D850vs A1

GearFrame · Updated March 2026

Nikon D850 (2017) Starting from £2199 new Best for Landscape, wildlife & professional studio photography View D850

Sony A1 (2021) Starting from £5999 new Best for Professional sport, wildlife, portrait & hybrid shooting View A1

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.

Professional Sport, Wildlife, Portrait & Hybrid Shooting — A1 (2021): 50MP, 30fps, 8K — the Sony A1 is the most complete professional camera ever made.

↓ Full specifications below

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

A1 (2021)

Professional photographers who need resolution and speed without compromise
Sports and wildlife photographers demanding the absolute fastest Sony
Studio and fashion photographers who also shoot sport or events
A9 III or A7R V owners who want a single body that does everything

Quick take: The a1 has the highest resolution at 50mp; the d850 is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.

Full specifications

Specification	D850 (2017)	A1 (2021)
Price	£2,199	£5,999
Sensor	45.7MP full-frame BSI-CMOS	50.1MP Full-Frame Stacked BSI CMOS Exmor RS
Resolution	45.7MP	50.1MP
Video	4K UHD/30p, 1080p/120p	8K/30p, 4K/120p, 1080p/240p
Autofocus	153-point AF system (99 cross-type) — Multi-CAM 20K	Real-time Tracking, AI subject recognition — 759 phase-detect points
Stabilisation	None (relies on VR lenses)	IBIS — up to 5.5 stops
Burst Rate	9fps (7fps with tilt screen AF)	30fps electronic with full AF/AE
Battery Life	~1840 shots (CIPA) — outstanding	~430 shots (CIPA)
Weight	915g body only	737g (with battery)
Dimensions	146 × 124 × 78.5mm	128.9 × 96.9 × 80.8mm
Weather Sealed	Yes	Yes
Viewfinder	Optical pentaprism — 0.75× magnification, 100% coverage	EVF, 9.44M dots, 0.90× magnification, 240fps
Screen	3.2" tilting touchscreen, 2.36M dots	3.0" fully tilting touchscreen
Mount	Nikon F mount	Sony FE mount (full-frame E-mount)
Memory Cards	Dual slots — XQD and SD UHS-II	Dual CFexpress Type A / SD UHS-II
Connectivity	USB 3.0, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, 3.5mm mic & headphone jacks	USB-C, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Bluetooth, Ethernet, HDMI

Suitability by genre

Genre	D850	A1
Landscape	9.0	9.0
Wildlife	9.0	9.0
Portrait	9.0	9.0
Sports	9.0	9.0
Vlogging & Video	7.0	9.0
Travel	7.0	—
Wedding	—	9.0

⚡ Compare specs side by side D850 prices → A1 prices →

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