rehess Loc: South Bend, Indiana, USA

My experiments before I went digital showed that I was getting the equivalent of at most 6mp with film. With film I was "stopping" a train with 1/250, but I found that I had to go up to 1/500 to get the same effect with my first digital {8mp} camera.

tommyII Loc: Northern Illinois

I've had my D850 for about 6 months and I'm very happy with it. I switch back and forth between my D500 and the D850. It is true that it is a tad heavy, but it produce incredible pictures. I shoot 98% hand held, and have never had a problem with blurred images.

therwol Loc: USA

Rent a few good quality full frame lenses as well. The weight and size of some of them coupled with the camera's weight and size could sway you one way or another. My retirement gift to myself was the D810, approximately the same size and weight. The image quality is outstanding, but I started not taking it on vacations to Europe because of the weight and bulk of everything. (My choice. I know it doesn't bother some people.)

FTn

Hi Sue -

I shoot with a D850 and a bunch of Nikon gold lenses. I have been a commercial photographer for 40 years and have worked with many different systems and many different formats including 4x5 and 8x10. The D850 is one extraordinary camera body. The images that I have captured with it in the last year I am quite pleased with. They rival the images that have I captured with a Sinar P 8x10 years ago on Ektachrome. Those 8x10 images were images that you could literally walk into.

There are a lot of people who have responded to your post that have never had the opertunity to capture an image with a D850. It's something about this site. They have to express an opinion even though they don't have the experience to do so.

If you have the opportunity to buy a D850 do it. I don't think you will regret it.

- FTn

vandy

I have a D750, a Z7 and a D850, and by far my favorite is the D850. It just feels right in my hands and I have not noticed a difference in blur or camera shake from either of the 3. Of course the lightest one of the 3 is the Z7 which I also love but for different reasons, it is so quiet and easy to use but it is just not the D850 if that makes sense.

RahulKhosla

What did you do by way of practice over the six months that you described to get you down to a lower shutter speed without camera shake?

mrzip90230 Loc: Culver City, Ca. USA

I agree that the D850 is heavy but I carry it all over the world. It is the best out there by far! Get your wallet out and buy good glass while you are at it. I'm 72 yrs. old and have a bad back so if I can handle it so can you!!!

stan0301 Loc: Colorado

I have an 850–and it mostly sits on the shelf. I like the D500 loads better—I think if you try them both you would too—I regularly make 20x30’s, and sometimes larger— what they rarely mention is photo paper can only absorb about 220 DPI no matter what you throw at it—you can crop a bit more with the 850–but I rarely have found that to be a problem. On the other hand I have never heard anyone say “I wish I didn’t have an 850”
Stan

ronpier Loc: Poland Ohio

FWIW It’s nice to hear a few good responses regarding APS-C cameras to compare and consider.

silver Loc: Santa Monica Ca.

I have the 850, a great camera. Depending on which lens you are using the lens and camera can be a bit heavy. Camera shake is no problem if you are steady. As far as the large files you must have enough storage in order to store your images. I have 2 external 6 TB hard drives and when they fill up I will get another hard drive. I have 2 external hard drives because one acts a back up in case of one drive failing. The image quality is extraordinary. The 850 is definitely the best full frame camera available. You will need lenses that compliment the capabilities of the camera.

duane klipping Loc: Bristow iowa

I shoot with a D800 and raw files run about 35mb. I shoot her and load 3 images at a time. It takes about 5 minutes to proccess those images on 12gig ram system. You will notice a difference in processing time for sure. In jpeg only probably not too much though.

I shot a lot handheld but have since been using a tripod more for a number of reasons. Most importantly it forces me to slow down and compose my shot more. I also want the sharpest images I can get.

I went from the 7100 to the 800 for the larger resolution and low light performance. I am sure you will love the 850.

justhercamera Loc: NW Michigan

I thought I would comment on the weight of the camera from a female perspective. I went from the D7100 to the D850. I don't think the camera weight was noticeable to me to be honest. It was the change in glass that weighed more. I changed up the strap I used and otherwise, I simply adapted. You said you had been changing up glass already, so it shouldn't be a big deal. If I am going out and really want to keep it as light as possible, I remove the grip and use the 24-120 f/4 lens and that is much closer to what I was used to on the D7100.
I cannot imagine shooting the D850 in jpeg. I switched to RAW when I had the D90, many moons ago. The data in those files and the editing that can be done is HUGE. With the D850, the details are even more amazing. I strongly encourage you to start experimenting with the RAW, in any camera you are using and see the difference.

Sue

ELNikkor

Find out what it can do that your D7500 can not, and ask yourself if you really will use those features. I'm sure you are strong enough to handle the extra weight. Also, consider the cost of upgrading your other systems having to do with memory and processing speed, maybe lenses as well, to fully appreciate what that amazing camera can do.

Reconvic Loc: clermont Fl

My wife and I both have the D850. We also have the D3200, D7100, D500. We are wildlife (mostly bird photographers) and are using 600mm lenses and are 90% of the time cropping. For your type of photography I can't imagine you cropping so those 45 mp RAW files...OO LA OUI! The RAW files are bulky and cumbersome when downloading and you definitely need a large memory External Hard Drive to save them. My wife is delicate and she always shoots hand held with those huge lenses with no problems. When I upgraded from the D7100 to the D850 I was amazed at the increase in sharpness and many other awesome features of the D850. It truly is a Legendary camera that will remain unrivaled for years to come.

Dossile

The D850 is a lot of camera both in weight and capabilities. I enjoy a full frame camera. The list of positives for the camera include the sensor, for both detail and dynamic range. The focus speed and frames/sec, the light sensor, battery life, viewfinder, LCD screen, Low light capabilities, accessibility of the controls, ergonomics, dual cards, focus stacking, availability of high quality lenses, and many, many more features are all positives. It is a remarkable camera.

There are negatives. The weight for lens and camera make carrying equipment for a long hike or a long day an issue for many. The size of the RAW photos requires a lot of memory storage. I have two 8 TB external hard drives now. Fortunately they are now relatively cheap.

Your main question is about camera shake and clarity given the sensor. I generally shoot at ISO 64-400 outdoors and 400-1600 indoors. With my lenses, even at these speeds, hand holding has not been a major issue. I make sure that I create a stable base, though, before each shot. My two main lenses are the 24-70 E2.8 and the 70-200 E2.8, both with great image stabilization. I use a Nikon 20 1.8 on a tripod for landscapes, along with both my other main lenses. I also use a 200-500 f5.6 for wildlife and some landscape shots. The 200-500 isn’t quite as sharp as the other 3 lenses, but I have to go to 200% to see that lack of crispness. In Kenya, handholding the 200-500 in an awkward position because I was in the front seat, I took pictures of a lioness hunting at 40 yards and could see the tissue like wings of the flies resting on her torso.

When moving to FF from Dx, I saved and gradually improved my lenses. My capture rate is now generally dependent on composition, not focus and softness. Good luck.