Nikon Z7 II vs Sony A850: Which Full-Frame Contender Suits Your Photography Best?

When it comes to high-performance full-frame cameras, two models often pique curiosity in very different ways: the modern mirrorless Nikon Z7 II, announced in late 2020, and the now-classic Sony A850 DSLR from 2010. Both boast full-frame sensors and robust feature sets, yet they stand worlds apart in technology, handling, and performance. As someone who’s put countless cameras through the wringer, I’m here to break down how these two uniquely crafted tools stack up across the broad landscape of photography genres and styles.

Whether you're considering the Z7 II’s cutting-edge mirrorless tech or leaning towards the more traditional DSLR feel of the Sony A850, this hands-on comparison will help you clarify which camera aligns best with your photographic ambitions and budget. Let’s dive in.

First Impression: Size, Style, and Controls - Ergonomics That Matter

Right out of the gate, handling and body design set the tone for your daily shooting experience. Without a doubt, mirrorless cameras like the Nikon Z7 II bring a new ergonomics philosophy compared to DSLRs like the Sony A850.

Check out the size and shape difference here:

The Nikon Z7 II features a compact yet substantial SLR-style mirrorless body, measuring 134 x 101 x 70 mm and weighing about 705 grams. It feels modern and sculpted, benefiting from years of ergonomic refinement. The grip is comfortable for extended handheld shooting, with well-placed buttons and dials. The Z7 II’s lighter weight can reduce fatigue during long days in the field and makes it easier for travel or street photography.

Conversely, the Sony A850 is a heftier beast at 895 grams, more traditional DSLR shape with all the bulk that implies. The larger form factor sometimes translates to better balance with heavy lenses but adds weight and size that can tire you out faster, especially on hikes or urban walks. The classic optical pentaprism viewfinder body is robust yet less streamlined.

Moving to control layouts, the Nikon shines with a modern, customizable set of buttons augmented by a convenient top LCD (more on that next), while the Sony retains a straightforward but dated button scheme, which might feel clunkier if you’re accustomed to newer cameras.

Control and Top Panel Overview: How Intuitive Is Your Camera’s Interface?

When you’re in the zone, quick control access and interface clarity make a big difference.

Here’s a look at their top view control designs and interfaces:

The Nikon Z7 II sports a sleek and logical top panel arrangement, including a handy top information LCD screen - a feature often missing on mirrorless bodies but here thoughtfully included, helping you check key settings at a glance without turning on the rear LCD.

Sony’s A850 opts for a classic DSLR layout with dedicated dials for mode, ISO, and exposure compensation - which some photographers love for tactile feedback but can be less efficient when you want to navigate menus quickly. The absence of a dedicated top info screen means more reliance on the rear LCD, which can burn battery.

Both cameras provide well-lit buttons albeit no dedicated backlight illumination, which is acceptable but a feature I wish manufacturers would universally adopt by now.

Sensor Technology and Image Quality: The Heart of the Machine

The biggest leap between these two cameras is indisputably their sensor tech.

Observe their sensor sizes and resolutions side by side:

• Nikon Z7 II: Features a 45.7MP backside-illuminated (BSI) CMOS sensor measuring 35.9 x 23.9 mm. This sensor lacks an anti-aliasing filter, pushing for enhanced sharpness and resolution. It boasts a native ISO range from 64 to 25,600, expandable down to 32 and up to 102,400, giving you both low-noise shadows and higher ISO versatility.

• Sony A850: Houses a 24.6MP traditional CMOS full-frame sensor (35.9 x 24 mm) with an optical low-pass filter (anti-aliasing). The native ISO tops out at 3,200, expandable to 6,400. While less resolving than the Z7 II, it was competitive for its era and still delivers excellent image quality today.

From hands-on testing, the Z7 II’s sensor clearly delivers better dynamic range, color depth, and low-light performance thanks to its modern architecture. Portraits benefit from amazing skin tone gradation and detail; landscapes yield jaw-dropping sharpness and highlight recovery. The lack of AA filter sharpens images significantly without introducing notable moiré issues in practical shooting.

The A850 sensor, while less advanced, remains a solid performer for basic full-frame demands - great for canonical DSLR users who prize durability and familiarity over cutting-edge specs.

Viewing and Composing: Electronic vs Optical Viewfinders

An important consideration is how you visualize your shot in-camera.

The Nikon Z7 II replaces the traditional optical viewfinder with a high-resolution electronic one:

• 3.69 million dot OLED EVF
• 0.8x magnification
• 100% coverage

The Sony A850, faithful to DSLR tradition, sports a pentaprism optical viewfinder which naturally offers zero lag and excellent clarity, but with 98% coverage and 0.74x magnification.

While some purists often prefer optical viewfinders for their natural colors and no delay, the Z7 II’s EVF brings compelling benefits - including real-time exposure previews, live histogram overlays, focus peaking, and more. When I tested in the field, the Z7 II’s EVF was bright and detailed, giving near-real optical viewing experience without compromise. Plus, an EVF is hugely advantageous in low or artificial lighting.

Complement your framing with their rear LCD displays:

Here, Nikon’s 3.2-inch tilting touchscreen is a blessing. It makes navigating menus, pin-point focusing, and reviewing shots more intuitive and versatile compared to the static 3-inch fixed TFT screen on the Sony A850, which also lacks touch sensitivity and has comparatively lower resolution.

Autofocus and Speed: Tracking Subjects in the Real World

If you shoot fast-paced genres like sports or wildlife, autofocus performance is non-negotiable.

The Z7 II is on the cutting edge here with:

• 493 phase-detection AF points across a wide area
• Subject tracking including eye and animal-eye AF
• Continuous AF supported at up to 10 fps

The Sony A850 utilizes 9 phase-detection points, lacking continuous tracking and face or eye detection - features that were decades away when it launched.

In practice, the Z7 II nails fast, accurate focus acquisitions even under challenging lighting. Eye-detection for portraits works superbly, consistently locking and tracking without hunting. The burst mode at 10 fps combined with AF tracking renders it well-suited for sports and wildlife photography.

On the other hand, the A850’s AF system, though solid for still subjects and studio work, can struggle with fast or erratic movement due to limited point count and absence of modern tracking algorithms. Its 3 fps burst rate falls short for action photographers demanding quick successive frames.

Handling Across Photography Disciplines: Strengths and Limitations

Let’s break down how these cameras perform in different real-world photography niches that matter to us.

Portraits

• Nikon Z7 II: Exceptional color science and skin tone rendering, combined with eye AF and bokeh-rich lenses in the Z-mount lineup, help produce beautifully detailed portraits with pleasing subject separation. Sensor resolution allows for large, detailed prints or flexible cropping.
• Sony A850: While capable of nice portraits, lacks refined eye tracking and has a lower resolution sensor, necessitating slower lenses or more reliance on lighting to obtain creamy background blur.

Landscapes

• Nikon Z7 II: High resolution, wide dynamic range, and excellent weather sealing (dust and moisture resistant) let you capture expansive scenes with nuanced detail and vibrant, natural colors. Five-axis in-body image stabilization helps even with non-stabilized lenses.
• Sony A850: Good dynamic range for its time, slightly less resolution, and basic weather resistance. Performance is decent but trails modern mirrorless models in subtle shadow detail and highlight recovery.

Wildlife Photography

• Nikon Z7 II: The advanced autofocus system with animal eye tracking and high burst rate makes this camera a strong contender for wildlife shooters. Paired with native Z-mount telephoto options or adapted lenses, focal length and autofocus speed become formidable.
• Sony A850: Autofocus and burst speed limit usability for erratic wildlife action. Older lens ecosystem and heavier body can hamper long handheld telephoto use.

Sports

• Nikon Z7 II: Modern AF tracking algorithms, quick continuous shooting, and robust build make it suitable for various sports - including indoor and low-light environments - with impressive ISO adaptability.
• Sony A850: Sports use is challenging due to slow AF and lower burst rate. Suited for casual sports or posed events but not high-action sequences.

Street Photography

• Nikon Z7 II: The compact body and quiet shutter modes support discreet shooting needed for the street, plus excellent low-light ISO performance possibilities.
• Sony A850: Larger, heavier, noisier shutter; lack of touch interface can slow composition; less suited for stealth.

Macro

• Nikon Z7 II: Focus stacking and bracketing are supported, combined with in-body stabilization and precise AF; ideal for close-up shooters seeking detailed images.
• Sony A850: No focus stacking or bracketing; relies heavily on lens stabilization; slower focusing method less conducive to handheld macro work.

Night and Astro Photography

• Nikon Z7 II: Superior high-ISO noise control and low-light AF help astrophotographers nail critical focus and extended exposures.
• Sony A850: Limited ISO range and older noise reduction systems restrict astrophotography possibilities.

Video Capabilities

• Nikon Z7 II: Offers 4K UHD 60p video with 10-bit output support, microphone and headphone jacks, and in-body stabilization - solid for hybrid shooters.
• Sony A850: No video recording capability.

Travel Photography

• Nikon Z7 II: Relatively compact, lightweight, versatile lens ecosystem, weather sealing, and dual card slots translate into a great travel companion.
• Sony A850: Heavier, less compact, fewer lens choices suited for travel; still reliable but bulkier.

Professional Workflow

• Nikon Z7 II: Supports high-bit-depth 14-bit RAW files, fast USB-C transfer, and broad software compatibility; a proven workhorse for demanding assignments.
• Sony A850: Outputs 14-bit RAW but slower USB 2.0; firmware and software less frequently updated.

Build Quality, Weather Resistance, and Battery Life

Both cameras are built to withstand professional use, featuring environmental sealing against moisture and dust, but with caveats.

The Nikon Z7 II’s body delivers solid protection for outdoor use, though not explicitly waterproof. Its magnesium alloy construction feels durable yet light.

The Sony A850 also features rugged construction and weather resistance, but its larger body can be cumbersome.

Battery life is a notable divergence:

• Nikon Z7 II offers around 420 shots per charge (CIPA rating), typical for mirrorless cameras.
• Sony A850 impressively manages 880 shots, benefiting from a more power-efficient optical viewfinder system.

Depending on your shooting style (mirrorless generally consumes more power), you may want to carry spares with the Nikon or appreciate the longer life of the Sony.

Lens Ecosystem and Compatibility: Choosing Your Optics

Lenses make or break your photography.

• The Nikon Z7 II uses the new Z-mount, which supports cutting-edge optics with wide diameters and short flange distance, enabling faster apertures and sharper corners. Native Z-mount lenses are increasing steadily, around 15 at launch, and compatible with older F-mount lenses via the FTZ adapter, expanding your options to several hundred lenses.

• The Sony A850 employs the Sony/Minolta Alpha mount with a huge catalog of 143 lenses - including many excellent Zeiss and third-party options. While older and sometimes heavier, this robust ecosystem means you rarely lack specialized optics.

Connectivity, Storage, and Extras

The Nikon Z7 II edges ahead here with modern connectivity:

• Built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth for remote control and wireless image transfer.
• Dual card slots for CFexpress/XQD and SD UHS-II cards ensure speed and redundancy.
• USB-C port and full-size HDMI output.
• Microphone and headphone jacks support advanced audio workflows.

By contrast, the Sony A850 lacks wireless features, has older USB 2.0, dual card slots supporting CF and Memory Stick Duo, and no microphone inputs, which limits multimedia applications.

Value Analysis: Price and Practicality

The Nikon Z7 II currently retails around $3,000 body-only - a premium investment justified by modern features, sensor performance, and future-proofing.

The Sony A850, no longer produced and only available second-hand, can be found at much lower prices but lacks many contemporary features.

I’d say, for new buyers looking for comprehensive capability and longevity, the Nikon makes more sense, especially if you value video or advanced autofocus.

For collectors, enthusiasts on a budget, or those loving the DSLR experience, the Sony A850 still delivers respectable image quality and ruggedness.

Gallery of Sample Images: Real-World Output Comparison

To illustrate subtle and overt differences, here’s a gallery showing images from both cameras under varied conditions.

Nikon Z7 II front Nikon Z7 II screen back Sony A850 front Sony A850 screen back

Look closely at details in shadows, highlight retention, and color rendition particularly in portrait skin tones and landscape textures - the Nikon Z7 II consistently pulls ahead thanks to higher resolution and improved processing.

Ratings at a Glance: Overall and By Photography Type

Finally, my performance ratings across key criteria:

The Nikon Z7 II dominates in autofocus, video, low-light, and versatility, while the Sony A850 shines in battery life and traditional DSLR sturdiness.

Which Camera Should You Choose?

If you want state-of-the-art sensor quality, speed, and flexibility in a lighter package - plus video and connectivity - the Nikon Z7 II is your clear winner. It’s tailored for pros and serious enthusiasts who demand strong performance across portraits, landscapes, wildlife, and video.

On the other hand, if you’re budget-conscious, an aficionado of classic DSLRs, or seeking a camera focused solely on stills with longer battery life and a massive existing lens collection, the Sony A850 still holds appeal - though note the compromises in autofocus, screens, and video.

Summing It Up: Practical Advice from a Seasoned Tester

In over 15 years of camera testing, I’ve learned that the best camera is the one that fits your subject, style, and workflow seamlessly. The Nikon Z7 II advances mirrorless technology impressively - its sensor, autofocus, and usability improvements make it a compelling tool for those embracing the future of professional photography.

The Sony A850 has aged well and remains a solid DSLR for those who appreciate its robust build and legacy system, but it shows its age in many nuanced ways.

If you want everyday ease, cutting-edge tech, and incredible image quality without compromises, the Nikon Z7 II should be on your shortlist. The Sony A850 may still charm traditionalists or cost-conscious hobbyists - but it’s a camera I’d only recommend if mirrorless isn’t an option.

Here’s to finding the camera that inspires you and meets your photographic journey best!

• Your trusted fellow enthusiast and camera tester