Nikon D850 Hands-on - The Best DSLR Ever?

[@filmselparaiso6263]

great vid... NOTE: Im a pro photographer and Ive shoot 3 full day weddings and 5 photoshoots with my D850, and this the best camera Ive EVER used, before I bought it I rented a sony A9, and it was a really nice camera but it did not feel anything like the D850, ALSO We offer Video Service so we use canon c100 mark 2s for that, we also have 2 D500's and I think we still have a couple of D7200's lying around. PLEASE NOTE in my opinion as a professional the d850 is not a good camera for video.... unless your shooting a waterfall or something, and I hate snapbridge also We dont use live view, on our last shoot the 1 new battery lasted all day and then some, we took about 1200 shots. hope this was helpfull to someone.

[@maze400]

I Shoot for myself. I bought the D850 last week because it was on sale and I know it's the best DSLR ever made. That being said, I have never shot in RAW and currently shoot with a Nikon D610 (JPEG) as well as Fuji X-Pro 1 which there is no real need to shoot in raw. I was distressed when I saw how noisy the D850 was when shooting in high ISO's. I decided to compare this with the D610 in raw and the same high iso. Way less noise and easier to clean up the D610 files. Am I missing something? I know a high megapixel camera will punish you for shooting errors but 250th with a 50mm 1.8?

[@dankuettel5063]

I am currently a 5DIII user and am tired of the softness in what should be sharp. Tried out Sony and love the cameras but their prices on lenses is really prohibitive. Having owned the Nikon D300 in the past and love Nikons button placement has me thinking of switching back to Nikon.

[@CameraMystique]

It goes through the battery much quicker than the D810, indeed. The files also look cleaner on the my D810 with some older lenses. As far as mirrorless, I have found the mirror in DSLRs to be an excellent protection of the sensor, which gets accidentally exposed to all sorts of direct sunlight when the camera is on but not used, and it's also a battery saving feature when liveview is not used. I like the classic viewfinder more than the electronic, and I would also like a Leica type viewfinder, *in which you see more of the actual image, so you can predict who will walk into the frame* (no wonder Leica users get all these decisive moments).

[@itsbenniblack]

Screw video, Screw small bodies, This is a beast Photography camera!

[@Jack_Danyo]

Thank you for stating the conclusion right at the start!

[@chirag4]

beautiful scene & colors in the backdrop

[@chirag4]

@ 3:47 - sad to hear that we are seeing the signs of "Death of The DSLR"

[@sixcycle]

Looks like a great system. I actually prefer a heavier camera. It feels more solid in the hand and actually helps me focus better. I know that sounds strange but I actually have less movement in my hands with a heavier camera. My D7100 has the grip and a 70-200 and I love portraiture with it. I think the 850 might be my next step up (kind of a big one). That or the 750, which is older but still one of the best FX cameras Nikon has ever made. I'd never shoot video on a Nikon, just stills.

[@stevenlui8105]

First time hearing complaints on ISO button placement and battery life of Nikon D850. Interesting.....

[@photorectoby]

Auto ISO switch on and off -it's a two button press i find awkward and use often - honestly it's minor. The Battery life I was very surprised at but I think many reviewers are coming to this from other DSLRS and spending most of their time through the viewfinder. I love using that articulating screen for landscapes and it's clear that it drains the battery.

[@stevenlui8105]

PhotoRec TV If you often shoot fast moving subjects, you would appreciate that you can adjust ISO settings without taking your eye off the OVF. I don’t use LV very often, therefore battery life has never been an issue. I agree with your finding that focus is not always accurate shooting with OVF especially using wide aperture lenses.

[@photorectoby]

No - i am only talking about switching Auto ISO on and off - not just changing ISO. Changing ISO is easy and works well, I agree it's nice to be able to switch ISO.

[@troyphillips1077]

Steven Lui I have the d810 and the d500. The d500 has the ISO button in the same place as the d850. It's not a good spot. There are several little buttons in one space. When looking through the view finder and pushing the ISO in a hurry you miss a lot. It's easier for me to go to the big button on the d810. "For me"

[@manu.pixels]

I am Nikon user, using D500 and D750 at the moment. Just want to mention that you can customize lots of buttons if you feel awkward ISO button you cange it to other buttons by going in menu settings. I did that.

[@mjscpr]

I've watched a bunch of reviews of the D850, this was by far the best one / the most pleasant one to watch. Well done.

[@photorectoby]

Thank you very much! Your comment is appreciated.

[@ds99]

Great review. It looks and sounds like a great camera. The slow video focusing you mentioned may be a show stopper for some. Thank you for the review Toby.

[@michellemccartney6124]

Thanks Toby for the excellent review.

[@Justentime77]

The upshot is dslr's will be easy to grab for a fraction of the price in the next couple years! It's a technology on it's way out as mirrorless systems completely take over, but hey, they're STILL great camera's and at the right price make for a great backup body. The Canon 5D MKIV has already dropped to less than half their initial release price and it's still a really desirable camera!

[@SP-fc2wo]

What lense you used for this photography? Please mention detailed specifications of the lense

[@useittube]

I would be lying if I said this camera wasn't the first one to enter the market in the last couple of years to make me jealous from my 5D Mark III. Owning a few Nikons along side of my Canon, I will say I have always been impressed with Nikon and still shoot with them all, though the 5D Mark III is my "work" camera. Canon is still my choice, but damn this is one sexy camera! Great video as always Toby!

[@photorectoby]

Thanks Aaron. It made all the Canon photogs jealous on the last workshop :)

[@davehenderson9105]

I really am liking your videos! Seriously considering a7riii or a9 shift from years of Nikon.

[@hanswi336]

Short and crispy - excellent !

[@Motoremocao]

My friend what camera and lense you use to make this video? Its sharp and amazing quality!!!!

[@thoiba-lq9tn]

I LOVE YOU NIKON 850

[@tomhughes5123]

yeah iv set my d850 to shoot like ilford delta 400 b&w film , seriously so iv ordered a nikon f5 , i might put the 850 away for the future

[@nickreid5939]

What are your settings to make the D850 shoot like my fav Film Ilford 400 plus.....??

[@dr.sommer5069]

There is no size advantage of mirrorless. If you want to hold a A7 or A9 longer in your hands you need the battery grip alone to be able to hold the camera propperly. Then your A7 is as heavy as your Nikon or Canon Dslr. And the Sony GMaster lenses are big and heavy as well. If you want to travel small and light use a A6.... series camera.

[@cactustweeter2890]

I guess Toby you would recommend the Sony a7r3 over the Nikon D850? Is there any scenario where you would recommend the D850 over the a7r3?

[@bobpollack6894]

I have the 24-105 F4 sigma and combined with a 850 that is a unbeatable combination. I am definitely interested in the 850 interiors, architecture, and landscapes. As for a. Video go;who cares!

[@psxdadz]

Toby really like your no nonsense reviews I have just changed from Fuji to Sony A7m2 and apart from full frame which is a given the biggest plus for me is ibis, surly this is what this camera with its mega mega pixels is missing..

[@madrnano7964]

im thinking to switch from fuji too to sony or canon but i think a7r ii now will be a good price so im wondering what issues or what have you missed from fuji other than lenses i mean as camera body

[@psxdadz]

madr nano hi the only issues are the af-c tracking not very good at all but af-s not a problem. A lot of people say Sony glass is expensive but I don’t think it is I have the Sony 85mm 1.8 £450, Sony 28mm f/2 £350 Sony 50mm1.8 £200. I have also started collecting old Nikkor glass which is cheap and so well made works great with the ibis

[@madrnano7964]

thank you 🙏

[@akkual]

Why on earth do you guys switch from well made Fujis to cheaply made, leaky, and overheating POS known as Sony? Never again Sony for me. They only seem to care specs, not actually making good cameras that one can rely on.

[@callumcr85]

Wow.. This camera makes Canon's 5dmk4 look terrible. I currently shoot a canon 6d and have been looking for an uprgrade. I have been waiting for the right Canon to come by but they just can't keep up with Nikon and Sony. Now I am seriously contemplating switching systems. Thanks for the glowing review! 😄

[@jdsd771007]

The new a7RIII is looking pretty interesting! I don’t know about dslr’s dying off but I’m definitely happy with my switch from canon to the A7II.

[@RS.Outdoors]

Have the A7ii as well and its a great camera. Was hoping the A7ii was going to be released by now and interesting to see what it can do. if it has most of the A7R3 except sensor size it could be an amazing full frame camera hopefully without the eye-watering price.

[@enri_1986]

Dslr's are never going to die, hopefully. It's clear some Canon users are going to switch to Nikon from now on.

[@enri_1986]

Good point there, though it makes serious photographers laugh at gimmicky technology.

[@enri_1986]

Clearly, you have not tried their advanced line up. Though, I will not argue with your position, but it's a matter of preference. Camera specs have nothing to do with the photographer's style and art, so you must master your work with what you have.

[@MrKdr500]

i almost switched, i bought the D850 but after 6 weeks i sold it and stayed with my 5D4 & 1DX2....i did not like the ergo's, menu & the screen turning of everytime the shutter was pushed. It was the moment i realized there is more to photography than the photo at the end.

[@woodnymph7393]

Hmmm When did they deliver the D850 to you? You made this comment a month ago and you said you used the D850 6 weeks prior to that. As far as I know the Nikon D850 wasn't widely available 6 weeks before you commented on this video! Something smells fishy....

[@floatingrabbit3556]

then you've never used the 1DX mark2. (if you ignore the flimsy flip screen)

[@hitmanhart22]

Toby - I use the Sigma 24 -105mm F4 on my D850 but this lens is not great in low light. If it was not for the superb dynamic range of the D850, i would have lost many good shots in a session last weekend. Why do you still recommend it. What's a good lens in that range that you would recommend to shoot with in low light.

[@dr.sommer5069]

Raahul Singh Tamron 24-70 f2.8 G2

[@robverduyn6541]

How you think it will do against the new A7riii ?

[@CJamesPhoto]

Well presented man :) Just wanted to ask a question... I had a guy message me on my channel asking about dust on the sensor, in the end i told him to take his D850 back to the store to have it checked. He found out that the sensor had oil on it and this was only after about 5 days of receiving the camera. I haven’t had the problem or know of anyone else.. Have you heard anything about this? Thanks.

[@photorectoby]

I haven’t heard of anyone having issues with the D850 but this was exactly the same problem they had with the D600s and ended up recalling a bunch :/

[@CJamesPhoto]

PhotoRec TV Well hopefully its just the one and we dont go through that problem again.. but otherwise so far so good with the D850 :)

[@Penafort]

In the past I heard people say that the the film cameras will never die but now no one uses film. It's called evolution, all brands will make amazing full frame mirrorless cameras so embrace the unavoidable technology of the future ;-)

[@HoLeeChit11]

Hugo "but now no one uses film", are you sure, do your research, film is becoming more popular by the month. More and more people are turning to film to go along with their digital.

[@Penafort]

Jas Some people will always love film but the number of photographers using film is very low my friend and will never grow much for obvious reasons, it's not my opinion its a fact.

[@HoLeeChit11]

Hugo www.engadget.com/2017/11/08/reflex-1-first-manual-film-slr-in-decades/

[@Penafort]

Jas, II wish you were right but unfortunatly: petapixel.com/2017/10/27/fujifilm-killing-off-films-2018-things-look-grim/

[@Penafort]

doctordonuthin The cd was just replaced by a new digital technology named mp3 that can be easily downloaded and store a lot more easier on the phone, car, home etc and most of the people don't even care about the lost of audio quality. Anyway I never said flim will completely die, I just said/mean that film will never be like digital photography because of all the hassle you have when shooting film, you will always have increased costs and greater probability off making mistakes and you need more time treat the film and print the picture. So this only can be possible for a very specific and small group of people with lots of time to dedicate to glamour, kinda like the vinyls.

[@castieldiallo2945]

from what i have discovered from my hands on with the d850 is this. if the the d800 came out in 2017, it would have these specs. great camera. wish it was 9 frames per second without the grip.

[@Carkysunt]

the short example of timelapse at the start, did you leave VR on? it looks a bit jumpy?, thanks for the review, praying DSLR doesn't die

[@rassir7860]

Which camera you Using on Recording sir??

[@TheForge10]

Id still buy a d4s because it suits my type of photography.

[@Nat.ImagesLarge.F.Photographer]

The best fotocamera,awesome!

[@SC-pk4gf]

Hi how are you? I am wanting to upgrade my camera a Nikon D5300 to a full frame Nikon D850. The thing I need to know is if I can still use my Sigma DC 17-50mm F2.8 EX HSM & my other lens Sigma 70-200 mm F2.8 APO DG HSM. Please advice. Many thanks

[@photorectoby]

17-50 no, Sigma 70-200 yes

[@SC-pk4gf]

Thank you for the prompt reply!

[@jazzdanne]

Toby - with what gear are you shooting this video? It's very sharp and clear with nice colors. :D

[@jazzdanne]

Oh, maybe Panasonic G5 and 12-35 as clearly explained on your website? :D

[@troyphillips1077]

What camera am I lusting after? "The one not yet made" I'm excited to see this mysterious mirrorless Nikon FF . It needs to be the Swiss Army Knife of mirrorless. The d850 is that of DSLRs but without great live view af. Yes Nikon needs something like dual pixel af of Canon. If they would have done the rumored EVF with an on sensor phase dect this camera would have held its own in so many ways with the mirrorless systems. I love the big handhold ability of DSLRs but the weight can get to you . Especially if your toting two cameras and some lenses. I shoot live music and festivals with multiple stages scattered apart. This can be tiring after several 12 to 14 hour days. Thanks for your honest review

[@ShanXiTV]

Jeez. I wanna switch to Nikon right now!

[@sendykumalakanta1]

Okay, the comment about the battery life of the D850 is a joke, right? Since you are a Sony user, and we all know it eats the battery's like m&m candy, even the newer models do (A9 doesn't last half the time of a DSLR, tried it, and it runs out pretty quickly for what I am used to). And all that youtube talk that DSLR are dying out... the sales don't agree with you bud. Now before you all start nagging me, I have a SONY a6300 and 6500, love em, small compact for travel,yadiyadiyada blablabla, but they CHOW DOWN ON BATTERY"S ,unlike my Canon 5DS, for the Sony's I have 4 battery's, and a lot of the time I use all 4 of them on 1 camera (usually the a6500 for video) if I am having a full day of snapping and filming, while with the 5Ds, 1 Battery is enough for a day for me, even when using live view. So I doubt that Nikon D850 uses up its battery as fast as the Sony cameras do. Nikon made a really good camera, I only wish Canon did the same, and I doubt that the DSLR are going away in a y near future. Peace!

[@floatingrabbit3556]

turn off wifi, GPS and any other feature you don't need, and the battery life is quite ok. It's because Sony's are now doing so much in real time to get you the perfect photo so of course it is going to chew through the battery but turn these features off and where's the complaint?

[@lminhass4729]

Nice camera

[@safeharbor7]

Big help Toby, thumbs up...

[@BirbalGaming]

can i add pop effect on my d5200

[@Connor_Dempsey]

Tilting LCD is better than flipping out.

[@photorectoby]

I think both have their pros and cons

[@ChimaChindaDev]

Wix > Squarespace

[@williamblackwell9558]

You said we finally have a comparable camera. The D810 is a better camera in a lot of ways than the Sony A7rii I would not trade my D810 for the A7rii. I tested the Sony and it is a great camera but it has too many drawbacks for a working pro. I don't think you have ever used a D810 because the live view experience you described for the D850 is the same for the D810. Press the live view button then press the ok button to switch between preview and brightness with the histogram on the display. Great video.

[@johngray9434]

William Blackwell Seriously the 850 is in a totally different league to the 810. Here in the UK I own both and shoot with the 850 and MBD18 on a daily basis. Image quality is astonishing and the 850 is completely spectacular!...and that's coming from someone who actually owns both cameras! But not for long! I'm selling my mint condition 810 + battery grip both in mint condition. Only 3400 shots since new with the money going towards a second 850. Needs a good home for anyone interested.

[@williamblackwell9558]

I am sorry. I was talking about his sony A7r2 that he referred to in the video. I was pointing out that the D810 is in a lot of ways better than the A7r2. Bleve me I know how good the D850 is.

[@johngray9434]

William Blackwell Ah! Ok. Eventually all Nikons will be small and lightweight but in the meantime I'd still pick my 850 every time! My 4k test footage shot today is razor sharp and hey, the camera doesn't overhead and and shut down on me in the middle of a shoot! It's true live view drains the battery but this reviewer wasn't using the grip I'm using and besides anyone spending £4200 on a camera body, grip, batteries, charger and 128GB XQD card doesn't give a monkey about buying 4 extra batteries! It's just so not an issue in the context of what was said in this review.

[@nickreid5939]

In 2023...still the Best comment🙏🙏

[@nickreid5939]

​@@johngray9434In 2023 i dont see much difference in IQ between the D810 and D850 at lower Iso...

[@MohammadBarghamadi]

i ordered this D850 from adorama on october first over the phone, and they said it’ll take 3 weeks. it’s been almost a month and i’m still waiting!!

[@patyeaman]

I ordered an D850 from B&H in September and there is not even a hint that I may receive it any time soon.

[@badcreeknursery]

I also ordered a D850 from adorama on October 1 and was told last week to expect it in December.

[@HoLeeChit11]

Mohammad Ali Barghamadi hang on in there, when you get it, you'll be glad you did. No other camera comes even close, especially not the gimmicky Sony A7Riii.

[@filmselparaiso6263]

try prophoto supply portland or

[@MichaelKeelphotography]

Mine comes next week. Been waiting 4 weeks. It's in high demand.

[@tm4tare]

Seems to be a great camera for still photography but lacking in video features!

[@airtyme]

i would love a d850, but can't justify spending that money if im not making money from it.

[@yitzchallevi8208]

HUGE FILE SIZES! Better have a galley of 5TB flash drives for your photo storage!

[@jeffrydemeyer5433]

I wish nikon would hurry up and fix those availability issues I want to buy an affordable used d810

[@jeffrydemeyer5433]

Thx but I'm in europe and if you aren't here I'd probably have to pay up to $600 in import duties

[@madrnano7964]

i think d810 is best dslr from nikon at the moment because it's already super with price dropped it is even better now for 1900 so in few months it is going to be 1500$ d850 for high demanding professional work for most d850 wont make your work better so spending the rest of bugdet on lenses is better for you

[@love2cycle2]

madr nano - I use a D800 (not d800E) and when the D810 came out I did not upgrade. Is the D810 a better camera because it doesn't have the filter over the sensor? Any other benefits? I am considering a D810 now with the price dropping. Thanks.

[@madrnano7964]

i would choose d810 if i dont have d800e but i recommend it because d810 still in production so you can buy it new with warrenty also there r slight improvements but not worth it to upgrade d810 now sells for 1750$ new and it expected to be around 1500$ soon in late November and new year

[@johngray9434]

Casey Hey Casey. Prices are actually not dropping but remain constant. Finding a good example with a low shutter count is however not so easy. I'm so impressed with my 850 I'm about to list my 810 for sale with the money going towards a second 850. My 810 is mint condition complete with genuine Nikon battery grip. 3400 shots since new. Sensor immaculate. LCD flawless. All boxed. Immaculate condition and needs a good home if interested. Will post on gumtree tomorrow.

[@akkual]

There is no point to update to D810 (as long as it is costlier than D750), if one already has an FF Nikon. Even D700 is still excellent camera up to ISO1600. I personally would recommend D750, if someone is on budget - to truly take benefit even from D810 requires you to put serious money on the lenses - D750 goes much better with f/1.8 AF-S lineup and f/2.8 zooms (unless you tend to shoot at f/5.6-8, then even the f/1.8 AF-S lenses will outresolve D810). If someone has D800, wait for D850 to start decline in price and just go with it. It has significant usability improvements (AF joystick, swiwel display, actually usable RAW M and S formats) over D810 and the image quality is noticeably improved on high ISOs, once you do your post processing and noise reduction over those sweet 46mpix.

[@johnsg8]

I really like the D850 but it's a big "professional" camera. The ergos on the Sony's are horrendous. I had a mark on my finger for a few hours after getting my finger pinched between the grip and lens ( I wear L gloves). I do not get why people LOVE Sony that much if you are going to be putting "pro" lenses on it anyway. The lenses need to be larger for IBIS. How many portrait photographers shoot off the back screen? I would like to see EVF but I am not willing to live with decreased battery life. Toby never mentioned how the battery compared to the A7R2. If you are going to compare, then compare.

[@johnsg8]

Mako Sports If you are shooting with a 1.4 or 1.2 prime, they are big lenses that need to be bigger due to IBIS (look it up). The 2.8 zooms on the A7r3 were pinching my fingers between the grip and lenses. My hands aren't that big.

[@Timber-Wolf]

Whilst I am still a DSLR fan (Canon) I bought into the Fuji Mirrorless system X-T2 & X-T20 for backup. I can see the demise of the DSLR (Eventually) where one is happy to sacrifice a small amount of image quality for a large amount of mobility. More and more Pro. Togs are moving to mirrorless and it's no mystery why. :) thanks for the excellent vids and info.

[@wallstreetoneil]

As a Canon 5DSR owner, and a Sony A7Rii owner, the mirrorless on sensor focus mechanism becomes critical as cameras get to 40 megapixels and above - and why, I think it is clear after you have used both, that DSLRs will die - and why for me, the Sony A7Riii would be a better choice for anyone considering the D850 if you care about consistently repeatable tack sharp photos.

[@janschut8689]

Why did you use a sigma lens and complain about the focussing during your test. I think it would be fairer to use a real nikon lens instead of a third party offering. Nikon is not responceble for the flaws you experience with this lens. I myself am not a nikon shooter but shoot canons so i am not a nikon fanboy. Greetings Jan ( from the Netherlands so my excuses for possible bad english)

[@photorectoby]

Hi Jan - Sorry if it wasn't clear but I spent the last 3 weeks shooting with the D850 and the following lenses - Sigma 24-105, Nikon 105mm, Sigma 100-400, Nikon 50mm f/1.4 - I actually saw the most issues with the Nikon 105.

[@janschut8689]

Thnx for the quick responce. So you did a fair test after all.

[@CarsandGuitars100]

Gotta have that flippity outty screen.

[@photorectoby]

Agreed!

[@alltheplacesiwillgo7316]

😂 flippity outy, love it!

[@edlondon3717]

Another 850 bashing video!

[@fotomaxim9695]

If you want a camera for girls, buy mirrorlessss ! :) Men should not complain about camera weight ! :)

[@lminhass4729]

Wow love u

[@thinawijesinghe1936]

yey I got a d3400, I know its bad reply |

[@Enlightenment_2025]

Twice ads for 7 minute video seems too much.

[@tubechap]

Hey, the guy has to make a living.

[@AlekDavis]

Summer2015: Seriously?

[@ItsWillLee]

better get out & start hustling like most of us... or get job...like before the internet...like his parents did...you should probably follow suit.. Lazy generation...

[@parv13]

First! Good video! (Even though I've not even seen it)

[@photorectoby]

Really hope you now have watched the video :)

[@parv13]

Yes I have and I liked it very much!

[@Skogling]

I don't understand why you american people say Najkon. It' Nickon.

[@providsYT]

That creeper though.. 0:20 - 0:28 behind the hedge on camera left. CREEPY!

[@dipanmaity]

Do a video of Canon 200D

[@photorectoby]

It is on my list. Thanks!

[@johnchow5852]

Honestly these camera is for beginner, lol...