Nikon D810 vs Sony Alpha DSLR-A850

      Nikon D810

      Sony Alpha DSLR-A850
      72
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      64
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      Disclosure: We earn money from the affiliate links to products associated with content in this article.

      Overview

      In this comparison, we will evaluate the Nikon D810 and the Sony Alpha DSLR-A850, highlighting the advantages of each over the other, discussing their pros and cons, shared strengths and weaknesses, and providing a rating based on their available features and specifications to assist you in choosing the one that best suits your needs.

      Nikon D810 was introduced in June 2014 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A850 was introduced in April 2010. Let us first list highlights of the models.

      Nikon D810 Highlights

      • 36.3 MP Full Frame CMOS Sensor
      • No Optical Low-pass Filter
      • 64 - 12,800 Native ISO
      • 51 Focus Points (51 Cross-type)
      • 3.2" 1,229k dot Fixed Screen
      • Optical (pentaprism) Viewfinder
      • 5.0 fps Continuous Shooting
      • 1920 x 1080 Video Shooting
      • 30 min Video Recording Limit
      • Built-in Flash
      • Wheather Sealed Body

      Sony Alpha DSLR-A850 Highlights

      • 24.6 MP Full Frame CMOS Sensor
      • 200 - 3,200 Native ISO
      • 9 Focus Points
      • Image Stabilization
      • 3.0" 922k dot Fixed Screen
      • Optical (pentaprism) Viewfinder
      • 3.0 fps Continuous Shooting
      • Wheather Sealed Body
      Table of Contents
      1. Overview
      2. Pros and Cons
      3. Advantage of Nikon D810
      4. Advantage of Sony Alpha DSLR-A850
      5. Common Strengths and Weaknesses
      6. Screen and Viewfinder
      7. Sensor
      8. Photography Features
      9. Connectivity, Battery and Storage
      10. Other Features
      11. Physical Parameters
      12. For Different Types of Photography
      13. Evaluations
      14. Specifications  

      Now that we've looked at the most essential specifications and gained a basic understanding of these cameras, we can delve into more details and see the differences between them.

      Pros and Cons

      In this section we present pros and cons of Nikon D810 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A850.

      PROS

      Nikon D810

      Sony Alpha DSLR-A850

      •   Video Capture
      •   Large Sensor
      •   64 Lowest Native ISO
      •   51 Focus Points
      •   Face Detection
      •   Live View Autofocus
      •   Large Screen - 3.2"
      •   High Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/8000 sec
      •   Built-in Flash
      •   High DxO Overall Score - 97
      •   High USB Speed
      •   HDMI Output
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Long Battery Life - 1200 shots
      •   2 Storage Slots
      •   Large Sensor
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   High Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/8000 sec
      •   HDMI Output
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   2 Storage Slots
      •   Orientation Sensor

      CONS

      Nikon D810

      Sony Alpha DSLR-A850

      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
      •   Low Video Recording Limit
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth
      •   No Video Capture
      •   200 Lowest Native ISO
      •   3,200 Highest Native ISO
      •   Timelapse Recording
      •   9 Focus Points
      •   No Face Detection
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   No Live View
      •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 3.0 fps
      •   No Built-in Microphone
      •   No Microphone Input
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth


      And here are some specifications which fall into average criteria and are neither in PROs nor in CONs category:

      AVERAGE

      Nikon D810

      Sony Alpha DSLR-A850

      •   Price
      •   Sensor Resolution - 36.3 Megapixel
      •   12,800 Highest Native ISO
      •   -2 EV Min AF Detection
      •   15 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,229k dot
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 5.0 fps
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/250 sec
      •   Weight - 980 g (2.16 lb / 34.57 oz)
      •   Sensor Resolution - 24.6 Megapixel
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Screen Resolution - 922k dot
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/250 sec
      •   DxO Overall Score - 79
      •   Weight - 895 g (1.97 lb / 31.57 oz)
      •   Battery Life - 880 shots

      Advantage of Nikon D810

      Nikon D810
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      This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Nikon D810 over Sony Alpha DSLR-A850.

      Nikon D810 vs Sony Alpha DSLR-A850
      Video Capture vs
      Higher Sensor Resolution 36.3 Megapixel vs 24.6 Megapixel
      Lower Native ISO 64 vs 200
      Higher Native ISO 12,800 vs 3,200
      Higher Boosted ISO 51,200 vs 6,400
      Max Image Resolution 7360 x 4912 vs 6048 x 4032
      Timelapse Recording vs
      More Focus Points 51 vs 9
      Tracking Autofocus vs
      Face Detection vs
      Live View Autofocus vs
      Larger Screen 3.2" vs 3.0"
      Higher Resolution Screen 1,229k dot vs 922k dot
      Live View vs
      Higher Viewfinder Coverage 100% vs 98%
      Higher Max Continuous Shooting 5.0 fps vs 3.0 fps
      Built-in Flash vs
      Average Metering vs
      Higher DxO Low Light ISO 2853 vs 1415
      Higher DxO Color Depth 25.7 vs 23.8
      Higher DxO Dynamic Range 14.8 vs 12.2
      Higher DxO Overall Score 97 vs 79
      Higher USB Speed USB 3.2 Gen 1x1 (5 GBit/sec) vs USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
      Built-in Microphone Stereo vs
      Microphone Input vs
      Headphone Output vs
      Longer Battery Life 1200 shots vs 880 shots

      Check out other cameras which are frequently compared to Nikon D810.

      Nikon D850
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      Full Frame

      45.7 MP

      Nikon D800
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      Full Frame

      36.3 MP

      Nikon D810A
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      Full Frame

      36.3 MP

      Nikon D800E
      Image cannot be found

      Full Frame

      36.3 MP

      Sony a7C
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      Full Frame

      24.2 MP

      Canon 6D II
      Image cannot be found

      Full Frame

      26.2 MP

      Canon R8
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      Full Frame

      24.2 MP

      Nikon D2X
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      APS-C

      12.4 MP

      Sony DSLR-A380
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      APS-C

      14.2 MP

      Canon 70D
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      APS-C

      20.2 MP

      Nikon Df
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      Full Frame

      16.2 MP

      Canon Rebel SL1
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      APS-C

      18.0 MP

      Advantage of Sony Alpha DSLR-A850

      Sony DSLR-A850
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      This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Sony Alpha DSLR-A850 over Nikon D810.

      Nikon D810 vs Sony Alpha DSLR-A850
      Image Stabilization vs Sensor Shift
      Higher Viewfinder Magnification (35mm equivalent) 0.70x vs 0.74x
      Lighter 980 g (2.16 lb / 34.57 oz) vs 895 g (1.97 lb / 31.57 oz)

      Check out other cameras which are frequently compared to Sony Alpha DSLR-A850.

      Sony DSLR-A290
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      APS-C

      14.2 MP

      Sony DSLR-A580
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      APS-C

      16.2 MP

      Sony DSLR-A300
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      APS-C

      10.2 MP

      Sony DSLR-A500
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      APS-C

      12.3 MP

      Sony DSLR-A380
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      APS-C

      14.2 MP

      Sony DSLR-A450
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      APS-C

      14.2 MP

      Sony DSLR-A230
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      APS-C

      10.2 MP

      Sony DSLR-A330
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      APS-C

      10.2 MP

      Sony DSLR-A390
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      APS-C

      14.2 MP

      Sony DSLR-A350
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      APS-C

      14.2 MP

      Sony DSLR-A560
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      APS-C

      14.2 MP

      Sony DSLR-A700
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      APS-C

      10.24 MP

      Common Strengths and Weaknesses

      We already listed pros and cons of each model. However, you may also find useful to look at their common strengths and weaknesses shown side-by-side.

      STRENGTHS Nikon D810 Sony Alpha DSLR-A850
        Large SensorFull FrameFull Frame
        High Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain)1/8000 sec1/8000 sec
        HDMI Output Mini Mini Type C
        Environmental Sealing
        Many Storage Slots22
      WEAKNESSES Nikon D810 Sony Alpha DSLR-A850
        Screen TypeFixedFixed
        No Built-in GPS
        No Built-In Wi-Fi via optional WT-5A transmitter or Eye-Fi
        No Built-In Bluetooth

      Screen and Viewfinder

      Screen

      Nikon D810 has a 3.2" screen with 1,229k dot resolution and Sony Alpha DSLR-A850 has a 3.0" screen with 922k dot resolution. Both have Fixed screens.


      Viewfinder

      Cameras have built-in Optical (pentaprism) viewfinders. Nikon D810 has 100% coverage with 0.70x magnification and Sony Alpha DSLR-A850 has 98% coverage with 0.74x magnification.

      Sensor

      Nikon D810 features a 36.3 megapixel Full Frame CMOS sensor with dimensions of 35.9 x 24 mm and a total area of 861.6 mm2. Its native ISO range is 64 - 12,800 and expands to 32 - 51,200 in boosted mode. Sony Alpha DSLR-A850 features a 24.6 megapixel Full Frame CMOS sensor with dimensions of 35.9 x 24 mm and a total area of 576 mm2. Its native ISO range is 200 - 3,200 and expands to 200 - 6,400 in boosted mode.


      Here is a sensor size comparison chart where you can see how different sensors compare with each other:

      Sensor size chart
      Sensor Dimensions Area Aspect Ratio Crop Factor
      Image cannot be displayedMedium Format44 x 33 mm1452 mm24:30.79x
      Image cannot be displayedFull Frame36 x 24 mm864 mm23:21x
      Image cannot be displayedAPS-H27 x 18 mm486 mm23:21.3x
      Image cannot be displayedAPS-C23.6 x 15.6 mm368.2 mm23:21.5x
      Image cannot be displayedAPS-C (Canon)22.3 x 14.9 mm332.3 mm23:21.6x
      Image cannot be displayedMicro Four Thirds17.4 x 13 mm226.2 mm24:32x
      Image cannot be displayed1-inch13.2 x 8.8 mm116.2 mm23:22.7x
      Image cannot be displayed1/1.7-inch7.44 x 5.58 mm41.5 mm24:34.7x
      Image cannot be displayed1/2.3-inch6.17 x 4.55 mm28.1 mm24:35.6x

      Photography Features

      Nikon D810 is equipped with EXPEED 4 processor and can take pictures up to 7360 x 4912 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolution like FX: 5520 x 3680, 3680 x 2456; 1.2: 6144 x 4080, 4608 x 3056, 3072 x 2040; 5:4: 6144 x 4912, 4608 x 3680, 3072 x 2456; DX: 4800 x 3200, 3600 x 2400, 2400 x 1600 with 5:4, 3:2 aspect ratios. Sony Alpha DSLR-A850 is equipped with BIONZ processor and can take pictures up to 6048 x 4032 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolution like 4400 x 2936, 4400 x 2936, 3024 x 2016, 6048 x 3408, 4400 x 2472, 3024 x 1704, 3924 x 2656, 2896 x 1928, 1984 x 1320 with 3:2, 16:9 aspect ratios.


      Lens Mount

      Nikon D810 has Nikon F lens mount and Sony Alpha DSLR-A850 has Sony A lens mount. Due to their Full Frame sensor their crop factor (also called lens multiplier) is equal to 1x. This means that a 35mm equivalent focal length of the mounted lens will be equal to its actual focal length.


      No Low-Pass Filter on Nikon D810

      There is no optical low-pass filter (OLPF), also known as an anti-aliasing filter, in front of the sensor on Nikon D810. This results in a slightly sharper image but may also introduce moiré patterns and aliasing artifacts when photographing subjects with fine, repetitive patterns or details.


      In-Body Image Stabilization on Sony Alpha DSLR-A850

      Sony Alpha DSLR-A850 has a built-in Sensor Shift in-body image stabilization (IBIS). This means that you are still getting vibration reduction when camera is paired with non-image stabilizied lenses. It also works with lenses with optical image stabilization and in combination can achieve even better compensation.

      Connectivity, Battery and Storage

      USB Inputs and HDMI Outputs

      Both models have USB inputs for data transfer. Nikon D810 has a Mini HDMI and Sony Alpha DSLR-A850 has a Mini Type C HDMI connector for video signal output.


      Battery

      Nikon D810 comes with EN-EL15 battery pack with battery life of 1200 shots and Sony Alpha DSLR-A850 comes with NP-FM500H battery pack with battery life of 880 shots.


      External Storage Slots

      Nikon D810 has two card slots - one for SD/SDHC/SDXC (UHS-I) and one for CompactFlash (Type I, compliant with UDMA). Sony Alpha DSLR-A850 has two card slots - one for Slot1 : Compact Flash (Type I or II, UDMA) and one for Memory Stick Duo/Pro Duo/Pro-HG Duo.

      Other Features

      Shutter

      Nikon D810 has Mechanical Focal Plane shutter and Electronic shutter. Shutter speed can go up to 1/8000 sec on Nikon D810, and up to 1/8000 sec on Sony Alpha DSLR-A850. Nikon D810 can shoot continuously up to 5.0 fps. Sony Alpha DSLR-A850 can shoot continuously up to 3.0 fps.


      Focusing

      Nikon D810 has 51 (15 cross-type) focusing points and Sony Alpha DSLR-A850 has 9 focusing points. Nikon D810 has detection range from -2 to +19 EV.


      Exposure

      Exposure meterings of Nikon D810 ranges from 0 to +20 EV and you can set the exposure compensation within the ±5 EV range on Nikon D810 and ±3 EV range on Sony Alpha DSLR-A850. You can also do exposure bracketing and manual exposure adjustment on Nikon D810 and exposure bracketing and manual exposure adjustment on Sony Alpha DSLR-A850.


      Flash

      Nikon D810 has a built-in flash with maximum range of 12.00 m at ISO 100 and also accepts external flash which can be connected via Hot Shoe or PC Terminal or Wireless connection. Sony Alpha DSLR-A850 has no built-in flash but an external flash may be connected via Yes. The fastest flash synchronization speed is 1/250 sec on both cameras.

      Physical Parameters

      Nikon D810 body has dimensions of 146 x 123 x 82 mm (5.75 x 4.84 x 3.23") and Sony Alpha DSLR-A850 body has dimensions of 156 x 117 x 82 mm (6.14 x 4.61 x 3.23"). Nikon D810 weighs 980 g (2.16 lb / 34.57 oz) and Sony Alpha DSLR-A850 weighs 895 g (1.97 lb / 31.57 oz).

      Nikon D810

      Sony Alpha DSLR-A850

      146 mm

      123 mm

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      156 mm

      117 mm

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      123 mm

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      117 mm

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      82 mm

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      82 mm

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      Size comparisons of Nikon D810 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A850

      Nikon D810 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A850 for Different Types of Photography

      We give scores to the cameras for six types of photography based on their features and specifications. Let us see how suitable they are for each type of photography.

      Landscape Photography

      Nikon D810

      Sony Alpha DSLR-A850

      EXCELLENT
      86
      •   Large Sensor
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,229k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   Environmental Sealing
      GOOD
      82
      •   Large Sensor
      •   Screen Resolution - 922k dot
      •   No Live View
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   Environmental Sealing

      Sports Photography

      Nikon D810

      Sony Alpha DSLR-A850

      GOOD
      74
      •   12,800 Highest Native ISO
      •   51 Focus Points
      •   15 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Face Detection
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,229k dot
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 5.0 fps
      •   Long Battery Life - 1200 shots
      •   2 Storage Slots
      AVERAGE
      67
      •   3,200 Highest Native ISO
      •   9 Focus Points
      •   No Face Detection
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Screen Resolution - 922k dot
      •   No Live View
      •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 3.0 fps
      •   Battery Life - 880 shots
      •   2 Storage Slots
      •   Orientation Sensor

      Wildlife Photography

      Nikon D810

      Sony Alpha DSLR-A850

      GOOD
      70
      •   12,800 Highest Native ISO
      •   51 Focus Points
      •   15 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,229k dot
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 5.0 fps
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Long Battery Life - 1200 shots
      •   2 Storage Slots
      AVERAGE
      68
      •   3,200 Highest Native ISO
      •   9 Focus Points
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Screen Resolution - 922k dot
      •   No Live View
      •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 3.0 fps
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Battery Life - 880 shots
      •   2 Storage Slots
      •   Orientation Sensor

      Portrait Photography

      Nikon D810

      Sony Alpha DSLR-A850

      GOOD
      81
      •   Large Sensor
      •   51 Focus Points
      •   15 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Face Detection
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Large Screen - 3.2"
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,229k dot
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/250 sec
      GOOD
      78
      •   Large Sensor
      •   9 Focus Points
      •   No Face Detection
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Screen Resolution - 922k dot
      •   No Live View
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/250 sec
      •   Orientation Sensor

      Street Photography

      Nikon D810

      Sony Alpha DSLR-A850

      GOOD
      79
      •   Large Sensor
      •   51 Focus Points
      •   15 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,229k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 980 g (2.16 lb / 34.57 oz)
      GOOD
      81
      •   Large Sensor
      •   9 Focus Points
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 922k dot
      •   No Live View
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 895 g (1.97 lb / 31.57 oz)

      Travel Photography

      Nikon D810

      Sony Alpha DSLR-A850

      GOOD
      75
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,229k dot
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
      •   Low Video Recording Limit
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 980 g (2.16 lb / 34.57 oz)
      •   Long Battery Life - 1200 shots
      GOOD
      80
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 922k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 895 g (1.97 lb / 31.57 oz)
      •   Battery Life - 880 shots

      Evaluations

      We evaluate Nikon D810 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A850 and give them scores of 72 and 64 out of 100 recpectively. We also give separate scores for 7 different categories according to the available features and specifications some of which are listed below. These evaluations are relative and may change each time a new camera is added to the database.


      Nikon D810

      Sony Alpha DSLR-A850

      OVERALL
      72
      OVERALL
      64

      Sensor

      Nikon D810

      Sony Alpha DSLR-A850

      GOOD
      77
      •   Large Sensor
      •   Sensor Resolution - 36.3 Megapixel
      •   64 Lowest Native ISO
      •   12,800 Highest Native ISO
      •   High DxO Overall Score - 97
      GOOD
      71
      •   Large Sensor
      •   Sensor Resolution - 24.6 Megapixel
      •   200 Lowest Native ISO
      •   3,200 Highest Native ISO
      •   DxO Overall Score - 79

      Photo

      Nikon D810

      Sony Alpha DSLR-A850

      GOOD
      73
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   High Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/8000 sec
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 5.0 fps
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/250 sec
      GOOD
      74
      •   Timelapse Recording
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   High Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/8000 sec
      •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 3.0 fps
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/250 sec

      Video

      Nikon D810

      Sony Alpha DSLR-A850

      BAD
      16
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
      •   Low Video Recording Limit
      BAD
      0
      •   Image Stabilization

      Focusing

      Nikon D810

      Sony Alpha DSLR-A850

      GOOD
      79
      •   -2 EV Min AF Detection
      •   51 Focus Points
      •   15 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Face Detection
      •   Live View Autofocus
      AVERAGE
      69
      •   9 Focus Points
      •   No Face Detection

      Screen and Viewfinder

      Nikon D810

      Sony Alpha DSLR-A850

      GOOD
      75
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Large Screen - 3.2"
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,229k dot
      GOOD
      73
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Screen Resolution - 922k dot

      Connectivity

      Nikon D810

      Sony Alpha DSLR-A850

      GOOD
      83
      •   High USB Speed
      •   HDMI Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth
      AVERAGE
      57
      •   HDMI Output
      •   No Built-in Microphone
      •   No Microphone Input
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth

      Battery, Storage and Physical

      Nikon D810

      Sony Alpha DSLR-A850

      GOOD
      75
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 980 g (2.16 lb / 34.57 oz)
      •   Long Battery Life - 1200 shots
      •   2 Storage Slots
      GOOD
      74
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 895 g (1.97 lb / 31.57 oz)
      •   Battery Life - 880 shots
      •   2 Storage Slots


      For a full specification list please go to the specifications page:

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