Decision tools · Compare
D40 vs D850
Quick take: The D850 has the highest resolution at 46MP; the D40 is the most affordable; only the D850 is weather sealed.
Where the D40 wins
- Cheaper new: £25 vs £2,399
- Weight: 475g (with battery)
- Street: 5.5 vs 4.9
Where the D850 wins
- Resolution: 45.7MP
- Burst Rate: 9fps (7fps with tilt screen AF)
- Battery Life: ~1840 shots (CIPA) — outstanding
- Weather Sealed: Yes
- Portrait: 6.8 vs 4.7
16 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
- D40 126 × 94 × 64 mm · 475 g
- D850 146 × 124 × 78 mm · 1005 g
The D40 is 20 mm narrower, 30 mm shorter, 14 mm slimmer and 530 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 | D40Nikon · 2006 | D850Nikon · 2017 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £25 usedBest | £2,399 |
| Sensor | 6.1MP APS-C (DX) CCD | 45.7MP full-frame BSI-CMOS |
| Resolution | 6.1MP | 45.7MPBest |
| Video | No video | 4K UHD/30p, 1080p/120p |
| Autofocus | 3-point phase-detect AF (AF-S / AF-I lenses only - no body AF motor) | 153-point AF system (99 cross-type) — Multi-CAM 20K |
| Stabilisation | No IBIS (lens-based stabilisation only) | None (relies on VR lenses) |
| Burst Rate | 2.5fps | 9fps (7fps with tilt screen AF)Best |
| Battery Life | ~470 shots (CIPA) | ~1840 shots (CIPA) — outstandingBest |
| Weight | 475g (with battery)Best | 915g (body only) |
| Dimensions | 126 × 94 × 64mm | 146 × 124 × 78.5mm |
| Weather Sealed | Not weather sealed | YesBest |
| Viewfinder | Optical pentamirror, 95% coverage, 0.8x | Optical pentaprism — 0.75× magnification, 100% coverage |
| Screen | 2.5" fixed LCD, 230k dots | 3.2" tilting touchscreen, 2.36M dots |
| Mount | Nikon F | Nikon F mount |
| Memory Cards | Single SD slot | Dual slots — XQD and SD UHS-II |
| Connectivity | USB 2.0, video out | USB 3.0, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, 3.5mm mic & headphone jacks |
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
D40
D850
Portrait
4.7/10
6.8/10
Street
5.5/10
4.9/10
Travel
4.8/10
5.0/10
Wedding & Events
3.6/10
7.2/10
Documentary
3.1/10
5.8/10
Sports & Action
4.0/10
6.5/10
Landscape
3.1/10
6.7/10
Wildlife
4.5/10
6.4/10
Casual
3.3/10
3.6/10
Food
3.4/10
5.8/10
Macro
3.1/10
5.5/10
Architecture
3.1/10
6.4/10
Astrophotography
5.0/10
6.3/10
Filmmaking
—
5.6/10
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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