Nikon D850 gets official announcement
The much anticipated – and much-rumoured – Nikon D850 has been officially announced and sales start from 7 September so potential buyers don’t have long to wait
The full-frame D850 is an awesome combination of high resolution, fast shooting speed and startling high ISO performance giving it very wide appeal whether you are a people, nature, scenic or action photographer.
At its heart is a new FX sensor, a backside illuminated (BSI) design which is optical low pass filter-free, with a resolution of 45.7-megapixels which gives images measuring 8256×5504 pixels, or prints of 69.9×46.6cm without interpolation. This is the first time a BSI sensor has been used in a Nikon DSLR and together with the EXPEED 5 processor gives a native ISO range of 64 to 25,600 – expansion to ISO 32 and 102,400 is available.
For moviemakers can shoot 4K UHD or Full HD and enjoy this wide ISO range too, plus an 4k time-lapse option is available with the option of 8k time lapse with processing.
Full-frame continuous shooting at seven frames-per-second is available in the standard body and if you want more, add the optional MB-D18 Multi-power Battery Grip and you get up to 9fps. Shooting full-frame Raws, the D850’s large buffer allows continuous shooting of up to 51 shots – although not specified, this is probably with an XQD storage card fitted. There are two card slots, one XQD and one SD. There is not an SD card only option.
On occasions when you might not want full-size Raws, there is the menu option of shooting Medium Raws (25.6-megapixels) and Small Raws (11.4-megapixels) – in these instances you get 12-bit lossless compressed files. File sizes of full-size JPEGs are in the order of 25-30MB and Raws of about 95MB. Raw files can be processed in-camera and there is a batch option – it takes 25 minutes to batch process 1000 Raws, the brochure says.
The 3.2in, 2359K dot monitor shows 100% of the image area and is a tiltable for low-down or overhead shooting (in horizontal format) and is touch sensitive too for menu use, image playback and for touch AF/shutter release.
For those situations when the sound or vibration of a reflex mirror can be an issue, the D850 has an electronic shutter for silent shooting. This you get with live view mode and shutter release can be done as normal or via on-screen touch AF/release and you get up to 6fps continuous shooting in full-frame. Select DX format for 8.6-megapixel files and you get 30fps for three seconds. The shutter mechanism itself is said to last 200,000 actuations.
Add an optical -0.7x magnification viewfinder, weather sealing and an 153-AF system from the Nikon D5 flagship and much more and you have a formidable full-frame camera that will have wide appeal
D850 body price is £3499.99 and the MB-D18 is £369.99.
For more information read the official Nikon press release below:
Exceptional is here. Show your mastery with the ultra-high-resolution D850
RRP: £3,499.99 / €3,899.00
SSD: 7th September 2017
Nikon introduces the D850 and gives full-frame photographers the ultimate combination of resolution, speed, and light sensitivity. From the studio to the remotest locations on earth, this FX-format D-SLR doesn’t just perform—it takes excellence to a whole new level.
Whether you are shooting commercial sports, nature, weddings, fashion or movies, the D850 gives photographers working in intensely competitive fields the creative flexibility they need to excel. The fast, ultra-high-resolution FX-format sensor uses 45.7 megapixels of effective resolution to deliver 45.4 MP files. New gapless on-chip lens architecture enables exceptional detail and incredible dynamic range. Frame rates are boosted to up to 9 fps when using the optional MB-D18 Multi-Power Battery Pack. Moviemakers can now record full-frame movies at 4K with no crop factor, which opens up the possibilities when shooting with Nikon’s fast prime lenses. And 4K timelapse movies can be recorded in-camera.
Other new features that enable greater flexibility include the option to shoot RAW size Large, Medium, or Small. Silent Photography mode enables ultra-sharp ultra-high-resolution shooting with no shutter noise. Pinpoint AF mode is available in Live View for precise macro shooting. And this is the first D-SLR ever to boast an in-camera focus-stacking mode for exceptionally sharp images with vast depth of field.
Tim Carter, Senior Product Manager, Imaging, Nikon UK, says: “The D850 is an exceptional follow-up to the hugely successful D810 and we are thrilled to be adding it to our line-up of full-frame D-SLRs. It’s an ideal choice for photographers who want the freedom to deliver stunning images without exceptions. Whether you’re looking for flexibility in terms of file size, ISO, speed or megapixel count, the D850 excels in all areas, making it the perfect camera for pros.”
Summary of main features
Resolution: 45.7 megapixels of effective resolution. Richly detailed 45.4 MP files. Back-illuminated FX-format CMOS sensor with no optical low-pass filter.
Speed: shoot at 7 fps. Or shoot full-resolution images at 9 fps when using the optional MB-D18 Multi-Power Battery Pack (with the EN-EL18B battery inserted).
Light sensitivity: the powerful EXPEED 5 image processor delivers exceptionally clean images across the ISO range of 64–25600, extendable from 32 to 102400 (equivalent). The full ISO range is available for 4K video shooting too.
Precision: the same phenomenal 153-point AF system as the flagship D5 offers sensitivity down to -4 EV at the central point (ISO 100, 20 °C/68 °F). Metering down to -3 EV enables precise automatic exposures even when the only light is the light of the moon.
4K video with no crop factor: record full-frame 4K/UHD movies at 30p, with no crop-factor limitations. Shoot more than three hours using the MB-D18 Multi-Power Battery Pack.
In-camera 4K timelapse: film 4K timelapse movies in-camera, and harness the D850’s 45.7 effective megapixels to create spectacular 8K timelapse movies in post.
RAW flexibility: shoot 45.4 MP RAW size Large, 25.6 MP RAW size Medium, or 11.4 MP RAW size Small (both Medium and Small are 12-bit lossless compressed).
Any environment: extensive weather sealing readies the D850 for harsh environments. The same full-button illumination seen on Nikon’s D5 ensures easy handling under the blanket of night.
Fast storage media: a dual card slot unit enables use of a UHS-II SD card and an XQD card—the fastest combination possible.
For more information, please visit the official Nikon website.
Read more on the Nikon D850:
Nikon D850 – first thoughts
