D850vs GR IIIx HDF
Nikon
D850 (2017)
Starting from £2199 new
Best for Landscape, wildlife & professional studio photography
View D850
Ricoh
GR IIIx HDF (2024)
Starting from £999 new
Best for Street & documentary photography with a distinctive aesthetic
View GR IIIx HDF
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.
Street & Documentary Photography With A Distinctive Aesthetic — GR IIIx HDF (2024): The GR IIIx with a built-in dream filter — for photographers who want the GR's legendary APS-C quality with an added layer of analogue magic.
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
GR IIIx HDF (2024)
- GR IIIx fans who want the HDF bloom effect without using post-processing
- Street photographers who want a distinctive, instantly recognisable aesthetic
- Film photography enthusiasts who want to replicate analogue optical character digitally
- GR III owners ready to upgrade to the 40mm equivalent perspective
Quick take: The d850 has the highest resolution at 46mp; the gr iiix hdf is the most affordable; only the d850 is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | D850 (2017) | GR IIIx HDF (2024) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £2,199 | £999 |
| Sensor | 45.7MP full-frame BSI-CMOS | 24.2MP APS-C CMOS |
| Resolution | 45.7MP | 24.2MP |
| Video | 4K UHD/30p, 1080p/120p | 1920 × 1080 / 60fps |
| Autofocus | 153-point AF system (99 cross-type) — Multi-CAM 20K | Phase/contrast hybrid CDAF with Snap Focus |
| Stabilisation | None (relies on VR lenses) | 3-axis Shake Reduction (SR) — 4 stops |
| Burst Rate | 9fps (7fps with tilt screen AF) | 4fps continuous |
| Battery Life | ~1840 shots (CIPA) — outstanding | ~200 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 915g body only | 262g body only |
| Dimensions | 146 × 124 × 78.5mm | 122.5 × 69.5 × 35.2mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | No |
| Viewfinder | Optical pentaprism — 0.75× magnification, 100% coverage | None — rear LCD only |
| Screen | 3.2" tilting touchscreen, 2.36M dots | 3.0" fixed LCD touchscreen, 1.037M dots |
| Mount | Nikon F-mount (FX) | Fixed GR Lens 26.1mm f/2.8 (40mm equivalent) |
| Memory Cards | Dual slots — XQD and SD UHS-II | Single SD/SDHC/SDXC slot |
| Connectivity | USB 3.0, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, 3.5mm mic & headphone jacks | USB-C, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | D850 | GR IIIx HDF |
|---|---|---|
| Landscape | ||
| Wildlife | ||
| Portrait | ||
| Sports | ||
| Vlogging & Video | — | |
| Travel | ||
| Street | — |
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