Decision tools · Compare
A1 vs D850
Quick take: The A1 has the highest resolution at 55MP; the A1 is the most affordable; only the D850 is weather sealed.
Different kinds of camera — their specs aren't comparable, so read the rows as facts, not a contest.
32 specs side by side·14 genres scored·UK prices from Wex Photo Video, Clifton Cameras, MPB, eBay and Amazon UK
How to read this page. Highlighted cells win that row on the spec alone. Genre scores are the engine's base scores (enthusiast, photo and video); Camera Match re-weights them for your level and priorities. Price buttons are affiliate links; the price you pay is the same.
Nikon
D850 2017
Best for Landscape, wildlife & professional studio photography
£2399
new today at Clifton Cameras
Price buttons are affiliate links — GearFrame may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It never affects a score. Learn more
Size comparedbody only, no lens · drawn to one scale
- A1 96 × 81 × 141 mm · 249 g
- D850 146 × 124 × 78 mm · 1005 g
The A1 is 50 mm narrower, 43 mm shorter, 63 mm deeper and 756 g lighter than the D850.
Drawn to scale from the makers' dimensions (W × H × D). Front shown, depth on the slanted edge.
Verdictwhich should you buy?
D850 — Landscape, Wildlife & Professional Studio Photography: The finest DSLR ever made — 45MP, 9fps, and nearly 2000 shots per charge in a body that still outperforms most mirrorless cameras for battery life.
Who should buy what
D850 (2017)
is the right camera for you if…
- Nikon F-mount lens owners who want the highest resolution DSLR before switching to mirrorless
- Landscape and wildlife photographers who value the optical viewfinder and outstanding battery life
- Professional photographers who need 45MP resolution without the price of a medium format system
- Photojournalists and event photographers with a large F-mount lens investment
Full specificationsthe better value in each row is highlighted
| Specification | A1Antigravity · 2025 | D850Nikon · 2017 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £909Best | £2,399 |
| Sensor | — | 45.7MP full-frame BSI-CMOS |
| Resolution | 55.0MPBest | 45.7MP |
| Video | 8K | 4K UHD/30p, 1080p/120p |
| Autofocus | — | 153-point AF system (99 cross-type) — Multi-CAM 20K |
| Stabilisation | — | None (relies on VR lenses) |
| Burst Rate | — | 9fps (7fps with tilt screen AF) |
| Battery Life | — | ~1840 shots (CIPA) — outstanding |
| Weight | 249gBest | 915g (body only) |
| Dimensions | 96 × 81 × 141 mm | 146 × 124 × 78.5mm |
| Weather Sealed | Not weather sealed | YesBest |
| Viewfinder | — | Optical pentaprism — 0.75× magnification, 100% coverage |
| Screen | — | 3.2" tilting touchscreen, 2.36M dots |
| Mount | Fixed lens (360°, f/2.2) | Nikon F mount |
| Memory Cards | — | Dual slots — XQD and SD UHS-II |
| Connectivity | — | USB 3.0, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, 3.5mm mic & headphone jacks |
| Take-off weight | 249 g | — |
| Fly without registering | Yes — under 250 g | — |
| Flight time | 24 min | — |
| Wind resistance | 10.7 m/s | — |
| Obstacle sensing | Omnidirectional | — |
| Video link | OmniLink 360 | — |
| Range | 6.0 km | — |
| Top speed | 16.0 m/s | — |
| Cameras | 1 | — |
| RAW stills | Yes | — |
| Vertical shooting | Not supported | — |
| Intelligent flight | Subject tracking, waypoints, return-to-home | — |
| Storage | 20 GB built in + microSD slot | — |
| Controller in the box | Vision goggles + Grip Motion Controller | — |
| FPV | Yes, goggles in the box | — |
| Folds | Yes | — |
Wins the row — price, resolution, burst, battery, weight and sealing are compared; text specs aren't ranked.
How they score by genreengine base scores out of 10
Genre
A1
D850
Portrait
—
6.8/10
Street
—
4.9/10
Travel
—
5.0/10
Wedding & Events
—
7.2/10
Filmmaking
—
5.6/10
Documentary
—
5.8/10
Sports & Action
—
6.5/10
Landscape
—
6.7/10
Wildlife
—
6.4/10
Casual
—
3.6/10
Food
—
5.8/10
Macro
—
5.5/10
Architecture
—
6.4/10
Astrophotography
—
6.3/10
Scores come from the same engine as Camera Match: verified specifications weighted by what each genre needs, with documented adjustments. The product page and this table show the enthusiast base score. See how scores are calculated →
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