Sony a7R IV vs Nikon D850

This is a full comparison between the cameras Sony a7R IV and Nikon D850. We compare them by looking at the categories you see below.

Manufacturing

Sony a7R IV is manufacturered by Sony but Nikon D850 is from Nikon. Both Sony and Nikon are well known brands though.

Sony a7R IV were released 2019 and Nikon D850 was released 2017. That is a 2 years difference. In tech, this period can be of interest since technology is always improving, etc.

Camera Released
Sony a7R IV 2019
Nikon D850 2017

Type of camera

Sony a7R IV 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 a7R IV 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 a7R IV has a 61 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 a7R IV 61 MP
60217344 pixels
9504 x 6336
Nikon D850 46 MP
45441024 pixels
8256 x 5504

Sony a7R IV has a 33 % larger resolution than Nikon D850. 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 a7R IV has a larger ISO-range than Nikon D850. Sony a7R IV has an ISO range that stretches from 100 to 32000 while Nikon D850 has 64 to 25600.

Camera ISO Range
Sony a7R IV 100-32000
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 a7R IV
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 a7R IV 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 a7R IV 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 a7R IV 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 51% heavier than Sony a7R IV and its 665 gr (or 1.47 lb).

Camera Weight
Sony a7R IV 665 gr
1.47 lb
Nikon D850 1005 gr
2.22 lb

Sony a7R IV vs Nikon D850 Specs

Below you will find the complete and detailed technical specs for both Sony a7R IV 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 a7R IV
Nikon D850
Name Sony a7R IV Nikon D850
Manufacturer Sony Nikon
Release Date and Price
Sony a7R IV
Nikon D850
Release Year 2019 2017
Release Date 2019-07-16 2017-07-25
MSRP 3499 USD 3299 USD
Buy it today
Camera Type
Sony a7R IV
Nikon D850
Camera Type Mirrorless DSLR
Sensor
Sony a7R IV
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 9504 x 6336 pixels 8256 x 5504 pixels
Megapixels 61 MP 46 MP
Image Processor Bionz X EXPEED 5
Image
Sony a7R IV
Nikon D850
ISO Range 100 - 32000 64 - 25600
White Balance Presets 9 14
Custom White Balance Yes Yes
Image Stabilization Yes
(Sensor-Shift)
No
Image Stabilization CIPA Rating 5.5 stops 0 stops
Uncompressed format RAW RAW + TIFF
Optics & Focus
Sony a7R IV
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 567 151
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 a7R IV
Nikon D850
Articulated LCD Tilting 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 0.78x 0.75×
Viewfinder Resolution 5760000 0
Photography features
Sony a7R IV
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 Yes 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 a7R IV
Nikon D850
Video recording Yes Yes
Video format MPEG4
H.264
XAVC-S
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 a7R IV
Nikon D850
Memory Card SD/SDHC
SD/SDHC
XQD
Connectivity
Sony a7R IV
Nikon D850
HDMI Output Yes Yes
Microphone Port Yes Yes
Headphone Port Yes Yes
Wireless Yes
Built-in (802.11ac + Bluetooth 4.1 + NFC)
Yes
Built-In ( 802.11b/g + NFC + Bluetooth 4.1 LE)
Remote Control Yes (via smartphone) Yes (wired, wireless, smartphone)
GPS No No
Body & Dimensions
Sony a7R IV
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) 670 shots 1840 shots
Width 129 mm 146 mm
Height 96 mm 124 mm
Depth 78 mm 79 mm
Weight 665 gram 1005 gram