Which is better Nikon D850 vs Sony A7R III?

• 35mm 858.0mm2
• 45.7 megapixels
• ISO 64 - 25,600

• Go in depth with our full Nikon D850 Review.
• How does it shoot? Nikon D850 in the real world.
• See real-world photos taken with the D850.
• Compare Nikon D850 image quality against competitors.
• What’s the bottom line? Read our Nikon D850 conclusion.

• 35mm 861.6mm2
• 42.4 megapixels
• ISO 100 - 32,000

• Go in depth with our full Sony A7R III Review.
• How does it shoot? Sony A7R III in the real world.
• See real-world photos taken with the A7R III.
• Compare Sony A7R III image quality against competitors.
• What’s the bottom line? Read our Sony A7R III conclusion.

• Succeeded by the Sony A7R IV
• Compare A7R III vs A7R IV
• Compare Nikon D850 vs Sony A7R IV

Buy From

• Adorama.com
• Amazon.com
• B&H

• Adorama.com
• Amazon.com
• B&H

Differences

Nikon D850 advantages over Sony A7R III

• Lens selection

  Excellent vs Good

  Better lens selection gives you more options

• Fast startup

  ~0.20 vs 1.7 sec

  Faster startup lets you catch the moment

• Longer stills battery life

  More info

  Cameras with longer battery life can take more photos before exhausting their batteries.

  Special note: The measurement standard for battery life stipulates that if a camera has an internal flash, it must be used for 50% of photos taken. For this reason, comparisons of one camera with an internal flash to another without will not be comparable

  1840 vs 650 shots

  Capture more photos

• Top deck display

  Yes vs No

  Check settings with a screen on top of the camera

• Higher-res screen

  590k vs 360k pixels

  More detail on the screen lets you judge focus and composition

• Less shutter lag

  0.08 vs 0.25 sec

  Focus and take a photo quickly (wide angle)

• Bigger JPEG buffer

  200 vs 82 shots

  Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)

• Bigger RAW buffer

  200 vs 30 shots

  Larger buffer for RAW shots (burst mode)

Sony A7R III advantages over Nikon D850

• In-Camera Image Stabilization

  Yes vs No

  Reduces the effects of camera shake at slower shutter speeds

• High resolution composite

  Yes vs No

  Combine multiple shots to form a super hi-res version

• NFC

  Yes vs No

  Simplifies pairing your camera with supported phones

• Higher effective ISO

  Maximum effective ISO is an estimate of the highest sensitivity at which a camera can capture excellent quality photos.

  Cameras with higher effective ISO will be better choices for indoor photography, night shooting, and indoor sports photography, especially if you intend to make large prints.

  You can learn more at our glossary entry.

  Maximum effective ISO test data courtesy of DxO Mark.

  A7R III test data on DxO Mark D850 test data on DxO Mark

  3,523 vs 2,660 iso

  Take photos in low light with less noise

• Longer video battery life

  100 vs 70 minutes

  Capture more video

• On-sensor phase detect

  Yes vs No

  Usually improves live view and video AF performance

• Lighter weight

  657g vs 915g

  Lighter weight

• Faster JPEG shooting

  9.9 fps vs 7.1 fps

  Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)

• Faster RAW shooting

  9.2 fps vs 7.1 fps

  Faster RAW shooting in burst mode

Similarities

Common Strengths

• Focus peaking

  Both provide

  Your camera will highlight what's in focus

• Eye-level viewfinder

  Both provide

  You'll be able to frame photos even when the sun is out

• Shoot 4K video

  Both provide

  Make sure you have a fast computer

• Touchscreen

  Both provide

  Interact with your camera just like your smartphone

• Tiltable Screen

  Both provide

  Tilt the screen for shooting flexbility

• Built-in Wi-Fi

  Both provide

  Share your photos wirelessly

• Built-in Bluetooth

  Both provide

  Always-on wireless connectivity

• External Mic Jack

  Both provide

  Improved sound fidelity when shooting video

• HDMI out

  Both provide

  Use HDMI output to monitor or review video

• Hot shoe

  Both provide

  Off-camera flashes open new possibilities

• Dual card slots

  Both provide

  Gives you more storage flexibility

• Headphone jack

  Both provide

  Monitor audio recording while you shoot video

• Bulb shutter

  Both provide

  Hold the shutter open manually for long exposures

• Slow-motion videos

  Both provide

  Shoot slow-motion videos

Common Weaknesses

• Tilt-swivel screen

  Neither provide

  Tilt and swivel the screen for maximum shooting flexibility

• In-camera panoramas

  Neither provide

  Stitches multiple shots into a panoramic photo

• Built-in GPS

  Neither provide

  Geotag your photos

• Internal flash

  Neither provide

  Useful in a pinch for fill flash

User reviews

• Amazon
• Adorama
• Read D850 User Reviews

• Amazon
• Adorama
• Read A7R III User Reviews

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Review Excerpt

• Class-leading resolution; Excellent dynamic range; Very good high ISO performance; Very fast AF and burst shooting; Durable weather-sealed body; Improved ergonomics; Touchscreen; Dual card slots; 4K video.

• Live view/video mode still uses sluggish contrast-detect AF; Viewfinder only tests at ~98% coverage; No 4K at 60p; 30-minute video clip limit; Focus peaking not supported with 4K.

• Read our Nikon D850 Review

• Fantastic image quality; Improved dynamic range over its predecessor; Very good high ISO performance; Much improved real-world AF performance; Class-leading burst rates, even with RAW; Improved 5-axis in-body image stabilization; Better 4K video quality; 1080/120fps video; Dual card slots; Significantly better battery life.

• Expensive; Menus still confusing; UHS-II support only on one card slot; No optical low-pass filter means greater risk of moire; No built-in flash; Buffer clearing still slow despite UHS-II support.

• Read our Sony A7R III Review

The Competition

Compared to Canon 5DS R

Compared to Sony A7R II

Compared to Sony A99 II

Compared to Pentax K-1 II

Compared to Nikon Z7 II