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Canon 5D MII vs Nikon D850

Portability
56
Imaging
65
Features
70
Overall
67
Canon EOS 5D Mark II front
 
Nikon D850 front
Portability
54
Imaging
77
Features
87
Overall
81

Canon 5D MII vs Nikon D850 Key Specs

Canon 5D MII
(Full Review)
  • 21MP - Full frame Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 100 - 6400 (Increase to 25600)
  • 1/8000s Maximum Shutter
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Canon EF Mount
  • 850g - 152 x 114 x 75mm
  • Launched February 2009
  • Earlier Model is Canon 5D
  • Refreshed by Canon 5D MIII
Nikon D850
(Full Review)
  • 46MP - Full frame Sensor
  • 3.2" Tilting Screen
  • ISO 64 - 25600 (Raise to 102400)
  • No Anti-Alias Filter
  • 1/8000s Max Shutter
  • 3840 x 2160 video
  • Nikon F Mount
  • 1015g - 146 x 124 x 79mm
  • Introduced August 2017
  • Old Model is Nikon D810
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Canon 5D MII vs Nikon D850 Overview

Following is a thorough overview of the Canon 5D MII vs Nikon D850, both Advanced DSLR cameras by brands Canon and Nikon. There exists a big gap among the sensor resolutions of the 5D MII (21MP) and D850 (46MP) but both cameras posses the same sensor sizes (Full frame).

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The 5D MII was unveiled 9 years prior to the D850 which is a fairly big gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of the cameras have the same body design (Mid-size SLR).

Before diving right into a in depth comparison, here is a simple introduction of how the 5D MII matches up vs the D850 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

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Reasons to pick Canon 5D MII over the Nikon D850

 5D MII D850 

Reasons to pick Nikon D850 over the Canon 5D MII

 D850 5D MII 
IntroducedAugust 2017February 2009More modern by 103 months
Screen typeTiltingFixed Tilting screen
Screen dimensions3.2"3"Bigger screen (+0.2")
Screen resolution2359k920kClearer screen (+1439k dot)
Touch screen Quickly navigate

Common features in the Canon 5D MII and Nikon D850

 5D MII D850 
Manual focus Dial precise focus
Selfie screen Missing selfie screen

Canon 5D MII vs Nikon D850 Physical Comparison

If you are aiming to carry around your camera frequently, you'll have to consider its weight and proportions. The Canon 5D MII has got physical measurements of 152mm x 114mm x 75mm (6.0" x 4.5" x 3.0") along with a weight of 850 grams (1.87 lbs) and the Nikon D850 has measurements of 146mm x 124mm x 79mm (5.7" x 4.9" x 3.1") along with a weight of 1015 grams (2.24 lbs).

Compare the Canon 5D MII vs Nikon D850 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you have at that moment. Underneath is a front view proportions comparison of the 5D MII versus the D850.

Canon 5D MII vs Nikon D850 size comparison

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability score of the 5D MII and D850 is 56 and 54 respectively.

Canon 5D MII vs Nikon D850 top view buttons comparison

Canon 5D MII vs Nikon D850 Sensor Comparison

Sometimes, it's hard to see the gap in sensor sizes only by checking out specifications. The picture underneath might give you a far better sense of the sensor measurements in the 5D MII and D850.

Plainly, both of these cameras provide the same sensor dimensions albeit not the same MP. You should expect the Nikon D850 to provide greater detail having an extra 25 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also enable you to crop pictures more aggressively. The more aged 5D MII will be behind when it comes to sensor tech.

Canon 5D MII vs Nikon D850 sensor size comparison

Canon 5D MII vs Nikon D850 Screen and ViewFinder

Canon 5D MII vs Nikon D850 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Canon 5D MII Portrait photography features
Nikon D850 Portrait photography features
79
manual focus
decent MP (21 megapixels)
sensor size is large (Full frame)
has face detection focusing
supports RAW formats
86
focusing manually
excellent megapixels (46 megapixels)
sensor size is large (Full frame)
provides face detect autofocus
exports RAW formats
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Street Comparison

Canon 5D MII Street photography advice
Nikon D850 Street photography advice
59
sensor size is large (Full frame)
supports RAW formats
weather sealing
no articulating screen
lack of image stabilization
66
screen tilts
sensor size is large (Full frame)
exports RAW formats
provides focus via touch
weather sealing
good high ISO (25,600)
does not have image stabilization
heavier than average (1,015g)
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Sports Comparison

Canon 5D MII Sports photography information
Nikon D850 Sports photography information
70
high shutter speed (1/8,000 seconds)
decent MP (21 megapixels)
sensor size is large (Full frame)
has tracking autofocus
weather sealing
supports phase detect AF
max frames per second very slow (4.0 frames/s)
lack of image stabilization
82
high shutter speed (1/8,000s)
excellent megapixels (46MP)
sensor size is large (Full frame)
provides tracking focus
weather sealing
great battery power (1,840 CIPA)
comes with phase detect autofocus
does not have image stabilization
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Travel Comparison

Travel photography with Canon 5D MII
Travel photography with Nikon D850
55
weather sealing
decent MP (21MP)
does not have Time Lapse function
does not offer selfie friendly screen
65
great battery power (1,840 shots)
weather sealing
supports bluetooth
provides focus via touch
excellent megapixels (46MP)
heavier than average (1,015g)
screen is not selfie friendly
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Landscape Comparison

Canon 5D MII Landscape photography advice
Nikon D850 Landscape photography advice
70
manual focus
change lenses (Canon EF mount)
screen size is good (3")
decent MP (21 megapixels)
sensor size is large (Full frame)
supports RAW formats
weather sealing
lack of image stabilization
does not have Time Lapse function
82
focusing manually
swap lenses (Nikon F mount)
pretty good screen size (3.2 inch)
excellent megapixels (46MP)
sensor size is large (Full frame)
doesnt have low pass filter
good high ISO (25,600)
exports RAW formats
weather sealing
great battery power (1,840 CIPA)
has dual storage slots
does not have image stabilization
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Vlogging Comparison

Vlogging with Canon 5D MII
Vlogging with Nikon D850
29
has face detection focusing
high video quality (1920 x 1080 pixels)
comes with external mic socket
does not offer selfie friendly screen
lack of image stabilization
29
touchscreen functionality
provides face detect autofocus
high res video (3840 x 2160 pixels)
does have mic jack
screen is not selfie friendly
does not have image stabilization
heavier than average (1,015 grams)
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Canon 5D MII vs Nikon D850 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Canon 5D MII and Nikon D850
 Canon EOS 5D Mark IINikon D850
General Information
Brand Canon Nikon
Model type Canon EOS 5D Mark II Nikon D850
Type Advanced DSLR Advanced DSLR
Launched 2009-02-13 2017-08-24
Body design Mid-size SLR Mid-size SLR
Sensor Information
Processor Digic 4 Expeed 5
Sensor type CMOS BSI-CMOS
Sensor size Full frame Full frame
Sensor dimensions 36 x 24mm 35.9 x 23.9mm
Sensor area 864.0mm² 858.0mm²
Sensor resolution 21MP 46MP
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 3:2 1:1, 5:4, 3:2 and 16:9
Full resolution 5616 x 3744 8256 x 5504
Max native ISO 6400 25600
Max boosted ISO 25600 102400
Lowest native ISO 100 64
RAW images
Lowest boosted ISO 50 32
Autofocusing
Focus manually
Touch focus
Continuous AF
Single AF
Tracking AF
Selective AF
Center weighted AF
AF multi area
AF live view
Face detection focusing
Contract detection focusing
Phase detection focusing
Total focus points 9 153
Cross type focus points - 99
Lens
Lens mount type Canon EF Nikon F
Available lenses 250 309
Crop factor 1 1
Screen
Screen type Fixed Type Tilting
Screen sizing 3 inches 3.2 inches
Resolution of screen 920k dot 2,359k dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch function
Screen technology TFT liquid-crystal color LCD -
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder Optical (pentaprism) Optical (pentaprism)
Viewfinder coverage 98 percent 100 percent
Viewfinder magnification 0.71x 0.75x
Features
Lowest shutter speed 30s 30s
Highest shutter speed 1/8000s 1/8000s
Continuous shooting speed 4.0fps 7.0fps
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Expose Manually
Exposure compensation Yes Yes
Set WB
Image stabilization
Inbuilt flash
Flash distance no built-in flash no built-in flash
Flash modes no built-in flash Front-curtain sync (normal), Rear-curtain sync, Red-eye reduction, Red-eye reduction with slow sync, Slow sync
Hot shoe
Auto exposure bracketing
White balance bracketing
Highest flash sync 1/200s 1/250s
Exposure
Multisegment exposure
Average exposure
Spot exposure
Partial exposure
AF area exposure
Center weighted exposure
Video features
Video resolutions 1920 x 1080 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) 3840 x 2160 @ 30p, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM
Max video resolution 1920x1080 3840x2160
Video data format H.264 MPEG-4
Mic input
Headphone input
Connectivity
Wireless None Built-In
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 3.0 (5 GBit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environment seal
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 850g (1.87 pounds) 1015g (2.24 pounds)
Physical dimensions 152 x 114 x 75mm (6.0" x 4.5" x 3.0") 146 x 124 x 79mm (5.7" x 4.9" x 3.1")
DXO scores
DXO All around rating 79 100
DXO Color Depth rating 23.7 26.4
DXO Dynamic range rating 11.9 14.8
DXO Low light rating 1815 2660
Other
Battery life 850 shots 1840 shots
Battery format Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery ID LP-E6 EN-EL15a
Self timer Yes (2 or 10 sec) Yes (2, 5, 10, 20 secs)
Time lapse feature
Type of storage Compact Flash (Type I or II), UDMA, Microdrive SD/SDHC/SDXC (UHS-II supported) + XQD
Storage slots One Dual
Price at launch $1,190 $2,997