NIKON D850 vs SONY a7R III vs CANON 5D Mark IV Which To Buy 'Ultimate Battle'

NIKON vs SONY vs CANON Which To Buy: D850, a7R III, 5D Mark IV "Ultimate Battle"

It can be tough decision deciding between not only cameras but brands these days. I've done "Real World Review" of all three of these cameras which puts me in a position to help you decide which camera might be right for you.

If you just want to shoot video you may look one way. If you're looking for portraits or sports, you may go the other way. In this day and age, we've reached a place where you can't go wrong with any of these bodies.

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[vankozz]

I think most people are here not to make a choice which camera to buy but to hear that their camera is better than the others in some way

[NiklasRooms]

I love my 5D IV and I'm a Canon shooter for years... Maybe there is a better camera... But I'm happy with mine and I never got used to Nikon and Sony cameras; I don't like their controls (maybe cause I'm used to Canon) and the feeling using those...

[DirectorsGarage]

I sold my D800E and D700 and bought the D850. I know the body, I know the system. I miss the pop up flash. Not for the pop up, but for commander mode. I'm so used to it, and it's gone now (moment of silence). I have to use an SU-800 now. On the Nikon, I know if I dial in -.03 EV, I'm never going to over expose. As long as I'm not in the clip, I can fix almost everything short of a thumb in front of the lens in post. I do have Sony envy. I think they're making the most interesting and versatile cameras on the market today. But I'm not dumping the thousands in glass I have amassed in my collection. The D850 is the best Nikon I've ever used. I also own the RX100 MkV. I use that camera A LOT because it's small, takes terrific images, and.... it's small. The video out of that camera is spot on. But video on the D850 with a 70-200 is damn hard to beat (auto focus be damned). If I were starting completely over, I'd get a Canon. Why? All of my friends shoot Canon. I can't borrow their lenses.

[CraigMagina]

One correction, the Canon 5D Mark IV does allow focus point selection using the touch screen, you just need to hit the focus point button first, farthest button to the right from the AF-ON button. The display shows the focus points, but if you are looking through the view finder, they are there as well and you can move your finger around the screen, changing which point is selected. So you can do it without pulling away from the view finder. Don't get me wrong, its awkward and in definite need of improvement, i.e. making it like the Sony lower right section of the screen or how the Canon mirrorless work, but it does work. I tend to use the joystick myself, but maybe Canon will gift us an update improving the use of the touchscreen for focus point selection in the future.

[ATruths]

I picked up the Sony A7riii, I like what Sony has done with their mirrorless camera and the body size. I also think they've add some additional features that have future proved their body.

[ElPatron]

Something you say is "glass glass glass glass" and rightfully so. You can still get amazing results with older cameras as long as you have good glass, composition, and nail your exposure. At the end of the day all 3 are top of the line and you'll just go with the one in which you're already invested (like you said), but if I was starting out I'd probably go for Sony since they have the most potential.

[gregbrashear]

I like Jared and respect his information and opinion, but I already knew how this video would sway before I even watched it. All three cameras are great and you can't really go "wrong" with any of them

[petarsmilajkov]

My biggest battle for the past 3 weeks. Deciding between these 3... THANK YOU!

[theresarice]

I have, unfortunately, dropped my Sony several times and it has survived just fine. Just sayin'.

[Ninochew]

If I'm a rookie or beginner into photography, and there's only 3 cameras above available. I would gave chosen Sony because of the size and many of the different techs available. A newbie won't want to get a big heavy camera hanging on his/her neck. Also the video and silent shoots sound amazing for the vloggers nowadays.

[obijuan]

Nikon Fan boy. Giving Nikon check marks for just having random things lol.

[DaveMcIntoshPhoto]

I purchased the A7Riii. Focusing in low light was poor compared to Pro Nikons. the silent shutter had banding indoors many times with artificial light. The eye AF is a nice feature and while it is always close not always sharp focus. Sold it bought the D850. 3D focus is nice for moving subjects. Happy with it.

[robertgrenader]

One picky downside of the D850's XQD card is that all the laptops, Gnarboxes, WD My Passports, etc only have SD capability. Yes, you can get portable XQD readers, but you need a laptop to handle the transfer. Using SD means the Gnarbox and WD Passport can automatically back up your files.

[bdavisart]

thank you for this video. Im going back to work soon and up grading from Nikon 7000. I was trying to decide from these exact models. Im sticking with Nikon.

[james-sc]

Great review, overall really fair. I sold all my Canon gear and got the a7R III, it was the EVF, BSI Sensor, advanced movie features, IBIS, silent shooting, and size. Yes the size matters, because if you want to you can put a small pancake prime on like the Ziess 35 F2.8 and have a small camera for casual functions, then put on the pro glass for a professional shoot. Plus carrying a backup body, it saves space also.

[baesick_nrre]

I went Sony and grabbed an a7ii. The EVF won me over and the size is easy to take anywhere. As for lens prices well that sucks

[KidLexDC]

The 850 DOES have touch menus. I promise. I use them.

[johncampbell]

I'm a sharpness stickler too, and I've been playing with the Eye AF feature for a few months. It seems to me from my casual experimenting that it focuses on the eye's catchlights, which is at the closest point of the curvature of the cornea. This leaves the iris - the part we actually look at - slightly out of focus at 1.8 and beyond. The catchlight will be crisp, but everything beneath the cornea lens is unfocused slightly. It's very apparent in tight headshots [my niche], looking at files 1:1 where the white of the eye meets the iris. It's consistently muddy there. Switching to 2.8 and up alleviates it and it shouldn't be hard to patch this up in firmware [back up the focal plane 0.50mm] but I haven't heard anyone else discussing it until you brought it up. Great side-by-side 3 way. Cheers from Niagara.

[nagual]

Loved this episode, Jared.
Canon for best sooc skin tones, colors & auto WB - saves a ton of time in post
Nikon for that cinematic look and ease of use
Sony for Hybrid photo/video, EYE AF, and EVF
in other words - buy all three!

[gordonllamo]

Taking into consideration that I shoot a lot of video the Nikon is not a choice for me. And, despite I'm a Canon user right now, the fact that Sony has focus peaking that can be used with manual lenses makes them superior from my perspective and the way I use the camera. Also that super35 looks really really good.