Nikon
D850 2017
Best for Landscape, wildlife & professional studio photography
£2399
new today at Clifton Cameras
Decision tools · Compare
D850 vs Z8
Quick take: The D850 is the most affordable.
16 specs side by side·14 genres scored·UK prices from Wex Photo Video and Clifton Cameras
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
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.
Z8 — Sports, Wildlife & Hybrid Professionals: Z9 performance in a compact body — 45MP, 8K/60p RAW, and 20fps burst without the bulk or price of the flagship.
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
Z8 (2023)
is the right camera for you if…
- Professional photographers who want Z9 capability in a smaller body
- Wildlife and sports shooters who want 8K RAW and 120fps burst
- Z6 III or Z7 II owners upgrading to pro-grade performance
- Hybrid professionals who need the best Nikon video and stills in one body
Full specificationsthe better value in each row is highlighted
| Specification | D850Nikon · 2017 | Z8Nikon · 2023 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £2,399Best | £3,499 |
| Sensor | 45.7MP full-frame BSI-CMOS | 45.7MP full-frame BSI stacked CMOS |
| Resolution | 45.7MP | 45.7MP |
| Video | 4K UHD/30p, 1080p/120p | 8K/60p RAW, 4K/120p, ProRes RAW |
| Autofocus | 153-point AF system (99 cross-type) — Multi-CAM 20K | Subject detection AF, 493-point phase-detect |
| Stabilisation | None (relies on VR lenses) | 6-stop IBIS |
| Burst Rate | 9fps (7fps with tilt screen AF) | 20fps RAW / 120fps JPEGBest |
| Battery Life | ~1840 shots (CIPA) — outstandingBest | 330 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 915g (body only) | 910g (body only)Best |
| Dimensions | 146 × 124 × 78.5mm | 144.0 × 118.5 × 83.0mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | Optical pentaprism — 0.75× magnification, 100% coverage | 0.5" Quad-VGA OLED EVF, 3.69M dots, 120fps |
| Screen | 3.2" tilting touchscreen, 2.36M dots | 3.2" tilting touchscreen |
| Mount | Nikon F mount | Nikon Z-mount |
| Memory Cards | Dual slots — XQD and SD UHS-II | CFexpress Type B / XQD + SD UHS-II |
| Connectivity | USB 3.0, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, 3.5mm mic & headphone jacks | USB-C 3.2, HDMI full-size, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth |
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
Z8
Portrait
6.8/10
8.4/10
Street
4.9/10
5.8/10
Travel
5.0/10
5.5/10
Wedding & Events
7.2/10
8.2/10
Filmmaking
5.6/10
7.8/10
Documentary
5.8/10
7.7/10
Sports & Action
6.5/10
9.2/10
Landscape
6.7/10
7.4/10
Wildlife
6.4/10
8.9/10
Casual
3.6/10
4.7/10
Food
5.8/10
7.4/10
Macro
5.5/10
7.0/10
Architecture
6.4/10
7.7/10
Astrophotography
6.3/10
6.8/10
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 →
Next
More comparisons with D850
Camera family history