Nikon D850 vs D810 vs D800 / D800E

In this Nikon D850 vs D810 vs D800 / D800E comparison article, I will go through all the differences in specifications between these DSLR cameras and talk about what has been added, changed or improved with each generation. While both Nikon D810 and D800 / D800E cameras have been very popular among many enthusiasts and professionals for the past few years, the Nikon D850 is clearly a huge step up in many ways for the D8x0 line of cameras. It is the first high-resolution Nikon DSLR that is aimed at many different photography genres, from landscape and macro, to sports and wildlife photography. Let’s take a look at what the D850 brings to the table when compared to its predecessors.

Below are the key specifications of the three cameras:

Nikon D850 vs D810 vs D800 / D800E Specification Comparison

Just looking at the highlighted areas of the above chart, it is very easy to see what Nikon has done with the D850. Not only does it outclass its predecessors, but it does it in a big way, especially when it comes to important feature changes such as back-illuminated CMOS sensor, higher resolution, larger native ISO sensitivity range, much better AF system, better AF detection range, faster continuous shooting rate, faster processor, larger viewfinder, XQD and UHS-II SD card support, silent shooting, better battery life and 4K video. In addition to these, the D850 adds a bunch of new features such as focus stacking, focus peaking, tilting touch-screen LCD, in-camera batch RAW processing, button illumination, WiFi + Bluetooth, and silent timelapse shooting that we have previously not seen on the D8x0 cameras. In short, the D850 presents a massive upgrade over the D810 and especially over the D800 / D800E DSLRs.

There is only one area where the D850 significantly differs compared to the D810 and D800 / D800E cameras and that’s built-in flash. Some photographers might look at this as a negative (since one would lose the ability to use a built-in flash for fill flash, or to be able to control other speedlights), but considering that Nikon was able to improve the weather sealing of the camera by dropping the flash, it could be looked at as an advantage instead.

It is also worth noting that the Nikon D850 physically looks quite different compared to both D810 and D800 / D800E cameras. First of all, the top of the camera has gotten slightly different not just because of the lack of a built-in flash, but also because the “Mode” button has been moved to the top of the left dial and replaced with a large “ISO” button. This is exactly in line with how the Nikon D500 was designed, so if you already own a D500, you won’t need to go through a learning curve. Second, the grip has been modified to be a bit deeper on the front and the rear parts of the camera to make it more comfortable to hand-hold. But the bigger changes are in the back. Take a look at the below comparison of the D850 vs D810:

As you can see, there are many ergonomic changes on the D850 when compared to the D810. The AE-L / AF-L button has been removed and a joystick has been added right below the AF-ON button (if you are a heavy AE-L / AF-L button user, don’t worry – it can be assigned to any of the function buttons, or to the joystick). The joystick is a big deal ergonomically, because it makes it very easy to go through focus points when shooting, so you no longer have to rely on the multi-function buttons for that. A new “Fn2” function button has been added to the left of the LCD and you can assign any of the menu items or camera features to this button, which is great. The LCD screen obviously appears different, because it is now a tiltable touch-enabled LCD. In addition to being able to pinch-zoom or swipe through images, you can also use the touch-enabled screen to focus on a subject in live view mode, or navigate through the menus. There are a few other smaller ergonomic changes, but those are minor and mostly cosmetic.

Now the biggest question is, should you upgrade? If you shoot with a Nikon D800 or D800E, the D850 is definitely worth moving up to. Even if you don’t need all the crazy fps and 4K video features, there are three most important features you do not want to miss – electronic front curtain shutter (EFCS) + silent shooting, ISO 64 for improved dynamic range and a much better autofocus system. If you already shoot with a Nikon D810, then it is a question of what you shoot and whether you truly need the new features highlighted in the above table. If you only shoot landscapes, it might be worth skipping a generation, since the D810 is an excellent camera already. However, if you shoot landscapes and wildlife, and especially if you already own a D810 and a D500, the D850 would be a solid camera to move up to – it could replace both of those in a single package.

Overall, as I have already stated in my Nikon D850 announcement article, and as you can see from the above comparison table, the D850 is a monster of a camera – it really looks like Nikon has thrown everything in its arsenal at this particular release. Without a doubt, it will be Nikon’s best-selling DSLR for a long time, especially considering its $3,300 MSRP price in the USA…

If you want to find out more about the D850, check out my Everything You Need to Know About the Nikon D850 article.