D850vs A6400
Nikon
D850 (2017)
Starting from £2199 new
Best for Landscape, wildlife & professional studio photography
View D850
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.
Content Creation & Vlogging — A6400 (2019): The best value APS-C Sony you can buy — especially used. Real-time Eye AF at this price point was transformative when it launched and still makes it one of the most reliable autofocus systems in the lineup.
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
A6400 (2019)
- Vloggers and content creators who need a flip screen and reliable AF
- Photographers upgrading from a compact or smartphone
- Beginners who want room to grow into a full E-mount lens ecosystem
- Anyone prioritising autofocus performance at an accessible price
Quick take: The d850 has the highest resolution at 46mp; the a6400 is the most affordable; only the d850 is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | D850 (2017) | A6400 (2019) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £2,199 | £899 |
| Sensor | 45.7MP full-frame BSI-CMOS | 24.2MP APS-C Exmor CMOS BSI |
| Resolution | 45.7MP | 24.2MP |
| Video | 4K UHD/30p, 1080p/120p | 4K/30p (6K oversampled, no crop), 1080p/120p slow-motion |
| Autofocus | 153-point AF system (99 cross-type) — Multi-CAM 20K | Phase-detect, 425 points, real-time Eye AF & animal AF |
| Stabilisation | None (relies on VR lenses) | None (no IBIS) |
| Burst Rate | 9fps (7fps with tilt screen AF) | 11fps mechanical, 8fps with AF tracking |
| Battery Life | ~1840 shots (CIPA) — outstanding | ~410 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 915g body only | 403g (body, battery, card) |
| Dimensions | 146 × 124 × 78.5mm | 120.0 × 66.9 × 59.7mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | No |
| Viewfinder | Optical pentaprism — 0.75× magnification, 100% coverage | EVF, 2.36M dots, 0.70× magnification |
| Screen | 3.2" tilting touchscreen, 2.36M dots | 3.0" tilting touchscreen, 180° flip for selfie/vlog, 921k dots |
| Mount | Nikon F mount | Sony E-mount |
| Memory Cards | Dual slots — XQD and SD UHS-II | Single SD UHS-I |
| Connectivity | USB 3.0, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, 3.5mm mic & headphone jacks | Micro-USB, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | D850 | A6400 |
|---|---|---|
| Landscape | — | |
| Wildlife | ||
| Portrait | ||
| Sports | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | — | |
| Travel | ||
| Video | — | |
| Street | — |
More comparisons with D850
Camera family history