Nikon D850 Review: Best Camera Ever? 

The D850 is the best FF indeed :) amazing camera, buying it next month making my D750 a great secondary choice :)

I'm so psyched already :) Thanks!

i did 😀 although i use only a fraction of a percentage of the cameras functions .( wildlife) the images are pretty amazing ,

I strongly agree with ergonomic. I don't use camera strap. I shoot event for 4 hours+ straight without having fingers pain.

I agree about the WB more accurate than D810. I send for prints directly from the camera's jpg, especially when shooting Nikon or APO lenses. But here's another surprise I discovered recently while I was bitching about recent Zeiss purple fringing: the Fuji XH-1 with Fuji lenses has zero (0) purple fringing with Fuji lenses and slightly more pleasant colors and the most perfect shutter experience ever (and its battery sucks). Ah, there's no perfect camera, we have to fuse them somehow.

Could you share your AF settings for Video that "rarely loses focus" ??

CMJ1989 what are your thoughts of the af system compared to the A9 or A7iii? I own the A7RIII and it’s awesome. However, there are instances where I wonder if the A9 would of focused better

Never owned the A9 but only had short duration of experience with it. A9 is pretty good but lacks the resolution and does not feel comfortable with heavy lenses without a grip.

It's true. For portraits and non erratic motion the Sony seems to do better but is unable to catch up in certain situations. I think most people probably wouldn't tell a difference.

so..in an event or on a wedding.. you'd still prefer the AF reliability on the Nikon ? What about focus acquisition in Low light ? I'm getting a Sony because i want the silent/electronic shutter.. and i want low light performance. But i'll cancel my order if i get confirmation that it will under-perform. So far.. that hasn't been the feedback i have been getting . Are we talking very slight differences..or significant differences here ?

i love my D800E for portraits. Its a SLOW camera.. but in a controled scenario.. it shines! And 36MP is enough.. most of the times. Again... are we splitting hairs here.. or talking about significant differences here? Can you elaborate on those preferences you mentioned above ? Thanks PS: a great camera is always going to be a great camera.. no matter the year we're in. I've got a 20 year old 5MP Olympus.. and it's still great ! Shoots RAW files too !! ;)

I like that idea :) ....hmmm...

Me too :D

Me too😂

When the Nikon d850 is a garbage camera.. when cameras are taking holograms..

I'd rather buy a Sony IMO. I bought a D800E years back, it was nice but didn't do what I wanted, and neither did most other cameras.

Samad Khan Yeah, the thing is if you put on a heavy lens that arguent becomes kinda weak too 😁

Yeah but have you ever gone backpacking?

So you take your big DSLR to Disneyland and be completely fine with it?

A light camera and lenses are essential for my photography while backpacking so I'm sticking with the Olympus EM 1 system and lenses. Although the Cannon is an excellent camera it's just not practical for my type of photography and that's the point different camera systems for different jobs

@@M9rkAnthony112 Who only owns one camera?

best of luck! I'm doing the same

Did you ever get your D850?

@@warrentowe no sadly, college kicked me in the nuts and completely sucked the time to go out and take pics. And with a full time job it isn't impossible to live alone in cali it just barely leaves enough to even buy food. Maybe when I graduate I'll get it as a gift for myself, who knows.

@@cristobalsepulveda9085 Got your camera yet?!

@@elbeethrie5140 nope, life is still too busy. But Im still taking pictures. The camera can wait, plus it'll be cheaper later. Just want to finish my last year at college and settle down before I start buying expensive toys.

Word

I have no complaints with my 5D Mark iv. I get beautiful result from it.

You' re right in general, though Canon has far better lenses in the range 29-84mm. Since I don't want to carry around 3 bodies (already carrying Nikon+Fuji), I have to resort to Zeiss for the Nikon, which is loaded with purple fringing etc... no perfect set out there.

Preach. Sony shooter here, and their lenses really do NOT inspire confidence. Can't say I've ever touched a GM lens tho.

Slayer1111111111able I think sony g master look pretty impressive, but at the budget side they are really lacking good and affordable options. I do think they will get there eventually, but engineering glass will take more time than engineering sensors.

Ummm, Amazon?? If sold out there, Ebay??

Ahh, that's too bad. The d810 should be more than good enough. Otherwise, you're gonna have to wait.

Are you oversees? prob explains why it's so expensive. www.ebay.com/itm/Nikon-D850-Digital-SLR-Camera-Body-Only/322857453639?epid=239095775&hash=item4b2bcdc847:g:i3AAAOSwMkJaaiAU

Ahhh, gotcha...

Got mine through best buy about 2 months ago

Okwy Ugonweze 30% better? Big if true. I trust the northrups, but damn that's a big number.

@@Slayer1111111111able It can be true, but think of it for a sec. Suppose you have a camera that is superfast and 99.99% nailing the subject. Perfect that is... 130% score of another camera, is a perfect which actually is the same thing! In plain words, no difference to our mortal eyes. I mention this because, lots of people decide on a camera based on numbers, I am in many ocassions one of them too! But numbers denote ideal situations which cannot be percieved by our senses most of the time! In other words... On such a big level of camera perfection, 30% "better" may mean absolutely nothing! At least what I think! :)

I’ll keep buying DSLRs until they are completely dead, don’t see a reason to go mirrorless, and at lest now the battery sucks on mirrorless cameras and the lenses are too expensive, and yes I know you can use an adapter but instead of doing that I can use my DSLR

samiebuka it seems like the northrups consider a Sony a7riii as a DSLR by the way they talk about it in the video. Using a kind of looser definition of DSLR

SLRs actually date back to the nineteenth century, when used on large format models. The first eye level 35mm SLR was the Kine Exakta made by Ihagee in Dresden, Germany in 1936....82 years ago (My first SLR was an Exakta in my teens). :-)

Do you mean what more can they do to a DSLR?.. I'm with you. I'm not interested in Mirror-less.. I have a lot of money in bodies and glass. I'll stay with what i have.

I am talking about the prism/mirror technology. I am not sure that technology can get any better than the D850. That is saying a good positive thing.

That is amazing, wow. In 82 years what will they remember about cameras today?

Please pronounce Nikon as 'Nick-kon'. The rest of the world would be grateful and enjoy you reviews even more!

PoCanDo _ yeah the froknows annoying guy

Without fail.

LOL. I certainly don't have any heroes on RU-vid. Heroes are people like Ghandi, Lincoln, Madela or MLK. People take this stuff way too seriously. I'm just having fun with the whole comments "drama." :)

Love this, but you forgot, "I prefer 's color."

You might need to add: anyone agreeing with the reviewers are accused of being 'sycophantic hero worshipers'.... Well said BTW. The Northrups use all sorts of cameras and people just cant handle it when they say 'camera x is the best at the moment'. I remember when they used to say Cannon was the best, or 'why we cant switch to Nikon'. As a Nikon user I thought, 'fair enough, but what I have is more than enough for me'.

Nailed it. I'd add "", without any explanation whatsoever.

I dunno, what do you think we should do?

I think u should do a video on spending a day out shooting with a subscriber. do a contest .. or sth like that .. or do a best of the best contest with the guys that get a pick on the live show.

Tony & Chelsea Northrup you should plan a meet up with your nearest subscribers

Talk about the history of your channel and how it's grown over the years up to this milestone. Any highlights (or lows). Your core values and what you try to bring to the photography community. And any plans for the future.

*wink wink*

+TheEvil Then why are you watching a camera review?

I'm sure 'TheEvilCommenter' was only joking. Both can be true. My best camera is my phone when I am at the grocery store but that doesn't mean my D810 or 4x5 camera aren't more capable.

If the best camera is the D850 and the if the best camera is the one with you, then does that mean everyone has a D850 somewhere? WHERE IS MINE HIDING!?

The best camera appears to be the next camera. Gotta sell, sell, sell, baby.

get knocked off your motorbike and have your leg snapped TWICE in 6 months to the day so the pins they put in previously snap through your leg AGAIN , yes i unashamedly admit to blowing some hard earnt dosh on some new gear 😂😂😂😂

I think people were talking about the D850 a lot before the A7III announcement.

I think the new releases kinda over shadowed it a bit, I always look for the reviews and they don't compare to those Sony's

Kevin Diaz people get excited for cameras that they can almost afford

Slayer1111111111able lol fair enough... I live in the Bahamas and it most definitely wasn’t a cheap buy... but I prefer quality so it was worth it.. (investment wise) the Sony’s are cool tho

hell..with that atmosphere and humidity overthere, i wouldnt get a Sony either.. :P

Sisekelo Duma LoL. Have you learned NOTHING yet? #CanonIsLightYearsBehindAndAlwaysWillBe #MoveOn

Canon is better for video, Nikon is better for images.

What cameras do you think are better for what specific types of photography?

Yes, Kevin, which camera is better and in what situation....................Please dont mention weight.

Tony & Chelsea Northrup Fuji APS-C or Olympus mirco 4/3 cameras for street photography f.ex.

and in everything else???? Portraits/Landscape/Sport/Wildlife/DR/??? this is why is the best camera in the market right now

Sigh, do I really have to do this breakdown? You are so convinced that the D850 beats all cameras in all categories even at the individual levels that a list needs to be made? It's probably the best "all in one" camera out there. Jack of all trades, gets the job done in ways that you would probably not need another system. But even the best Jacks have to compromise somewhere. If anyone could make that list better than anyone else, it's Tony Northrup not me. I can list a few things here, but I don't know the systems as well as Tony, it's why I watch all his videos LOL! All I was saying is that it is the best at some things, but there are other cameras that are better at some individual things (A9 20 fps no blackout would be one, if I have to give one). I don't want to argue something that is not really worth arguing (wasn't even making an argument). I feel that "the best camera" is the one that can do what you need it to do best. That is no one camera for everything, there are better cameras at certain things than others, there are some that are the best at nothing and still are great. The D850 is the best at some things, and more than adequate at pretty much everything (hence the best all around). For the things that matter most, that is up to the user and their intended use. For everything else, there's Mastercard. (thought I would throw some levity in at the end). Also, nice video, thanks for making it, forgot to say that previously. If a D850 was in my budget, I would gladly shoot with one.

TheFourthWall Well yeah. That’s the point..

D700 was a legend too.

I agree

ali jaffar Agreed! Just thinking about getting the 850, but my D500 still seems very up to date...

Really? Isn't D500 a DX cam? Is color depth,proper fov and iso performance just 10% of a cameras capabilities?

Caleb Wolf That was the first thing I noticed too. IT’S ORY-GUN Tony!

Even an English fella like me knows how to pronounce Oregon!

orIgOn

Yeah, and I cover that in our tutorial, but it's a video timelapse and it's pretty limited. You can't do 8k, for example. There's no raw. It doesn't do smoothing and such.

Tony & Chelsea Northrup all true.

I’ve used that on my a7iii and I hated it. I have the d850 which has the built in intervolameter that is miles ahead. You have zero flexibility with s&q. I had to buy a separate intervolameter for my Sony. But the resolution and variety of features on the d850 makes it, in my opinion, the absolute best timelapse camera ever made.

Mike Perea Photography no doubt the D850 is awesome. I have an A7R3 but I want the D850 also. I’m not the type of person who buys into a brand and feels the need to defend it like it’s their family. I want both! I’m preordered on the D850. Can’t wait till it comes in.

J D you’ll love it! And I agree 100% I think brand loyalty is weird. I will use whatever makes my life easier. They are just tools. 👊🏼

Will we have toilet paper in the future?

@@Optidorf no we don't

I made that comment because I know how defensive most of Sony users are, but the way I see it 50%your Brain(Creativity), 20% Light, 15% lenses and 10% camera, 5% situation.

There are "Sony fanboys" and people who shoot Sony because Sony camera gets the job done. I am the latter who own an a7 and an a9, and I still have a D750 with a couple Nikon lenses when I need to shoot flash/macro/shoot through flicker. I will be upgrading to a D850 too when it drops to the price below $1500 used (like the price of D810) right now.

I like your answer very logical. For what I do, dont need eye-AF, the weight is a non-issue, just low ISO(64) for the best Dynamic-Range, more than 24MP and Flash, plus great lenses selection

About the dynamic range part though, the Sony a9 has a special trick that I have never seen a reviewer talked about. Set the shutter to electronics only (auto won't do it), setup the camera to +/- 1EV or above, and dial the camera in BRK mode. (Sorry for the lengthy setup but Sony cameras are illogical) Whenever you press the shutter immediately you have 3 images taken with no mirror (obviously) nor mechanical shutter vibration. If you use Lightroom these images are almost perfectly aligned even if you shoot handhold. It's easy to achieve extremely high dynamic range with this trick.

yes, but that is not DYNAMIC-RANGE, it is more like HDR. And you can do the same thing with almost any camera that have bracketing(D7000/D7100/D7200/D500/D700/D750/D800/D800E/D810/D850)

B SAF1993 the video quality is actually really good on the d850. Exceptional even. But the features aren’t very good. Limited picture profiles and unusable auto focus. It’s a great hybrid and the auto focus can be worked around. I also shoot the Sony a7iii and it is awesome for video. The auto focus is amazing and lots of picture profiles!

a7iii is acceptable as a hybrid, however I'm not a sony fan. compare the video to gh5 and you'll get what im saying.

B SAF1993 yeah I’ve heard great things about the gh5!

Video quality is actually quiet exceptional on D850. You have a number of profiles including downloadable ones. Nikons own flat profile is the best most easiast to work with for grading, packing some serious dynamic range. The only let down is Af and no peaking in 4k (weird).

B SAF1993 if you are hitting like an 80/20 split for photo/video, I'd say the d850 is worth it's weight.

nyc mubi photography That is because Nikon and Canon has better lenses at the moment. Fuji is great for ametures and people who do street photography. Sony is great, but lenses are still lacking.

Whats the difference btw the two???

Syamkumar CK Nikon is a brand , and one of their products is a DSLR

Marketshare says different story - Canon is BY FAR no 1 manifacturer. :)

John Connor sales don't equate to quality though

In photography - it does. ;) Canon's custemer service is one class above all the rest, for example. Also, remember Nikon's denying obvious and shamefull problem with oil on D600? Quality companies don't do that, and marketshare says so.

John Connor That wasn't what I was referring to. I mean in terms of cameras, when comparing low light performance and dynamic range Nikon cameras usually come out on top. I don't have a bias towards Nikon or hate Canon, that's just what I've noticed from other independent reviewers, the general consensus and my own testing. I do like how easy to use Canon cameras are though.

Awla videos oh no

Georg Oliveri it would be great if they put their differences a side and be good with each other's

If only Fro wasn't a massive douche.

Now that the Z7 is out, are you getting it?

Christian Enmon The Canon 6D Mark II was dead before it even came out.

Laurent J.A when I saw their previews before the release, there was no impact like what this nikon or what the sony did better luck next time canon, buying a 6D mark I is much more worth when it comes to imaging vs the mark II

The D850 is not what killed the 6DmkII, it's not even in the same market. It was the A7III that killed it, and is probably going to put a hurt on just about everything else.

Kevin Diaz but it is still in the same category as "DSLR" that's why I stated RIP, it is a huge let down for canon

Even the older Nikon D750 kills the 6D Mk2.

pete draper to heavy? Maybe hit the gym more often and gain some strength? I never have any problems with the weight of the gear/glass and don’t understand that people are always talking about it in reviews. I always skip that part. Its so boring to watch fat or skinny people talk about the weight of a camera being an issue. And presets in your camera?😂 Come on man. The D850 is a professional camera not a consumer camera. You want to edit your images properly? Shoot raw and edit your photos in lightroom/photoshop for maximum results.

victoriza thank you, well im a wedding photographer so yes i walk around with gear for 7 hours. Even portable godox strobes in my backpack. But yes im also a bodybuilder and muy thai fighter so... But still, to me it’s extremely boring to see in every review people talk about weight and that one camera is 200 grams heavier then the other one. Get over it. Practice it and you will get stronger.

Do you even lift?............someone had to say it.

victoriza I hike with my d850 and lenses all the time all over the Arizona desert. I also carry around a Sony a7iii to shoot my landscape photography vlogs. As soon as you throw on a g master 24-70 on the Sony the weight and size are pretty much equal as far as carrying them goes. I love both cameras for different reasons but if I had to choose only 1 I would bring the d850 every time.

Ruben Baars. It always amuses me when certain crap hats go out of their way to insult others. I was a soldier for 11 years, carrying a heavy pack plus a battle rifle (not a light assault rifle) and ammunition. I then became a police officer and trained as a specialist PSU officer, this time carring a 14lb shield for hours on end. I have always worked out and practised martial arts, so don't try it on with me. It is obvious from your post that you have no concept of how to set up a complex preset, in order to switch between a stationary subject and one which is fast moving in the blink of an eye. No doubt you have missed a great many shots due to your own, so called, professionalism. Lightroom won't help you when you taken a shot at 1/250th when the subject required a shutter speed of 1/2500th.

Sony: 1.4lbs, Nikon: 2 lbs. That's just a little over a half a pound. Gym membership maybe?

Gerald Williams i dn think u ever used a d850 n ur just a geek

A lot of people read and watched 50 shades of grey yet it was still a shit book and movie, just because a lot of people buy something doesn’t mean it’s great.

Sorry to burst your bubble, but you're wrong. Canon is still number one in total sales of full frame DSLR's - Sony is number 2. AND you're wrong on the issue of the Northrup's responding to comments. I've had them respond to my comments and I've seen them respond to others as well. Obviously, they can't respond to everyone, all the time.

We don't accept money or free gear from any camera or lens manufacturer. We fully disclose all sponsorships.

Tony & Chelsea Northrup Thanks for the reply. That's great to hear! Keep up the hard work.

hehe... i agree. :P I know u guys are independent.. but it is just the way u shot the video..actually. Anyway... i hear you -> All this Sony hype.. has made ppl neglect this brilliant camera. I really like its ergonomics.. The size and weight are great.. _ it is a great camera. Tony .. what grip would you recommend for it.. other than the stupid expensive Nikon one ? PS: Is it that hard to keep the U1 and U2 custom modes on the high end bodies, though ? I'd like to know what is on Nikon's designers and engineers' minds.. when they go like -> "_ Oh.. this is not the D750... Lets lose the ''lame'' custom modes! " What ? Idiots!

Nah, it’s just a really good camera. I doubt nikon would have sponsored them to say how shitty snap bridge is.

If Snapbridge is software, then it can be improved, right? Maybe a v2 will come out, or a competitor.

Do you use LR? If not, you should try it. It brings the raw files to the same color regardless of camera. We've done side-by-side tests and you see no difference in color at all, regardless of which camera you use.

Tony & Chelsea Northrup LR for video?

yes I use it but as a wedding and event shooter ,found the processing the canon raw files very easy and saved me color correction ,I had Nikon d810 in past but same issue ,also as an event and portrait shooter I love the canon 35mm f1.4L II ,it is perfect lens ,the nikon version in not good ,and the sigma suffers from autofocus issues as I rented for the d810 thank you for reply

Yeah, do what works for you! And you're right, it's all about the lens. Usually we pick a lens and then just pick the best body that fits on that lens, regardless of who makes the camera.

I like skin tones from older nikons

buy the a9, it is more expensive and it is already history.............or you can buy the a7r-iii for $100 less and get an inferior camera, it is your choice

333payaso Wasn't really my point at all but "ok".

The D750, image quality wise, beats competitors at same price point (although it lacks some modern features like 4K video, touch screen and so and so). People keep pointing out that the A7 III is far superior (and it is!) but it costs almost double (at least in Europe). D750 right now would be (in my opinion) one of the best ways to enter affordable full frame photography, the sensor is a marvel for the price and lens selection is top.

Iaintclonitwasmybro Have actually been looking at the d750 for quite some time. You can get it for a bargain used. The only problem is (except that it's big and clumsy as hell) is the faulty shutter mechanism. You basically need to get one that either has the the shutter replaced already or a new one. And new they aren't really that price worthy compared to the competition.

Gideon Heydemann Sure it is. That is if you DO paid work and not hobbying around. Want I meant was that even for hobby photographers and entusiasts Nikon used to have THE shit. Not so much anymore. And what's real sad about it is that they don't even intend to compete in that market anymore. Not one bit.

That sure is a camera.

I would agree, but Nikon has an amazing line of lenses that the a9 lack (but it will change soon)

are they still selling that camera????

A7R3

Nomriel seems like everyone wants a piece of the mirrorless world. Sony have been offering great features that no other company has. I would even say the a7iii is a better camera. Theres a new afc lense that's a 2.8 constant 24-70mm for only 800usd. Not only that but sony offers clear image zoom (amazing) couple that with a aspc mode that 24-70 turns into ummm I think like 280mm. Granted your using a micro 4/3rd sensor size at that point. But if it's for low low low light it still produces good looking pictures.