Nikon D850: Announcement of an Announcement of Development

[Michael Erlewine]

https://www.nikonusa.com/en/nikon-products/announcement-d850-dslr.page

After all this time, all of this waiting and expectation, what do we get? We get an announcement announcing the development of the Nikon D850, with no details.

https://www.nikonusa.com/en/about-nikon/press-room/press-release/j47iarx5/Development-Of-Digital-SLR-Camera-Nikon-D850.html

Personally, I am disappointed once again. We don't even get a timeline, price, or details, just the news that the D850 is the successor to the D810. Well, duh, we knew that, just not what the name would be! Talk about a "Nothing-Burger."

I am looking to see if the Sony A9R (when it arrives) will be what we are looking for, but I have to say, this Nikon announcement was one more little shock from a company I used to depend upon.

Hopefully more details will be forthcoming.

[lhodaniel]

Yep. Nikon is looking very lame on this. It's kinda like NASA holding a press conference to say they are working on Warp Drive. I'm beginning to wonder if they'll make 101 or 102.

Lloyd

[BernardLanguillier]

Last time they did this it took about 4 months to get cameras in the hands of photographers.

Other brands announce and ship cameras 5 months later...

Both are just as lame.

We all knew it was coming, we all knew Nikon had to say something today. They did in accordance to their own annoucement ethics. Like it or not.

What will matter in the end is whether they pull a 6DII on us or deliver a camera with actual value. Today nobody knows.

Cheers,
Bernard

[hogloff]

Last time they did this it took about 4 months to get cameras in the hands of photographers.

Other brands announce and ship cameras 5 months later...

Both are just as lame.

We all knew it was coming, we all knew Nikon had to say something today. They did in accordance to their own annoucement ethics. Like it or not.

What will matter in the end is whether they pull a 6DII on us or deliver a camera with actual value. Today nobody knows.

Cheers,
Bernard

The big difference is at least we know the specs of the camera for those 5 months and can make purchase decisions if the specs don't meet the requirements.

[kers]

As i understand it will be the second and last camera this year...
so no mirrorless... that in itself is disappointing...

[JKoerner007]

On the other hand, the D810 was such a milestone, such a step-up from what was available at its time, that it has some pretty big shoes to fill.

What other camera is still an industry benchmark ... 3 years after production?
(Most are yesterday's news within 2 months of production.)

Given that Nikon put the D500 and the D5 on the gound, last year, I would imagine Nikon is aiming "very high" in what the D850 is going to be able to do.
So, in the end, my belief is that today's "disappointment" is going to become tomorrow's stampede to get one, the moment it's finally announced.

As for mirrorless, I didn't expect a serious offering of one of these until 2018.

[scyth]

On the other hand, the D810 was such a milestone, such a step-up from what was available at its time

refresh the public what was the step up exactly ? some new sensor ? unheard fps ? AF beating single digits series ? I can only remember that it improved engineering DR ~0.4 EV @ it's base ISO vs other existing 36mp cameras ... but that's it about it...

[Paulo Bizarro]

What other camera is still an industry benchmark ... 3 years after production?
(Most are yesterday's news within 2 months of production.)


Given that Nikon put the D500 and the D5 on the gound, last year, I would imagine Nikon is aiming "very high" in what the D850 is going to be able to do.
So, in the end, my belief is that today's "disappointment" is going to become tomorrow's stampede to get one, the moment it's finally announced.

As for mirrorless, I didn't expect a serious offering of one of these until 2018.

Canon 1DSMKII - 2004 (high res Studio/landscape camera of the time)
Canon 5D - 2005 (1st affordable FF DSLR)
Canon 5DMKII - 2008 (1st good enough for video)

More recently, the Canon 5DS/R series, with 50 mpxl.

Those were milestones at the time, and lasted very well in the market in subsequent years.

To me, the D850 makes sense, after (as you say) last year's introduction of the "action and sports" PJ cameras. I am curious to see if it will feature Sony's 42 mpxl sensor from the A7 series.

[JKoerner007]

refresh the public what was the step up exactly ? some new sensor ? unheard fps ? AF beating single digits series ? I can only remember that it improved engineering DR ~0.4 EV @ it's base ISO vs other existing 36mp cameras ... but that's it about it...

Your memory indeed needs refreshment, seeing as there was no 36mp sensor at that time ... until the D810 came out.

Canon sensors were in the teens and twentys back then ... and Sony wasn't considered as much at that point.

[BJL]

Last time they did this it took about 4 months to get cameras in the hands of photographers.

Other brands announce and ship cameras 5 months later...

And yet others conceal all information about a new product until it is almost ready to ship (Apple, Canon?), which some people misinterpret as "shipping earlier" while in fact it is just "announcing later", because with or with or without such press releases, the product will be ready to ship at the same date.

I continue to favor transparency, with information about products in development given as soon as possible.

What is lame here is that Nikon surely knows a lot more than it is telling. Core hardware features are probably already decided, in particular for components that involve working with outside partners, like the sensor. The goal seems to be to gather email addresses for future marketing use.

[Michael Erlewine]

Your memory indeed needs refreshment, seeing as there was no 36mp sensor at that time ... until the D810 came out.

Canon sensors were in the teens and twentys back then ... and Sony wasn't considered as much at that point.

The Nikon D800 had 36 Mpx prior to the D800E and the D810.

My feeling is that we deserve better treatment that Nikon is providing at this point, especially since we have waited and waited.

[JKoerner007]

The Nikon D800 had 36 Mpx prior to the D800E and the D810.

My feeling is that we deserve better treatment that Nikon is providing at this point, especially since we have waited and waited.

Noted. The D800 was the rough draft; the D810 the finalized version.

I disagree with the last part. 3 years isn't that long of a wait for a new epoch camera.

Compare that to a 6 year wait for the Canon D610 II, only to be old and lame at birth ... now that is mistreatment of its customer base (by Canon).

At least when Nikon made its customers wait 7 years, between the D300 and the D500, the D500 was an instant success and revolutionary over other APS-Cs, being the first of such to actually surpass pro cameras in many respects. It also won multiple awards and made many users of other systems switch to Nikon, to get the most affordable pro-level option ever seen in an APS-C body.

Fear not, Nikon won't make its users wait anywhere near as long for the D850 ... and will not come in under-powered, but will be one helluva camera.

I am 100% sure of this.

[Michael Erlewine]

I disagree with the last part. 3 years isn't that long of a wait for a new epoch camera.

Hindsight is always 20/20, but to those of us moving from the D3x to the D800/E, the shift was very much worth it.

D800E

[JKoerner007]

Hindsight is always 20/20, but to those of us moving from the D3x to the D800/E, the shift was very much worth it.
D800E

Well, hindsight behavior patterns help us establish expectations. As such, the D850 being announced 3 years after the D810 is right on (maybe just a little bit passed) schedule.

Agree that sometimes a little extra wait is worth it ... nice image

[scyth]

Your memory indeed needs refreshment, seeing as there was no 36mp sensor at that time ... until the D810 came out.

Canon sensors were in the teens and twentys back then ... and Sony wasn't considered as much at that point.

ahaha... dear, you are totally delusional ... people already mentioned to you that D800 was in 2012 and even ""wasn't considered as much" A7R was released already, in 2013... it seems that you don't know the tools of your trade at all 

[scyth]

Noted.

so what other than ~-0.4EV more of engineering DR at base ISO D810 delivered that was so mile-stonish ? other than being simply a refinement of the D800-series ?

[scyth]

Hindsight is always 20/20, but to those of us moving from the D3x to the D800/E, the shift was very much worth it.

~24mp to ~36mp for Nikon
~21mp to ~50mp for Canon

those are milestones

but D800* to D810*... just iteration

[Michael Erlewine]

~24mp to ~36mp for Nikon
~21mp to ~50mp for Canon

those are milestones

but D800* to D810*... just iteration

Just ignorance speaking, IMO.

[Rob C]

I still find myself amused that my D200 gets used before I bother taking out the D700. (10mp and 12mp respectively, +or-.)

Some of you chaps must be shooting incredibly important photographs!

;-)

Rob

[JKoerner007]

ahaha... dear, you are totally delusional ...

Um, I don't think being off by a year qualifies as 'delusional.'

More like a simple error/omission. Of course, you've never made one of those, being as smart as you are

and even ""wasn't considered as much" A7R was released already, in 2013...

The D800 was available in March 2012
The A7r was available in November of 2013.

This means, from March 2012, until November of 2013, the Nikon D800 was the only 36mp DSLR on the block.

The A7r came later, and was just a 'me too' version of the D800.

Nikon's response was the D810, with no AA filter, and an expanded Base ISO.

The 42 mp A7r II wasn't announced until June 2015, one year after the D810, and more than 3 years after the D800.

And, even today, in 2017, the A7r II can't match the D810's base ISO ability.

it seems that you don't know the tools of your trade at all 

Re-read that back to yourself.