Canon R5 Mark II vs Nikon D850

The Canon EOS R5 Mark II and the Nikon D850 are two digital cameras that were announced, respectively, in July 2024 and July 2017. The R5 Mark II is a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera, while the D850 is a DSLR. Both cameras are equipped with a full frame sensor. The Canon has a resolution of 44.8 megapixels, whereas the Nikon provides 45.4 MP.

Below is an overview of the main specs of the two cameras as a starting point for the comparison.

Headline Specifications

Canon R5 Mark II		Nikon D850
Mirrorless system camera		Digital single lens reflex
Canon RF mount lenses		Nikon F mount lenses
44.8 MP – Full Frame sensor		45.4 MP – Full Frame sensor
8k/60p Video		4K/30p Video
ISO 100-51,200 (50 - 102,400)		ISO 64-25,600 (32 - 102,400)
Electronic viewfinder (5760k dots)		Optical viewfinder
3.2" LCD – 2100k dots		3.2" LCD – 2359k dots
Swivel touchscreen		Tilting touchscreen
12 shutter flaps per second		9 shutter flaps per second
In-body stabilization		Lens stabilization only
Weathersealed body		Weathersealed body
340 shots per battery charge		1840 shots per battery charge
138 x 98 x 88 mm, 746 g		146 x 124 x 79 mm, 1005 g

Check R5 Mark II price at
amazon.com
Check D850 price at
amazon.com

Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Canon EOS R5 Mark II and the Nikon D850? Which one should you buy? Read on to find out how these two cameras compare with respect to their body size, their imaging sensors, their shooting features, their input-output connections, and their reception by expert reviewers.

Body comparison

The physical size and weight of the Canon R5 Mark II and the Nikon D850 are illustrated in the side-by-side display below. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three successive views from the front, the top, and the rear are shown. All width, height and depth measures are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Nikon D850 is notably larger (34 percent) than the Canon R5 Mark II. Moreover, the D850 is substantially heavier (35 percent) than the R5 Mark II. In this context, it is worth noting that both cameras are splash and dust-proof and can, hence, be used in inclement weather conditions or harsh environments.

The above size and weight comparisons are to some extent incomplete since they do not consider the interchangeable lenses that both of these cameras require. Hence, you might want to study and compare the specifications of available lenses in order to get the full picture of the size and weight of the two camera systems.

The power pack in the R5 Mark II can be charged via the USB port, so that it is not always necessary to take the battery charger along when travelling.

The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the two cameras alongside a broader set of comparators. In case you want to display and compare another camera duo, you can use the CAM-parator app to select your camera combination among a large number of options.

Body Specifications

		Camera Model	Camera Width	Camera Height	Camera Depth	Camera Weight	Battery Life	Weather Sealing	Camera Launch	Launch Price	Street Price
1.		Canon R5 Mark II	138 mm	98 mm	88 mm	746 g	340	Y	Jul 2024	US$ 4 299	amazon.com
2.		Nikon D850	146 mm	124 mm	79 mm	1005 g	1840	Y	Jul 2017	US$ 3 299	amazon.com
3.		Canon 5DS	152 mm	116 mm	76 mm	930 g	700	Y	Feb 2015	US$ 3 699	ebay.com
4.		Canon 5DS R	152 mm	116 mm	76 mm	930 g	700	Y	Feb 2015	US$ 3 699	ebay.com
5.		Canon R1	158 mm	150 mm	87 mm	1115 g	1330	Y	Jul 2024	US$ 6 299	amazon.com
6.		Canon R5	138 mm	98 mm	88 mm	738 g	320	Y	Jul 2020	US$ 3 899	amazon.com
7.		Canon R5 C	142 mm	101 mm	111 mm	770 g	320	Y	Jan 2022	US$ 4 499	amazon.com
8.		Canon R6	138 mm	98 mm	88 mm	680 g	360	Y	Jul 2020	US$ 2 499	amazon.com
9.		Canon R6 Mark II	138 mm	98 mm	88 mm	670 g	450	Y	Nov 2022	US$ 2 499	amazon.com
10.		Nikon D5	160 mm	159 mm	92 mm	1415 g	3780	Y	Jan 2016	US$ 6 499	ebay.com
11.		Nikon D610	141 mm	113 mm	82 mm	850 g	900	Y	Oct 2013	US$ 1 999	ebay.com
12.		Nikon D810	146 mm	123 mm	82 mm	980 g	1200	Y	Jun 2014	US$ 3 299	ebay.com
13.		Nikon Z8	144 mm	119 mm	83 mm	910 g	340	Y	May 2023	US$ 3 999	amazon.com
14.		Panasonic S1R II	134 mm	102 mm	92 mm	795 g	350	Y	May 2025	US$ 3 299	amazon.com
15.		Panasonic S5 II	134 mm	102 mm	90 mm	740 g	370	Y	Jan 2023	US$ 1 999	amazon.com
16.		Sony A1 II	136 mm	97 mm	83 mm	743 g	520	Y	Nov 2024	US$ 6 499	amazon.com
17.		Sony A7R V	131 mm	97 mm	82 mm	723 g	530	Y	Oct 2022	US$ 3 899	amazon.com
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.
Convert to Imperial

Any camera decision will obviously take relative prices into account. The retail prices at the time of the camera’s release place the model in the market relative to other models in the producer’s line-up and the competition. The D850 was launched at a somewhat lower price (by 23 percent) than the R5 Mark II, which makes it more attractive for photographers on a tight budget. Normally, street prices remain initially close to the MSRP, but after a couple of months, the first discounts appear. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down.

Sensor comparison

The size of the imaging sensor is a crucial determinant of image quality. All other things equal, a large sensor will have larger individual pixel-units that offer better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and richer color-depth than smaller pixels in a sensor of the same technological generation. Further, a large sensor camera will give the photographer additional creative options when using shallow depth-of-field to isolate a subject from its background. On the downside, larger sensors are more costly to manufacture and tend to lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.

Both cameras under consideration feature a full frame sensor, but their sensors differ slightly in size. The sensor area in the D850 is 1 percent smaller. They nevertheless have the same format factor of 1.0. Both cameras have a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 3:2.

Despite having a slightly smaller sensor, the D850 offers a slightly higher resolution of 45.4 megapixels, compared with 44.8 MP of the R5 Mark II. This megapixels advantage comes at the cost of a higher pixel density and a smaller size of the individual pixel (with a pixel pitch of 4.35μm versus 4.39μm for the R5 Mark II). Moreover, it should be noted that the R5 Mark II is much more recent (by 6 years and 11 months) than the D850, and its sensor will have benefitted from technological advances during this time that further enhance the light gathering capacity of its pixels. Coming back to sensor resolution, it should be mentioned that the D850 has no anti-alias filter installed, so that it can capture all the detail its sensor resolves.

The R5 Mark II has on-sensor phase detect pixels, which results in fast and reliable autofocus acquisition even during live view operation.

The Canon EOS R5 Mark II has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 51200, which can be extended to ISO 50-102400. The corresponding ISO settings for the Nikon D850 are ISO 64 to ISO 25600, with the possibility to increase the ISO range to 32-102400.

In terms of underlying technology, the R5 Mark II is build around a CMOS sensor, while the D850 uses a BSI-CMOS imager. Both cameras use a Bayer filter for capturing RGB colors on a square grid of photosensors. This arrangement is found in most digital cameras.

Since 2007, DXO Mark has published sensor performance measurements that have been derived using a consistent methodology. This service is based on lab testing and assigns an overall score to each camera sensor, as well as ratings for dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), color depth ("DXO Portrait"), and low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports"). The following table provides an overview of the physical sensor characteristics, as well as the sensor quality measurements for a selection of comparators.

Sensor Characteristics

		Camera Model	Sensor Class	Resolution (MP)	Horiz. Pixels	Vert. Pixels	Video Format	DXO Portrait	DXO Landscape	DXO Sports	DXO Overall
1.		Canon R5 Mark II	Full Frame	44.8	8192	5464	8k/60p	25.4	14.8	3332	97
2.		Nikon D850	Full Frame	45.4	8256	5504	4K/30p	26.4	14.8	2660	100
3.		Canon 5DS	Full Frame	50.3	8688	5792	1080/30p	24.7	12.4	2381	87
4.		Canon 5DS R	Full Frame	50.3	8688	5792	1080/30p	24.6	12.4	2308	86
5.		Canon R1	Full Frame	24.0	6000	4000	6K/60p	25.4	14.8	3332	97
6.		Canon R5	Full Frame	44.8	8192	5464	8K/30p	25.3	14.6	3042	95
7.		Canon R5 C	Full Frame	44.8	8192	5464	8k/60p	25.4	14.5	3082	96
8.		Canon R6	Full Frame	20.0	5472	3648	4k/60p	24.2	14.3	3394	90
9.		Canon R6 Mark II	Full Frame	24.0	6000	4000	4k/60p	25.4	14.6	3154	96
10.		Nikon D5	Full Frame	20.7	5588	3712	4K/30p	25.1	12.3	2343	88
11.		Nikon D610	Full Frame	24.2	6016	4016	1080/30p	25.1	14.4	2925	94
12.		Nikon D810	Full Frame	36.2	7360	4912	1080/60p	25.7	14.8	2853	97
13.		Nikon Z8	Full Frame	45.4	8256	5504	8K/30p	26.3	14.2	2548	98
14.		Panasonic S1R II	Full Frame	44.2	8144	5424	8K/30p	25.4	14.8	3406	97
15.		Panasonic S5 II	Full Frame	24.0	6000	4000	6K/30p	25.4	14.6	3158	96
16.		Sony A1 II	Full Frame	49.8	8640	5760	8k/30p	25.4	14.8	3363	97
17.		Sony A7R V	Full Frame	60.2	9504	6336	8k/24p	26.5	14.8	3187	100
Note: DXO values in italics represent estimates based on sensor size and age.

Many modern cameras cannot only take still pictures, but also record videos. Both cameras under consideration have a sensor with sufficiently fast read-out times for moving pictures, but the R5 Mark II provides a higher video resolution than the D850. It can shoot video footage at 8k/60p, while the Nikon is limited to 4K/30p.

Feature comparison

Beyond body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. For example, the R5 Mark II has an electronic viewfinder (5760k dots), while the D850 has an optical one. Both systems have their advantages, with the electronic viewfinder making it possible to project supplementary shooting information into the framing view, whereas the optical viewfinder offers lag-free viewing and a very clear framing image. The viewfinders of both cameras offer the same field of view (100%), but the viewfinder of the R5 Mark II has a higher magnification than the one of the D850 (0.76x vs 0.75x), so that the size of the image transmitted appears closer to the size seen with the naked human eye. The table below summarizes some of the other core capabilities of the Canon R5 Mark II and Nikon D850 in connection with corresponding information for a sample of similar cameras.

Core Features

		Camera Model	Viewfinder (Type or 000 dots)	Control Panel (yes/no)	LCD Specifications (inch/000 dots)	LCD Attach- ment	Touch Screen (yes/no)	Max Shutter Speed *	Max Shutter Flaps *	Built-in Flash (yes/no)	Built-in Image Stab
1.		Canon R5 Mark II	5760	Y	3.2 / 2100	swivel	Y	1/8000s	12.0/s	n	Y
2.		Nikon D850	optical	Y	3.2 / 2359	tilting	Y	1/8000s	9.0/s	n	n
3.		Canon 5DS	optical	Y	3.2 / 1040	fixed	n	1/8000s	5.0/s	n	n
4.		Canon 5DS R	optical	Y	3.2 / 1040	fixed	n	1/8000s	5.0/s	n	n
5.		Canon R1	9440	Y	3.2 / 2100	swivel	Y	1/8000s	12.0/s	n	Y
6.		Canon R5	5760	Y	3.2 / 2100	swivel	Y	1/8000s	12.0/s	n	Y
7.		Canon R5 C	5760	Y	3.2 / 2100	swivel	Y	1/8000s	12.0/s	n	n
8.		Canon R6	3690	n	3.0 / 1620	swivel	Y	1/8000s	12.0/s	n	Y
9.		Canon R6 Mark II	3690	n	3.0 / 1620	swivel	Y	1/8000s	12.0/s	n	Y
10.		Nikon D5	optical	Y	3.2 / 2359	fixed	Y	1/8000s	14.0/s	n	n
11.		Nikon D610	optical	Y	3.2 / 921	fixed	n	1/4000s	6.0/s	Y	n
12.		Nikon D810	optical	Y	3.2 / 1229	fixed	n	1/8000s	5.0/s	Y	n
13.		Nikon Z8	3690	Y	3.2 / 2089	full-flex	Y	1/32000s	30.0/s	n	Y
14.		Panasonic S1R II	5760	n	3.2 / 1840	full-flex	Y	1/8000s	9.0/s	n	Y
15.		Panasonic S5 II	3680	n	3.0 / 1840	swivel	Y	1/8000s	9.0/s	n	Y
16.		Sony A1 II	9437	n	3.2 / 2100	full-flex	Y	1/8000s	30.0/s	n	Y
17.		Sony A7R V	9440	n	3.2 / 2100	full-flex	Y	1/8000s	10.0/s	n	Y
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.

One feature that differentiates the R5 Mark II and the D850 is in-body image stabilization (IBIS). The R5 Mark II reduces the risk of handshake-induced blur with all attached lenses, while the D850 offers no blur reduction with lenses that themselves do not provide optical image stabilization.

The reported shutter speed information refers to the use of the mechanical shutter. Yet, some cameras only have an electronic shutter, while others have an electronic shutter in addition to a mechanical one. In fact, the R5 Mark II is one of those camera that have an additional electronic shutter, which makes completely silent shooting possible. However, this mode is less suitable for photographing moving objects (risk of rolling shutter) or shooting under artificial light sources (risk of flickering).

The Canon R5 Mark II and the Nikon D850 both have an intervalometer built-in. This enables the photographer to capture time lapse sequences, such as flower blooming, a sunset or moon rise, without purchasing an external camera trigger and related software.

The R5 Mark II writes its imaging data to CFexpress (type B) or SDXC cards, while the D850 uses SDXC or XQD cards. Both cameras feature dual card slots, which can be very useful in case a memory card fails. Both cameras support UHS-II cards, which provide for Ultra High Speed data transfer of up to 312 MB/s.

Connectivity comparison

For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Canon EOS R5 Mark II and Nikon D850 and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

Input-Output Connections

		Camera Model	Hotshoe Port	Internal Mic / Speaker	Microphone Port	Headphone Port	HDMI Port	USB Port	WiFi Support	NFC Support	Bluetooth Support
1.		Canon R5 Mark II	Y	mono / mono	Y	Y	full	3.2	Y	-	Y
2.		Nikon D850	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	mini	3.0	Y	Y	Y
3.		Canon 5DS	Y	mono / mono	Y	-	mini	3.0	-	-	-
4.		Canon 5DS R	Y	mono / mono	Y	-	mini	3.0	-	-	-
5.		Canon R1	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	full	3.2	Y	-	Y
6.		Canon R5	Y	mono / mono	Y	Y	micro	3.2	Y	-	Y
7.		Canon R5 C	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	3.2	Y	-	Y
8.		Canon R6	Y	mono / mono	Y	Y	micro	3.2	Y	-	Y
9.		Canon R6 Mark II	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	3.2	Y	-	Y
10.		Nikon D5	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	mini	3.0	-	-	-
11.		Nikon D610	Y	mono / mono	Y	Y	mini	2.0	-	-	-
12.		Nikon D810	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	mini	3.0	Y	-	-
13.		Nikon Z8	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	full	3.2	Y	-	Y
14.		Panasonic S1R II	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	full	3.2	Y	-	Y
15.		Panasonic S5 II	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	full	3.2	Y	-	Y
16.		Sony A1 II	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	full	3.2	Y	-	Y
17.		Sony A7R V	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	full	3.2	Y	-	Y

Both cameras feature a PC Sync terminal to control professional strobe lights, which will be appreciated by studio photographers.

Both the R5 Mark II and the D850 are recent models that are part of the current product line-up. The D850 replaced the earlier Nikon D810, while the R5 Mark II followed on from the Canon R5. Further information on the two cameras (e.g. user guides, manuals), as well as related accessories, can be found on the official Canon and Nikon websites.

Review summary

So what is the bottom line? Is there a clear favorite between the Canon R5 Mark II and the Nikon D850? Which camera is better? A synthesis of the relative strong points of each of the models is listed below.

Advantages of the Canon EOS R5 Mark II:

• Better moiré control: Has an anti-alias filter to avoid artificial patterns to appear in images.
• Better video: Provides higher definition movie capture (8k/60p vs 4K/30p).
• Better live-view autofocus: Features on-sensor phase-detection for more confident autofocus.
• More framing info: Has an electronic viewfinder that displays shooting data.
• Larger viewfinder image: Features a viewfinder with a higher magnification (0.76x vs 0.75x).
• More flexible LCD: Has a swivel screen for odd-angle shots in portrait or landscape orientation.
• More selfie-friendly: Has an articulated screen that can be turned to be front-facing.
• Faster burst: Shoots at higher frequency (12 vs 9 flaps/sec) to capture the decisive moment.
• Less disturbing: Has an electronic shutter option for completely silent shooting.
• More compact: Is smaller (138x98mm vs 146x124mm) and thus needs less room in the bag.
• Less heavy: Is lighter (by 259g or 26 percent) and hence easier to carry around.
• Easier travel charging: Can be conveniently charged via its USB port.
• Sharper images: Has hand-shake reducing image stabilization built-in.
• More legacy lens friendly: Can take a broad range of non-native lenses via adapters.
• More solid recording: Has a full-sized HDMI port for a sturdy connection to an external recorder.
• More modern: Reflects 6 years and 11 months of technical progress since the D850 launch.

Reasons to prefer the Nikon D850:

• Maximized detail: Lacks an anti-alias filter to exploit the sensor's full resolution potential.
• Brighter framing: Features an optical viewfinder for clear, lag-free composition.
• More detailed LCD: Has a higher resolution rear screen (2359k vs 2100k dots).
• Longer lasting: Gets more shots (1840 versus 340) out of a single battery charge.
• Easier device pairing: Supports NFC for fast wireless image transfer over short distances.
• More affordable: Was released into a lower priced segment (23 percent cheaper at launch).
• More heavily discounted: Has been around for much longer (launched in July 2017).

If the count of relative strengths (bullet points above) is taken as a measure, the R5 Mark II is the clear winner of the match-up (16 : 7 points). However, the pertinence of the various camera strengths will differ across photographers, so that you might want to weigh individual camera traits according to their importance for your own imaging needs before making a camera decision. A professional sports photographer will view the differences between cameras in a way that diverges from the perspective of a street photog, and a person interested in family portraits has distinct needs from a landscape shooter. Hence, the decision which camera is best and worth buying is often a very personal one.

How about other alternatives? Do the specifications of the Canon R5 Mark II and the Nikon D850 place the cameras among the top in their class? Find out in the latest Best Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera and Best DSLR Camera listings whether the two cameras rank among the cream of the crop.

In any case, while the specs-based evaluation of cameras can be instructive in revealing their potential as photographic tools, it remains incomplete and does no justice, for example, to the way the R5 Mark II or the D850 perform in practice. User reviews, such as those found at amazon, can sometimes inform about these issues, but such feedback is often incomplete, inconsistent, and biased.

Expert reviews

This is why hands-on reviews by experts are important. The table below provides a synthesis of the camera assessments of some of the best known photo-gear review sites (amateurphotographer [AP], cameralabs [CL], digitalcameraworld [DCW], dpreview [DPR], ephotozine [EPZ], photographyblog [PB]). As can be seen, the professional reviewers agree in many cases on the quality of different cameras, but sometimes their assessments diverge, reinforcing the earlier point that a camera decision is often a very personal choice.

Expert Camera Reviews

		Camera   Model	AP   score	CL   score	DCW   score	DPR   score	EPZ   score	PB   score	Camera Launch	Launch Price	Street Price
1.		Canon R5 Mark II	..	..	..	93/100	..	..	Jul 2024	US$ 4 299	amazon.com
2.		Nikon D850	4.5/5	+ +	5/5	89/100	4.5/5	5/5	Jul 2017	US$ 3 299	amazon.com
3.		Canon 5DS	..	+	..	83/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2015	US$ 3 699	ebay.com
4.		Canon 5DS R	5/5	+	..	83/100	5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2015	US$ 3 699	ebay.com
5.		Canon R1	..	..	..	..	..	..	Jul 2024	US$ 6 299	amazon.com
6.		Canon R5	4.5/5	+	4/5	91/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jul 2020	US$ 3 899	amazon.com
7.		Canon R5 C	..	+ +	..	..	..	..	Jan 2022	US$ 4 499	amazon.com
8.		Canon R6	5/5	+ +	4/5	90/100	4.5/5	5/5	Jul 2020	US$ 2 499	amazon.com
9.		Canon R6 Mark II	5/5	+ +	4.5/5	91/100	4.5/5	5/5	Nov 2022	US$ 2 499	amazon.com
10.		Nikon D5	..	..	4/5	89/100	4.5/5	5/5	Jan 2016	US$ 6 499	ebay.com
11.		Nikon D610	4/5	+ +	..	87/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Oct 2013	US$ 1 999	ebay.com
12.		Nikon D810	5/5	..	5/5	86/100	5/5	4.5/5	Jun 2014	US$ 3 299	ebay.com
13.		Nikon Z8	5/5	..	5/5	94/100	5/5	4.5/5	May 2023	US$ 3 999	amazon.com
14.		Panasonic S1R II	..	..	..	..	..	..	May 2025	US$ 3 299	amazon.com
15.		Panasonic S5 II	4.5/5	+ +	5/5	90/100	4.5/5	5/5	Jan 2023	US$ 1 999	amazon.com
16.		Sony A1 II	..	..	..	..	..	..	Nov 2024	US$ 6 499	amazon.com
17.		Sony A7R V	5/5	+ +	4.5/5	92/100	..	..	Oct 2022	US$ 3 899	amazon.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

The review scores listed above should be treated with care, though. The ratings were established in reference to similarly priced cameras that were available in the market at the time of the review. A score, therefore, has to be seen in close connection to the price and market introduction time of the camera, and comparisons of ratings among very different cameras or across long time periods have little meaning. Also, kindly note that some of the listed sites have over time developped their review approaches and their reporting style.

Check R5 Mark II price at
amazon.com
Check D850 price at
amazon.com

Other camera comparisons

Did this review help to inform your camera decision process? If you would like to see a different side-by-side camera review, just make a corresponding selection in the search boxes below. As an alternative, you can also directly jump to any one of the listed comparisons that were previously generated by the CAM-parator tool.

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Check R5 Mark II price at
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Check D850 price at
amazon.com

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