Nikon D5 or D850?

Messages
41
Name
Jacqueline
Edit My Images
No
What would people choose out of the Nikon D5 or Nikon D850? I currently have a Nikon D800 which I love but it's quite an old camera now and technology has advanced massively since it was made! The new camera will be my main body and the D800 my back up.

I do a variety of photography... corporate, sports, product, portrait, events... I am personally feeling that the D5 would be the best buy but I know they're both phenomenal cameras!

Thanks
 
Last edited:
D5 all day long for what you're doing :)

Very few folk really need 36mp anyway, and the D850 is for serious geeks rather than jobbing togs IMO (having used it too that is)

Dave
Yeah I've heard the auto focus on the D850 isn't as good as the D5, it's a bit slower. I know the D5 is much more expensive but I think it will suit what I'm doing.
 
As mentioned above you don't need 45mp for what you're doing (barring maybe product photography) so the only advantages of the D850 are the tilt screen (handy for certain shots) and weight. However, add the battery grip to the D850 (needed to get the 9fps) and it's about the same weight as the D5. I think the D5 would be better for you tbh.
 
As mentioned above you don't need 45mp for what you're doing (barring maybe product photography) so the only advantages of the D850 are the tilt screen (handy for certain shots) and weight. However, add the battery grip to the D850 (needed to get the 9fps) and it's about the same weight as the D5. I think the D5 would be better for you tbh.
The D5 is going to be a better image than be D800 won't it because of how newer and advanced it is compared to the D800?

I have had images printed on billboards and posters for a school this year. Would the D5 product big enough images for that kind of work? Obviously if not, then I can always use my D800.
 
I have had images printed on billboards and posters for a school this year. Would the D5 product big enough images for that kind of work? Obviously if not, then I can always use my D800.

They used to do this on the D2X I had when it had only 12mp and think that was ok, so the D5 should be fine

That said, if you know in advance it'll be a HUGE image then why not shoot the D800 for the slight better quality - or hire the 100mp Blad instead lol

Dave
 
  • Like
Reactions: Nod
The D5 is going to be a better image than be D800 won't it because of how newer and advanced it is compared to the D800?

I have had images printed on billboards and posters for a school this year. Would the D5 product big enough images for that kind of work? Obviously if not, then I can always use my D800.
This will depend on a lot of factors, but assuming images are equally sharp in terms of technique, lighting the same etc etc I would hazard a guess that the D800 will actually produce better images than the D5, especially at lower ISO where the D800's DR is better. The D800 will capture more detail, which does become more apparent the larger you print. Of course, the perceived sharpness of said print will also depend on viewing distance, so there's lots of things to consider. But as I said, all things considered equal the D800's images would be better I would say. However, for sports and events the D5 should allow you to get the images more easily and consistently, in which case you may end up with better shots.

In terms of outright IQ the only way you're going to better the D800/D800e is with the D810 and D850. The IQ from the D850 is stunning, but as a camera I wouldn't say it's as suited to sports and events as much as the D5. That being said, if the D800's been good enough for such events then the D850 certainly will be too.
 
But as I said, all things considered equal the D800's images would be better I would say. However, for sports and events the D5 should allow you to get the images more easily and consistently, in which case you may end up with better shots.

Did you cut & paste/change to get the different font sizes (ongoing issue!)?
 
This will depend on a lot of factors, but assuming images are equally sharp in terms of technique, lighting the same etc etc I would hazard a guess that the D800 will actually produce better images than the D5, especially at lower ISO where the D800's DR is better. The D800 will capture more detail, which does become more apparent the larger you print. Of course, the perceived sharpness of said print will also depend on viewing distance, so there's lots of things to consider. But as I said, all things considered equal the D800's images would be better I would say. However, for sports and events the D5 should allow you to get the images more easily and consistently, in which case you may end up with better shots.

In terms of outright IQ the only way you're going to better the D800/D800e is with the D810 and D850. The IQ from the D850 is stunning, but as a camera I wouldn't say it's as suited to sports and events as much as the D5. That being said, if the D800's been good enough for such events then the D850 certainly will be too.

See this is the challenge of deciding between the 2. Because I work freelance I do different types of jobs... Alot of my work is printed either in the paper or things like prospectuses or websites so the D5 shouldn't be an issue really. But at the same time, if the D800 is more detail then will buying a D5 be the right choice over the D850?

I think I just need to use both cameras for different types of work I guess. I just don't want to make the wrong decision as it's alot of money i'm going to spend.
 
They used to do this on the D2X I had when it had only 12mp and think that was ok, so the D5 should be fine

That said, if you know in advance it'll be a HUGE image then why not shoot the D800 for the slight better quality - or hire the 100mp Blad instead lol

Dave

So the D5 lacks quality over the D800 and D850? But obviously in sports, it's better because of the frames per second. Would you use the D800 for corporate images still then and the D5 for the sports and events? Obviously I want to up the quality of my images if i'm spending money on a new camera
 
I thought it was a while until the mirrorless came out? I bet it will be crazy expensive.

We will have to wait for a release date but unless you are in a rush you may as well wait a couple of weeks.

As for price, it's not going to be any more than you would expect to pay for a similar DSLR (probably).. they are releasing this as an alternative to the DSLR not as a premium extra. And it could offer you some benefits or it may not.

I would certainly wait a couple of weeks.

I would actually recommend the D850 as it sounds like you do a bit of everything and that is where the D850 shines, it's one of the most versatile cameras out there, image quality is amazing. I guess if you mainly shoot sports or very low light events the D5 would have the edge.
 
We will have to wait for a release date but unless you are in a rush you may as well wait a couple of weeks.

As for price, it's not going to be any more than you would expect to pay for a similar DSLR (probably).. they are releasing this as an alternative to the DSLR not as a premium extra. And it could offer you some benefits or it may not.

I would certainly wait a couple of weeks.

I would actually recommend the D850 as it sounds like you do a bit of everything and that is where the D850 shines, it's one of the most versatile cameras out there, image quality is amazing. I guess if you mainly shoot sports or very low light events the D5 would have the edge.

I do sports photography and tbh i would like to get into it more than i am at the moment, like id love to be a club photographer in the future. Would the D850 capture football well? As my D800 struggles as i think it is too slow.
 
D850 is faster and better than the D800 but for someone wanting even more reliable AF, low-light capability and fast sport action photography, it has to be the D5.
 
D850 is faster and better than the D800 but for someone wanting even more reliable AF, low-light capability and fast sport action photography, it has to be the D5.
I think the struggle with decision is that I'd like to do more sports which I know the D5 is perfect for but right now, alot of my work isn't sports and it's more corporate kind of stuff.

But I think I'm going to end up going for the D5 as I already have the D800 for the corporate stuff which I can then upgrade eventually.
 
I think the struggle with decision is that I'd like to do more sports which I know the D5 is perfect for but right now, alot of my work isn't sports and it's more corporate kind of stuff.

But I think I'm going to end up going for the D5 as I already have the D800 for the corporate stuff which I can then upgrade eventually.

The D800 is still a very capable camera.
 
D850 is faster and better than the D800 but for someone wanting even more reliable AF, low-light capability and fast sport action photography, it has to be the D5.

This :agree:

The D850 is daft for what you seem to be doing - in fact its daft for most folk doing anything but 5ft+ prints every day of the week, but that won't stop the geeks buying it who never print anything lol

D5 for you all day long - but you can save £1000 or more just buying a used on, these things are tanks and will last years

Dave
 
Did you cut & paste/change to get the different font sizes (ongoing issue!)?
I'm not sure I follow? :confused:

See this is the challenge of deciding between the 2. Because I work freelance I do different types of jobs... Alot of my work is printed either in the paper or things like prospectuses or websites so the D5 shouldn't be an issue really. But at the same time, if the D800 is more detail then will buying a D5 be the right choice over the D850?

So the D5 lacks quality over the D800 and D850? But obviously in sports, it's better because of the frames per second. Would you use the D800 for corporate images still then and the D5 for the sports and events? Obviously I want to up the quality of my images if i'm spending money on a new camera

I think maybe you're over thinking it a bit tbh. Most professional sports and sporting events photos that you will see in magazines, newspapers, billboards etc etc will most likely be taken with a camera like the D4, D5, Canon 1DX etc, all which have either 16 or 20mp sensors and I've never seen anyone complain about the image quality of such pictures. High MP cameras do give more detail, and as mentioned earlier cameras like the D800, D810 and D850 have better dynamic range and colour depth than the D5 (at base ISO at least) all of which will technically give better images. However how many will be able to see this difference and how big this difference is is debatable, but it will be very low. Composition, lighting, subject etc etc are all FAR more important than absolute outright IQ that only us pixel peepers will ever see or care about. I'm pretty sure clients wouldn't tell if the image was shot with a D3200, D850 or D5 tbh.

As for the question about sports, it's not really fps that help the D5 be a better sports camera (although more fps give you a better chance of getting the exact moment/expression etc that you want) it's more the AF system. The speed of AF acquisition, accuracy, and ability to track make more of an impact. In this regards the D5 is pretty untouchable. Yes the D850 shares the same AF system but there's more to it than just sharing the system that leads to speed and accuracy. The D850 has more pixels to meter (3d tracking uses the metering system to help track), I'm sure there's different processing power, and I would guess mechanics all leading to the D850 being not quite as good as the D5 in terms of AF. But again, we're getting into realms of how good do we need. The D850's AF system is pretty darn good, more than capable of sport, more than capable of capturing birds in flight, more than capable of catching kids running around etc etc. I used the D850 for the London Marathon this year and I would guess hit rate of runners coming towards me was 99% shooting at f2.8, not too shabby.

The point I'm trying to make (in a very long winded way) is that whichever you choose the camera is capable of producing excellent images and I'd be very surprised if you were unhappy with any. Just don't expect any real life discernible improvement in IQ, even with the D850. I'm not saying you won't see an improvement in IQ with the D850, the lack of AA filter and extra MP will help with this, but just expect it to be a huge leap.
 
Last edited:
I do sports photography and tbh i would like to get into it more than i am at the moment, like id love to be a club photographer in the future. Would the D850 capture football well? As my D800 struggles as i think it is too slow.
The D850 would have no trouble with football, but then I wouldn't have thought the D800 would struggle tbh, the only thing that would let it down is the frame rate.

This :agree:

The D850 is daft for what you seem to be doing - in fact its daft for most folk doing anything but 5ft+ prints every day of the week, but that won't stop the geeks buying it who never print anything lol

D5 for you all day long - but you can save £1000 or more just buying a used on, these things are tanks and will last years

Dave
I'm one of the daft buggers that bought the D850 :wave::woot:;)
 
Last edited:
Of course you did, just keep telling yourself that to justify the purchase lol

BTW - I have no idea what Gramps is on about with the text of different sizes thing, all of yours look the same 'normal' to me

Dave
Oh I can come up with anything to justify the purchase of a shiny new toy ;)
 
The D5 all day long.
Its Nikons flagship camera for a reason and once you handle and use one you will understand why.
If however the the D800 does everything you need right now then the D850 will more than suffice.
 
Back
Top