D850vs Sony RX100 VII
Nikon
D850 (2017)
Starting from £2199 new
Best for Landscape, wildlife & professional studio photography
View D850
VS
Sony
Sony RX100 VII (2019)
Starting from £1099 new
Best for Travel & versatility
View Sony RX100 VII
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.
Travel & Versatility — Sony RX100 VII (2019): The most versatile compact camera ever made — 24-200mm zoom, 20fps burst, and 960fps slow-motion in a jacket pocket.
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 RX100 VII (2019)
- Travel photographers who want the most capable 1-inch compact available
- Vloggers who need fast AF and a flip screen in a jacket-pocket body
- Photographers who want a high-quality compact backup to a mirrorless system
- Anyone who wants professional AF performance without carrying a large camera
Quick take: The d850 has the highest resolution at 46mp; the sony rx100 vii is the most affordable; only the d850 is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | D850 (2017) | Sony RX100 VII (2019) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £2,199 | £1,099 |
| Sensor | 45.7MP full-frame BSI-CMOS | 20.1MP 1-inch Exmor RS BSI CMOS (stacked) |
| Resolution | 45.7MP | 20.1MP |
| Video | 4K UHD/30p, 1080p/120p | 4K/30p HLG, FHD/960fps super slow-motion |
| Autofocus | 153-point AF system (99 cross-type) — Multi-CAM 20K | 357-point phase-detect + 425 contrast, Eye AF, tracking |
| Stabilisation | None (relies on VR lenses) | 3-stop Optical SteadyShot |
| Burst Rate | 9fps (7fps with tilt screen AF) | 20fps AF/AE tracking (90fps short burst) |
| Battery Life | ~1840 shots (CIPA) — outstanding | ~260 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 915g body only | 302g with battery and card |
| Dimensions | 146 × 124 × 78.5mm | 101.6 × 58.1 × 42.8mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | No |
| Viewfinder | Optical pentaprism — 0.75× magnification, 100% coverage | Pop-up EVF, 2.36M dots, 0.59× magnification |
| Screen | 3.2" tilting touchscreen, 2.36M dots | 3.0" tilting touchscreen |
| Mount | Nikon F mount | Fixed Zeiss Vario-Sonnar 24-200mm f/2.8-4.5 |
| 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-C, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, NFC |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | D850 | Sony RX100 VII |
|---|---|---|
| Landscape | — | |
| Wildlife | ||
| Portrait | ||
| Sports | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Travel | ||
| Family & Everyday | — | |
| Street | — |
More comparisons with D850