Nikon D850 vs Z7: How do they compare?

Nikon D850 vs Z7: How do they compare
(Image credit: Nikon)

The Nikon Z7, along with its slightly lower specified 24MP Nikon Z6 sibling, was the manufacturer’s big news of late 2018 – an indication that Nikon was, finally, taking mirrorless cameras seriously after some very tentative false starts. Was it too little too late, some wondered? Fortunately we need not have worried, as the full frame camera has been critically acclaimed by photographers and reviewers alike as an instant classic, and, as we ourselves opined: ‘Nikon has learnt its mirrorless lesson’.

That said, it’s hard to get away from the suspicion that Nikon’s tentativeness in jumping into the full frame mirrorless market was a desire not to cannibalise sales of its own DSLRs. Like, for example, the high-end full frame D850, which we’re comparing and contrasting the Z7 with here.

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Gavin Stoker

Gavin has over 30 years’ experience of writing about photography and television. He is currently the editor of British Photographic Industry News, and previously served as editor of Which Digital Camera and deputy editor of Total Digital Photography


He has also written for a wide range of publications including T3, BBC Focus, Empire, NME, Radio Times, MacWorld, Computer Active, What Digital Camera and the Rough Guide books.


With his wealth of knowledge, Gavin is well placed to recognize great camera deals and recommend the best products in Digital Camera World’s buying guides. He also writes on a number of specialist subjects including binoculars and monoculars, spotting scopes, microscopes, trail cameras, action cameras, body cameras, filters and cameras straps.