Thinking of upgrading Nikon D810 to D850

Marc1548

Marc1548

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Iv been thinking of upgrading my Nikon D810 for the D850 body only. Iv read lots of forum discussions & Youtube videos & reviews I shoot mainly landscapes, portraits with a bit of sport & Dog photography etc
for me it seems to tick all the boxes the tilt screen would be a game changer. And Iv loved using my D810, so anticipate it will be a better camera all round? I have some great lenses 3 Nikons f2.8 zooms& some primes. One review I read mentioned the fact that with such a high megapixel sensor getting sharp images with non VR lenses was hard to achieve hand held with the usual FL SS reciprocal rule. sugesting X4. my 24 70 is non VR but then I suppose faced with this problem I think you could reduce image size in camera to a lower resolution? Anyone have any experience with this? Another thing is that the 850 has done away with the pop up flash:( not that I used that for anything else other than to fire a couple of speed lights off camera on some occasions so another expense would be a flash trigger. Any suggestions, recommendations??
Anybody here moved up to the 850 from the 810 never looked back or regretted it? how much better is it in real use? did you notice a notable difference in your images? Should I just go for it?:)
thanks.
Marc
 
Do it. You will not regret it believe me. (y)

I changed from the D810 and my only regret was selling it instead of keeping it as a back up.

The D850 is better in every way and unless you have poor technique or very shaky hands don't worry about not getting sharp images. With a non-VR lens, just up the shutter speed a little or use a tripod.

Regarding the pop-up flash, they're nothing but a PITA anyway. You'll not miss it and a proper trigger will give you far better results. The worst possible place to have a flash is on the top of the camera (unless your bouncing) IMO.

I sold my non-VR 24-70 and have never felt the need to replace it. I simply use my f4 24-120 and TBH, I find it a lot more useful than I did the 24-70 anyway.
 
Exactly what Trevor said, apart from the bit about selling it.

I had the D810 and the non-VR 24-70 and could not get along with either; yet my Pentax K-1 and D-FA 24-70 (oh, it's only a Tamron in a frock) give me plenty of joy. I've contemplated selling the Pentax just to focus on Nikon but cannot bring myself to sell K-mount as it is much more enjoyable to use in some situations... I had no qualms with the D810 and 24-70G.

I still have the 24-120/4G which gets used a lot on my D850, it is a great combination and the D850 is a partner camera to my D500. In my opinion, it is a much better camera than the D810, the flip screen and the better AF not to mention the commonality of the memory cards, infinitely better buffer etc. I got mine used on here and it has been an excellent purchase.

As for flash, I do not miss the pop-up, close-up it is as useful as a chocolate teapot because the lens hood casts a shadow, I have a multitude of flashguns I can use, from the pocket Nikon, through the SB-10, the R1C1 kit and the Metz hammerhead.

Do it!!!
 
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I too changed from the Nikon D810 but over to panasonic MFT cameras namely the G9 and G9ii. The G9ii is amazing, truly it is. frist thing that hit me was weight mainly the lenses, no issue holding a 100-400mm Panasonic lens fully extended, the equates to a 200-800mm lens in FF terms and impossible to do the same with.
Can I strongly suggest you take a look at theG9ii before deciding . Yes the 850 is a great lens but so far behind in what i can do. I bet it can't do this in camera 300fps for one example

View: https://youtu.be/7DzwpPB3Vds


Just one of so much more than the dark ages of the D810 and 850. I am 80 years old and image stablisation for me was paramount. Both the G lenses that have IPS so do most of the lenses as well giving a lot more ability to hand hold for a rock still shot . I had Nikons from the D70s-D200-D300-D800 and the D810
so I know the brand well up to that point.

If I don't like something I have tried out for myself then I say so, conversely If I like and use something then again I will say so, without any affilitation to any make
 
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Sky said:
Do it. You will not regret it believe me. (y)

I changed from the D810 and my only regret was selling it instead of keeping it as a back up.

The D850 is better in every way and unless you have poor technique or very shaky hands don't worry about not getting sharp images. With a non-VR lens, just up the shutter speed a little or use a tripod.

Regarding the pop-up flash, they're nothing but a PITA anyway. You'll not miss it and a proper trigger will give you far better results. The worst possible place to have a flash is on the top of the camera (unless your bouncing) IMO.

I sold my non-VR 24-70 and have never felt the need to replace it. I simply use my f4 24-120 and TBH, I find it a lot more useful than I did the 24-70 anyway.
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Thankyou
I was considering trading in my 810 but I guess I won't get "jack*" for it as a trade in so as you say might just keep it. yeah as you say don't think ill miss.the pop up flash never used it other than a trigger for speed lights anyway I actually like my 24 70 & use it most of the time but can definitely see a place for a 24 120 as you suggest
 
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I traded in all my Nikon camera equipment and with the money got the panasonic G9 with the 12-60mm f2.8-f4 lens. One advantage is all makes of MFT lenses fit and make of MFT cameras. the G9ii also has a USB-C port ideal for long videos, as well as both having 2x SD card slots. At first I regretted parting with a make such as the D810, bit like saying goodbye for the last time to an old friend. One can get sentimental even over a familiar camera, or at least i did.

When I went over to Panasonic it was a "culture" shock how much the photographic equipment had moved on. Like stepping out of the dark ages into daylight. Yes getting used to the "new" took a bit of doing I admit, especially the G9ii. Having the choice in camera of

P1015700.JPG


then additional sub headings amazing plus presets

in camera as one example made the switch worth it let alone tracking options and pre shoot up to 1.5 seconds,
 
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I did. There's really not that much difference between the two in terms of image quality, or even resolution. On the 24-70G lens DXO reports a 2MP gain with the D850 over the D810. You can gain a bit more with better lenses and optimal settings/technique/environment, but that probably won't happen often.

The AF systems are very different; in particular the "blocked shot" response. On the D810 it acts like it should and you would expect; on the D850 (and all subsequent Nikons) it does not... the blocked shot settings are really more of a "reset focus delay" timer.

I also upgraded primarily for the flippy screen, but that was a disappointment for me. Primarily due to the video delay, and especially for action photography/burst shots; the AF is locked with the first image and the video feed is interrupted. IMO, you're better off using an external monitor on the hotshoe of the D810. I wanted it for low perspective shots without having to completely lay on the ground (I have spinal issues). I have since upgraded to the Z9 which is much better for this; and kept the D850 as backup... plus, I only have one Z lens.

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I've got a 850. It is really big and heavy but it can do clever things. I prefer my D750 for normal use. The D850 auto-focus stacking feature is useful, as is the silent/mirrorless shooting.

But you won't see any improvement in the pictures unless you pixel peep. Your D810 has twice the resolution of the eye over a normal viewing area. Unless you crop in a lot, in which case pixels rule and get the 850!

Twice the focal length for shutter speed works fine unless it is windy. Just take a couple of shots if you are worried about it. If your 810 is fine then the 850 will be fine at one click faster.
 
Sat on the fence with getting one at the moment, using a D500 and got a few FX lenses so I will lose reach but gain MP would the D810 be a better buy as it’s half the price of a D850 ..
For reach I have all my Olympus gear but the D850 is a itch that needs scratching
 
the black fox said:
Sat on the fence with getting one at the moment, using a D500 and got a few FX lenses so I will lose reach but gain MP would the D810 be a better buy as it’s half the price of a D850 ..
For reach I have all my Olympus gear but the D850 is a itch that needs scratching
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Think of the D850 being the full-frame equivalent of the D500; the D850 is bigger in the hand (which is why I don't have a battery grip on it) but handling wise and in terms of ergonomics they are nearly the same.
 
The D500 output is almost identical to a DX cropped D850. The focus system is the same- the D850 just has a surrounding area you can't focus on. If all your pictures fit into the DX area and you can't zoom in (eg you use primes) then don't bother.
 
welshwizard645 said:
Think of the D850 being the full-frame equivalent of the D500; the D850 is bigger in the hand (which is why I don't have a battery grip on it) but handling wise and in terms of ergonomics they are nearly the same.
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Erty said:
The D500 output is almost identical to a DX cropped D850. The focus system is the same- the D850 just has a surrounding area you can't focus on. If all your pictures fit into the DX area and you can't zoom in (eg you use primes) then don't bother.
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Thanks for the replies after reading them I dug a bit deeper and will probably put the idea on a back burner for now
 
Ill probably get the 850 I know there are lots out there who might consider this camera to be a bit of a Dinosaur by todays standards, & although I agree you might not see much difference in sharpness, & the extra megapixels are not necessarily top of the agenda the images I have seen appear better in the shadows & warmer more saturated colours & there are definitely more than a few extra features that will be very useful to me, focus stacking, flip screen, better focus system, etc. The size doesn't really bother me not that different to my 810 all the lenses I have are all fine & for the price I can't complain.
 
sk66 said:
did. There's really not that much difference between the two in terms of image quality, or even resolution. On the 24-70G lens DXO reports a 2MP gain with the D850 over the D810. You can gain a bit more with better lenses and optimal settings/technique/environment, but that probably won't happen often.
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Thats only because the zoom lens cant resolve all that much and corners in particular may be mush. Try a good prime, you may be completely surprised with the difference

P.s. no reason not to go with z8 now. Definitely dont bother bringing in old zooms
 
As other have said, the D850 is better than the D810 in pretty much every way. The only thing that disappointed me was the loud/clunky shutter release on the D850 vs the D810 (which is much quieter). I'd also go for a Z8 over a D850 these days
 
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At least you can shoot in complete silence if you want to - I found this very handy during the last wedding that I shot a couple of years ago.

View: https://youtu.be/IuUKXSt1cfU


Sod mirrorless BTW - I hate EVFs . . .
 
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