GalaxyCat Loc: Boston, MA

Please tell me if I am accurate or not, and any comments, recommendations, or errors you find; your input greatly appreciated.

Please consider the market in cameras at this time. All entry-level point-and-shoot cameras are stopping production immediately. Nikon shut down a whole factory in China.
But the high end camera market is going strong. In fact, sales are up. Nikon just came out with the D850. Fantastic specifications: 42 Mega Pixels in their sensor, that’s the biggest break-thru, but here’s the extra biggest: one of their lenses is now so advanced, it kills the medium format camera market. We’re talking bodies of medium format cameras that did cost $9,000.00, and are no longer worth it.

So what is the cost of Nikon’s D850 body? $3,506.24, including tax at Newtonville Camera, just about a block from the Jeep Dealership on Washington Street.
We’re talking about destroying the market for a $9 thousand dollar camera! Talk about excitement!

You can’t discount the Nikon D850 lower than retail, so buying it online (if you can even find it) is only going to save you sales tax, but the risk of it being stolen is so scary that I would rather buy it from Newtonville Camera??? We’ll discuss it more. I called Newtonville Camera, the $3,506.24 is required to pay in advance just to order the Nikon D850, because it is just now started to be shipped, and it is the most exciting camera ever made… and, once again, it destroyed the medium format market!

Now, I know that the Canon EOS 620 was the best in the world in 1987, and you bought one… plus the fantastic lens you bought, that actually has 1:5.6 Aperture sizes, where 1:1 is the most open Aperture you can have, (Except for the new 0.95 opening in the new lens I read about at the Photography forum - but it’s not what we really want, because it is for extra wide-angle pictures and it costs a LOT of money, that we really don’t need, and I am NOT going to ask for that).

There’s a new SONY that just came out, and Nikon and SONY are going to battle it out for the holiday season’s sales, but from what I read, Nikon D850 is superior, but I don’t know how much the new SONY body costs, and I don’t know how many Mega Pixels are in their sensor.

But here’s the absolute latest: The Nikon D850 has a mirror! It is a true DSLR, a digital single lens reflects, and so it is NOT mirrorless.
But what’s the big deal? Everybody is tripping over themselves to come out with a mirrorless camera, and nobody is winning that battle because it turns out that the focal distance from sensor to the optics requires a longer lens than the DSLR camera. So the weight you thought you saved is transferred to the lens!

So the jury is still out on the mirrorless.
I did see a review of the SONY that called it garbage, but the review disappeared before I could read it fully, and I don't know where or how.

More later.

JPL

The D850 is about 46 megapixel. The Sony is about 42 megapixel. And the D850 is a camera that will last for many years. You are buying a great camera if you choose that one.

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

Cathy, I should, in all fairness, point out that the H6D-100c will considerably outperform the D850. It image sensor is 100MP. Zeiss glass is in a class all its own. It's also more than 20 times the cost of the D850.

Now if you really want to push a good deal, look for a refurb'd D800e. It might be easier to sell that idea.
--Bob

GalaxyCat Loc: Boston, MA

Thank-you for this information. I'm really grateful.

GalaxyCat Loc: Boston, MA

Thank-you for this information. I'm really grateful. I'll research the D800e. I think the D850 is too $$$.

cmc65

Cathy I understand the draw of a high Mpix camera. I bought the canon 5dsr and although I love it the consideration that becomes very important very quickly is if you have a computer that can process and store the huge files. In addition to that is the fact that higher quality lenses give you the best captures with all those mp. All in all it can get very expensive very quickly beyond the camera purchase.

GalaxyCat Loc: Boston, MA

Wow! You just about killed it right there. (I wonder what kind of ads I will get now. Mentioning medium format cameras has resulted in higher format lenses ads because this program read my posts) So I'm just about dead in the water now.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

Cathy - I'm a bit concerned you've been hanging out with the wrong crowd ... It certainly raises an eyebrow to see a proposed move from not having a digital camera a few weeks ago to talking about a D850, with no lenses and, I believe, no post processing software nor a computer and storage to process 42MP image files ...

If the dollar amount being discussed is available, you should budget for all the equipment needed to get started. A more savvy shopper would look at a slightly used, older, general-pupose model and allow for 1 top lens. If Nikon is the idea of the week, consider a D610 and a Nikkor 24-70mm F/2.8 G ED IF AF-S. This is a professional grade body and lens, without the newest model premium price even though the combined price will exhaust your proposed budget. The D610 has an expected shutter life of 150,000 that could be the last camera you need. You'd have to shot 200 images a week, for 50 of 52 weeks per year, for the next 15-years to approach a 150k expected useful life. On a full-frame, a 24-70 f/2.8 lens again could easily be the only lens you ever need for all but long-distance wildlife.

I did my pricing on KEH. They ship signature-required and you can have them ship to a business such as the local UPS or FedEx store and cut back on the worry of a stolen package. They also provide a wide range of lightly used equipment covering every brand of camera and lens, and a return policy.

BTW- the sites and content you visit drives the ads you are later presented. The adware is not reading the content of yours posts ...

I suggest too that you visit a shop where you can handle this grade equipment. You'll find it's big and heavy and may not be of any actual interest when you get a hands-on sense of using this type of equipment. And this idea is still very high-end equipment where you might be better served looking at Nikon's DX line of cameras and lenses.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Based on articles and comments here, I wonder about the longevity of Sony cameras. Their service seems to be non-existent, and that's never a good sign. On the other hand, I have a tiny refurbished WX9 that's been working fine since 2012.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

But at over $32,000, is that really a practical consideration.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Nikon is totally leaving Brazil, too - no sales, service - nothing.

Even an advanced shooter isn't going to give much consideration to a $9,000 camera for getting pictures of trees and birds. Of course, if someone has millions of dollars, that's a different story.

I would never buy from a local camera store. The one in my area charges $100 over list price. The reputable online dealers are stable and reliable, and you can easily return a purchase. And they're not going to try to talk you into buying what they want to sell. You can buy a D850 online for $3,297, so forget the store near the Jeep dealer.

Sony is the current darling of the photo industry because they keep introducing new models with great specs and performance. I still prefer to use a Nikon DSLR, although the D850 doesn't interest me. You're right about size and weight rising dramatically when you add a long lens to a small, light mirrorless body. I see that with my A6000 when I add the 18-200mm lens, which is certainly not an extreme lens. As for the jury being out, I don't think so. Mirrorless is here to stay.

chrisg-optical Loc: New York, NY

The digital P/S market which was burgeoning 15 years ago was killed off by smartphones (not high end cameras)....the average Joe and Mary didn't have to carry around a separate camera for family and spontaneous shots - their phone became the camera, and in some cases very good. But the sensor is too small and not enough versatility compared to system cameras for more serious photography. I agree with other posters the D800E or D810 are good alternatives for far less money. Today's transition into mirrorless will take 5-10 years to the point where Nikon and Canon will have to scrap their DSLR lines because of the lopsided sales. It will be interesting to see what Nikon will produce for a new mirrorless line to compete with Sony et al next year.

cdayton

I think the D850 is a great idea while you’re still nimble enough to lug it, and a big lens, around. It is 90 grams heavier than my antique D300 that I rarely use at my unsteady 82 years (to be on Friday). So go for it.

Brucej67 Loc: Cary, NC

My computer can handle the 46MP and all my PP software does not have a problem with it either. The D850's dynamic range is astounding, I can't say whether it beats the Haselblad or not as I don't own one, but in the 35mm format it can beat any camera on the market and I include these photos as proof.

D850 and Nikon 24-70mm f2.8

(Download)

D850 and Nikon 24-70mm f2.8

(Download)

Paulie Loc: NW IL

"It certainly raises an eyebrow to see a proposed move from not having a digital camera a few weeks ago to talking about a D850, with no lenses and, I believe, no post processing software nor a computer and storage to process 42MP image files ... "

I'm glad I'm not the only one who noticed that pattern and I wouldn't say it better sir!