Nikon D850 Accessories

Not quite ready to go mirrorless...

Posted on September 17, 2023 by Carolyn Donovan and Wan Chi Lau in Gear & Gadgets, Photography, RainyDayPhotography // 0 Comments

The last time we upgraded our Nikon body we went from a D40 to a D90. A LOT of new Nikon bodies have been released since then, but we resisted because the D90 was “good enough” for our needs.

When Nikon released their Z line of mirrorless bodies and lenses, pros upgraded to the smaller mirrorless units and got rid of their bigger DSLRs.

Because the new mirrorless bodies required new lenses to get the most out of them, though, the switch was a big commitment.

Nikon D850

We’ve been tracking FB Marketplace for the past 6 months, looking for “the right” Nikon D850 body, and we finally found a local pro wedding photographer who was getting rid of hers! It came with the original box w/matching serial number, a battery, and all of the original accessories. Bonus, bonus, bonus.

A fantastic camera all around.

We are now the excited owners of a new-to-us Nikon D850. This is the first “new” Nikon body we have purchased since 2009!!! And while it has been well-used (over 100K shutter clicks!), it should last us quite a long time.

Pretty, pretty, pretty.

Accessories

Whenever we get a new camera body we have a standard collection of items that we know make getting up to speed on the hardware easier, faster, and more enjoyable:

We rounded them up and will report back next Spring on their contribution to our transition to the Nikon D850!

Getting ready for our next photographic adventure

Rocky Nook

Rocky Nook is our go-to source on how-to books for all photography-related issues/stuff. We have found their “Mastering XYZ” books to be especially helpful when used in conjunction with the user manual.

Yep – these two books cover all the ground there is about the Nikon D850.

While user manuals describe the functions and operations of the camera, the “Mastering XYZ” books show the situations in which the functions and features are best suited, tips on setting them up, and their limitations. We appreciate the author showing the “how,” but we especially like the “why” in many of the examples and discussions i the book.

For the Nikon D850, Rocky Nook has two offerings which we thought may be helpful:

A handy book, and a tome of a book. They complement each other very, very well.

At 40 pages and spiral bound, the Pocket Guide is a handy in-the-field reference for those less-often-used buttons and functions. The Master the Nikon D850 is quite a bit more comprehensive, with 688 pages of info on every aspect of the complex and powerful professional camera.

Read just the parts you want – there won’t be a test.

INDMEM

The Nikon D850 support two different types of memory cards, the SD format and the XQD format.

The SD format we know well: we have been using SD memory cards with all of our digital cameras for a long time. There have been upgrades to the SD format in both speed and storage capacity, so we were not especially interested in adding another storage format to our workflow.

However, when we read up on the XQD format, we thought that even though XQD Is a Sony Proprietary Technology, the advantages were worth a look.

Defo worth the look.

XQD 128GB card + reader offers:

Maximum read 440MB/s;
Maximum write 400MB/s;
PCI Express Gen2 Interface and USB 3.0 (super speed) support; and
No driver installation required.

The XQD 128GB care – we think it’s going to be worth having it.

For shooting sports, action, other fast paced events, or Full HD video, it is vital to have a media card format that can keep up with the camera. XQD is the solution and we are looking forward to trying it out!

Batteries and chargers

A new camera body almost inevitably means new batteries. We don’t know why they can’t all use some standardized battery cell, but apparently it is too difficult a challenge for the electronics makers to come to an agreement about (cough, cough). So, we end users end up with a large (LARGE) collection of batteries in oddly shaped cases designed to fit a small range of devices. Madness!

As our small token of rebellion, we almost NEVER buy OEM batteries, but look for aftermarket solutions instead. Of course in the aftermarket space, price is often a direct reflection of quality. The trick is to find a source that has both a low price and high quality. This is especially important for camera batteries as the “bad” ones can swell and actually get stuck inside the camera…a headache no one wants at any price!

BM Premium – our go-to camera-battery brand.

One trusted source for quality aftermarket batteries and charger is BM Premium. While they may source their products from the same places as the no-names, they put their name on the items and stand behind them. For a few dollars more than the no-names—and at a substantial discount to OEM prices—they are a great alternative.

BM Premium

2 Pack EN-EL15C High Capacity Li-ion Batteries
Built with multiple circuit protection
Charger with a fold-able A/C plug

The BMPremium batteries came with a charger, but that charged one battery at a time. There is nothing more annoying than not having a good battery in the middle of a photoshoot. From experience, we knew that a duo-battery charger is much better to have around.