Do you want to know what's better Nikon D500 or Nikon D850? SpecsPRO has compared Nikon D500 vs Nikon D850: weight, battery, sensor, resolution, ISO, dynamic range and other important specifications.

Nikon D500 vs Nikon D850

  • Main

  • Model

  • Price

  • Advantages

  • launch

  • Announced

  • Body type

  • Camera subcategory

  • Sensor

  • Effective pixels

  • Max resolution

  • Sensor size

  • Sensor type

  • Processor

  • Image ratio w:h

  • Other resolutions

  • Sensor photo detectors

  • Image

  • ISO

  • Boosted ISO (minimum)

  • Boosted ISO (maximum)

  • White balance presets

  • Custom white balance

  • Image stabilization

  • Uncompressed format

  • JPEG quality levels

  • Photography features

  • Minimum shutter speed

  • Maximum shutter speed

  • Aperture priority

  • Shutter priority

  • Manual exposure mode

  • Subject / scene modes

  • Built-in flash

  • External flash

  • Flash modes

  • Continuous drive

  • Self-timer

  • Metering modes

  • Exposure compensation

  • AE Bracketing

  • WB Bracketing

  • Screen / viewfinder

  • Articulated LCD

  • Screen size

  • Screen dots

  • Touch screen

  • Screen type

  • Live view

  • Viewfinder type

  • Viewfinder coverage

  • Viewfinder magnification

  • Videography features

  • Resolutions

  • File Format

  • Microphone

  • Speaker

  • Optics & Focus

  • Autofocus

  • Digital zoom

  • Manual focus

  • Number of focus points

  • Lens mount

  • Focal length multiplier

  • Physical

  • Weight (inc. batteries)

  • Dimensions

  • Environmentally sealed

  • Battery

  • Battery details

  • Battery Life (CIPA)

  • Storage

  • Storage types

  • Storage included

  • Connectivity

  • USB

  • HDMI

  • Microphone port

  • Headphone port

  • Wireless

  • Wireless notes

  • Remote control

  • USB charging

  • Other features

  • Orientation sensor

  • Timelapse recording

  • GPS

  • GPS notes

  • Samples

  • Videos

  • Main

  • Model

    Nikon D500

  • Price

  • Advantages

  • PHOTOGRAPHY FEATURES Continuous drive: 10.0 fps

    OPTICS & FOCUS Number of focus points: 153

    PHYSICAL Weight (inc. batteries): 860 g (1.90 lb / 30.34 oz)

    OTHER FEATURES GPS: Optional

    Go to the Summary

Nikon D850
  • Main

  • Model

    Nikon D850

  • Price

  • Advantages

  • SENSOR Effective pixels: 46 megapixels

    SENSOR Max resolution: 8256 x 5504

    SENSOR Sensor size: Full frame (35.9 x 23.9 mm)

    SENSOR Sensor photo detectors: 47 megapixels

    IMAGE Boosted ISO (minimum): 32

    IMAGE White balance presets: 14

    PHYSICAL Battery Life (CIPA): 1840

    Go to the Summary

  • launch

  • Announced

    Feb 2016

  • Body type

  • Camera subcategory

    Mid-size SLR

  • Sensor

  • Effective pixels

    21 megapixels

  • Max resolution

    5568 x 3712

  • Sensor size

    APS-C (23.5 x 15.7 mm)

  • Sensor type

    CMOS

  • Processor

    Expeed 5

  • Image ratio w:h

    3:2

  • Other resolutions

    4176 x 2784, 2784 x 1856

  • Sensor photo detectors

    22 megapixels

  • Image

  • ISO

    ISO 100 - 51200 (expandable to 50 - 1640000)

  • Boosted ISO (minimum)

    50

  • Boosted ISO (maximum)

    1640000

  • White balance presets

    12

  • Custom white balance

    Yes (5)

  • Image stabilization

    No

  • Uncompressed format

    RAW + TIFF

  • JPEG quality levels

    Fine, Normal, Basic

  • Photography features

  • Minimum shutter speed

    30 sec

  • Maximum shutter speed

    1/8000 sec

  • Aperture priority

    Yes

  • Shutter priority

    Yes

  • Manual exposure mode

    Yes

  • Subject / scene modes

    No

  • Built-in flash

    No

  • External flash

    Yes (Hot-shoe, Wireless plus sync connector)

  • Flash modes

    Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Slow sync, Rear curtain

  • Continuous drive

    10.0 fps

  • Self-timer

    Yes (2, 5, 10 or 20 sec)

  • Metering modes

    • Multi
    • Center-weighted
    • Highlight-weighted
    • Spot

  • Exposure compensation

    ±5 (at 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV steps)

  • AE Bracketing

    (2, 3, 5, 7 frames at 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV, 2/3 EV, 1 EV, 2 EV steps)

  • WB Bracketing

    Yes (2 or 9 frames in steps of 1, 2 or 3 mired)

  • Screen / viewfinder

  • Articulated LCD

    Tilting

  • Screen size

    3.2

  • Screen dots

    2,359,000

  • Touch screen

    Yes

  • Screen type

    TFT LCD

  • Live view

    Yes

  • Viewfinder type

    Optical (pentaprism)

  • Viewfinder coverage

    100%

  • Viewfinder magnification

    1×

  • Videography features

  • Resolutions

    4K (UHD) 30p/25p/24p, 1080/60p/50p/30p/25p/24p, 720/60p/50p

  • File Format

    MPEG-4, H.264

  • Microphone

    Stereo

  • Speaker

    Mono

  • Optics & Focus

  • Autofocus

    • Contrast Detect (sensor)
    • Phase Detect
    • Multi-area
    • Selective single-point
    • Tracking
    • Single
    • Continuous
    • Face Detection
    • Live View

  • Digital zoom

    No

  • Manual focus

    Yes

  • Number of focus points

    153

  • Lens mount

    Nikon F

  • Focal length multiplier

    1.5×

  • Physical

  • Weight (inc. batteries)

    860 g (1.90 lb / 30.34 oz)

  • Dimensions

    147 x 115 x 81 mm (5.79 x 4.53 x 3.19)

  • Environmentally sealed

    Yes

  • Battery

    Battery Pack

  • Battery details

    Lithium-Ion EN-EL15 rechargeable battery & charger

  • Battery Life (CIPA)

    1240

  • Storage

  • Storage types

    SD/SDHC/SDXC (UHS-II compliant) + XQD

  • Storage included

    None

  • Connectivity

  • USB

    USB 3.0 (5 GBit/sec)

  • HDMI

    Yes (mini-HDMI)

  • Microphone port

    Yes

  • Headphone port

    Yes

  • Wireless

    Built-In

  • Wireless notes

    Wi-Fi with low energy Bluetooth

  • Remote control

    Yes (Optional, wired or wireless )

  • USB charging

  • Other features

  • Orientation sensor

    Yes

  • Timelapse recording

    Yes

  • GPS

    Optional

  • GPS notes

    GP-1

  • Watch sample photos

  • Watch video reviews

  • launch

  • Announced

    2017

  • Body type

  • Camera subcategory

    Mid-size SLR

  • Sensor

  • Effective pixels

    46 megapixels

  • Max resolution

    8256 x 5504

  • Sensor size

    Full frame (35.9 x 23.9 mm)

  • Sensor type

    BSI-CMOS

  • Processor

    Expeed 5

  • Image ratio w:h

    1:1, 5:4, 3:2, 16:9

  • Other resolutions

  • Sensor photo detectors

    47 megapixels

  • Image

  • ISO

    Auto, 64-25600 (expands to 32-102400)

  • Boosted ISO (minimum)

    32

  • Boosted ISO (maximum)

    102400

  • White balance presets

    14

  • Custom white balance

    Yes (6 slots)

  • Image stabilization

    No

  • Uncompressed format

    RAW + TIFF

  • JPEG quality levels

    Fine, normal, basic

  • Photography features

  • Minimum shutter speed

    30 sec

  • Maximum shutter speed

    1/8000 sec

  • Aperture priority

    Yes

  • Shutter priority

    Yes

  • Manual exposure mode

    Yes

  • Subject / scene modes

    No

  • Built-in flash

    No

  • External flash

    Yes (via hot shoe or flash sync port)

  • Flash modes

    Front-curtain sync (normal), Rear-curtain sync, Red-eye reduction, Red-eye reduction with slow sync, Slow sync

  • Continuous drive

    9.0 fps

  • Self-timer

    Yes (2, 5, 10, 20 secs)

  • Metering modes

    • Multi
    • Center-weighted
    • Highlight-weighted
    • Spot

  • Exposure compensation

    ±5 (at 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV, 1 EV steps)

  • AE Bracketing

    ±5 (2, 3, 5, 7 frames at 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV, 2/3 EV, 1 EV steps)

  • WB Bracketing

    Yes (2-9 exposures in 1, 2, or 3EV increments)

  • Screen / viewfinder

  • Articulated LCD

    Tilting

  • Screen size

    3.2

  • Screen dots

    2,359,000

  • Touch screen

    Yes

  • Screen type

    TFT LCD

  • Live view

    Yes

  • Viewfinder type

    Optical (pentaprism)

  • Viewfinder coverage

    100%

  • Viewfinder magnification

    0.75×

  • Videography features

  • Resolutions

  • File Format

    MPEG-4

  • Microphone

    Stereo

  • Speaker

    Mono

  • Optics & Focus

  • Autofocus

    • Contrast Detect (sensor)
    • Phase Detect
    • Multi-area
    • Center
    • Selective single-point
    • Tracking
    • Single
    • Continuous
    • Touch
    • Face Detection
    • Live View

  • Digital zoom

  • Manual focus

    Yes

  • Number of focus points

    151

  • Lens mount

    Nikon F

  • Focal length multiplier

    1×

  • Physical

  • Weight (inc. batteries)

    1005 g (2.22 lb / 35.45 oz)

  • Dimensions

    146 x 124 x 79 mm (5.75 x 4.88 x 3.11)

  • Environmentally sealed

    Yes

  • Battery

    Battery Pack

  • Battery details

    EN-EL15a lithium-ion battery & charger

  • Battery Life (CIPA)

    1840

  • Storage

  • Storage types

    SD/SDHC/SDXC (UHS-II supported) + XQD

  • Storage included

  • Connectivity

  • USB

    USB 3.0 (5 GBit/sec)

  • HDMI

    Yes (mini HDMI)

  • Microphone port

    Yes

  • Headphone port

    Yes

  • Wireless

    Built-In

  • Wireless notes

    802.11b/g + NFC + Bluetooth 4.1 LE

  • Remote control

    Yes (wired, wireless, smartphone)

  • USB charging

    No

  • Other features

  • Orientation sensor

    Yes

  • Timelapse recording

    Yes (4K movies or '8K' stills)

  • GPS

    None

  • GPS notes

  • ————

  • Watch video reviews

  • Summary

    The D850 highest resolution of 8256 x 5504 pixels (46 megapixels) is better in comparison with the Nikon D500 maximum resolution of 5568 x 3712 pixels (21 megapixels). The D850 is produced with larger sensor compared to the Nikon D500: Full frame (35.9 x 23.9 mm) versus APS-C (23.5 x 15.7 mm). It is very important difference between these cameras as large sensor lets you to produce photos of the better quality. The D850 provides more presets of white balance - 14. This option gives you more control over colour. The Nikon D500 offers more focus points than the D850: 153 vs 151. More focus points means less risk of losing focus lock during following a moving object.



    The D850 battery life is better than the Nikon D500 battery life. According to CIPA standards you will be able to take 1840 shots with the D850 and only 1240 with the D500. The Nikon D500 weighs 860g that is 145g lighter in comparison with the weight of the D850. The Nikon D500 can utilize optional accessory GPS devices. Recording GPS data can be convenient if you like to travel, to be able to go into the photo metadata and find out exactly where an image was shot.

    The Nikon D850 has 7 advantages and the Nikon D500 only 4 so the D850 becomes the best choice. Get the lowest price on Amazon.