Nikon D850 | 5 Reasons To Buy & Not To Buy in 2023

I should add that when you buy a Nikon Z mirrorless camera, you’re more likely to get regular future firmware updates that will improve the performance of the camera. Perfect examples of this is the 3.01 firmware update for the Nikon Z9 and the 3.40 firmware update for Z6/Z7. Both of which substantially improved the autofocus in certain modes 📸🙏

PS. We have some pretty tough marriage celebrants here in Australia 😂

I forgot you're in Australia, so when I saw those prices at first I was shocked and confused lol. The lack of quality autofocus in video and the noise concerns are good points for me to consider as I want to get into video more, and I enjoy wildlife photography and am considering doing more weddings as I grow my business... also the weight too when it comes to traveling is a concern but at least it'll be more of a workout for me lol. but I pretty much have my heart set on the D850, just need to pull the trigger.

The idiotic church scene made it impossible for me to not like the video

My god...the power of full frame...

I have got nikon d810 since 2017 and now I want to upgrade and to honest I want to try my hands on video. I have sigma 135mm f1.8, tamron 70-200 f2.8, Tamron 35mm f1.8..so now I can't switch to any other brand..I like the new z8 but considering the price of z8 and d850(used) there is a huge difference in price..although I can afford z8 but I am still confused..please help me to decide

I'm pretty weird I guess. My first DSLR was a Sigma SD9, I remember selling my EOS3 and all its stuff to get it. Support for that camera was terrible though and I went to PowerShot Gs and Sonys as I was mainly a hobbyist. After a brief flirtation with the Pentax K110D I went Lumix MFT for a very long time. Last year I was ramping up the paid work and I went to the S5 II. I loved the camera, until I went to try to shoot portraits and headshots tethered with it. NIGHTMARE. L-Mount gear is limited and expensive, etc.

I thought, you know, you never tried Nikon so I grabbed a D810 and almost immediately fell in love (especially when it tethered to Capture One in like 5 seconds). My first tethered session (shooting about a dozen headshots) was a dream with all the time saved. I was going to use the S5 II as my other body to carry two bodies when I started to think that idea was dumb. So I just added a D850 and took a hit on the S5 II gear. I love all that is out there for F-mount, choices I never had in all my years of shooting, and at crazy prices from all the guys going to Z flooding the market with used F-mount gear (I picked up a mint 70-200/F4 for 1/4 the price I paid for that same Lumix lens).

Will I jump to Z at some point? Probably, but since my new bestie is a 135/F2 DC (had for like 1/3 of the price my Sigma 135/2.8 for L-mount), and AF isn't supported for it on Z, it will probably be a while. I'm shooting the best photos of my life and I was floored with my S5 II. So sorry for the long story but after seeing it all and being on a brand new mirrorless for a year I got to thinking, do I really NEED all this stuff or is it just distracting me? Consumerism is driving a lot of craziness, I'm glad I snapped out of it for a bit. But, please, keep selling all your great F-Mount gear guys, the market is flooded and the prices are crazy low!

No.3 of the disadvantages was and is quite crucial I think.
All the Zooms especially have a much better performance weight/size ratio !
When comparing the 24-120mm f4 or the 24-70mm 2.8 -- it is a huge difference in both quality and size/weight!
Of course there is also the very good 24-70mm f4 for Z mount, which is small and light and cheap as well when being bought 2nd hand.
All this and the VR in the body makes the Z7 or Z7II much more interesting for travel and landscape.
But there is of course the great AF system in the D850 -- and I. would need it from time to time ...
But Video is much better in the Z series cameras...
Quality and feel are better in the D850 though ...
Lens compatibility and adaptability and much better for the Z series though -- I can adopt my Leica and Voigtlander m-mount lenses ...
But I like the Viewfinder much more in the D850 -- and it has this great handling features, buttons that I can illuminate , and it has much better battery life ...
Wow -- it is hard to decide ..
Maybe the more important advantages on the Z series cameras ? ....
Difficult ...
Or maybe the D780 as a hybrid choice...🤣

How is this better than the D810 ? Does this use the SAME cable trigger or remote than the D810 ?

I have a D700 and I am just a beginner. I will put my 2c in anyway. It comes down to how much you can afford. If you are a pro, if you need video; then you need a Nikon with the expeed 7processor in it. The reason to buy a DSLR, is if you are only taking photos, new to the hobby and don't want to spend a lot of money.

Great video !!! Very informative !!! Here in the UK, I have been mulling over a higher resolution camera for some time. I have been a Nikon shooter for some time. I already own a Nikon D750, D780 and a Z6II. I am very happy with all three of these cameras. But , if I need to crop an image , the more pixels I have, the better.

The new Nikon Z8 looks to be an amazing camera. 8K Video , 45MPixel resolution and great auto focus for stills and video. But here in the UK , the Nikon Z8 is £4000. Even a good quality used Z8 is £3700 to £3800. This is more than my budget.

Meanwhile a good quality Nikon D850 is around £1800, which is a bit more budget-friendly. So I am looking to buy a D850 in the new year.

I have used my D850 since 2019 and love it. I've recently considered upgrading to mirrorless but after doing some research, I may wait a year before taking another look at the z8 .

I got one a few months back when my long and faithful D5100 kicked the bucket. It could still be salvaged (the shutter mechanism became faulty, everything else is in good order) and I had a lot of memories with it since 2010, so I kept it with me still, of the thousand pictures I have taken with it.

D850 is a little bit on the heavy side, but for someone doing it as a hobby, I love it very much. ♥

I just bought one, as my D750 was having AF issues due to a bad fall

I am from germany...every photographer here who is a pro buy a sony alpha 7 ii or iii or so....but i love my nikon d850 a lot. The colour, the intense and the dynamic of the pictures is for me the best in the world ... the d850 is a weapon .....its from 2017 but look at the ak47 from the last century but now one of the best in her category

I think what should be mentioned is, that should you invest in a lower-priced Z range body, say, the Z50, you can buy a converter ring that will accommodate your F mount AI/AI-S lenses. Unfortunately, I could not justify the expenditure that comes with the Z8 or 9, but the D850 is manageable - & naturally, can take the aforementioned F mounts. I've hired a D850 in the past, & it's a stellar camera, still. There is no doubt that Nikon's Z series are excellent, but unless you're in business as a Pro photographer, it's going to be way out of most peoples price bracket. I also use my old analogue F4 - still love film ! Very fair overview - Thanks for the input.

I have shot more than 50 "day-to-night-to-day" time-lapses on the D850 in freezing weather and in 112 degrees and Adrian is right, it is the best camera I have ever used. You can get "the holy grail" shots using the built-in interval timer and do it on silent-mode which is just fantastic when shooting 1500 frames all night! Great video, Adrian! I'm subscribed.

I have a D850. I used this for dog show photography. I upgraded to the Z8 and love it. This will still by my backup camera and I will be taking Candid's with this camera at the shows.

Honestly I’d be happy with a D850 anytime, especially after using a D5500 for many years. However, if we approach the subject realistically mirrorless is the future. I doubt that Nikon will ever make any dslrs anymore and even if we still hold on to them, there will be a point that we will have to change them once they finally break down on us.

My D850 lets me use all my AF-D glass as intended. Why Nikon didn’t make a FTZ to suit?

I bought a Z6 it was ok. But traded it for the D7500.
That’s a beauty. Then I upgraded to the D850 and I love it

thanks for the review. I am more on the photo side than video one . So your advice helps alot . I will look for a used D850 as upgrade for my D750

I have a Nikon D810, is it worth the upgrade to a D850?

The cost of the new Z lenses put me off to be honest. As a hobby the D850 and F glass works just fine

I enjoyed your point - to - point focus ( pardun the pun ) . For me , weight is a concern . Your truly on the spot ! otherwise , same deal .... it's a Nikon . I have an F that I love too . Some of my best shots of a Coyote are on an F3 .

NO, I was waiting for the D860 dslr. With the 60 megapixal sensor

The elephant in the room is my extensive F-mount lens collection, something not mentioned in the video. Buying a Z8 is not only double the price for the body, it is buying a new lens collection, a big financial outlay. I have a D810, but my D200 (DX) body is finally dying. So I am currently thinking of getting a D850 before they are no more.

thanks for this! its feels like the z series will get outdated with updated versions quickly and creating the itch to upgrade. The d850 feels like something lasting for many years to come. My only reason to upgrade to the z series, at least for landscape shooting, is that the 14 to 24mmm 2.8 can have filters, while the fx mount lense has such a huge lense, that it only fits a special filter holder on it. but as a hobby photographer, I cant justify the price tag and going to keep using the 16 to 35mm

I just bought a D850 (new) because of the huge range of glass I have and the kind of photography I do. Buying a new z8 was a huge temptation. But it is going to cost me a fortune to add the kind of glass I now have. I will be happy with this for at least another 5-6 years and then there might not be any cameras but iPhones with 100MP! Thanks Adrian for the very useful video.

Good to excellent used D850s are $1,500 to $2,000 and while used Z7II are just a tick more, they continue to be a disappointment with crappy autofocus for the money. The Z9 & Z8 are great but twice the cost of an 850, and while the Zf gives hope to future Zed bodies, those aren’t even hinted at yet. Meanwhile the D850 continues to be the greatest DSLR ever made

I wish I would have not switched to the Nikon Z system.
Really miss my old D850😢

You say D850 is noisy But it does have a silent mode. I went from a Nikon D5500 to D850 and still learning with this camera, but the lenses on offer make more than the camera

Me, I am not sold on looking at a screen in the viewfinder. I have a D500 and had been waiting for a D860, but... seems that Nikon has left the DSLRs and the F-Mount to history. A big detractor for me for a mirrorless is the battery life, which almost every review I have found glosses over it on the mirrorless, if they mention it at all.

I love my d850, but like you said, it does have it's cons. It is heavy, period, and my most used lens is the Tamron 24-70, , add tripod, additional lens, whatever, and you have a freakin heavy pack, definitely not for the faint of heart, my husband always jokes that he can do his bicep curls with it. The video just sucks. I tried using it a few times when I first got it, don't bother, while I didn't buy it for the video, it definitely would have been an appreciated feature (and really, for the price, I did expect it to at least be decent). I bought mine a few years ago and at that time it was a no-brainer for me, but as you pointed out, it is almost obsolete at this point 😒. But, the mirrorless are so much more money, not to mention having to buy all new lenses. As a semi-professional, I just am not going to shell out that kind of money. Next year, I am retiring from my 'day job' and devoting all my time to photography, while I won't be getting rid of my d850, might invest in a mirrorless for those longer treks, not getting any younger 😁

A well presented video. I’ve been a pro photographer for 30 years and bought a brand new D850 in 2022 at a good price to replace the trusty D810. Also have a D5 for low light photography. Cheers

I've had the D850 for quite a while and I love it. I upgraded from the D800 because I got a screaming deal a my D850, which was used with only 200 shutter clicks. I'll never get rid of it. And, yes, I do own a Nikon mirrorless.

It’s glass and quality DSL glass prices are dropping, glass you may not be able to afford in mirrors cameras.

Great video. I love D850 but will upgrade soon as I shoot lots of video.

Buy the D850 if you might get attacked by the wildlife you are shooting! It's built like a tank, you could knock out a bear with it! :D

You didn't mention the battery performance 😂

Enjoyed the video. I would love a good DSLR and that looks like it would be a great fit. My go to mirrorless is my Nikon Z9.. Nikon D850 is on my wish list 🙏🏾🤞🏾

I was going to get a Z7 II to couple with my Z50 which I love. But… I bought the D850 and I love it! It’s the best! I usually grab it before my other cameras. I got it second hand for a good price with low shutter count. Who cares if it is a bit heavier than others. Once you add a lens to a Z camera it’s still quite big and heavy anyway..

Honestly, I started with Z cameras, and changed a few of them, but when I got my hands on a D500 it was a love on a first sight….

Wouldnt change it for nothing…its great for photography…
I believe the D850 is just as amazing if not even better 😁

just bought my d850 for $300 cash after trading in my leica m8 and haven’t regretted a minute of it

Thanks for posting this review. I am seriously considering a D850 at the moment. I’ve had one before and now they really are a bargain. Yes I probably would prefer a Z8 but at around twice the price for the body it’s just too much. I shot 90% stills so the video deficiencies of the D850 don’t worry me.

ok so I am a long-time Nikon DSLR guy and I am heavily invested in F-mount glass that's too hard to replace both for reasons of $$$ and for the sort of quality on the glass. I have the D810 since 2016 and it's just perfect. I am here watching this video because my thinking process is why should I ever depart from F-mount DSLR and what happens if Nikon discontinues F-mount cameras and my D810 needs replacement in some future, shouldn't I get the D850 before it goes off the market? And, going through the cons, #1 is not applicable to me (I can't care less for silent shooting; I don't shoot weddings and libraries etc), #2 I wish you spoke a bit more about the tech on the Z9: I am not keeping up with the Z at all to avoid the temptation and preserve my $$$, #3 is sort of not applicable to me as well: I have no complaints about the sharpness of my F-mount glass (which includes several Tamron and Samyang lenses) and I am not complaining about the weight, which means #4 is not applicable either: When weight is a problem I shoot with my phone. And #5 is not applicable for me either as I don't shoot video. Thanks a lot for this review.

Thinking about going full frame, if I do the d850 is probably what I’ll go with
I am waiting to see if Nikon does a pro model cropped thou

My only complaint on my D850 if focusing during video work. But manual focus fixes that, just poor for moving subjects. That said I am keeping it as pictures from it are stunning! I may also pick up a Z8 though as well. But NOT parting with the D850.

When you look at David Yarrows wildlife photography you say to yourself!…” Nikons D850 is a must have for every one that demands the best quality out of a camera!🤔”

Adrian, I just bought one Nikon D850 it’s an amazing camera. I have owned Nikons for the last 35 years. This has to be the best one I've ever owed. Still looking at a lot of videos trying to get used to it and know how everything works. Thanks so much for your video I will subscribe to your channel.

Loved the Video and all the comments and will be off to buy my 3rd SLR tomorrow and it will be the D850 too.