D850vs KF
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.
Landscape & Outdoor — KF (2022): The Pentax KF is a rare thing — a weather-sealed DSLR with in-body stabilisation and an articulating screen at an accessible price. Video is modest at 1080p/60p, but for outdoor and landscape photographers who prefer optical viewfinders and want real weather sealing, the KF delivers in a format that is increasingly hard to find.
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
KF (2022)
- Outdoor and landscape photographers who want weather sealing at an accessible price
- DSLR users who want IBIS and an articulating screen without switching systems
- Pentax K-mount lens collectors who want a modern body for their glass
- Photographers who prefer the natural feel of an optical viewfinder
Quick take: The d850 has the highest resolution at 46mp; the kf is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | D850 (2017) | KF (2022) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £2,199 | £700 |
| Sensor | 45.7MP full-frame BSI-CMOS | 24.2MP APS-C CMOS |
| Resolution | 45.7MP | 24.2MP |
| Video | 4K UHD/30p, 1080p/120p | 1080p/60p |
| Autofocus | 153-point AF system (99 cross-type) — Multi-CAM 20K | SAFOX 13 phase-detect AF with 11 points |
| Stabilisation | None (relies on VR lenses) | In-body Shake Reduction (SR II), up to 5.5 stops |
| Burst Rate | 9fps (7fps with tilt screen AF) | 6fps |
| Battery Life | ~1840 shots (CIPA) — outstanding | ~410 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 915g body only | 643g (body only) |
| Dimensions | 146 × 124 × 78.5mm | 131.0 × 101.0 × 76.0mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | Optical pentaprism — 0.75× magnification, 100% coverage | Optical pentamirror, 0.95× magnification, ~100% coverage |
| Screen | 3.2" tilting touchscreen, 2.36M dots | 3.0" fully articulating touchscreen, 1.04M dots |
| Mount | Nikon F-mount (FX) | Pentax KF-mount |
| 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, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | D850 | KF |
|---|---|---|
| Landscape | ||
| Wildlife | ||
| Portrait | ||
| Sports | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Travel | ||
| Casual | — | |
| Street | — | |
| Sports & Action | — |
GearScore™ suitability scores are based on aggregated purchaser reviews weighted by photography genre. See how scores are calculated →
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Camera family history