D850vs Sigma fp L
Nikon
D850 (2017)
Starting from £2199 new
Best for Landscape, wildlife & professional studio photography
View D850
Sigma
Sigma fp L (2021)
Starting from £1999 new
Best for High-resolution creative & documentary shooters
View Sigma fp L
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.
High-Resolution Creative & Documentary Shooters — Sigma fp L (2021): 61MP and phase-detect AF in the world's smallest full-frame body — the fp L is the most capable iteration of Sigma's extraordinary compact.
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
Sigma fp L (2021)
- Commercial photographers who want 61MP in the world's smallest full-frame body
- Filmmakers using the fp L as a high-resolution cinema camera
- fp owners who need more resolution for large-format printing
- L-mount photographers who want extreme resolution in an ultra-compact form
Quick take: The sigma fp l has the highest resolution at 61mp; the sigma fp l is the most affordable; only the d850 is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | D850 (2017) | Sigma fp L (2021) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £2,199 | £1,999 |
| Sensor | 45.7MP full-frame BSI-CMOS | 61MP full-frame BSI CMOS |
| Resolution | 45.7MP | 61.0MP |
| Video | 4K UHD/30p, 1080p/120p | 12-bit Cinema DNG RAW, 4K/24p |
| Autofocus | 153-point AF system (99 cross-type) — Multi-CAM 20K | Phase-detect AF with face/eye detection |
| Stabilisation | None (relies on VR lenses) | None (lens-based only) |
| Burst Rate | 9fps (7fps with tilt screen AF) | 18fps electronic |
| Battery Life | ~1840 shots (CIPA) — outstanding | 200 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 915g body only | 427g body only |
| Dimensions | 146 × 124 × 78.5mm | 112.6 × 69.9 × 45.3mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | No |
| Viewfinder | Optical pentaprism — 0.75× magnification, 100% coverage | None (optional clip-on EVF available) |
| Screen | 3.2" tilting touchscreen, 2.36M dots | 3.15" fixed touchscreen |
| Mount | Nikon F mount | Leica L-mount |
| Memory Cards | Dual slots — XQD and SD UHS-II | Single SD UHS-II |
| Connectivity | USB 3.0, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, 3.5mm mic & headphone jacks | USB-C 3.1, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | D850 | Sigma fp L |
|---|---|---|
| Landscape | ||
| Wildlife | — | |
| Portrait | ||
| Sports | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Travel | ||
| Street | — | |
| Sports & Action | — |
More comparisons with D850
Camera family history