Qvs D850
Nikon
D850 (2017)
Starting from £2199 new
Best for Landscape, wildlife & professional studio photography
View D850
GearScore™ Verdict — Which should you buy?
Street, Travel & Fine Art Photography — Q (2015): The camera that redefined luxury compact photography — a full-frame sensor, the finest 28mm compact lens available, and a shooting feel that is uniquely Leica.
Landscape, Wildlife & Professional Studio Photography — D850 (2017): 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
Q (2015)
- Street and documentary photographers who want a full-frame fixed-lens camera with iconic character
- Travel photographers who want the finest compact image quality available
- Leica enthusiasts who want an autofocus alternative to the M system
- Photographers who value build quality and shooting experience as much as spec sheets
D850 (2017)
- 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
Quick take: The d850 has the highest resolution at 46mp; the q is the most affordable; only the d850 is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | Q (2015) | D850 (2017) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £1,999 | £2,199 |
| Sensor | 24.2MP Full-Frame CMOS | 45.7MP full-frame BSI-CMOS |
| Resolution | 24.2MP | 45.7MP |
| Video | 1080p/60p | 4K UHD/30p, 1080p/120p |
| Autofocus | Contrast-detect AF, 49 AF fields, face detection | 153-point AF system (99 cross-type) — Multi-CAM 20K |
| Stabilisation | None | None (relies on VR lenses) |
| Burst Rate | 10fps | 9fps (7fps with tilt screen AF) |
| Battery Life | ~270 shots (CIPA) | ~1840 shots (CIPA) — outstanding |
| Weight | 640g (with battery and card) | 915g body only |
| Dimensions | 130.0 × 80.0 × 93.5mm | 146 × 124 × 78.5mm |
| Weather Sealed | No | Yes |
| Viewfinder | EVF, 3.68M dots, 0.68× magnification | Optical pentaprism — 0.75× magnification, 100% coverage |
| Screen | 3.0" fixed touchscreen, 1.04M dots | 3.2" tilting touchscreen, 2.36M dots |
| Mount | Fixed Leica Summilux 28mm f/1.7 ASPH | Nikon F-mount (FX) |
| Memory Cards | Single SD UHS-I slot | Dual slots — XQD and SD UHS-II |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi | USB 3.0, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, 3.5mm mic & headphone jacks |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | Q | D850 |
|---|---|---|
| Street | — | |
| Travel | ||
| Portrait | ||
| Landscape | ||
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Wildlife | ||
| Sports | — |
GearScore™ suitability scores are based on aggregated purchaser reviews weighted by photography genre. See how scores are calculated →
More comparisons with Q
Camera family history