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 a9
VS
Sensor area
858 mm²
D850847 mm²
Alpha a9- Area ratio
- 1.01:1
- Absolute difference
- 11 mm²
- Relative difference
- 1.3%
The D850 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 a9
45.7 MPEffective pixels24.2 MP
35.9 × 23.9Sensor35.6 × 23.8
4.33 µmPixel pitch5.92 µm
18.77 µm²Pixel area35.01 µm²
5.33 MP/cm²Pixel density2.86 MP/cm²
1Crop factor1.01
3,840 × 2,160Maximum video3,840 × 2,160
915 gWeight673 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 D850 has the larger sensor area. The Alpha a9 has the lighter body. The D850 has the higher effective resolution. The D850 and Alpha a9 were both released in 2017. Also consider the lens system and subjects you shoot.
Reasons to choose Alpha a9
Released in 2017, Alpha a9 has about 847 mm² of sensor area, 24.2 MP effective resolution, and a 673 g body. Use these values to narrow the field, not as an overall image-quality score.