. And yes on the negatives, but I haven't seen any cracking. I found some issue with the shutter release button after being in some heavy rain, but it was OK after it dried out. And the live view autofocus is absolute rubbish. And man is it heavy. Thank you thank you thank you for saying this. I didn't want to keep thinking I was a wimp. But it is a great camera. I'm so glad I bought it.
I use my D850 for wildlife still photography.. I'm very happy and agree with this review.. I find video editing too labour intensive so for me this is the perfect camera..
Thanks Paul! It's a magnificent camera 👌
Great review, I’ve just bought a as new D850 as an upgrade from a D800 so it’s good to hear you are happy
On the cracking around the viewfinder screws, that looks like they have been over tightened maybe?
Nice review! I use a Indigo Marble Padded Neoprene Anti-Slip Sling Camera Strap with the 850. Really works well and allows the camera to ride my thigh/hip and cut down on fatigue.
Thanks for the suggestion 👌
Definitely subscribing..... I was about to buy this one but with the Z7, Z6 I hold my decision and now I honestly don`t know what to do... this was a very very good video as you pointed out a few times there are way more positives than negatives and I'd say this is a near-perfect camera. Excellent video.
Cheers Bruno! I can totally sympathise with your difficult decision. I guess you just have to assess the pros and cons of each and how well suited they are to your needs. Once you've done that it will hopefully be clear which way you need to go. Good luck! 🙂
Very accurate review of the D850. I have owned mine for about 9 months taking pictures from Grandchildren's rugby games to hockey games to a recent trip to the Grand Canyon. The images it produces are amazing compared to my D810. You do need the best Nikon glass to compliment this camera, I generally use the 300mm f/2.8G and 70 - 200 f/2.8E lenses. Great camera, can't wait to see what replaces it.
Thanks Jim 👍
Nice video. I upgraded to a D810 18 months ago and have been very impressed by it. My last camera (D300) lasted me 9 years, so I doubt I'll ever need to replace the D810 :)
Cheers Mark! The d810 is a fine camera and will last you a very long time indeed 👍
Thank you for the review especially after the experiences you had.
It’s a beast of a body man and like you said an overall very strong camera. I still have my Mark IV but really think within the next 12 or so months it may be time to upgrade. I can honestly say I’ve never tried the D850 but have been out in the field with others. I thought the focus stack feature was fantastic. Happy shooting James.
Thanks very much Diego! A mirrorless upgrade is probably the way to go but I'd wait until the next gen offerings come out within the next 12-18 months 👌
I decided to add to my collection the D850. I have the APSC D7500 which in love too. I had a Z6 but returned it. I like that the D lenses are cheaper than the Z lenses, I can user all my Nikon lenses. No buying EXPENSIVE z fx lenses. I love the huge megapixels and the dynamic range and the backlights. This camera feels GREAT in the hands too. I just love it!
Just got one as well. Still keeping my z5 with my 24-120 and 40mm. Great walk around kit. But loving the d850 right now
Very interesting review, I am thinking of purchasing an 850 before they go out of production.
I have this along with my D500...best combination in my opinion...agree with your review...love them and haven't looked back...😁
Good review brother. I'll check out this Nikon.
I have Panasonic G9 but like the iso performance, picture quality and dynamic range you mentioned on D850. If passionate for that work flow or quality of final product believe nagging issues are small. Love having a niche result using a Voigtlander dream lens on G9 and in body stabilization allows for a lot of freedom with it. Best regards on your D850 adventures.
A pretty interesting take on the D850. The lack of IBIS and the excessive weight are probably the deal breakers for many photographers, at least at this price point. Considering image taking is more important to you than video the Nikon Z7 might be worth considering. It's lighter smaller with equal image quality. I'd enjoy seeing you review it if you can get your hands on one.
Cheers Nelson! Would love to try the z7 out. Realistically though I'll be using the d850 for the foreseeable future 👍
I really enjoyed you review of the D850. I was thinking of upgrading to the D850 until watching your review. I love my photography but I also equally enjoy my videography but I cannot afford to buy two separate camera, so it looks like I will have to keep with my D7200 for now. And look at another brand that will give me both.
Nikon really lag behind in the video I find. Who knows, maybe they'll finally get it right on new models 👍
5 or 6 years? I am hoping to get a lot more than that out of mine! I have gotten 10 years out of my D700 and it is still my back up camera. As for the hairline cracks around the screws, I suspect that occurred at the repair facility when they were torqued down way tighter than necessary. If the piece were metal instead of plastic this might not have been an issue, but I suspect Nikon made it from plastic to keep costs and weight down.
Very honest review James. As an enthusiast, the D850 is too much camera for me.
I've played with the Z6 and if I ever upgraded from my D7200, I might consider it.
Having said that the mf3 cameras are still the job for travel.
The D850 is working for you so keep up the good work 👍
Thanks very much Eltin! Yeah the Mirrorless models looks interesting but I strongly suspect it maybe better waiting for the following ups which are likely to be significantly better. Advancements with new technology are always more rapid therefore I see mirrorless accelerating very quickly from here on in. I reckon mirror dslrs will go the way of the dinosaur eventually 👍
I agree James, I'm in no hurry to change at the moment.
The DSLR and fully combustion engine will probably be obsolete in ten years time? 💀
@@eltinjones4542 haha yeah no doubt about it ☠
Hello James, good review by the way. I currently use the Nikon D-810 and enjoy the camera very much. I used to own the 5D2 for years and I learned a lot with that camera. I switched to Nikon for the resolution, dynamic range, and the price really? From your review and what I thought about the D-850 I agree with you on the XQD cards. I have quite a few CF cards for my D810 that I prefer using those. Also a fully articulated screen is what I really prefer and I wish Nikon would introduce another version of the D-850 but I doubt it it would happen. All the other points you mentioned about the usability of the cameras are excellent indeed. Having two bodies is always helpful when traveling and I might purchase it in the future. Cheers.
Thanks very much Gino. Glad you found the review useful. A second body is firmly on my wish list too 🙂
Love my 850. Yeah, it’s heavy but I’ve learned to adapt. Best Nikon investment ever
Great review James. Understand where your coming from when your on about weight, came from Canon & moved over to a mirrorless set-up & I've never looked back.
Thanks Bri! Yeah mirrorless looks very enticing but its going to be a long time before I upgrade again. What camera do you use?
James Brew I shoot with the Sony A7 Rii for photography & the Sony A6300 as my vlogging Camera. Not been out shooting for a while due to work commitments, bit of street photography here & there. Planning on getting back out very soon to shoot some landscapes, & getting some videos uploaded, it’s been too long ha. Maybe the break will of done me good, sometimes you need it.
Awesome review James. Spot on. I love my D850 and you've covered all the reasons why. I've shot corporate videos with it and mostly used the slow mo HD video feature. Can do it all this Nikon beast. Cheers mate :)
Cheers Adrian! I think it's a great video camera but just a bit clunky to use. Hate the auto focus systems too, Nikon need to up their game there significantly in future. Overall those are just minor gripes, the camera is an absolute triumph 👍
Just about to purchase one with 70-200mm, this review definitely help me made the decision, D850 is at a good value now. I was hard to choose in between Z7 vs 850, I think I will go for D850 now.
Good choice Doug 👍
James Brew if you plan to coming to Australia, please let me know 😉
I own this, I don't use it for video so that is not a problem for me. I am very pleased with with my purchase and would do so again if lost or damaged. Great video.
Thanks very much 🙂
just got one; you're correct that any of my mistakes are captured well, too!
if i was back in the market for a DSLR the D850 is the go to,yet i have my DSLR and it's up to par with my stills needs..