D850vs A7 IV
Nikon
D850 (2017)
Starting from £2199 new
Best for Landscape, wildlife & professional studio photography
View D850
VS
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.
Portrait & Wedding Photography — A7 IV (2021): The full-frame portrait benchmark — 33MP, AI Eye AF, and exceptional skin-tone rendering in a pro-grade hybrid 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
A7 IV (2021)
- Working photographers who want a reliable full-frame all-rounder
- Portrait, wedding, and event photographers needing 33MP and fast AF
- A7 III owners ready for a major upgrade in resolution, AF, and video
- Hybrid shooters who want 4K/60p and 33MP stills in one dependable body
Quick take: The d850 has the highest resolution at 46mp; the d850 is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | D850 (2017) | A7 IV (2021) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £2,199 | £2,299 |
| Sensor | 45.7MP full-frame BSI-CMOS | 33MP Full-frame BSI Exmor R CMOS |
| Resolution | 45.7MP | 33.0MP |
| Video | 4K UHD/30p, 1080p/120p | 4K/60p oversampled, 10-bit internal, S-Log3, S-Cinetone |
| Autofocus | 153-point AF system (99 cross-type) — Multi-CAM 20K | 759-point phase-detect, AI subject recognition |
| Stabilisation | None (relies on VR lenses) | 5-axis IBIS, 5.5 stops |
| Burst Rate | 9fps (7fps with tilt screen AF) | 10fps mechanical, 30fps electronic |
| Battery Life | ~1840 shots (CIPA) — outstanding | ~580 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 915g body only | 659g body only |
| Dimensions | 146 × 124 × 78.5mm | 131.3 × 96.4 × 79.8mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | Optical pentaprism — 0.75× magnification, 100% coverage | EVF, 3.69M dots, 0.78× magnification |
| Screen | 3.2" tilting touchscreen, 2.36M dots | 3.0" vari-angle touchscreen |
| Mount | Nikon F mount | Sony FE (full-frame E-mount) |
| Memory Cards | Dual slots — XQD and SD UHS-II | Dual slots: CFexpress Type A + SD UHS-II |
| Connectivity | USB 3.0, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, 3.5mm mic & headphone jacks | USB-C (3.2 Gen 2), Bluetooth, Wi-Fi |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | D850 | A7 IV |
|---|---|---|
| Landscape | ||
| Wildlife | — | |
| Portrait | — | |
| Sports | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Travel | — | |
| Studio Portraits | — | |
| Outdoor Portraits | — | |
| Wedding & Events | — | |
| Sports & Action | — |
More comparisons with D850
Camera family history