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Nikon D500 vs Nikon D850

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Nikon D500

21 MP | APS-C (23.5 x 15.7 mm) CMOS Sensor

Nikon D500
$1,896.95
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Nikon D850

46 MP | Full frame (35.9 x 23.9 mm) BSI-CMOS Sensor

Nikon D850
$3,296.95
Nikon D500 vs Nikon D850 Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two Semi-Pro DSLR cameras by Nikon. Nikon D500 has a 21.0MP APS-C sensor whereas Nikon D850 has a 46.0MP Full frame sensor. We can expect this to be a close match up because both models are ranked amongst the best in Semi-Pro DSLR cameras. Out of 89 cameras in this class, Nikon D500 is ranked #5 with an overall score of 89 and Nikon D850 is ranked #1 with an overall score of 97.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of Nikon D500 and Nikon D850 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Nikon D500 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2016-01-05
  • 21MP - APS-C CMOS Sensor
  • No Anti-aliasing (AA) filter
  • ISO 100 - 51200 ( expands to 50-1640000)
  • Nikon F Mount
  • 3.2″ Tilting Screen
  • Optical (pentaprism) viewfinder
  • 10.0 fps continuous shooting
  • 3840 x 2160 video resolution
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 860g. 147 x 115 x 81 mm
  • Weather Sealed Body
  • Replaced Nikon D300s Compare

Nikon D850 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2017-08-24
  • 46MP - Full frame BSI-CMOS Sensor
  • No Anti-aliasing (AA) filter
  • ISO 64 - 25600 ( expands to 32-102400)
  • Nikon F Mount
  • 3.2 Tilting Screen
  • Optical (pentaprism) viewfinder
  • 7.0 fps continuous shooting
  • 9 fps with MB-D18 battery grip
  • 3840 x 2160 video resolution
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 1015g. 146 x 124 x 79 mm
  • Weather Sealed Body
  • Replaced Nikon D810 Compare
Reasons to choose Nikon D500 over Nikon D850
Max ISO 51.200 vs 25.600 100% higher Max ISO
Continuous Shooting 10.0fps vs 7.0fps 3 fps faster
Weight 860 g vs 1015 g 155 g lighter
Price $1,897 vs $3,297 $1,400 cheaper
Reasons to choose Nikon D850 over Nikon D500
Max Sensor Resolution 46 MP vs 21 MP 119% more pixels
Battery Life 1840 shots vs 1240 shots 600 more frames with a single charge
Color Depth 26.4 vs 24.0 higher color depth
Dynamic Range 14.8 vs 14.0 higher dynamic range
Low Light ISO 2660 vs 1324 better High ISO performance
Focus Bracketing Yes vs No Take multiple photos shifting focus point
8K Timelapse mode Yes vs No Create 8K resolution timelapse videos
Common Strengths of Nikon D500 and Nikon D850
Wireless Connection Yes vs Yes Better connectivity
Bluetooth Connection Yes vs Yes Connect to other devices via Bluetooth
Articulating Screen Yes vs Yes Flexible shooting positions
External Flash Shoe Yes vs Yes Better for flash photography
Touch Screen Yes vs Yes Easy control of camera functions
Viewfinder Yes (Optical) vs Yes (Optical) Better framing and control
RAW Support Yes vs Yes Better image quality
Face Detection Focus Yes vs Yes very handy for portraits
Max Resolution 21 MP vs 46 MP Bigger prints and more details
LCD Screen Size 3.2″ vs 3.2 Large display
LCD Screen Resolution 2.359k dots vs 2.359k dots Higher resolution screens
Continuous Shooting 10.0fps vs 7.0fps Fast shooting speeds
Microphone Port Yes vs Yes High quality audio recording option
Headphone Port Yes vs Yes better video control
Environmental Sealing Yes vs Yes shoot at tough conditions
Timelapse Recording Yes vs Yes creative shooting
Top LCD Display Yes vs Yes Help viewing and changing settings easily
AE Bracketing Yes vs Yes Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
Flash Sync Port Yes vs Yes Connect off-camera flash
AF Micro Adjustment (Fine Tune) Yes vs Yes Adjust each lens for accurate focusing
NFC Connection Yes vs Yes Easy wireless connectivity with compatible devices
Shutter Life Expectancy 200000 cycles vs 200000 cycles High Shutter Rating
Illuminated Buttons Yes vs Yes Find the buttons easily in dark
Storage Slot 2 vs 2 Extra Storage Slot
Smartphone Remote Control Yes vs Yes Remote control your camera with a smartphone
Min Focus Sensitivity EV -4 vs EV -4 Autofocus in very low light
Support for UHS Memory Cards UHS-II vs UHS-II Read/Write in Ultra High Speeds
Common Weaknesses of Nikon D500 and Nikon D850
Image Stabilization No vs No No Built-in stabilization
Built-in Flash No vs No Require external flash
Nikon D500 vs Nikon D850: Physical Specs Comparison

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Nikon D500 and Nikon D850. Nikon D850 is 1mm narrower and 2mm thinner than Nikon D500 but it is also 9mm taller.

Nikon D500 vs Nikon D850 Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Now lets look at the top view comparison of Nikon D500 and Nikon D850.
Nikon D500 vs Nikon D850 Camera Size Comparison - Top View

Nikon D500 vs Nikon D850 Detailed Size Comparison

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Nikon D500 is significantly lighter (155g ) than the Nikon D850 which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

Also keep in mind that body weight is not the only deciding factor when comparing two interchangeable camera bodies, you have to also take into account the lenses that you will be using with these bodies. Since Nikon D850 has a Full frame sensor and Nikon D500 has a smaller APS-C sensor, Nikon D500's lenses for a similar focal length and aperture will generally be lighter and smaller than the Nikon D850 lenses.

Weight Comparison

DSLR Cameras

D500
D850
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

DSLR Cameras

D500
D850
Min
Average
Max
Nikon D500 vs Nikon D850: Sensor Comparison

Nikon D500 has a 21.0MP APS-C (23.5 x 15.7 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Expeed 5 processor. On the other hand, Nikon D850 has a 46.0MP Full frame (35.9 x 23.9 mm ) sized BSI-CMOS sensor and features Expeed 5 processor.

Nikon D850's sensor provides 25MP more than Nikon D500's sensor, which gives a significant advantage in real life. You can print your images larger or crop more freely. On the other hand, please keep in mind that Max sensor resolution is not the only determinant of resolving power. Factors such as the optical elements, low pass filter, pixel size and sensor technology also affects the final resolution of the captured image.

Another similarity between these two cameras is that both Nikon D850 and Nikon D500 sensors lack anti-alias (Low-Pass) filters. Removing anti-alias filter increases the sharpness and level of detail but at the same time, it increases the chance of moire occurring in certain scenes.

Below you can see the D500 and D850 sensor size comparison.

Nikon D500 vs Nikon D850 Sensor Size Comparison


As seen above, Nikon D850 has a 2.3x Larger sensor area than Nikon D500. Larger sensors give photographer more control on the depth of field and blurry background compared to smaller sensor when shot in same focal length and aperture.

What types of Photography are Nikon D500 and Nikon D850 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Nikon D500 and Nikon D850 for five different photography types in order to make your decision process easier in case you are specifically interested in one or more of these areas.

Nikon D500 for Portrait Photography

GOOD

Nikon D850 for Portrait Photography

EXCELLENT
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.7 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 21.0MP
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
Read the details
Large Full frame (35.9 x 23.9 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 46.0MP
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Nikon D500 for Street Photography

GOOD

Nikon D850 for Street Photography

GOOD
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.7 mm) sensor
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Tilting LCD Screen
No Image Stabilization
Large Body
Read the details
Large Full frame (35.9 x 23.9 mm) sensor
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Tilting LCD Screen
No Image Stabilization
Large Body
Read the details

Nikon D500 for Sports Photography

EXCELLENT

Nikon D850 for Sports Photography

EXCELLENT
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Continuous Shooting: 10.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
99 Cross Type Focus sensors
153 Focus Points
Good Battery Life: 1240 shots
Good Low Light ISO
Wireless Connection
No Image Stabilization
Read the details
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Continuous Shooting: 7.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
99 Cross Type Focus sensors
153 Focus Points
Good Battery Life: 1840 shots
Good Low Light ISO
Wireless Connection
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Nikon D500 for Daily Photography

GOOD

Nikon D850 for Daily Photography

GOOD
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.7 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Large Body
860g
Body Thickness 81mm
Read the details
Large Full frame (35.9 x 23.9 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Large Body
1015g
Body Thickness 79mm
Read the details

Nikon D500 for Landscape Photography

GOOD

Nikon D850 for Landscape Photography

EXCELLENT
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.7 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 21.0MP
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Read the details
Large Full frame (35.9 x 23.9 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 46.0MP
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Read the details


Nikon D850 vs Nikon D500 Comparison of Available Lenses
Which camera has more lenses?

Number of available lenses is a big decision factor while choosing your interchangeable lens camera. Nikon D500 and Nikon D850 have the same Nikon F lens mount and currently there are 286 native lenses available for these cameras.

Another important factor is the availability of image stabilization. None of these bodies have sensor based image stabilization so you have to buy lenses with Optical stabilization feature. Currently there are 88 lenses with Image stabilization for Nikon F mount.

Lens Type # of Nikon D500 Lenses # of Nikon D850 Lenses
Standard Zoom 33 33
Standard Prime 18 18
Wideangle Zoom 30 30
Wideangle Prime 45 45
Telephoto Zoom 49 49
Telephoto Prime 40 40
SuperZoom 30 30
Wideangle Fisheye Prime 8 8
Macro Prime 22 22
Perspective Control Prime 10 10
Telephoto Mirror Prime 1 1
TOTAL 286 286
Nikon D500 vs Nikon D850: OUR DECISION

You may have already made your decision about which camera suits better for your needs and your budget so far but in case you wonder how we rated Nikon D500 and Nikon D850, below you can find their scores in five different aspects. Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 63 different specs, current price and DxO Mark scores (where possible) in order to make a more objective and consistent comparison.

Here is a summary of how Nikon D500 and Nikon D850 scores compare:

Nikon D500
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #8 out of 92 in Mid-size SLR cameras
Ranked #14 out of 1131 in all Cameras
Nikon D850
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #2 out of 92 in Mid-size SLR cameras
Ranked #3 out of 1131 in all Cameras

Nikon D850 has a higher Overall Score than the Nikon D500 and would be our choice if we have to decide between these two cameras.

Nikon D500
Nikon D500
$1,896.95

Nikon D850
Nikon D850
$3,296.95

Nikon D850 vs Nikon D500 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Nikon D500 Nikon D850
Brand Nikon Nikon
Announced 2016-01-05 2017-08-24
Body Type Mid-size SLR Mid-size SLR
Price $1,896.95 $3,296.95
Sensor
Type CMOS BSI-CMOS
Size APS-C Full frame
Dimensions 23.5 x 15.7 mm 35.9 x 23.9 mm
Area 368.95mm2 858.01mm2
Megapixels 21 megapixels 46 megapixels
Max Resolution 5568 x 3712 8256 x 5504
Max Native Light sensitivity 51,200 ISO 25,600 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity 1640000 ISO 102400 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity 100 ISO 64 ISO
Min Boosted Light Sensitivity 50 ISO 32 ISO
RAW Support
Autofocus
AF Touch
AF Continuous
AF Single
AF Tracking
AF Selective
AF Center
AF Multi Area
AF Live View
AF Face Detection
AF Contrast Detection
AF Phase Detection
Number of Focus Points 153 153
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount Nikon F Nikon F
Number of Available Lenses 286 286
Screen
Type Tilting Tilting
Size 3.2″ 3.2
Resolution 2,359k dots 2,359k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Optical (pentaprism) Optical (pentaprism)
Viewfinder Coverage 100% 100%
Viewfinder Magnification 0.66 0.75
Photography Features
Max Shutter Speed 1/8000s 1/8000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization No No
Built-in Flash
Max Flash Sync 1/250s no built-in flash
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 10.0 fps 7.0 fps
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution 3840 x 2160 3840 x 2160
Video Formats MPEG-4, H.264 MPEG-4
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity Built-In Built-In
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 860g 1015g
Dimensions 147 x 115 x 81mm 146 x 124 x 79mm
Battery Life 1240 shots 1840 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS Optional None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score 83 100
DxO Color Depth 24.0 26.4
DxO Dynamic Range 14.0 14.8
DxO Low Light ISO 1324 2660
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