Reasons to choose D850
Released in 2017, D850 has about 858 mm² of sensor area, 45.7 MP effective resolution, and a 915 g body. Use these values to narrow the field, not as an overall image-quality score.
Side-by-side comparison
Nikon D850
vs Sony Alpha a7R III
VS
Sensor area
858 mm²
D850862 mm²
Alpha a7R III- Area ratio
- 1:1
- Absolute difference
- 4 mm²
- Relative difference
- 0.4%
The Alpha a7R III has the larger sensor area. More area usually means greater light-gathering potential, though real image quality still depends on sensor architecture and generation.
Key specification differences
D850MetricAlpha a7R III
45.7 MPEffective pixels42.4 MP
35.9 × 23.9Sensor35.9 × 24
4.33 µmPixel pitch4.51 µm
18.77 µm²Pixel area20.32 µm²
5.33 MP/cm²Pixel density4.92 MP/cm²
1Crop factor1
3,840 × 2,160Maximum video3,840 × 2,160
915 gWeight657 g
SD/SDHC/SDXC/XQDStorageSD/SDHC/SDXC/MS PRO Duo
EN-EL15a lithium-ion battery Li-ion batteryBatteryNP-FZ100 lithium-ion battery Li-ion battery
Amber marks the value that is generally preferable in this comparison context. It is not an overall camera score.
How to choose between these cameras
The Alpha a7R III has the larger sensor area. The Alpha a7R III has the lighter body. The D850 has the higher effective resolution. The D850 and Alpha a7R III were both released in 2017. Also consider the lens system and subjects you shoot.
Reasons to choose Alpha a7R III
Released in 2017, Alpha a7R III has about 862 mm² of sensor area, 42.4 MP effective resolution, and a 657 g body. Use these values to narrow the field, not as an overall image-quality score.