D850vs OM-D E-M5 Mark II
Nikon
D850 (2017)
Starting from £2199 new
Best for Landscape, wildlife & professional studio photography
View D850
Olympus
OM-D E-M5 Mark II (2015)
Starting from £350 new
Best for Travel & Landscape
View OM-D E-M5 Mark II
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.
Travel & Landscape — OM-D E-M5 Mark II (2015): The E-M5 II was the benchmark weather-sealed travel camera of its generation. The 16MP sensor is modest by today's standards but excellent in practice, and the 5-axis IBIS is genuinely useful. Weather sealing, a flip screen, and a high-res composite mode make it a practical companion. A highly capable used-market buy for travel and outdoor photographers who don't need the latest resolution numbers.
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
OM-D E-M5 Mark II (2015)
- Travel photographers wanting compact + weather sealing
- Outdoor and landscape shooters
- Micro Four Thirds system users
Quick take: The d850 has the highest resolution at 46mp; the om-d e-m5 mark ii is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | D850 (2017) | OM-D E-M5 Mark II (2015) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £2,199 | £350 |
| Sensor | 45.7MP full-frame BSI-CMOS | 16MP Micro Four Thirds Live MOS |
| Resolution | 45.7MP | 16.0MP |
| Video | 4K UHD/30p, 1080p/120p | 1080p/60p |
| Autofocus | 153-point AF system (99 cross-type) — Multi-CAM 20K | Contrast-detect AF, face detection |
| Stabilisation | None (relies on VR lenses) | 5-axis IBIS, 5.0 stops |
| Burst Rate | 9fps (7fps with tilt screen AF) | 10fps |
| Battery Life | ~1840 shots (CIPA) — outstanding | ~310 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 915g body only | 417g (with battery and card) |
| Dimensions | 146 × 124 × 78.5mm | 123.7 × 85.0 × 44.5mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | Optical pentaprism — 0.75× magnification, 100% coverage | Electronic, 2.36M dots, 0.74× magnification |
| Screen | 3.2" tilting touchscreen, 2.36M dots | 3.0" fully articulating touchscreen, 1.04M dots |
| Mount | Nikon F-mount (FX) | Micro Four Thirds |
| Memory Cards | Dual slots — XQD and SD UHS-II | Single SD UHS-I slot |
| Connectivity | USB 3.0, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, 3.5mm mic & headphone jacks | USB 2.0, Wi-Fi |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | D850 | OM-D E-M5 Mark II |
|---|---|---|
| Landscape | ||
| Wildlife | ||
| Portrait | — | |
| Sports | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Travel | ||
| Street | — | |
| Macro | — | |
| Astrophotography | — | |
| Sports & Action | — |
GearScore™ suitability scores are based on aggregated purchaser reviews weighted by photography genre. See how scores are calculated →
More comparisons with D850
Camera family history