Nikon D850 vs. Sony A7R III: Speedy full-frame titans compared

Speedy high-resolution contenders

When you talk about high resolution 35mm format digital cameras, three series of cameras come to mind. For the last few years, Canon’s EOS 5DS series, Nikon’s D800 series, and Sony’s A7R series have been flying the flag for 35mm format cameras, with resolution counts breaching the previously unheard 40MP mark to reach medium format territory.

Nikon and Sony have both released new high resolution cameras this year in the D850 and A7R III respectively, but there aren’t the dramatic leaps in resolution counts we’ve seen in previous years. The A7R III maintains the previous resolution mark of 42.4MP, while the D850 moves up to 40MP territory with its 45.7MP sensor. Certainly, it seems like the focus for these models lies in improved response and handling, making them more versatile options overall.

Both cameras are capable of faster continuous capture rates than their predecessors. The D850 does up to 7fps continuous shooting compared to the 5 fps of the D810, while the A7R III does even better at 10fps, easily besting the 5fps of the A7R II. Suffice to say, these improved capture rates means the cameras can be used for more genres of photography, so the photographer has less need to switch cameras.

Before we proceed further, here’s  a quick comparison table to show you how the cameras stack up.

Nikon D850

As we mentioned in our earlier D850 review, the D850 is the first Nikon DSLR to use a backside illumination sensor. This new sensor allows it to have better noise performance at all ISO settings as incoming light is able to reach the sensor more efficiently. As a result, the camera has a native ISO range of 64-25,600 (expandable to 32-102,400) while operating at an increased resolution of 45.7MP.

It also gets the EXPEED 5 image-processing engine and the Multi-CAM 20K AF sensor module from the D5, which gives it 153 focus points with 99 cross-type sensors. This is, of course, a huge upgrade over the D810, which only had a total of 51 points; 15 of the cross-type variety. With the D850, you do also get the focus selector joystick first seen on the D500 and D5 cameras, and this allows for easier focus point selection even with the viewfinder up to your eye.

In terms of handling, it seems like Nikon has finally heard us, as they’ve finally implemented touch for the menus, meaning you can use touch to navigate the entire camera. Add to the fact that the D850 keeps the excellent layout of controls maintained since the D700, and you have a camera that’s extremely easy to use and configure.

There is a slight shift of buttons with the D850 though. Like the D500, the ISO button has been moved to the top of the camera, forcing the video recording button slightly forward. Still, most of the settings we needed to change while shooting could be accessed through either the dials and buttons, or through a few taps of the screen, so handling is certainly much improved.

On the video front, the D850 vastly improves from the D810 as it now offers 4K UHD with the option to use ISO sensitivities up to ISO 102,400 in video mode. Like the D500, the D850 also offers electronic vibration reduction when you’re shooting video, but that again restrains your capture to Full HD quality and below as it essentially crops and shifts the frame to compensate for any shake.

You do get pretty good Full HD recording in slow-motion though as it will do 120p/100p capture, which gives you x4 and x5 slow-motion video in-camera. The inclusion of Auto ISO for video mode also means that changes in brightness can now be partly handled by the camera, so the D850 is certainly a much-improved video making tool, albeit one that doesn’t have its own log format.

Rather, Nikon offers a Flat Picture Control feature that’s meant to feature a near-straight tone curve so the camera acquires as much information as possible.Our final note is that the camera now takes one SD card and one XQD card, so you’ll want to stock up on XQD cards if faster performance is a major concern.

For more inputs, head over to our standalone review of the Nikon D850.

Sony A7R III

Released last November, the Sony A7R III is the latest in their A7R series, and like the D850 draws from many of the technologies first seen in an earlier release – the Sony A9. So, you have a new front-end LSI and Bionz X combination that works with the Exmor sensor for faster image processing, and the comprehensive AF layout that practically covers the entire frame.

Like the A7R II, the A7R III has 399 phase-detection AF points. However, the A7R III has improved the spread so that it covers about 68% of the image area compared to 45% of the A7R II. It also has a total of 425 contrast-detect AF points compared to just 25 on its predecessor. Suffice to say, AF performance is much improved, and the Eye AF feature seems to be just that bit snappier, again speaking to its improved versatility.

We’ve already mentioned that the A7R III has a much improved continuous capture rate of 10 fps, but also improved is the buffer, and this is now large enough for the camera to keep going for up to 76 RAW images. Sony says the IBIS (In-body Image Stabilization) has been improved so you get 5.5 stops worth of compensation over the 4.5 stops from the previous model.

There’s also a high resolution shot mode which combines four captures to a single image. This works by shifting the sensor in 1-pixel increments and results in an image that has about 169.6 million pixels worth of data. However, it will require the subject to not be moving and you can’t create the final image in camera as the images have to be moved into Sony’s Imaging Edge to be combined, thus limiting its usefulness some.

In terms of physical controls, the A7R III again takes its lead from the A9, so you get a proper movie recording button, more custom function buttons and the focus selector joystick that’s quickly becoming a standard these days. Another welcome change is that the camera now has two card slots, with one capable of supporting the faster UHS-II cards so you can really max out the camera’s performance.

The biggest improvement though has to be the battery life. Compared to the A7R II’s 290 shots via the viewfinder, the A7R III can get 530 shots (via viewfinder) on a single charge, almost double the rate. There’s also the option of a vertical grip that takes two batteries, doubling the battery life. The camera also charges via USB Type-C, so you can easily keep it charged via external batteries.

Video professionals will also be keen to know that the A7R III gains another picture profile in HLG (Hybrid Log Gamma), which helps when producing HDR video content. You can also use either the focus selector joystick or tap focus to shift focus while recording video.

Imaging Performance compared

Given how closely both cameras follow the overall layout of past models, professional users should be able to pick them up and get to work straight away. We do think that users of the A7R II will be pleased by the new layout of buttons on the A7R III though, and of course with the improved response of the camera. D810 users, on the other hand, will be pleasantly surprised by the inclusion of touch with the D850 as it makes going through the menus that much easier. It extends to the image reviews as well, so you can really use the camera like you would on a smartphone.

Given the recent weather, our testing days turned out to be grey overcast days with showers of rain sprinkled in between – great for testing the weather sealing and autofocus performance, but not so much for testing colors captured. As such, we shifted indoors to start, grabbing images of the displays in Changi Airport. Here, the slight differences in color temperature quickly became evident, as the images from the D850 were noticeably colder than those captured from the A7R III.

Exposure differences also became fairly obvious, as the D850 tended to underexpose slightly compared to the A7R III, which would expose the scene closer to how the eyes saw it even at the risk of blowing out highlights. Generally, this would mean the D850 would give you a faster shutter speed or a lower ISO setting depending on the situation. Call it a case of each manufacturer’s preference in terms of handling noise versus shutter speeds perhaps. Nikon prefers to maintain details in highlights at the expense of underexposure, while Sony prefers to give you the image as you see it.   

Speaking of shutter speeds, we think Sony’s claims about the improved in-body stabilization system have merit as the A7R III consistently turned in slightly sharper images when shooting handheld at slower shutter speeds. That’s especially important considering how the high resolution counts of these cameras mean that even the slightest bit of camera shake is captured. For example, in the images below the A7R III stays at ISO 200 by going down to 1/60s while the D850 goes up to ISO 2000 to get a faster shutter speed of 1/500s. 

In terms of autofocus performance though, we found ourselves split between cameras. The A7R III obviously offered a wider coverage across the screen, so if we did have to pick focus manually it was easier to get a point on the exact spot. The improved Eye detect AF was also made it a cinch to get focus when we were shooting people, but when we were tracking moving objects, the D850’s lock on just seemed to be more secure. Even with landscapes, we noticed that at times the A7R III would readjust focus even without changes in ambient lighting conditions (i.e. when the sun moved behind clouds), so that’s something to watch out for when using the Wide Focus mode.

That said, we have to say both cameras are really neck-to-neck in terms of imaging performance. We'd recommend staying at ISO 12,800 with both cameras as beyond that detail loss really starts to show. As you’ll see in the images in the next section, the slight numbers edge the D850 has in terms of resolution doesn’t translate to a huge improvement in image clarity over the A7R III, because the A7R III seems to be less aggressive on noise reduction at the higher ISOs and has less distracting color noise in its shots too. Likewise, the higher frame rate of the A7R III doesn’t quite necessarily translate into more keepers from continuous shooting either; given the depth of options for configuring the D850’s 3D Tracking system.

The sample photographs below were shot with the Nikon D850 and the Sony A7R III. The photos have not been post-processed and are copyright to SPH Magazines. They are provided for your reference only and we ask that you do not reproduce them elsewhere.

Sharpness 

Colors

Low light performance

High ISO Performance

Conclusion

Essentially, both cameras will produce great images regardless of the scenario. And well they should, as they represent the best that each manufacturer has to offer at this point. Professional photographers will probably end up sticking with the system that they’re already invested in, but if you’re starting fresh then we’d say it comes down to how you intend to use the camera.

If you’re intending to do a lot of portraits, the A7R III’s eye-detect AF will help vastly there, as will the lower weight of the entire system. If you’re looking primarily to capture action shots, then the D850’s more accurate 3D Tracking system will give it a slight edge.

Where the A7R III has a definite advantage is in silent shooting – the D850’s silent shooting is only via Live View mode, and taking stills via the rear LCD on a heavier camera doesn’t really make for great handling. If you’re a photographer who splits time between stills and videos, the A7R III’s Fast Hybrid AF, support for various log formats, and in-body 5-axis stabilization will also make it stand out in terms of video shooting. The improved battery life of the new battery also helps the camera overcome a common complaint of mirrorless cameras, as 500 shots on a single charge is certainly adequate for most uses. Add to that the slightly lower price (S$4,699 vs. S$4,999) and we have the winner of this shootout – the A7R III.