D850vs BF
Nikon
D850 (2017)
Starting from £2199 new
Best for Landscape, wildlife & professional studio photography
View D850
Sigma
BF (2025)
Starting from £1799 new
Best for Photographers who want to strip back every distraction
View BF
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.
Photographers Who Want To Strip Back Every Distraction — BF (2025): The most radical camera in years — no dials, no buttons, just a flat aluminium body and total creative minimalism.
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
BF (2025)
- Photographers who find camera menus and dials a distraction from the creative process
- L-mount system users who want the lightest, most minimal full-frame body available
- Design enthusiasts who value the object quality and philosophy as much as the output
- Sigma fp/fp L users ready for a more radical step toward minimal photography
Quick take: The d850 has the highest resolution at 46mp; the bf is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | D850 (2017) | BF (2025) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £2,199 | £1,799 |
| Sensor | 45.7MP full-frame BSI-CMOS | 24MP full-frame BSI CMOS |
| Resolution | 45.7MP | 24.0MP |
| Video | 4K UHD/30p, 1080p/120p | 4K/30p, 1080p/60p |
| Autofocus | 153-point AF system (99 cross-type) — Multi-CAM 20K | Phase-detect AF — face and eye detection |
| Stabilisation | None (relies on VR lenses) | 5-axis IBIS — 7 stops |
| Burst Rate | 9fps (7fps with tilt screen AF) | 9fps electronic |
| Battery Life | ~1840 shots (CIPA) — outstanding | ~400 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 915g body only | 427g body only |
| Dimensions | 146 × 124 × 78.5mm | 127.0 × 75.0 × 45.0mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | Optical pentaprism — 0.75× magnification, 100% coverage | EVF 0.75× 3.68M-dot |
| Screen | 3.2" tilting touchscreen, 2.36M dots | 3.15" fully articulating touchscreen — primary interface |
| Mount | Nikon F-mount (FX) | L-mount (Leica/Panasonic/Sigma) |
| Memory Cards | Dual slots — XQD and SD UHS-II | Single UHS-II SD slot |
| Connectivity | USB 3.0, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, 3.5mm mic & headphone jacks | USB-C, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | D850 | BF |
|---|---|---|
| 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