D850...I have a D500
- Thread starter PoppaB
- Start date
Clovishound
Senior Member
I've always believed that should should only buy expensive camera gear to satisfy a real need for your photography.
I've not always lived up to that ideal.
I upgraded from a D3400 to a Z5 last year. The major reason for me was to take advantage of the full sized sensor. That turned out, IMO, to be an extremely small increase in resolution. I have found that many of the other advantages of the camera have made it well worth the money I spent. I will have to say that right now the D850 looks to be a real bargain, especially when they put it on sale. Having said that, DSLRs are on the way out to be supplanted by mirrorless. Your first decision is do you want to stick with DSLR, or make the move to mirrorless.
It doesn't appear there will be any new DSLRs developed with newer technology, so if you want to keep going for longer with DSLR, a D850 would likely be a good bet for longevity vs price. If you think a move to the Z side is in your future, then perhaps saving your money for the time when making the switch is the right thing for you might be the best move.
I've not always lived up to that ideal.
I upgraded from a D3400 to a Z5 last year. The major reason for me was to take advantage of the full sized sensor. That turned out, IMO, to be an extremely small increase in resolution. I have found that many of the other advantages of the camera have made it well worth the money I spent. I will have to say that right now the D850 looks to be a real bargain, especially when they put it on sale. Having said that, DSLRs are on the way out to be supplanted by mirrorless. Your first decision is do you want to stick with DSLR, or make the move to mirrorless.
It doesn't appear there will be any new DSLRs developed with newer technology, so if you want to keep going for longer with DSLR, a D850 would likely be a good bet for longevity vs price. If you think a move to the Z side is in your future, then perhaps saving your money for the time when making the switch is the right thing for you might be the best move.
What are you hoping to gain photographically? Adding or replacing? While the D850 is referred to as the best all around Nikon DLSR is it for you. The biggest advantage you might see is in the landscape stuff particularly lower light shots and at 45MP there would be more room to crop. Do you have an wide angle FX lens. The 850 also has better color depth and dynamic range. The cost is a heavier camera. That 45MP will also be disadvantage in your processing especial if your processor is marginal to begin with.
The D500 is considered a great wildlife/bird camera makes the 600mm seem more like 750. Continuous shooting at 10 FPS is also an advantage here.
Take a look at the specs compared here. https://cameradecision.com/compare/Nikon-D850-vs-Nikon-D500
Or you could just flip a coin.
BF Hammer
Senior Member
A lot of good points presented so far. While the D850 is considered by many to be the best F-mount camera, that does not have to mean it is the best for you.
Looking at your lenses, you basically have 2 full-frame lenses. Of course the DX lenses will work on a D850, but there is a cost/penalty for doing that. They will bring the performance of the D850 down to the level of the lens used. The sensor of the D850 is detailed enough to reveal issues with less expensive glass. And you will only see a small frame in the viewfinder for what will be recorded in DX mode. Less autofocus points available that way, lower-resolution photos, and the list goes on. The right way to do this is to make a shopping list of new glass to add, whether it be new or used. F-mount lenses on the used market are becoming more available all the time, bringing down prices.
Now the reason all that F-mount glass is out there to buy is because the market is shifting to mirrorless (Z-mount or other brand). Are you an older person who would be foolish to reinvest in a new system at advanced age? Maybe sticking with crop-sensor F-mount is the answer. Are you younger and expect to buy other new camera bodies in the future? Why invest in yesterday's system when Nikon is slowly phasing it out.
So to change the way to look at this: I bought a new vehicle in recent months. It has a gas engine and I am locked into buying gasoline for the next 10-11 years by my estimate now. That is when I figure to retire and buy a replacement car like so many retirees do. Will gasoline be yesterday's news by then and I buy electric? It could well be. So don't be so locked in on what is the best of the past that you lose sight of what will come in the future.
Looking at your lenses, you basically have 2 full-frame lenses. Of course the DX lenses will work on a D850, but there is a cost/penalty for doing that. They will bring the performance of the D850 down to the level of the lens used. The sensor of the D850 is detailed enough to reveal issues with less expensive glass. And you will only see a small frame in the viewfinder for what will be recorded in DX mode. Less autofocus points available that way, lower-resolution photos, and the list goes on. The right way to do this is to make a shopping list of new glass to add, whether it be new or used. F-mount lenses on the used market are becoming more available all the time, bringing down prices.
Now the reason all that F-mount glass is out there to buy is because the market is shifting to mirrorless (Z-mount or other brand). Are you an older person who would be foolish to reinvest in a new system at advanced age? Maybe sticking with crop-sensor F-mount is the answer. Are you younger and expect to buy other new camera bodies in the future? Why invest in yesterday's system when Nikon is slowly phasing it out.
So to change the way to look at this: I bought a new vehicle in recent months. It has a gas engine and I am locked into buying gasoline for the next 10-11 years by my estimate now. That is when I figure to retire and buy a replacement car like so many retirees do. Will gasoline be yesterday's news by then and I buy electric? It could well be. So don't be so locked in on what is the best of the past that you lose sight of what will come in the future.
Fred Kingston
Senior Member
Not to belabor the point, but that's not really an issue, as there are several lossless compressed modes of RAW settings for the D850
Whiskeyman
Senior Member
And the fact that computer storage is downright cheap compared to the value of the photos!
Just for the grandkids portion, you can get more of them side-by-side in a shot with the same lens at any given distance! With landscapes, the D850 will give you a wider view with almost the same pixel density as the D500. With wildlife, the D850 might make it easier for you to find a subject in the viewfinder, especially for birds-in-flight shooting.
I own a Nikon 24-120 f4, Nikon 85 f1.8, Nikon 50 f1.8, Sigma 120-600, Nikon 55-300 DX, Sigma 10-20 DX, Sigma 17-70DX.