D850vs A1 II
Nikon
D850 (2017)
Starting from £2199 new
Best for Landscape, wildlife & professional studio photography
View D850
VS
Sony
A1 II (2025)
Starting from £6500 new
Best for Professional sports, wildlife & high-resolution studio work
View A1 II
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 Sports, Wildlife & High-Resolution Studio Work — A1 II (2025): The most complete camera ever made — 50MP, 30fps, 8K, and the world's best EVF in a single flagship body.
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 II (2025)
- Professional sports and wildlife photographers who need 30fps, 50MP, and the best AF available
- Commercial and advertising photographers who demand 50MP resolution alongside pro video specs
- Photojournalists who need a single body capable of handling every assignment
- Sony system shooters ready to invest in the absolute best
Quick take: The a1 ii 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 II (2025) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £2,199 | £6,500 |
| Sensor | 45.7MP full-frame BSI-CMOS | 50.1MP full-frame stacked BSI CMOS |
| Resolution | 45.7MP | 50.1MP |
| Video | 4K UHD/30p, 1080p/120p | 8K/30p, 4K/120p 10-bit, 4K/240p super slow-motion |
| Autofocus | 153-point AF system (99 cross-type) — Multi-CAM 20K | AI subject recognition — human, animal, bird, insect, vehicle, aircraft, train |
| Stabilisation | None (relies on VR lenses) | 8.5-stop IBIS (with in-lens OSS) |
| Burst Rate | 9fps (7fps with tilt screen AF) | 30fps electronic (with full AF/AE), 10fps mechanical |
| Battery Life | ~1840 shots (CIPA) — outstanding | ~530 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 915g body only | 743g body only |
| Dimensions | 146 × 124 × 78.5mm | 136.1 × 96.9 × 82.9mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | Optical pentaprism — 0.75× magnification, 100% coverage | EVF 0.9× 9.44M-dot — the highest resolution EVF available |
| Screen | 3.2" tilting touchscreen, 2.36M dots | 3.2" fully articulating touchscreen, 2.1M dots |
| Mount | Nikon F mount | Sony E-mount (full-frame) |
| Memory Cards | Dual slots — XQD and SD UHS-II | Dual CFexpress Type A / SD UHS-II slots |
| Connectivity | USB 3.0, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, 3.5mm mic & headphone jacks | USB-C 3.2 Gen 2, Wi-Fi 6GHz, Bluetooth 5.3, HDMI full-size |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | D850 | A1 II |
|---|---|---|
| Landscape | ||
| Wildlife | ||
| Portrait | ||
| Sports | ||
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Travel |
More comparisons with D850
Camera family history