Nikon D850 previews, commentary - first reviews

[John G]

If the arithmatic is correct, a D500 and a D850 have a almost  identical pixel size. So a DX  crop in a D850 is not required to produce a image with the equivalent pixel count as a D500,  the D850  will have a almost identical pixel count in the same size sensor space of the D500. This will allow for a cropping of a image  to be worked down from FX to DX and further with hardly any loss of pixels in the image when comparing to the D500.
The maths above and the anticipated better ISO performance, is the reasoning behind the D500 now becoming obsolete. 

[Ilkka Nissilä]

Not exactly, the D500 can do 10fps and is about half the price of the D850 + grip + D5 battery and charger required to get to 9fps. The viewfinder magnification of the D500 is 1x vs. 0.75x for the D850. The smaller mirror and shutter of the DX model very likely create less sound and vibration.

[ColinM]

The DX bodies become redundant,

Bit simplistic surely?
If you're happy to stay with DX (eg. for telephoto reach) and don't already own a current body, the D500 is a far cheaper option.

So do I trade in my young D500 ?!?

Let me know if you want to sell me yours for a good price

[chambeshi]

I now have time reading the brochure I got last Thursday.
There's a kind of "recommended lens list" which I find a little strange

AF-S 24-70/2.8E VR
AF-S 14-24/2.8G
AF-S 20/1.8G
AF-S 24/1.4G
AF-S 105/1.4E
AF-S 400/2.8E FL
PC Nikkor 19/4.0E
AF-S Fisheye 8-15/3.5-4.5E

I'm missing a few like AF-S 28/1.4E, AF-S 70-200/2.8E, AF-S 500/4.0E, AF-S 600/4.0E and perhaps a few more.

Also missing are the 200 f2G and 300 f2.8G, although not badged as E lenses.
 
Thom Hogan rated Nikkors on criterion of peformance on the D800/D810, and now the D850 raises the bar a few notches for optical performance. But technique is no less important with these HR sensors
http://www.dslrbodies.com/lenses/lens-articles/choosing-lenses/rationalizing-lenses.html

Somewhat surprisingly, the D850 + 24-120 f4G is listed as a kit by some retailers in europe
eg https://www.fotoschweizer.de/kameras/digitale-reflexkameras/728/nikon-d850-kit-af-s-24-120-mm-1-4g-ed-vr

[David H. Hartman]

Thom Hogan rated Nikkors on criterion of peformance on the D800/D810, and now the D850 raises the bar a few notches for optical performance. But technique is no less important with these HR sensors

High resolution media doesn't turn a good lens into a Coke bottle bottom. If the lens was satisfactory for a D800 and a D810 it will be for a D850.

For best resolution one needs high contrast and the image projected should be 200% that of the sensor or film. If at all possible the projected image should be at least 150% of the sensor or film. If the projected image isn't sharper than the capture media then the potential of that media will not be realized. I edited this paragraph. I hope it says what I intended when I first wrote it.

With higher resolution media, better lenses, better technique, better light, better subject detail, etc. will allow greater cropping or larger printing or both.

We all probably pixel peep but there is more to life than this. There are reasons good, practical and not so practical for pixel peeping.

I'm glad to see standards rise. I'm not glad to be so poor.

Dave Hartman

For a sharp image lighting that reveals texture is extremely important. I remember photographs of bird shot under flat, overcast skies with the AF-S 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR and concern regarding lens sharpness. If everything else was perfect the light defeated any impression of sharpness.

[Jack Dahlgren]

With higher resolution media, better lenses, better technique, better light, better subject detail, etc. will allow greater cropping or larger printing or both.

From what we are hearing, D850 has two of those things - higher resolution media, and better light (or at least ability to work effectively in worse light). Technique and subject matter can be worked on.

[David H. Hartman]

From what we are hearing, D850 has two of those things - higher resolution media, and better light (or at least ability to work effectively in worse light). Technique and subject matter can be worked on.

New lenses can also be bought and Nikon wants us to buy them. I do too...

Dave

“Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled lenses yearning to breathe free.”

[armando_m]

Just noticed the AE-L AF-L is missing ...

after some searching and finding out the D5 is also missing this button I went to the D5 manual to read how they do it ... it appears the subselector is used for AE-L

[Ann]

On the D5 you can program the various Function and several other buttons to do different tasks (including AE-L) and I am sure that you will be able to do the same thing on the D850 too.

[Eddie Draaisma]

Another interesting snippet from the online brochure linked earlier (bottom page 32):

"To ensure durability, the D850’s shutter has been tested for 200,000
cycles while actually loaded in the camera. It’s also designed to
minimize the mechanical vibration that causes image blur. The D850
is the first Nikon D-SLR to adopt a shutter counter-balancer in its
shutter drive, which travels upward during each shutter release to
counteract the vibration caused by the front curtain’s downward
motion."

Just out of technical curiosity it would be interesting to see how this is implemented, and how accurate this counter-balancer counteracts the change of momentum created by the accelerating first curtain. If done exactly right, there is effectively no force exerted to the rest of the camera, and no need for an electronic first curtain in order to minimise vibrations.

[chambeshi]

Synopsis by Steve Parry on potential of the D850 for nature photography

https://backcountrygallery.com/nikon-d850-thoughts-impressions-specifications-review/#comment-5480

[Michael Erlewine]

Synopsis by Steve Parry on potential of the D850 for nature photography

https://backcountrygallery.com/nikon-d850-thoughts-impressions-specifications-review/#comment-5480

I see very little about nature photography in that article.

[bobfriedman]

i expect that the silent shutter would be quite advantages for wildlife photography.. i have seen wildlife react to shutter actuations.. clearly the quieter the better especially if you are in a blind.

[Frank Fremerey]

Another interesting snippet from the online brochure linked earlier (bottom page 32):

"To ensure durability, the D850’s shutter has been tested for 200,000
cycles while actually loaded in the camera. It’s also designed to
minimize the mechanical vibration that causes image blur. The D850
is the first Nikon D-SLR to adopt a shutter counter-balancer in its
shutter drive, which travels upward during each shutter release to
counteract the vibration caused by the front curtain’s downward
motion."

Just out of technical curiosity it would be interesting to see how this is implemented, and how accurate this counter-balancer counteracts the change of momentum created by the accelerating first curtain. If done exactly right, there is effectively no force exerted to the rest of the camera, and no need for an electronic first curtain in order to minimise vibrations.

NPS said: completely new shutter unit. Yes.

Prone to failure? Who knows?

[Frank Fremerey]

Not exactly, the D500 can do 10fps and is about half the price of the D850 + grip + D5 battery and charger required to get to 9fps. The viewfinder magnification of the D500 is 1x vs. 0.75x for the D850. The smaller mirror and shutter of the DX model very likely create less sound and vibration.

Exactly. The D500 makes smaller files at faster pace. It has a unmatched AF point distribution and other features of interest. A D850 and D500 in my bag give two meanings to any prime in my bag. And I always work with two bodies. Only advantages.

The other point is that at same final print size the D850 more than doubles the amount of light collected compared to the D500. So: I can get clean prints from the D500 at ISO 20.000, so I expect to get clean prints of the same site at ISO 40.000 from the D850. Comparing apples to apples means: same print size.