Difference between Nikon D750 and D850

I am a completely beginner and is planning to buy a D750 or D850.

But my - a little naive - question is whether D850 takes better pictures than D750.

Of course, the pictures can be printed much better, but in "normal" sizes are there difference between them?

Nikon D750 vs Nikon D850 Detailed Comparison

The D850 is objectively the "better" camera in the sense that it is newer and has both a more advanced and higher resolution sensor. It also has a more advanced autofocus system(same as found in the flagship D5), and with the accessory grip is capable of a higher frame rate than the D750.

 

The D750 is getting a bit dated, but it is still a fine camera. I've not used one aside from handling in a camera shop, but have extensively used a D600, which I believe has the same sensor and in a lot of ways handles the same(the D750 is better built and has several other touches that are "nicer" than the D600/610).

 

Aside from the tech spec difference, the D8xx cameras have somewhat different control/operating philosophy from the D750 and other cameras. Rather than a large mode dial to change between the PSAM modes and a a few other presets/customizable modes, it simple has a button to hold to select PSAM and a knob for the drive mode. The D850 lacks a built in flash-it's a feature I rarely use, but it can be helpful in a pinch for things like outdoor portraits where you need a bit of fill, or for an on-camera CLS trigger(the older D800, which I use, and the D810 do have a pop-up). I find the control layout of the D8xx bodies(along with the single digits, D200/300/500/700 and the late high end film cameras) somewhat more comforable/easier to use/less cluttered than the mode dial of D750 and lower.

 

Overall, if you can use the extra resolution of the D800 and like how it handles, go for it. On the other hand, files that big can be a pain to handle(the 36mp ones from my D800 are already bade enough) and as great as it is, some folks may not like the control layout compared to other bodies. One of the best things you can do is find a camera store and see if you can play with both.

I see nothing on the D850 is worse than the D750. So the D850 is definitely the better camera.

You write you are " a completely beginner" which I interpret to mean you have no equipment, especially no lenses, and have not used interchangeable lenses before. In that case you will not only need a camera body, but lenses and perhaps a flash as well as a camera bag. The price tag for entry grows.

 

The link Sandy posted is excellent and shows the technical differences between the D750 and D850. The site does omit one difference, that depending upon your circumstances, may be important. The D850 costs approximately $1,300 (US) more than the D750 - the price of a decent lens. For that price difference you get more pixels, more bells and whistles, a higher standard ISO, and weather sealing.

 

Another consideration are those bells and whistles. The manual for the D750 is over 500 pages long; the D850 has two manuals totaling approximately 650 pages and two other with "tips". By contrast my last film SLR, a Nikon F100, has a manual that is about 100 pages in length. If you want your money's worth, you not only get to read those manuals, you must memorize large portions of them. There will be a test - every time you use your camera. You can go here for the D750 manual:

 

Nikon | Download center | D750

 

and here for the D850 manual:

 

Nikon | Download center | D850

 

Before I answer your question about "better pictures" a little background about me. I have been using interchangeable lens camera for over 60 years - Zeiss and Nikon film SLR cameras. I used a point and shoot digital for about 12 years before I got my first, and only DSLR, a Nikon D750 which I have been using for three years. Like you, my choices were reduced to either the D750 or the D850. I chose to get the D750 (and a Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 zoom lens. I use the lenses I had been using on my F100 for normal and wide angle shooting). In the three years I have been using the D750, I have never felt limited by it.

 

Now to attempt to answer your question, " whether D850 takes better pictures than D750?" The D850 is technically a more advanced camera than the D750, but I suspect the limiting factor taking "better pictures" will be you (as it is me for the pictures I take) and will be for several years after you acquire the camera.

 

So my two cents worth - buy the D750 and a good lens or two. Spend the next few years getting to know your camera and improving your technique. At least that is what I did.

4 answers and no answers to my question.

Thank you

4 answers, but noone answered my question

At normal size you will be extremely hard pressed to see a quality difference.

I think if we a complete beginner I wouldn’t buy a DSLR at all. I’d be looking at mirrorless cameras from Sony and Fuji. But since you asked:

 

These are both excellent cameras. Both are more than capable of doing anything you can expect a camera to do. Forget megapixel and image quality differences - these are minor and not visible unless you have high end prints made at large poster size and then look at them from very close up. The main differences are:

 

The D750 costs less and is lighter.

 

The D850 has a more robust build and better autofocus system.

One more answer and still no answer to my question

One more answer and still no answer to my question

I just answered your question twice.

I just answered your question twice.

I'm sorry. You are right

I am a completely beginner and is planning to buy a D750 or D850.

But my - a little naive - question is whether D850 takes better pictures than D750.

Of course, the pictures can be printed much better, but in "normal" sizes are there difference between them?

 

Several people have provided links and comparisons of the cameras you are interested in.

No one can choose a camera for you or say which will render better images in your hands.

Frankly, as a self identified "complete beginner" my opinion is that you would be better served by a standard digital kit by any of the major manufacturers.

There after buy up as your skills advance.

4 answers and no answers to my question.

Thank you

 

I believe Ben, Andy, and I all gave you good answers. If you cannot read those answers and understand them, you are going to have a heck of a problem reading either the D750 or D850 manuals and learning how to use the camera.

 

You are welcome.

I see absolute no problem for a beginner to buy and use a D850. As a beginner back in 1977 I bought the Nikon F2AS and I never regret that. If you factor in the cost of living, average earning, inflation etc.. the F2AS would cost about the same as the D850. I object to the notion that beginner shouldn't buy a good camera. It's the expert who can take great shots with any camera (or so they claim) that should buy cheap cameras.

My two cents: for a beginner to consider springing for a D850 makes no sense. First, you will need other equipment as you learn: not only lenses, but a tripod, a flash, and many smaller things. These cost money, and you would be able to do a lot more with a cheaper body and more of that equipment, particularly lenses. Second, if you are a beginner, you don't know what kind of camera you will want to settle on once you have your sea legs.

 

I completely agree with Sandy: buy an entry level camera kit, with a basic walk-around lens, from either Canon or Nikon if you want a DSLR. An APS-C (crop sensor) camera would be just fine for general use. It will be a long time before the factors limiting the quality of your output will be the equipment. As Ansel Adams said, the most important piece of equipment is the 12 inches behind the viewfinder.

 

This is particularly true if you are not going to print; the low resolution of computer monitors hides all manner of sins.

 

I'll make this concrete. I have a more expensive full-frame camera, but I recently posted a few photos in the macro forum that I took over the past week with a Canon 7D, an APS-C (crop sensor) camera introduced 10 years ago, with a sensor far inferior to that of the newest APS-C cameras, that you can buy used on eBay for about $200. I'll re-post two of them here.

 

 

4 answers and no answers to my question.

Thank you

 

I'm sorry that you didn't consider what was provided an answer to your question. Speaking for myself, I gave you what I thought was a comprehensive answer that highlighted the difference between the camera.

 

The bottom line is that they are different cameras. For a couple of reasons(high resolution, no AA filter, more advanced sensor) the D850 is capable of technically better images. There are reasons why one particular photographer might get better results with a different camera, or why, for example, I still use a 12mp D3s at times. This is not a simple one size fits all answer. I haven't looked/counted lately but Nikon makes about a dozen different DSLR models, including 3 different "pro" level cameras(D5, D850, D500). All of them have different use cases for different people, and many people even have multiple cameras for different applications.

 

I mentioned that I use a D800 as my main camera, which is an older camera from the D850 lineage(It went D800->D810->D850). I use it a lot, but the D3s comes out when I want low light performance and/or speed, the D700 when I want a studio camera or lighter than the D3 camera that doesn't give me huge files(often the case), the D600 when I want relatively high resolution images without the size and weight of the D800, and the Df when I want the lightest possible full frame DSLR or want to use weird old lenses that aren't easily used on any other DSLR. The only one I'd REALLY entertain getting rid of is the D700, but it's worth so little and I have enough accessories to support it that I'd rather just keep it continue using it for its current applications.

My two cents: for a beginner to consider springing for a D850 makes no sense. First, you will need other equipment as you learn: not only lenses, but a tripod, a flash, and many smaller things. These cost money, and you would be able to do a lot more with a cheaper body and more of that equipment, particularly lenses. Second, if you are a beginner, you don't know what kind of camera you will want to settle on once you have your sea legs.

 

I completely agree with Sandy: buy an entry level camera kit, with a basic walk-around lens, from either Canon or Nikon if you want a DSLR. An APS-C (crop sensor) camera would be just fine for general use. It will be a long time before the factors limiting the quality of your output will be the equipment. As Ansel Adams said, the most important piece of equipment is the 12 inches behind the viewfinder.

 

This is particularly true if you are not going to print; the low resolution of computer monitors hides all manner of sins.

 

I'll make this concrete. I have a more expensive full-frame camera, but I recently posted a few photos in the macro forum that I took over the past week with a Canon 7D, an APS-C (crop sensor) camera introduced 10 years ago, with a sensor far inferior to that of the newest APS-C cameras, that you can buy used on eBay for about $200. I'll re-post two of them here.

 

 

You bring up an interesting point. Digital tech for the last 10 years or so has been so good that you don’t need the latest and greatest to get good results - assuming good technique (and getting good photos of insects like you have here definitely shows good technique!)

 

I have a D800 and a previous generation 24-70 that my wife loves to shoot (she doesn’t like my tiny Fujis) and the results are fantastic. I picked it up a while ago as part of a large package on eBay and after selling off one of the lenses, the cost of those items, 2 extra batteries, an SB900, a ring flash, a 105mm 2.8D macro and some other accessories was only $1000! That’s crazy. What more could you really need.

4 answers and no answers to my question.

Thank you

I am sorry didn't answer your question. The D850 is definitely better camera than the D750 but it doesn't take better pictures than the D750.

. . . But my . . . question is whether D850 takes better pictures than D750. . . in "normal" sizes are there difference between them?

 

Q: "whether D850 takes better pictures than D750"

A: using "better" in the context of the general meaning of the question: No.

A: In a literal/technical context of "better" then IMO there are two answers -

 

No, for mostly all tasks and if the final image is of a 'normal' size/enlargement, both are of a suitable technology that would render them as equals in that general context: in this case the Photographer's skills and experience would mostly always be the differentiating factor to make any notable difference.

 

In some complex and/or unusual situations, for example but not limited to extreme low lighting, high speed action, and especially if the Final Image were to be 'enlarged', there could be a few reasonable arguments mounted to support that the D850 would perform to make a 'better' image, all else being equal, however these Photographic Tasks remain theoretical in this discussion and rare in general real-life Photography.

 

Q: "in "normal" sizes are there difference between them?"

A: Yes. However, if interrogating the resultant images at 'normal' enlargement sizes, I'd bet a Mars Bar you would not be able to tell any difference, whatsoever. Additionally I don't think I would, either.

 

BTW, your apparent passion to harvest only a precision answer to each question, is, unusual yet also appreciated: however, on the other hand I hope that you don't dismiss or ignore the other commentaries, which were not precision answers, yet have useful information contained within them .

 

WW

Edited September 24, 2019 by William Michael

I believe Ben, Andy, and I all gave you good answers. If you cannot read those answers and understand them, you are going to have a heck of a problem reading either the D750 or D850 manuals and learning how to use the camera.

 

You are welcome.

If you cannot read and understand this without writing a lot of uninteresting stuff about manual, your background etc. then I think you have a problem:

"I am a completely beginner and is planning to buy a D750 or D850.

But my - a little naive - question is whether D850 takes better pictures than D750.

Of course, the pictures can be printed much better, but in "normal" sizes are there difference between them?"

 

I am very well able to google manuals, technical differences etc. but you seem not to be able to read.

While in my opinion the D850 is better than the D750 in every way. Take better pictures? The D850 would take better pictures than the D750 in all situations if used by the same competent photographer. If the photographer doesn't know what he/she is doing then which one takes better pictures it's the matter of luck.

To answer the original question(s), yes, and no.

Andylynn put it more succinctly than I did:

 

Digital tech for the last 10 years or so has been so good that you don’t need the latest and greatest to get good results

 

More expensive cameras have features that can help under certain circumstances. If you are going to shoot fast-moving sports, you will want a very good autofocus system. If you are going to shoot in low light, you will ideally get a camera with better than average low light performance. If you are going to print very large--say, more than 17 x 22 (A2)--you may want a camera with a high pixel count (although I print up to 17 x 22 without that). However, for most uses, it doesn't make a lot of difference--in many cases, no difference at all.

 

Moreover, most beginners don't know which of those extra features will turn out to be most useful for them over the long run.

 

For example, of all of the images I have printed at 13 x 19 (A2+), one that has gotten the most praise is this one:

 

 

I shot this with a first-generation Lumix LX-100 -- a little micro 4/3 camera I can stick in a jacket pocket or fanny pack when I don't want to lug my equipment. On the other hand, if I were going out to do night photography, which I do a lot, I wouldn't take that camera, as its low-light performance leaves a lot to be desired.

 

Finally, I didn't intend to be sarcastic when I quoted Ansel Adams. It takes a long time for most people to master technique, and both camera technique and processing skill have vastly more impact on image quality than do differences in camera quality--even leaving aside that the difference in quality you asked about is a relatively small one in the current market.

If you cannot read and understand this without writing a lot of uninteresting stuff about manual, your background etc. then I think you have a problem:

"I am a completely beginner and is planning to buy a D750 or D850.

But my - a little naive - question is whether D850 takes better pictures than D750.

Of course, the pictures can be printed much better, but in "normal" sizes are there difference between them?"

 

I am very well able to google manuals, technical differences etc. but you seem not to be able to read.

 

I think the fundamental problem here is that you want a simple yes or no answer, when in reality with any question like this the answer is very nuanced and DOES require more than a binary answer to adequately answer it.

 

Here's a simple analogy in a conversation I had the other day-one of my neighbors saw me out working on my car, wanted to buy some tools for himself, had done some research, and asked me "Is a 3/8" drive socket wrench better than a 1/4" drive." I responded by showing him my tool box full of pretty decent sets of both sizes, along with 1/2", because frankly all of them have their purpose.

 

The answer to which camera is "better" is also quite a complicated one, especially for someone who professes to be a complete beginner.

 

If one goes by the spec list, the D850 is in nearly every measurable way a better camera. That is your answer, but I'm not sure why you asked that here since you claimed you can read spec sheets.

 

In the real world, you likely won't see a difference in modest print sizes. I've been perfectly happy with 16x20s from my D600(same sensor as the D750), although they might have bee a bit better from my D810. At 8x10 and smaller and in good light, if there is a difference, you'd be hard pressed to see it.(bolded in the hope that maybe it will answer your question). In really low light, the lower noise of the more advanced D850 sensor MIGHT edge out the older D750 sensor, but from what I've seen, as good as it is, it's still in a different league from the D3/D4/D5 class sensors. If you're shooting action, the better AF of the D850 can help you.

 

On the other hand, I'd argue that someone who admits to being a "complete beginner" could likely pick up a D750 and turn out technically could photos more quickly than they could with a D850. The D750 is in many ways an easier camera to use. It's also smaller and lighter, which in my experience directly corresponds to your likelyhood to take it with you(a camera you have with you ALWAYS takes better photos than one sitting at home/in your car). The D750 has an autofocus assist light, something lacking on the D850(you need an accessory flash to get one). I personally hate the things(it's one of the first things I turn off), but they CAN make the difference between getting a photograph in low light vs. not. The D750 has a built in flash, which I don't recommend getting in the habit of using, but it's something that every once in a great while has saved the day for me(usually for me either using daytime fill or using for impromtu off camera).

 

If you're itching to go out and spend $3K on the highest resolution DSLR Nikon makes, the D850 is your only choice. If you want to just get out and take pictures, the answer isn't straight forward. I've seen B&H often run a package deal on the D750 with a 24-120mm f/4 lens(great general purpose lens-I use one extensively) and a pile of accessories for $2K. Along those same lines, if you don't know what you're doing with either camera, you're still going to turn out crap regardless of the tech specs. They are both enormously capable cameras, although as I've said multiple times the D750 is easier to take out of the box and do that with for someone who is a complete beginner. BTW, people's background and what cameras they HAVE used is frequently relevant to properly answering questions like this.

 

I'm sure that this answer still won't be to your satisfaction, but the bottom line is that at this level of camera, the single biggest difference is in the person using the camera. An out of focus and/or motion blurred photo from a D850 will look terrible next to even a 20 year old D1 or the first iPhone I had 10 years ago.

If I am a beginner I would definitely go for the D850 and not the D750. I found there is nothing easier to use on the D750. Since if I am a beginner I would read the specs and all the specs on the D850 is better. Focus speed, frame rate, MP count etc.. Also if I am a beginner I would be able to handle heavy camera better than after 40 plus years of shooting.