D850vs Z6 II
Nikon
D850 (2017)
Starting from £2199 new
Best for Landscape, wildlife & professional studio photography
View D850
GearScore™ Verdict — Which should you buy?
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.
All-Round Full-Frame Photography — Z6 II (2020): The Z6 II is the Nikon most photographers should buy. It's balanced across every discipline — stills, video, autofocus, weather sealing — without overpaying for megapixels you don't need. The Z-mount glass is superb.
Who should buy what
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
Z6 II (2020)
- Nikon DSLR users ready to move to mirrorless
- Photographers who need a reliable all-rounder without specialising
- Video creators wanting 4K/60p in a weather-sealed body
- Enthusiasts who shoot everything from portraits to travel
Quick take: The d850 has the highest resolution at 46mp; the z6 ii is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | D850 (2017) | Z6 II (2020) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £2,199 | £1,699 |
| Sensor | 45.7MP full-frame BSI-CMOS | 24.5MP Full-Frame BSI CMOS |
| Resolution | 45.7MP | 24.5MP |
| Video | 4K UHD/30p, 1080p/120p | 4K/60p, 4K/30p (oversampled), 1080p/120p slow-motion |
| Autofocus | 153-point AF system (99 cross-type) — Multi-CAM 20K | Phase-detect, 273 points, Eye AF, subject tracking |
| Stabilisation | None (relies on VR lenses) | 5-axis IBIS, 5 stops (up to 6 stops with VR lenses) |
| Burst Rate | 9fps (7fps with tilt screen AF) | 14fps mechanical, 14fps electronic (12-bit RAW) |
| Battery Life | ~1840 shots (CIPA) — outstanding | ~410 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 915g body only | 705g (body, battery, card) |
| Dimensions | 146 × 124 × 78.5mm | 134.0 × 100.5 × 69.5mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | Optical pentaprism — 0.75× magnification, 100% coverage | EVF, 3.69M dots, 0.80× magnification |
| Screen | 3.2" tilting touchscreen, 2.36M dots | 3.2" tilting touchscreen, 2.1M dots |
| Mount | Nikon F mount | Nikon Z-mount |
| Memory Cards | Dual slots — XQD and SD UHS-II | Dual card: 1× CFexpress Type B / XQD + 1× SD UHS-II |
| Connectivity | USB 3.0, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, 3.5mm mic & headphone jacks | USB-C (USB 3.2 Gen 2), Wi-Fi, Bluetooth |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | D850 | Z6 II |
|---|---|---|
| Landscape | — | |
| Wildlife | ||
| Portrait | ||
| Sports | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | — | |
| Travel | ||
| Video | — | |
| Street | — |
More comparisons with D850
Camera family history