After three months of waiting, I finally got not just one but two Nikon D850 camera bodies and the Nikon MB-D18 battery grip that goes along with the Nikon D850. My thanks to Roberts Camera and B&H Photo for getting me those two D850s. Having put my order in only one day after the camera was...
The Spring 2017 issue of the Michael Clark Photography Newsletter is now available for download. If you’d like to sign up for the Newsletter just drop me an email and I’ll add you to the mailing list. This issue includes an editorial with recent news, a review of Wacom’s Intuos Pro graphic tablet, an article detailing a recent...
Last year, I reviewed the new flagship Nikon D5. It is an incredible camera, with autofocus that is far more advanced than any I have ever used. At the same time Nikon released the D500 (shown above), which might have been overlooked, but has since received a huge number of “Camera of the Year” awards at the...
The Winter 2017 issue of the Michael Clark Photography Newsletter is now available for download. If you’d like to sign up for the Newsletter just drop me an email and I’ll add you to the mailing list. This issue includes an editorial about being Back in Action, a review of Sekonic’s L-478DR light meter, an article detailing a...
I have been drooling over the Hasselblad X1D since it was first announced last summer. The X1D is the first mirrorless digital medium format camera. It is also significantly lighter and smaller than any medium format camera on the market that uses an optical viewfinder. With a price tag of $8,995 for the body and...
A few months ago I received a call from Eric Becker at We Are Shouting, a production company that works with Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com). They were working on a full fledged review of the Nikon D5 and wanted to do a Field Test video review of the camera with a pro photographer to go along...
The Spring 2016 issue of the Michael Clark Photography Newsletter is now available for download. If you’d like to sign up for the Newsletter just drop me an email and I’ll add you to the mailing list. This issue includes an editorial about working with a new Hasselblad medium format digital camera system, a review of the Hasselblad H5D 50c...
Wholeheartedly agree with everything you’ve said in the review Michael. I received mine the day after they were released and also have the Grip and D5 batteries and adaptors. I’ve used it on corporate events, birds in flight, low light portrait, etc. I’m almost thinking bout selling my D5 and getting a second D850 too.
Great review, Michael! I was curious to know when you’d write it 🙂
I got the itch the minute you showed me that touchscreen and that crazy fast image browse. And from those high ISO samples you posted, I’m getting one.
Excellent in-depth review as always Michael. D850 is king.
…But man that clean Hasselblad shot kind of blew me away!
Yeah, the Hasselblad files, especially the 50 MP X1D and H5D and H6D are crazy clean at ISO 6400. Somehow Hassey has it dialed at high ISOs. The Phase One IQ350 wasn’t anywhere near as clean as the Hasselblad versions for some reason.
Best experience
Excellent article, the best I’ve seen on the d850. Interesting to learn about the high ISO capabilities of the Hasselbad too. I might need to add one to my kit.
Thanks for sharing.
I just wish Nikon would have added the option to shoot natively 7 fps FX and 9 or 10 without the battery grip in DX as the D500 already does. While I like the D850 for a lot of things in theory, somehow I tried a D4/D4s and I felt much more love at first sight despite the “lesser” MP specs. I’m honestly torn cause that continuous 10/12 fps is truly a joy for the ears and terribly reassuring in certain cases. 7 fps – where you can still hear a pause between a click and the next one – less so. If I have to choose a camera for the next 10 yrs I really wonder if a D850 or a D5/D5s (or even D4s FWIW) is the best choice.
What I need most – often shooting also MF lenses – is the camera ability to lock focus with dim light ( I had a lot of problems with the D600 ) and while I know from D750 onwards (more so with D500) focus has gone through a quantum leap, I wonder if a D4s for STILL shooting with mf lenses (and a 300 F/4 or 70-200 F/2.8 for sport and events with decent light) is SO behind compared to D5/D500/D850. I’d really love to hear from you what you think. Basically I shoot a bit of everything, especially portraiture (in whatever light, not only in studio), events (PJ) and sport, this is why I’d rather prefer a faster burst rather and slightly more usability than always being fixed to a tripod because of the too many MP. Thanks in advance.
Dino –
I rarely shoot on a tripod. I usually just crank up the ISO. If you really need the 12 fps of the D5 then that is a special scenario. IF you don’t need the 46 MP then the D4 or D5 makes more sense. It just comes down to your needs. With the D850 I get the ultimate image quality and have the ability to crop. With the MB-D18 battery grip it offers 9 fps, which sounds pretty stinking fast. That is enough for me. It is telling I think, that in a conversation a few months ago with Andrew Hancock, who is a Sports illustrated photographer and a Nikon Ambassador, that he sold off all of his older Nikons and upgraded everything – even his D5 – to the D850. This is why I spent so much time in the review talking about High ISO noise as that was the key for me. It basically matched the noise of the D4, which is lower at High ISOs than the D5 when the images are scaled down to the D4 resolution. The low light AF on the D850 is also WAY better than either my D4 or D810. That might help you out. In the end it is up to you. Rent one and see what you think. The reality is all of this gear is phenomenal. It isn’t the camera that holds any of us back these days.
I have been reading about the demise of the SLR for many years, yet it remains with us. I fell for the SLR way back in 1959 and it has been my favorite ever since. Even though, over the years, I made good use of other types of cameras, including the wonderful Leica rangefinder models and medium format cameras, the SLR remained my goto camera. Now, at 81, I am anxiously waiting for the shipment of my D850.
With big hands and still getting around fine, I find small and light are not solutions for me, but rather a hindrance to a firm and steady hold. No, small and mirrorless is no panecea, but rather a fine addition to what’s available. There will be other trends coming along that will be the next craze. And they will work themselves into what’s available. It is plain that marketing drives the industry and sales people are good at convincing us that they have just what we need. I don’t follow the trends. I get what works, for me! There is room for cameras of all types, including the fine DSLR!
Congratulations on your 2 D850’s, you are one lucky man! You are also the first photographer who makes sense to me in that you have a main and a backup that are the same bodies I assume you set up both exactly the same way except maybe lenses then just pick up and go. I could never understand why more people don’t use 2 of the same bodies! Thank you for review!
Thank you for this abdolutely awesome real life in-depth review of the Nikon D850. I hope you are able to share your AF settings with me, with us? Obviously AF-C, but then… Release, Focus, Release + Focus or Focus + Release and the settings a3 Focus Tracking with Lock-On and a4 3D Tracking with Face Detection?
Thank you Michael!!!
Jeroen – I have all of my AF settings at the default settings. I do use back button AF so that is the only custom setting I have set up. Focus Tracking with Lock on is engaged as usual by default. All I did in this case was switch to AF-C and choose 3D Focus Tracking.
Well got my bucket list D850 with Tamron 24/70 g2 from Roberts now for one camera one lens one year. Did three day class in Adirondacks kurt Gardner, did Raquette lake 7th Lake and Moss Lake then critique sun pm on big screen, blew him away, he810 and other Canon Students the 5d series and one Sony shooter all said GameOver! Going back for more classes then in July aug do Milkyway and Astro.This unit is unbelieveable! I only used fixed lens Leica X series before, what a trip this and now start savings Sheckles go back to Roberts for another, just confused if I should go with prime or bigger zoom and have to get Tripod and not sure Gimbal or Ball head. Just do landscapes nature architecture , no need battergrip this point don’t do Sports, any feedback on which prime or which tripod and head would be graciously and sincerely appreciated. Thank you!
John – Congrats on your new gear. The D850 is indeed amazing. As for tripods, I prefer ballheads, they are easier to work with. I suggest getting a study tripod and head. Don’t get lightweight flimsy stuff – it will show in your images. The weight of the tripod and head matters. As for ballheads, the Kirk BH-1 and the Really Right Stuff BH-55 are my top picks, also go with the RRS plates for the camera. As for tripods, I personally am a big fan of Gitzo carbon fiber tripods but there are lots of good tripods out there. RRS also makes some great tripods. The best tripods will set you back nearly $800 and the ballheads I mentioned are not cheap either but they will last forever if taken care of. I have had my Kirk Photo BH-1 for more than a dozen years. As for lenses, go with the top-end Nikkors or the Sigma Art lenses. Anything less will show on the D850. Zooms or primes, it doesn’t really matter, just stay away from the 24-120, 24-200 type lenses as they are a massive compromise in terms of the image quality.
Excelent Review Michael! Thanks for sharing your experience using your Nikon d850. As you said you have used the Nikon 85mm 1.4G with the Nikon d850, can you give us a little more input of how accurate and responsive is the Nikon d850 focusing at large apertures let say in between f1.4-2.8 range using the Nikon 85mm 1.4 G? I am asking you that since I am considering upgrading from Nikon d800 and this camera and the 85mm 1.4g weren’t exactly what i would called close friends. I know for sure how challenging is focusing at f1.4…but the Nikon d800 wasn’t always that accurate and reliable at 1.4 with fast primes. Other nikons are. Not the case with d800 in my experience. I love the Nikon 1.4G and I use it all the times, not only for portraiture…It will be so precious to me to have input on this matter by a talented photographer that have really push the camera through its paces before upgrading. Thanks in advance for your comments.
Gus – I have found the D850 to be very accurate with my Nikon 85mm f/1.4 and the 24mm f/1.4 for that matter. My older D800 was never as good as the D850 is. Realize that the results may vary depending on the D850 and 85mm f/1.4 samples used. i might have just gotten lucky but so far I have not really seen any reason to calibrate the AF Fine Tuning for wither of my two D850 bodies. They seem way better than my D800 or my D810. Hope this helps.
Michael, and excellent and comprehensive review, thanks. I received my D850 about a month ago and read Them Hogan’s ebook to get used to the new features and differences with the D810.
I’m primarily a landscape and macro photographer and am loving the focus shift capability for focus stacking flowers and landscapes in Zerene Stacker. Much easer to do than manually with the D810. I haven’t used the focus fine tune yet, so thanks for the PetaPixel link.
One thing you and Thom have in common is a dislike for the Nikon 24-120/f4 on the D850, which was my walk around lens on my D810. You caution against using it, so what would you recommend? I was going to sell my 24-70/f2.8 and get the new version with VR, but am unsure if its acuity is up to the D850’s resolution. Other ideas?
Thanks,
Mike
Mike – Thanks! The 24-120 or any 24-105 type lens for that matter, is pretty soft in the corners. Especially on a 36 or 46 MP camera. Either the 24-70 VR or the older 24-70 would be my top choices. They are not as all around but they are way sharper than any 24-105 type lens. If you already have the 24-70 without the VR I would just stick with that. The newer VR model isn’t quite as sharp as the previous version.
i just came across this article and i also own a nikon d850 as well as a hasselblad h3dll-22 camera. for your surf images the d850 imho reigns supreme, as well as for most action shots or wildlife photography. when i look at your image of the ropes, the compared images my be technically equal but i see more of a 3D look with the hasselblad. i did a similar test with my hasselblad and 80mm lens against my d850 with my zeiss otus 85mm lens. both were shot wide open. the test subject was my grand daughters doll. the nikon with otus lens blew away, sharpness wise, the hasselblad but the roll off of values particularly on the dolls face gave a much better 3D look with the hasselblad image. everyone i showed the compared images to, picked the hasselblad over the d850 even though the d850 was so much sharper. sometimes i think today that sharpness has become the bar for a good image. i believe we should also be looking at transition of tones and maybe 16 bit vs 14 bit does has value in the transition of tones.
Hi,
I am fairly new to the sports scene only being in it 2yrs but shooting outside of that for 7yrs. My quandary is i own a D850 already and i find i am hitting targets but they are just out of focus in 2-3 of the 10. This is ok as i was post editing for myself. Now though i am asked to shoot on the job in jpeg and its going straight to customers to choose images, so keeper rate is more important. I tried the D5 and found its AF totally different, the hit rate was almost 100% of the time. Thus my quandary, D5 or D850…the price is almost the same now with D850 and grip=D5 price. I shoot low light most of the time indoor arenas, no slower than 1/1250 – 2000 no higher, single point, as 3D just misses the changing targets on D850 thus i need to control the focus point. Would you recommend the D5 over the D850 given they are now same cost? or just order a second D850? i am just to 50/50 about this to decide, thus i wanted to come here as you used the D5 for some time and chose the D850 to use etc.
Kane – It sounds like a D5 might be a better fit for what you are shooting. It has the best autofocus on any camera ever from what I have seen.
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EXCELLENT review. As always, you are a trusted voice of expertise. I have been thinking of upgrading my d810 to a D5 for better focus and iso capabilities. However, after reading this maybe i should Go for the d850! Or MAybe i shkuld wait for the rumored z8 or d850 upgrade? Im shooting sports and kids. Thank you.