Nikon D850 vs Nikon Z7: Which Camera To Buy? The ULTIMATE BATTLE

Which camera should you buy, the Nikon D850 or the Nikon Z7? A lot depends on if you want a mirrorless or a DSLR and if you shoot video or not. This video will help you better answer the question as to which camera you should buy.

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#FroKnowsPhoto #NikonD850 #NikonZ7
nikon mirrorless z7

[paulmitchell]

I just sold my Z7ll mirrorless is just marketing hype, i'll keep the D850 it's fantastic! i could go back to a D700 and take amazing pictures.

[commonsense]

The D850 is the BEST DSLR in history. The Z7 is the first in the future mirrorless. I have the D850. Why go with a prototype? I will most probably choose the next Nikon Mirrorless in a year or so. With all the backlash, it will most likely have Eye-AF and Dual Card Slots and maybe some new surprises like a 50+ Megapixel Sensor. For a Backup now to my D850, I am considering a Z6 as it has the same video capability of the Z7, but $1200.00 cheaper. Anyway, great time to be alive in Photography!

[iaintyourgganbu]

I went with d850 cuz some wise man passing by told that it's unwise to drop 3+ grands on v1 of a new product. I love my shiny new toy.

[stanspb]

I went with both. I had the D850...great stills camera...but after spending a week with a loaner Z7 I thought about it for a couple months and in a weaker moment, bought it at a branch of a local chain. They threw in a 64gig XQD and 3 extended warranty.
For raw stills, they are indistinguishable, both excellent. But for JPG stills, the Z7 has the edge because of the newer Expeed 6 processor.
I was not concerned about the single slot because during the loaner week I found the new version of their wireless connectivity is lightyears ahead of any other camera I have seen including the D850. Over the two months with it and several events, I still have not removed the XQD once. All the files go really fast to my editing computer and that has been fast and flawless. That is one of the best features, reliable wireless backup that is seamless and 14 bit raw files arriving on the editing computer in just over 1 second after each shot is made. The range is good.
The Z7 was intended to be a travel and second camera for shoots with the D850 as the primary but the more I use the Z7 the more it gets priority. I am getting more interesting personal shots because it is small enough to be with me all the time.
One of the great benefits of the Z line is that new mount. I know some reviewers say the new low cost small 1.8 primes feel cheap but they are all metal, light and have a noticeably better corner to corner sharpness and contrast wide open and than my top F mount lenses that cost much more and are bulkier. They have very impressive performance. for wide open sharpness, they are the best lenses at their FL available. That bodes well for a large number of primes and faster zooms scheduled to be released in the coming months.

Since I do a lot of portraits, I am pretty picky about selecting focus plane so don't care about eye AF but apparently, a lot of people what the camera to decide so there is good news for them, a new firmware update adds 3 big news features 1 Eye AF, 2; 12bit RAW video out the HDMI port which is a game changer for serious videographers who really need top quality images with 10, 000 times the fine step of illuminance than the other cameras out with far courser steps. The 3rd feature is an addition of CFExpress card support that should make the camera into an infinite buffer with 5-8 times the buffer clearing speed. The cards announced to have 8 pipes so it is possible to write copies to more than 1 pipe for in-card backup. There are hints of additional features added in later firmware updates.
I like grips, and was not happy to hear the battery grip might not have controls. Nikon only says it has 2 battery slots. But playing with the phone app for the camera and finding it is possible to control everything on the camera with BlueTooth, any 3rd party or Nikon can add any number of control to a grip. Within a month or two expect to see 3rd party grips that control at least shutter, AF-on and joystick AF point selector.
For those complaining about not having a forward facing screen for video selfies, they seem to lack imagination. Anyone serious about video will have a larger monitor recorder like the Ninja 5 but for the rest, they can use their phone as a monitor.
Now I am thinking of selling my D800 because it is gathering dust on the shelf and use that towards a Z6 as a personal walking around camera and second camera for lightweight shoots supporting the Z7. A pro build quality better than the competition, weather sealed, Z mount camera for $1996 is a bargain. For video it has no competition and stills its a very good camera.

[jonglaser]

Sold my d850 and Bought the z7. ITs ok but too many little annoying things for me: 1) My tripod plate had to be removed when i switched lenses and FTZ adapter..2)24-70 had alot of chromatic aberration 3) Not many lenses to chose from yet 4) The wired remote plug kept slipping out when shooting vertical 5) Cant be converted to IR(horizontal banding) 6) Not a big weight difference when using FTZ and lens 7) One card slot(not a deal breaker) 8) battery life was really short 9) My EVF kept shutting off to conserve batter power. In the end, I Sold my z7 and repurchased a used d850.

[nikonman]

I have over hundred lenses, and I have tried canon, Sony . The D 850 is THE Camera. It will take a lot to get me to change . D850’s is the best

[henrydesrosiers]

I have the D850 and that is where I'm staying. It's a great camera and I plan to stick with it for a long while. I'll wait for the Z9!

[PEWPEWNATION]

Thank you for actually doing a real review and comparison of these cameras. Personally I love the 2 card slots, larger size body, grip, and the ability to use all my lenses without an adapter. If I did more video work I would look into the Z7 but because I do mainly product lifestyle photography the 850 gets my vote!

[guyyowell]

I have always been a Nikon shooter going all the way back to the Nikon F2 (film camera). I have both the D850 and the new Z7, and I love them both. But I use these two cameras differently. Hands down, the D850 is the best DSLR on the market today, and I tend to use this camera whenever I’m shooting landscapes from a tripod.

The Z7, on the other hand, is my go-to camera whenever I want to walk around shooting handheld due to the weight and the amazing IBIS. And the beauty of the Z7 is that you don’t sacrifice image quality because of the great sensor with exactly the same resolution as the D850.

That being said, I have been using the Z7 for landscape work recently as well, and I’m really impressed with the quality of the images. The “kit” 24-70mm f/4 lens is super sharp from edge to edge.

Still, I wouldn’t sell my D850. I love both cameras!

[urmumsgstring]

just about to buy my first full frame, regardless of other systems i will be getting a D850.

[Xiox]

Right off the bat I'd say the D850, especially since I just spent a year saving up to buy one.

[BoostLeekdMedia]

I would go with the Z7. I tried it at my local shop and loved it. Felt good in my hands.
4 awesome questions at 22:17 that can help someone decide on the Z7 or D850 too!
1) Do you shoot Video?
2) Do you want something smaller and lighter?
3) Can you live with one card slot?
4) Can you live without vertical grip?
If you answered "yes" to all of the questions above, heck yeah, jump on the Z7! Both cameras are phenomenal!

[markferman]

I bought the D850 due to its great stills reviews, but then got in to video. Since I had all the Nikon glass, I decided to purchase the Z7 to focus on video. I use both, but exclusively use the Z7 for video. Thanks Jared - great and fair review.

[tamito]

D850 is a magic camera
The best in the world

[billtruran]

I purchase the D850 because I like to travel with a real weapon! If I hit a creep with a Z7 it would break!

[josephteplitz]

I use a D800 and the Z. My commercial work includes project photos for For interior designers, where I am shooting on a tripod. The Z is fantastic for that! I can see the exposure, real time, on the back of the camera. As lighting is a key element of the design, I use available light with the occasional reflector. Again, the preview is very helpful. I also shot for a local fox hunt group and some motorsports photography. The Z sucks for things that are fast moving. The DSLR is always there and ready, while you have to wait for the Z to wake up. I suspect there's a battery eating option to keep it on all the time, but the DSLR wins, hands down, for shooting things that move and change rapidly. Get both!

[UltraDoug]

Wedding Photographer = Stick with the tried and true 850 until all of the cons of the Z fall way through evolution. OR - pick up a Z as a back up to get used to with the 850 as a primary.

[cotswoldphotographers]

I agree with you 100% and if I were in the market for a 45mp camera then at this moment in time I would go with the D850 but only because of the grip. I’m really looking forward to seeing how the firmware updates fix the eye af because this might be a game changer for me. Exciting times ahead!

[cheristader]

Thank you Jared, these videos really help with the decision making process. I use a Nikon d7200 and have been wanting to upgrade to a full frame. I understand mirrorless is the next generation in technology. I thought the Z7 would be a great transition into that as I can use my current lenses and slowly move into the z lenses. Yet, I'm an enthusiast photographer who enjoys birds and macro. Therefore, this video helped very much with my decision. Since I'm not a professional, I can still get a great camera (D850) and probably find one used and not break the bank.

[alchemisthere]

If I would work all day long as a professional, I would take a D850 and a Z6. With these to you can shoot EVERYTHING.
But I can't choose one, way to hard of a decision.