D850vs A7R II
Nikon
D850 (2017)
Starting from £2199 new
Best for Landscape, wildlife & professional studio photography
View D850
Sony
A7R II (2015)
Starting from £799 new
Best for Portrait, landscape & studio photography
View A7R 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.
Portrait, Landscape & Studio Photography — A7R II (2015): The A7R II transformed the A7R series — adding IBIS, 4K video, BSI sensor tech, and phase-detect AF in one generation. A landmark Sony camera.
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
A7R II (2015)
- Landscape and architecture photographers who want 42MP with IBIS for handheld shooting
- Portrait and studio photographers who need high resolution with improved AF reliability
- Sony FE system users who want a capable high-resolution body at a used price
- A7R I owners who need the stabilisation, 4K, and improved AF the original lacked
Quick take: The d850 has the highest resolution at 46mp; the a7r ii is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | D850 (2017) | A7R II (2015) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £2,199 | £799 |
| Sensor | 45.7MP full-frame BSI-CMOS | 42.4MP Full-Frame BSI CMOS Exmor R |
| Resolution | 45.7MP | 42.4MP |
| Video | 4K UHD/30p, 1080p/120p | 4K/30p (S35 or full-frame), 1080p/120p |
| Autofocus | 153-point AF system (99 cross-type) — Multi-CAM 20K | 399 phase-detect + 25 contrast-detect AF points, face detection |
| Stabilisation | None (relies on VR lenses) | IBIS — 5-axis, up to 4.5 stops (first A7R with IBIS) |
| Burst Rate | 9fps (7fps with tilt screen AF) | 5fps |
| Battery Life | ~1840 shots (CIPA) — outstanding | ~290 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 915g body only | 625g (with battery and card) |
| Dimensions | 146 × 124 × 78.5mm | 126.9 × 95.7 × 60.3mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | Optical pentaprism — 0.75× magnification, 100% coverage | EVF, OLED 2.36M dots, 0.78× magnification |
| Screen | 3.2" tilting touchscreen, 2.36M dots | 3.0" tilting LCD, 1.23M dots (no touch) |
| Mount | Nikon F-mount (FX) | Sony FE (full-frame E-mount) |
| Memory Cards | Dual slots — XQD and SD UHS-II | Single SD UHS-I slot |
| Connectivity | USB 3.0, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, 3.5mm mic & headphone jacks | USB, Wi-Fi, NFC |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | D850 | A7R II |
|---|---|---|
| Landscape | ||
| Wildlife | — | |
| Portrait | ||
| Sports | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Travel | ||
| Architecture | — | |
| Sports & Action | — |
GearScore™ suitability scores are based on aggregated purchaser reviews weighted by photography genre. See how scores are calculated →
More comparisons with D850
Camera family history