BLOG 2017

NIKON D850 CAMERA REVIEW

18/09/2017
The D850 offers continuous shooting at 7 frames per second at full resolution with full AF performance, or an even faster 9fps with the optional MB-D18 Multi Battery Power Pack and EN-EL18b battery. Other key features include an ISO range of 64–25600 (extendable from 32 to 102400), the same 153-point AF system as the flagship D5 with 99 cross-type sensors and a dedicated AF processor, 4K UHD video recording, 8K timelapse movies, slow motion movies up to 120 FPS at 1080p, a tilting LCD touchscreen, Nikon's highest magnification optical viewfinder ever (0.75x), silent photography in Live View mode, 1,840 shot battery life, Bluetooth Low Energy connectivity and support for UHS-II SD and XQD cards.

The big change for me after using the D850 is the advance in the autofocusing system, its quicker and better in low light then the D810, plus the extra focusing points put it on a par with the D4S. Also the fold out rear screen is a revelation, rather then crawling around on the floor for those dramatic low down car shots I can now just use the screen to get the perfect image. Some of the controls have been moved around, but otherwise the camera is around ten same size but with a chunkier and more comfortable grip. The screen resolution is superb and the unprocessed RAW files have a real punchy saturated image to them, when processed to jpegs in camera and then transferred with the SnapBridge phone app this is a real advantage for sending images instantly to clients. The Bluetooth works instantly and is a big plus point, and about time in a pro DSLR.

The camera has been out of the kit bag constantly since collection and had a mix of commercial photography to cover, graduation ceremonies, car photo shoots, a wedding and some press photography. The low light capability is excellent, it retains a natural look even at ISO 20000. I have included a few images from recent shoots, keep an eye on the blog as I will be covering some more detailed set ups including some portraiture work to highlight how impressive that 45.7 sensor is.