Nikon
D850 2017
Best for Landscape, wildlife & professional studio photography
£2399
new today at Clifton Cameras
Decision tools · Compare
D850 vs D90
Quick take: The D850 has the highest resolution at 46MP; the D90 is the most affordable; only the D850 is weather sealed.
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 5.2
Where the D90 wins
- Cheaper new: £69 vs £2,399
- Weight: 700g (with battery)
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.
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
- D850 146 × 124 × 78 mm · 1005 g
- D90 132 × 103 × 77 mm · 700 g
The D90 is 14 mm narrower, 21 mm shorter and 305 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 | D850Nikon · 2017 | D90Nikon · 2008 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £2,399 | £69 usedBest |
| Sensor | 45.7MP full-frame BSI-CMOS | 12.3MP APS-C CMOS |
| Resolution | 45.7MPBest | 12.3MP |
| Video | 4K UHD/30p, 1080p/120p | 720p/24 |
| Autofocus | 153-point AF system (99 cross-type) — Multi-CAM 20K | 11-point phase-detect (1 cross-type) via viewfinder; contrast AF with face priority in live view |
| Stabilisation | None (relies on VR lenses) | No IBIS (lens-based stabilisation only) |
| Burst Rate | 9fps (7fps with tilt screen AF)Best | 4.5fps |
| Battery Life | ~1840 shots (CIPA) — outstandingBest | ~850 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 915g (body only) | 700g (with battery)Best |
| Dimensions | 146 × 124 × 78.5mm | 132 × 103 × 77mm |
| Weather Sealed | YesBest | Not weather sealed |
| Viewfinder | Optical pentaprism — 0.75× magnification, 100% coverage | Optical pentaprism, 96% coverage, 0.94x |
| Screen | 3.2" tilting touchscreen, 2.36M dots | 3.0" fixed LCD, 920k dots |
| Mount | Nikon F mount | Nikon F-mount (DX) |
| Memory Cards | Dual slots — XQD and SD UHS-II | Single SD slot |
| Connectivity | USB 3.0, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, 3.5mm mic & headphone jacks | USB 2.0, mini HDMI, MC-DC2 remote |
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
D850
D90
Portrait
6.8/10
5.2/10
Street
4.9/10
5.0/10
Travel
5.0/10
4.5/10
Wedding & Events
7.2/10
4.5/10
Filmmaking
5.6/10
—
Documentary
5.8/10
3.3/10
Sports & Action
6.5/10
4.8/10
Landscape
6.7/10
3.7/10
Wildlife
6.4/10
5.3/10
Casual
3.6/10
3.0/10
Food
5.8/10
3.6/10
Macro
5.5/10
3.3/10
Architecture
6.4/10
3.8/10
Astrophotography
6.3/10
5.0/10
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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