D850vs Sony A7R V
Nikon
D850 (2017)
Starting from £2199 new
Best for Landscape, wildlife & professional studio photography
View D850
VS
Sony
Sony A7R V (2022)
Starting from £3899 new
Best for Landscape, studio & commercial
View Sony A7R V
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.
Landscape, Studio & Commercial — Sony A7R V (2022): 61 megapixels and 8-stop IBIS in a weather-sealed body — the reference resolution camera for commercial and landscape professionals.
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
Sony A7R V (2022)
- Commercial and advertising photographers who need 61MP files
- Landscape photographers who want extraordinary detail in large prints
- A7R IV owners upgrading to AI-based autofocus and a better EVF
- Studio photographers who want the highest resolution Sony offers
Quick take: The sony a7r v has the highest resolution at 61mp; the d850 is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | D850 (2017) | Sony A7R V (2022) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £2,199 | £3,899 |
| Sensor | 45.7MP full-frame BSI-CMOS | 61MP full-frame BSI CMOS |
| Resolution | 45.7MP | 61.0MP |
| Video | 4K UHD/30p, 1080p/120p | 8K/25p, 4K/60p |
| Autofocus | 153-point AF system (99 cross-type) — Multi-CAM 20K | AI subject recognition AF, 693-point phase-detect |
| Stabilisation | None (relies on VR lenses) | 8-stop IBIS |
| Burst Rate | 9fps (7fps with tilt screen AF) | 10fps mechanical / 7fps electronic |
| Battery Life | ~1840 shots (CIPA) — outstanding | 530 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 915g body only | 723g body only |
| Dimensions | 146 × 124 × 78.5mm | 131.3 × 96.4 × 82.4mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | Optical pentaprism — 0.75× magnification, 100% coverage | 0.64" Quad-XGA OLED EVF, 9.44M dots |
| Screen | 3.2" tilting touchscreen, 2.36M dots | 3.2" multi-angle touchscreen |
| Mount | Nikon F mount | Sony FE (E-mount) |
| Memory Cards | Dual slots — XQD and SD UHS-II | Dual CFexpress Type A / SD UHS-II |
| Connectivity | USB 3.0, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, 3.5mm mic & headphone jacks | USB-C 3.2, HDMI A, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3 |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | D850 | Sony A7R V |
|---|---|---|
| Landscape | ||
| Wildlife | — | |
| Portrait | ||
| Sports | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Travel | — | |
| Architecture | — | |
| Wedding & Events | — | |
| Sports & Action | — |
More comparisons with D850
Camera family history