Nikon
D850 2017
Best for Landscape, wildlife & professional studio photography
£2399
new today at Wex Photo Video
Decision tools · Compare
D850 vs A1 II
Quick take: The A1 II has the highest resolution at 50MP; the D850 is the most affordable.
16 specs side by side·15 genres scored·UK prices from Wex Photo Video and Clifton Cameras
How to read this page. Highlighted cells win that row on the spec alone. Genre scores are the engine's base scores (enthusiast, photo and video); Camera Match re-weights them for your level and priorities. Price buttons are affiliate links; the price you pay is the same.
Sony
A1 II 2024
Best for Professional sports, wildlife & high-resolution studio work
£5699
new today at Clifton Cameras
Price buttons are affiliate links — GearFrame may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It never affects a score. Learn more
Verdictwhich should you buy?
D850 — Landscape, Wildlife & Professional Studio Photography: 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.
A1 II — Professional Sports, Wildlife & High-Resolution Studio Work: 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)
is the right camera for you if…
- 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 (2024)
is the right camera for you if…
- 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
Full specificationsthe better value in each row is highlighted
| Specification | D850Nikon · 2017 | A1 IISony · 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £2,399Best | £5,699 |
| Sensor | 45.7MP full-frame BSI-CMOS | 50.1MP full-frame stacked BSI CMOS |
| Resolution | 45.7MP | 50.1MPBest |
| Video | 4K UHD/30p, 1080p/120p | 8K/30p, 4K/120p 10-bit, S-Log3 |
| 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 mechanicalBest |
| Battery Life | ~1840 shots (CIPA) — outstandingBest | ~530 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 915g (body only) | 743g (body only)Best |
| 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 |
Wins the row — price, resolution, burst, battery, weight and sealing are compared; text specs aren't ranked.
How they score by genreengine base scores out of 10
Genre
D850
A1 II
Portrait
6.8/10
9.0/10
Street
4.9/10
6.6/10
Travel
5.0/10
6.4/10
Wedding & Events
7.2/10
8.7/10
Filmmaking
5.6/10
8.2/10
Documentary
5.8/10
8.3/10
Sports & Action
6.5/10
9.3/10
Landscape
6.7/10
8.0/10
Wildlife
6.4/10
9.2/10
Casual
3.6/10
5.3/10
Food
5.8/10
8.5/10
Macro
5.5/10
8.1/10
Architecture
6.4/10
8.4/10
Astrophotography
6.3/10
7.2/10
Vlogging & Video
—
6.4/10
Scores come from the same engine as Camera Match: verified specifications weighted by what each genre needs, with documented adjustments. The product page and this table show the enthusiast base score. See how scores are calculated →
Next
More comparisons with D850
Camera family history