Nikon D4S vs Nikon D850

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D4S compared with D850

	NikonD4S	NikonD850
Overview
Released
Released	March 2014	September 2017
Image and sensor
Camera type
Camera type	DSLR	DSLR
Sensor format
Sensor format	Full frame	Full frame
Sensor type
Sensor type	CMOS	Backside-illuminated CMOS
Sensor dimensions
Sensor dimensions	36 × 23.9 mm	35.9 × 23.9 mm
Effective resolution
Effective resolution	16.2 MP	45.7 MP
Largest image
Largest image	4928 × 3280	8256 × 5504
RAW recording
RAW recording	Yes	Yes
Standard ISO range
Standard ISO range	100–25600	64–25600
Sensor detail
Sensor detail	Japan states 16.23 million effective and 16.61 million total pixels, rounded to 16.2 million effective globally; sensor-cleaning system. FX, 1.2×, DX and 5:4 areas; maximum cropped sizes 4096 × 2720, 3200 × 2128 and 4096 × 3280 respectively	46.89 million total pixels; no optical low-pass filter; sensor cleaning and image-dust-off reference data. UK effective resolution rounded to 45.7 MP; Japan specifies 45.75 million, distinct from the 45.44-million-pixel largest file.
Image formats
Image formats	12-bit or 14-bit NEF RAW with lossless compression, compression or no compression; TIFF RGB, JPEG and RAW plus JPEG. RAW S uses one-quarter of full-size pixels, with 12-bit uncompressed files; some in-camera RAW editing functions unavailable for RAW S	12/14-bit NEF RAW with lossless compression, compression or no compression; medium/small RAW fixed at 12-bit lossless; JPEG, RGB TIFF and RAW plus JPEG
ISO detail
ISO detail	Expanded equivalents ISO 50–409600; Auto ISO	Expandable to equivalent ISO 32–102400; Auto ISO available
Image processor
Image processor	EXPEED 4; Advanced Scene Recognition System	EXPEED 5
Lens and shooting
Lens mount
Lens mount	Nikon F mount	Nikon F mount
Stabilisation
Stabilisation	Optical lens stabilisation	Optical lens stabilisation
Maximum continuous burst
Maximum continuous burst	11 fps	9 fps
Lens detail
Lens detail	Compatible G/E/D AF NIKKOR lenses, subject to PC lens restrictions; body autofocus motor for compatible screw-drive lenses. Non-CPU AI lenses support aperture-priority/manual; non-AI, IX and F3AF lenses unsupported; DX lenses use the DX image area	Compatible F-mount lenses include G/E/D, other supported AF, P and AI non-CPU lenses with restrictions; DX lenses use a cropped image area. Non-AI, IX and F3AF lenses unsupported.
Autofocus
Autofocus	Advanced Multi-CAM 3500FX; 51 points including 15 cross-type; 11 points support f/8, with only the centre point cross-type at f/8. Detection to -2 EV; single-point, dynamic 9/21/51, 3D tracking, five-point Group-area and auto-area; AF fine-tuning; separate landscape/portrait sub-selectors	Viewfinder Multi-CAM 20K phase detection with 153 points, 99 cross-type and 55 user-selectable; 15 support f/8. Live view uses contrast detection with face, wide, normal, pinpoint and tracking modes. Review references to a Multi-CAM 3500 module are incorrect.
Shutter
Shutter	1/8000 to 30 seconds, Bulb and Time; flash sync 1/250 second	1/8000 to 30 seconds, Bulb and Time; mechanical focal-plane and electronic front-curtain options; flash sync 1/250 second with compatible Auto FP support; electronic silent live-view modes
Burst detail
Burst detail	Approximately 11 fps with full AF/AE tracking under Nikon's AF-C, S/M, 1/250-second-or-faster test conditions; low-speed continuous approximately 1–10 fps	Main 9 fps requires optional MB-D18 grip, EN-EL18b battery and BL-5 cover; body with EN-EL15-series battery reaches 7 fps. Full-resolution silent Mode 1 reaches 6 fps. Brief silent Mode 2 reaches 30 fps for at most three seconds with fixed focus/exposure and 3600 × 2400 DX JPEG Normal files; this restricted mode is not the headline continuous rate.
Stabilisation detail
Stabilisation detail	Optical VR depends on the lens; no sensor-shift stabilisation	No sensor-shift stabilisation; optical VR depends on the attached lens. Electronic movie vibration reduction available with mode restrictions.
Flash
Flash	No built-in flash; hot shoe and threaded PC sync terminal; optical Nikon CLS with compatible external Speedlights	No built-in flash; ISO 518 hot shoe, ISO 519 sync terminal and compatible external i-TTL Speedlights
Exposure controls
Exposure controls	P/S/A/M; 91000-pixel RGB metering with 3D Colour Matrix Metering III, centre-weighted and spot modes; ±5 EV compensation; Active D-Lighting	P/S/A/M; ±5 EV compensation; 180K-pixel RGB metering sensor, unlike Photography Blog's erroneous 91K-pixel narrative
Video
Highest video resolution
Highest video resolution	1920 × 1080 at 60 fps	3840 × 2160 at 29.97 fps
Video detail
Video detail	H.264 MOV at Full HD 60p/50p/30p/25p/24p, 720p 60p/50p or 640 × 424 at 30p/25p; actual NTSC rates 59.94/29.97/23.976. FX, DX and native 1920 × 1080 crop modes, the latter limited to 30p/25p/24p; maximum clip 29 minutes 59 seconds, with 20/10-minute limits depending on mode and quality. Contrast-detection AF-S/AF-F, Auto ISO in manual exposure, index marking, time-lapse exposure smoothing and simultaneous memory-card/HDMI recording	Full-width FX or DX UHD 3840 × 2160 at 29.97/25/23.976p; Full HD up to 59.94p and cropped silent slow-motion capture at 100/119.88 fps played at 25/29.97/23.976p. H.264 MOV/MP4; recording limit 29 minutes 59 seconds. In-camera 4K time-lapse; 8K time-lapse requires still-frame assembly in external software.
Audio
Audio	Built-in mono microphone; 3.5 mm stereo microphone input and headphone output; adjustable sensitivity; linear PCM; photograph voice memos	Built-in stereo microphones, external 3.5 mm microphone input and headphone monitoring; PCM or AAC depending on file format; slow motion has no audio
Screen and viewfinder
Viewfinder
Viewfinder	Optical	Optical
Screen size
Screen size	3.2″	3.2″
Screen dots
Screen dots	921,000	2,359,000
Touchscreen
Touchscreen	–	Yes
Tilting screen
Tilting screen	–	Yes
Display detail
Display detail	Fixed TFT with 170° viewing angle, approximately 100% coverage, automatic brightness and custom colour adjustment. Global announcement gives approximately 921000 dots, while Japan rounds approximately 920000; dots count subpixels	Tilting TFT, approximately 100% coverage and 170° viewing angle; maker US announcement specifies 2359K dots, Japan rounds to approximately 2.36 million; dots count subpixels
Viewfinder detail
Viewfinder detail	Pentaprism; approximately 100% FX, 97% 1.2×/DX, and 100% vertical/97% horizontal for 5:4; 0.7× magnification with 50mm f/1.4 at infinity; 18 mm eyepoint; grid overlay; revised mirror mechanism reduces blackout	Pentaprism, approximately 100% FX coverage, 0.75× magnification with 50mm f/1.4 at infinity, 17 mm eyepoint and −3 to +1 dioptre adjustment
Connections and design
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi	–	Yes
Bluetooth
Bluetooth	–	Yes
Battery life (maker's claim)
Battery life (maker's claim)	3020 photographs	1840 photographs
Body weight
Body weight	1180 g	915 g (better)
Release detail
Release detail	Nikon Japan records sale on 6 March 2014. Nikon's global announcement explicitly describes D4S as the next-generation flagship successor to D4	Announced on 24 August 2017 after a July development announcement; Nikon US states September availability and Nikon Japan specified 8 September. Main retains September because the exact first UK retail day is unconfirmed.
Recording media
Recording media	One XQD slot and one CompactFlash Type I UDMA slot; overflow, backup, separate RAW/JPEG and card copying. Type II CompactFlash and Microdrive unsupported	Current maker specification supports CFexpress Type B/XQD plus UHS-II SD/SDHC/SDXC; overflow, backup, RAW/JPEG separation and card copying. Launch specification had XQD plus SD.
Ports
Ports	Hi-Speed USB, mini-HDMI Type C, 3.5 mm microphone/headphone sockets, RJ-45 Ethernet with 10/100/1000BASE-T support, ten-pin accessory terminal, PC sync and WT-5 expansion connector	USB 3.0 Micro-B, mini HDMI Type C, 3.5 mm microphone and headphone sockets, 10-pin remote terminal and flash-sync socket; Ethernet requires the optional WT-7 transmitter
Wireless connections
Wireless connections	No integrated Wi-Fi or GPS; optional WT-5/WT-4 provides wireless network transfer and browser-based remote operation. Optional GP-1/GP-1A or MC-35 connects GPS equipment; WR-R10 requires WR-A10 adapter	Wi-Fi IEEE 802.11b/g and Bluetooth 4.1; SnapBridge
Battery life detail
Battery life detail	EN-EL18a rechargeable battery; approximately 3020 CIPA photographs	EN-EL15a/15b; maker CIPA claim approximately 1840 shots using the camera's own EN-EL15-series battery, not requiring the D5 battery as UK marketing prose could suggest. EN-EL15c may be supplied. Optional MB-D18 supports EN-EL18b, EN-EL15-series or eight AA cells.
Charging
Charging	External MH-26a charger; optional EH-6b adapter with EP-6 power connector	External MH-25a charger; optional EH-5c/EH-5b AC adapter and EP-5B power connector
Dimensions
Dimensions	Approximately 160 × 156.5 × 90.5 mm	Approximately 146 × 124 × 78.5 mm
Weight detail
Weight detail	Approximately 1180 g body only; 1350 g with battery and XQD card, excluding body cap and accessory-shoe cover	Approximately 915 g body only or 1005 g including battery and XQD card, excluding body cap
Materials
Materials	–	Weather-sealed construction; maker operating range 0–40°C
In the box
In the box	EN-EL18a battery, MH-26a charger, UC-E15 USB cable, AN-DC11 strap, BF-1B body cap, BS-2 shoe cover, DK-17 eyepiece, BL-6 battery cover, USB/HDMI clips, UF-2 stereo cable cover and ViewNX 2 CD-ROM	EN-EL15-series battery, MH-25a charger, HDMI/USB cable clip, UC-E22 USB cable, AN-DC18 strap, BF-1B body cap and DK-17F eyepiece; battery revision may vary