Hello, there.
God knows how long it's been since I last used a new Nikon body. Looking through the history of this blog I found out that the last entry about a new Nikon body was TWO YEARS AGO! Within those two years I have only been getting opportunities to work with mirrorless camera companies and this is very much due to Nikon's own complacency, both with regards to marketing and production. Of all their releases within those two years, I can wholeheartedly say that only the flagship D5 and D500 impressed me. Not even the much-awaited update to my D7100/D7200, which is the D7500, set my heart ablaze with its mix of upgrades and downgrades. However, Nikon's latest offering to the world got me back into the DSLR hype and I was very happy that Nikon Malaysia set up a day in JB to let people test out their latest juggernaut.
Nikon D850
Brief highlights of the Nikon D850:
- 45.7 MP FX-Format (full-frame) CMOS sensor
- 4K UHD (3840x2160) at 30 fps
- 153 AF points (99 cross type)
- Up to 9fps continuous shooting with a buffer of 51 14-bit RAW photos in a single burst
- Tilting 3.2-inch touch-screen with 2,359k-dot LCD monitor and button illumination
Physical improvements also include an AF-point selector joystick and an additional Fn2 customizable button on the left side
What stood out to me the most about this new release was the fact that Nikon included every last bit of their new technology into it, which includes the new 153 autofocus point system (D5 & D500), a whopping 45.7MP sensor, a native continuous shooting of 7fps, and most of all 4K video! To me, this was the be all and end all of all cameras, including mirrorless cameras. It would have the durability, battery life, and longevity of DSLRs but also the high resolution photo & video, versatility, and modern day features of mirrorless cameras. Nikon was finally living in the present and was back in the competition of today's camera market, or so I hoped.
Quick reminder: All photo samples in this entry are FULL RESOLUTION (6880x4854). Please click on the photos to view/download them in FULL RESOLUTION.
I will preface this first impressions by saying that I only had about 45 minutes with the D850, so that all my opinions are based on that short timeframe that I had with the camera. Even so, I did not take any time at all to get used to the camera as it operated the same way as any other Nikon camera from 2013. Everything is familiar and for a person who is so used to the grooves and moves of a Nikon, I'd say the D850 felt right at home. Nothing was out of place and I could easily cruise through the menu and set up the camera the way I needed it to be, which only took me about 5 minutes. This meant I was able to spend the rest of my time with the camera actually shooting.
But then that's where things got a little rough.
Or rather... soft
Despite the glorious promise of precision, the focusing on the D850 was not always the best. Though there might be an argument for shooting wide open on a 58mm f1.4G, Nikon should know better by now to have their cameras adapt to shooting at such a thin depth of field. If I can't shoot the best lens at its widest aperture, then why bother buying it?
The D850 always seems to focus on the vintage cameras instead of the models
Another issue I faced with the D850 was its framing lines in the viewfinder, which had me dumbfounded throughout the whole time shooting with it. It seemed as if I had to frame within the boundaries of the framing lines instead of using the whole frame in the viewfinder as my guide, as if I was shooting on a rangefinder camera! I was perplexed as my framing kept cutting out parts from my photo even after I framed it perfectly before taking the shot.
Left foot not important I guess
Thankfully I chimped enough times to realize this before I came back home to see that all my photos were wrongly framed. I honestly don't get why this was a thing with the D850 because it was never a thing with any other Nikon camera.
Oh, but what is a thing with all full frame Nikons is the fact that the AF points are still all clustered in the center of the frame! Why can't they find a way to spread the points to a wider area? It seemed as if they still just use only one AF system and carbon copy it throughout their whole line. Sure the area isn't as cramped as, say, on the D610, but it is still significantly restrictive.
A lot of times I found myself only able to shoot things a bit off-center
The last thing I took away from testing it out was that it was not quick to respond to my commands. Aside from the shutter button, getting the camera to just come alive after a brief moment of pause in between shots took more than just half-pressing the shutter. The camera felt sluggish and it made me want to switch back to the D90 because of how slow it felt. This, coupled with the fact that I had just gotten back from shooting with the blazing fast Sony a9, just goes to show how much Nikon still has to do to catch up with the rest. What's more, my UHS-II card kept getting rejected by the D850 even after I formatted it in-camera. To think that I had no problems with the same card in the Sony a9 meant a world of difference in my experience.
But just look at the photos it takes
I want to stand corrected with my opinions about the D850. I know that it has such a high potential and I want it to perform as beastly as it is supposed to. I will have to retie my connections with Nikon Malaysia for the full review of the Nikon D850 but for now, I am quite upset that it did not meet my initial expectations.
Until I get my hands on a D850 to review, take care.
DISCLAIMER: I do not represent Nikon, Sony, or any other brand that might be showcased in this first impressions. This first impressions is written for THE FEAR and is delivered with utmost honesty and sincerity.
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