BobbyA

Seeking an opinion.
Which body would give superior results if you are considering ONLY landscape photography and portrait photography: The Nikon d850 or the Nikon z9?
Thanks for your thoughts.
BobbyA

808caver Loc: Maui

Both are fine cameras

larryepage Loc: North Texas area

There is every reason to expect essentially identical results from these two cameras for these applications. The D850 will save you close to $3000.

therwol Loc: USA

Opinion. The only difference MIGHT be that a Z lens could be superior to an equivalent F mount lens. I don't have any personal experience in this area. Other than that, no difference. These are not the areas where the Z9 blows away the D850.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

Why would you pay the $5500 needed for a camera with all-weather protection, an integrated grip, up to 120 frames per second in JPEG, up to 20 frames per second in 45MP RAW, 8K video, a Gigabit Ethernet port, JUST to primarily shoot landscapes and portraits??

Nikon (and all the major players) have a spectrum of products for all the various needs, expensive - yes, but at various price points so that you're paying for what you need and not a price premium for what you don't need. If you want a ton of pixels not hidden behind a flapping mirror, the Z7 line is the mirrorless version of the D850. Nikon has several 24MP options, both DSLR and MILC, that are even more cost effective and equally well-matched to landscapes and portraits (and all general purpose needs).

ricardo00

What lenses do you use for your photography? Is there a particular Z lens that is superior for your use?

Orphoto Loc: Oregon

Results should be quite comparable. Oddly, i agree with Paul about Z7ii. I get amazing results from d850 and zeiss lenses. At this stage buying f mount lenses from nikon is a money losing proposition.

Either way gently used gear saves a bundle. If you prefer autofocus, then head to z. Z7 has essentially the same sensor as 850 with addition of af rows.

"Superior" results will require tripod use at least some of the time and diligent use of proper technique.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

See, we're really all friends.

GoofyNewfie Loc: Kansas City

This.

larryepage Loc: North Texas area

Please study and shop very carefully before buying a Z7 or Z7II as an alternative to the D850. I came very close to buying a Z7 a couple of years ago, after being pitched that it was an equivalent camera to the D850. Fortunately, a couple of deep breaths and some further study revealed the truth. Except for the resolution and memory card configuration, the Z7s are much more closely related to the D750/D780. They are absolutely not equal to the D850. Even Nikon says that, starting with their nomenclature as a "7" level camera rather than an "8" level camera. The operator interface, operating system, and operational capabilities do not match the D850. Those are consumer-grade cameras missing many of the capabilities of the D850. If you capture your images as raw and make few field adjustments to your camera while shooting, the Z7 may satisfy your needs perfectly. Otherwise, please make sure you understand the operating differences and limitations between the Z7/Z7II and the D850 before purchasing either one. If you don't see and understand the differences, then select either one. There are some deals on brand new Z7IIs right now. Introduction of the Z9 appears to really have cut into their sales pretty deeply

By the way...the Z9 does implement the same "professional" interface as the D850/D810/D500. I'd love to have one. I just don't need any camera that costs $6000 by the time I buy memory cards and a second battery.

Strodav Loc: Houston, Tx

I have both. I use the Z9 for pets / wildlife /birding / action / sports and the D850 for everything else. For shooting landscapes and portraiture, I recommend the D850. It's less expensive and the D850 is simpler to understand and use than the Z9. There is also a lot of very good used f mount glass out there, which is far less expensive than new Z glass. My final point is that the IQ of the D850 is a bit better than the Z9 at lower ISOs, which is where you want to be with landscapes and portraits. Here's the data from DxOMark.com:

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

Both are excellent for Portrait and landscape photography.
The D850 would be the less expensive option. And, if you already have FF lenses, you would not need an adapter either, so, more savings.
PS. My Nikon D3s is also excellent for landscape and portraits. So is the D4, D4s, and D5.

yssirk123 Loc: New Jersey

Bobby - Check out the z7ii as it costs quite a bit less and is outstanding for portraits and landscapes.

cdayton

If I were shooting a landscape, I would prefer composing the scene by actually looking at the scene (albeit with aid of mirror and prism) rather than looking at an already processed version of the scene.