Sony a7S III vs Nikon D850
This is a full comparison between the cameras Sony a7S III and Nikon D850. We compare them by looking at the categories you see below.
Manufacturing
Sony a7S III is manufacturered by Sony but Nikon D850 is from Nikon. Both Sony and Nikon are well known brands though.
Sony a7S III were released 2020 and Nikon D850 was released 2017. That is a 3 years difference. In tech, this period can be of interest since technology is always improving, etc.Camera | Released |
Sony a7S III | 2020 |
Nikon D850 | 2017 |
Type of camera
Sony a7S III is a Mirrorless camera while Nikon D850 is a DSLR camera. More information about their differences will come soon.
Sensors / crop factor
Even though the camera sensors might be called differently they are both considered Full frame which means that the focal length of the lenses is not affected. There is no crop factor on any of these cameras and sensors.
Camera | Focal length, 50mm f/1.8 ** |
Sony a7S III | 50 mm Full-frame sensor No crop factor/focal length multiplier |
Nikon D850 | 50 mm Full-frame sensor No crop factor/focal length multiplier |
** Experienced focal length when using a lens such as a common "50mm f/1.8"
Learn more about crop factor and focal length multiplier here:
Camera selection can affect the focal length (Sony)
Camera selection can affect the focal length (Nikon)
Resolution
Sony a7S III has a 12 MP (Megapixels) resolution while Nikon D850 has 46 MP. If we break down this in more detail this is the data behind the numbers:
Camera | Megapixels |
Sony a7S III |
12 MP
12007680 pixels 4240 x 2832 |
Nikon D850 |
46 MP
45441024 pixels 8256 x 5504 |
Nikon D850 has a 278 % larger resolution than Sony a7S III. This could give you more details in the picture but also a possibility to crop more in the pictures, afterward while editing the pictures, if needed that is.
ISO range
Sony a7S III has a larger ISO-range than Nikon D850. Sony a7S III has an ISO range that stretches from 80 to 102400 while Nikon D850 has 64 to 25600.
Camera | ISO Range |
Sony a7S III | 80-102400 |
Nikon D850 | 64-25600 |
Autofocus and lens compatibility
Both of these cameras have a built-in autofocus motor. Some lenses, that support autofocus, do not have an autofocus motor of their own but this won't cause any problems with these two cameras.
Here is a complete overview of which lenses work with each camera:
Lens compatibility chart for Sony a7S III
Lens compatibility chart for Nikon D850
Pictures per second
Depending on what you are shooting the FPS, or frames/pictures per second, can definitely be of interest. Sony a7S III can shoot up to 10 pictures per seconds and Nikon D850 can shoot up to 9 pictures per seconds.
Camera | FPS (Frames per second) |
Sony a7S III | 10 |
Nikon D850 | 9 |
Ability to record movies
It is becoming more and more popular to record movies with digital cameras.
In this case, both Sony a7S III and Nikon D850 can shoot movies.
Weight
The weight of the camera can be an extremely important factor, especially if the camera is about to be used, or carried around, for several hours at a time.
Nikon D850 weighs 1005 gr (equal to 2.22 lb) which is 44% heavier than Sony a7S III and its 699 gr (or 1.54 lb).
Camera | Weight |
Sony a7S III | 699 gr 1.54 lb |
Nikon D850 | 1005 gr 2.22 lb |
Sony a7S III vs Nikon D850 Specs
Below you will find the complete and detailed technical specs for both Sony a7S III and Nikon D850, next to each other. Each category of data is a link to an article covering the subject, giving you a deeper understanding so you can better understand the strengths and weaknesses of the two camera models.
Product |
Sony a7S III |
Nikon D850 |
Name | Sony a7S III | Nikon D850 |
Manufacturer | Sony | Nikon |
Release Date and Price |
Sony a7S III |
Nikon D850 |
Release Year | 2020 | 2017 |
Release Date | 2020-07-28 | 2017-07-25 |
MSRP | 3499 USD | 3299 USD |
Buy it today | ||
Camera Type |
Sony a7S III |
Nikon D850 |
Camera Type | Mirrorless | DSLR |
Sensor |
Sony a7S III |
Nikon D850 |
Sensor Size | Full Frame (approx 36 x 24 mm) |
Full Frame (approx 36 x 23.9 mm) Also known as "FX" |
Sensor Type | BSI-CMOS | BSI-CMOS |
Resolution | 4240 x 2832 pixels | 8256 x 5504 pixels |
Megapixels | 12 MP | 46 MP |
Image Processor | Bionz XR | EXPEED 5 |
Image |
Sony a7S III |
Nikon D850 |
ISO Range | 80 - 102400 | 64 - 25600 |
White Balance Presets | 7 | 14 |
Custom White Balance | Yes | Yes |
Image Stabilization |
Yes (Sensor-Shift (5-axis)) |
No |
Image Stabilization CIPA Rating | 5.5 stops | 0 stops |
Uncompressed format | RAW | RAW + TIFF |
Optics & Focus |
Sony a7S III |
Nikon D850 |
Autofocus Motor | Yes | Yes |
Autofocus |
Contract Detect (sensor) Phase Detect Multi Area Center Selective Single Point Tracking Single Continuous Touch Face Detection LiveView |
Contract Detect (sensor) Phase Detect Multi Area Center Selective Single Point Tracking Single Continuous Touch Face Detection LiveView |
Focus Points | 759 | 151 |
Lens Mount |
Sony E See Compatible Lenses |
Nikon F See Compatible Lenses |
Focal Length Multiplier |
Full frame No multiplier Example: 24 mm remains 24 mm 50 mm remains 50 mm 100 mm remains 100 mm 200 mm remains 200 mm |
FX (Full frame) No multiplier Example: 24 mm remains 24 mm 50 mm remains 50 mm 100 mm remains 100 mm 200 mm remains 200 mm |
Screen & Viewfinder |
Sony a7S III |
Nikon D850 |
Articulated LCD | Fully articulated | Tilting |
Screen size | 3” | 3.2” |
Screen dots | 1440000 | 2359000 |
Touch screen | Yes | Yes |
Screen type | TFT LCD | TFT LCD |
Live view | Yes | Yes |
Viewfinder Type | Electronic | Optical (pentaprism) |
Viewfinder Coverage | 100% | 100% |
Viewfinder Magnification | 0.91x | 0.75× |
Viewfinder Resolution | 9440000 | 0 |
Photography features |
Sony a7S III |
Nikon D850 |
Frames per second | 10 fps | 9 fps |
Minimum Shutter Speed | 30 seconds | 30 seconds |
Maximum Shutter Speed | 1/8000 seconds | 1/8000 seconds |
Built-in Flash | No | No |
Built-in Flash Range | N/A | N/A |
External Flash | Yes | Yes |
Self-Timer | Yes | Yes |
Time-lapse | No | Yes |
Metering modes |
Multi Center Weighted Highlight Weighted Spot Average |
Multi Center Weighted Highlight Weighted Spot |
Exposure Compensation | +/- 5 (at 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV steps) | +/- 5 (at 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV, 1 EV steps) |
Videography features |
Sony a7S III |
Nikon D850 |
Video recording | Yes | Yes |
Video format |
MPEG4 H.264 H.265 XAVC-S XAVC-HS |
MPEG4 |
Video resolution |
1920 x 1080 3840 x 2160 |
1280 x 720 1920 x 1080 3840 x 2160 |
Built-in Microphone | Yes | Yes |
Built-in Speakers | Yes | Yes |
Storage |
Sony a7S III |
Nikon D850 |
Memory Card |
Compact Flash Express SD/SDHC |
SD/SDHC XQD |
Connectivity |
Sony a7S III |
Nikon D850 |
HDMI Output | Yes | Yes |
Microphone Port | Yes | Yes |
Headphone Port | Yes | Yes |
Wireless |
Yes Built-in (802.11ac (dual band) + Bluetooth) |
Yes Built-In ( 802.11b/g + NFC + Bluetooth 4.1 LE) |
Remote Control | Yes (wireless or smartphone) | Yes (wired, wireless, smartphone) |
GPS | No | No |
Body & Dimensions |
Sony a7S III |
Nikon D850 |
Enviromentally sealed | Yes | Yes |
Battery | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
Battery Details |
NP-FZ100 lithium-ion battery charger
|
EN-EL15a lithium-ion battery & charger
|
Battery Life (CIPA) | 600 shots | 1840 shots |
Width | 129 mm | 146 mm |
Height | 97 mm | 124 mm |
Depth | 81 mm | 79 mm |
Weight | 699 gram | 1005 gram |