At the end of the year, the year-end bonus has fallen, and many people are holding back to change their machines.
Yesterday, I had a friend chatting, and the year-end bonus was a small 100,000, ready to change the Canon R6 to Fuji medium format [laughing and crying].
This is a photographer in the consultation,Now I use Nikon D700,I want to re-enter a machine,The current priority is D850 and Z7,Let me give some reference。
This is one of the more representative and controversial options. The launch time of the two machines is about the same, and the positioning in Nikon's series of products is the same, D850 is a Nikon high-end SLR model, Z7 is a Nikon high-end mirrorless model (this is the official positioning, but I personally feel that the Z7 is more like a mid-range flagship machine, especially after the Z8 and Z9 are launched).
What are the main differences between D850 and Z7?
1. The type of machine is different
Although they are both Nikon products, the D850 is Nikon's SLR series, while the Z7 is a mirrorless series, the two are not the same product, and the imaging principle is very different.
This leads to some different body structures, controls and settings between the two, such as framing and buttons, which is related to a problem of the user's shooting habits, not to mention who is good and who is bad.
In terms of area and weight, the D850 is larger, while the Z7 is relatively compact and smaller, and there will not be a big difference in experience between the two for male photographers, because men's hands are relatively large, but for female photographers, Z7 feels relatively comfortable.
2. The picture quality of the two is about the same
The D850 has a new 45.7 million pixel back-illuminated full-frame sensor, which has no low-pass filter, and is able to capture extreme detail and rich color, and the image quality is quite detailed at low sensitivity, which is an attractive point. Its high-resolution sensor excels in areas that require fine detail, such as landscapes, architecture, and commercial photography.
As Nikon's first full-frame mirrorless camera, the Z7 features an FX-format back-incidence CMOS sensor with approximately 45.75 million effective pixels and focal plane phase detection autofocus (AF) and an Expeed 6 image processor. It takes full advantage of the optical performance of Nikkor Z-mount lenses to bring good clarity to images. In addition, by maximizing the amount of signal accumulated in the photodiode, the Z7 achieves the standard sensitivity range of ISO 64-25600 (which can be extended to ISO 32-102400 equivalent), which allows it to shoot high quality in a wide range of light conditions**.
Comparatively, the D850 performs better in low-light conditions, while the Z7 does a better job of controlling noise at high sensitivities.
3. Focusing system
The Z7 and D850 have their own advantages in focusing systems, but the Z7's focusing system is better in some areas.
For starters, the Z7 features phase-hybrid autofocus with 493 focus points, covering around 90% of the frame area. This makes the Z7 excellent in terms of autofocus speed and accuracy, especially in low-light environments. In comparison, the D850's Multi-Cam 20000 autofocus module has 153 focus points, 99 of which are cross-shaped sensors, which are also powerful but slightly inferior to the Z7 in terms of focus count and coverage.
Secondly, the Z7 also has an eye-detection autofocus function, which can automatically recognize the human eye and focus it accurately when shooting portraits. This makes it more convenient and accurate to take portraits. Although the D850 also has a face recognition function, it may not be as accurate as the Z7 in the recognition and tracking of the human eye.
In addition, the Z7 also features an animal detection autofocus function that can identify and track the animal's body and face. This is great for photographing animals and wildlife photographers. The D850, on the other hand, does not have a similar animal detection feature.
Finally, the focusing systems of both cameras perform best when using native lenses, but the use of adapter rings and non-native lenses can have some impact on autofocus performance. Therefore, this factor needs to be taken into account when choosing a camera and lens.
4. **Shooting function
In terms of shooting, the Nikon Z7 performs slightly better than the Nikon D850.
The Nikon Z7 supports 8K RAW and 4K shooting, while the Nikon D850 only supports 4K shooting. If you need high-quality footage, especially RAW in 8K, then the Nikon Z7 is the better choice.
There's also the Nikon Z7's five-axis stabilization system, which is very useful in ** shooting. This system can effectively reduce the impact of hand shake on **, so that the shooting is more stable. Whereas, the Nikon D850 does not have a built-in stabilization system, and a lens with stabilization is required to achieve a similar effect.
In addition, the Nikon Z7 also supports autofocus tracking, which automatically tracks and locks the focus point when shooting**. This feature is useful for shooting scenes that require dynamic focus, such as sports or landscapes. The Nikon D850's autofocus system, while powerful, may not perform as well as the Z7 in ** shooting.
5. Battery life
Overall, the D850 has a better range than the Z7.
The D850 uses an En-EL15B battery, which has a larger capacity than the En-EL15C battery used in the Z7. According to official data, the D850 can shoot about 1,840 shots with one battery**, while the Z7 can only shoot about 340 shots**. This means that the D850 has a longer battery life and can meet the needs of longer shooting.
Secondly, the body design of the D850 is also more conducive to battery life. Since the D850 is a DSLR, its battery grip can hold two batteries, further extending the shooting time. The Z7 is a mirrorless camera and does not have a battery grip design, so it cannot support dual battery life.
Regarding the problem of lens groups, there are definitely more SLR lenses than mirrorless lenses at present, but I personally think that Nikon's mirrorless lenses can also meet many shooting needs, so there is no need to force them.
*In terms of aspects, it must be that the SLR D850 has more advantages, and there have been some SLR lenses before, only change the machine, and don't have to consider the problem of the lens.
So, personal advice:
If the budget is sufficient, then the Z7 is undoubtedly a better choice, **image quality and** features are quite good, and the playable shooting experience is richer;
If there are budget constraints, and there is no **shooting demand, then the D850 is also very good, enough to play for a few more years, and it is not too late to change it when the ** lower point of the mirrorless ** is changed.