Nikon D850 Video Capabilities & Settings Guide

The Nikon D850 is a highly capable video camera, although its primary focus is overwhelmingly still-image-centric. It is not in the top tier of dedicated hybrid video cameras (that crown belongs to models like the Panasonic GH6 or the Sony a1).

When the D850 was released in mid-2017, 4K video was the state of the art. Today, 4K is standard, and leading models are pushing into 8K. The D850’s maximum bitrate is 120 Mbps. That isn’t bad by any stretch, but it is relatively low compared to the 400+ Mbps that modern video-centric cameras push. There are no advanced controls over true S-logs, 10-bit video depth, or newer codecs like HEVC.

But the D850 was never designed to compete with cinema cameras. First and foremost, the D850 is a legendary high-end stills DSLR. The fact that it has decent 4K video capabilities is a fantastic bonus. It is incredibly nice to have the option to roll high-quality video when the occasion warrants it, rather than packing a second dedicated video camera in your bag.

If you already own a D850 and are looking to dive deeper into its filmmaking features, here is a complete rundown of the camera’s video capabilities.

Nikon D850 video resolutions & framerates

There are three resolutions (video sizes) available on the D850: 4K, 1080p, and 720p. All of these shoot in the standard 16:9 HD aspect ratio.

• 4K (UHD): 3840 x 2160
• 1080p (FHD): 1920 x 1080
• 720p (HD): 1280 x 720

The framerates on the D850 range from 24 fps up to 60 fps, but not all framerates are available at all resolutions. For instance, the fastest framerate you can shoot in 4K is 30 fps. While these specs were perfectly respectable when the camera launched, newer mirrorless cameras now routinely include 4K at 60 fps and 1080p at 120 fps or 240 fps for super slow-motion.

Format size (sensor cropping)

Because the D850 has a massive full-frame sensor, you have the choice of using the full width of the sensor (FX) or a cropped APS-C area (DX) when shooting video. Changing this choice does not degrade the video quality or detail; it simply gives you more control over your lens focal length and depth of field without changing lenses.

Video file formats

You can save your video files in either the MOV or MP4 container.

The functional difference between these two is mainly about compatibility with your specific editing workflow. MOV files were popularized by Apple Quicktime,¹ while MP4 files are widely compatible and have become the de facto standard for sharing video files online.

Since the D850 was released, a newer, highly efficient video codec known as HEVC (or H.265) has gained major traction.² The D850 does not have this; it uses the older but universally compatible H.264 codec for its MP4 encoding.

Video bitrates

Bitrate refers to the amount of data used to describe the video image per second. It is conventionally described in Megabits per second (Mbps). The higher the bitrate, the less compression is applied, providing better overall image quality.

The Nikon D850 maxes out in its top shooting mode (4K at 30fps) with a bitrate around 120-144 Mbps.

I say “around” because the video is encoded using variable encoding, which adjusts the compression on the fly. Scenes with high action and complex detail will be allowed a higher bitrate than scenes with little movement. Because this constantly varies, the final file might be slightly higher or lower than the target. In my own real-world tests, I’ve found that the maximum average bitrate usually tops out closer to 120-130 Mbps rather than the theoretical 144 Mbps maximum.

The maximum bitrate drops significantly when you switch to lower resolutions. Here is a master table showing the various bitrates at different resolutions and framerate combinations.³

	Resolution/Framerate	Dimensions	MOV High	MOV Normal	MP4 High	MP4 Normal
4K	2160p30	3840×2160	120-144	–	120-144	–
	2160p25	3840×2161	110	–	110	–
	2160p24	3840×2162	110	–	110	–
1080p	1080p60	1920×1080	44	22	44	44
	1080p50	1920×1080	44	22	44	44
	1080p30	1920×1080	22	11	22	22
	1080p25	1920×1080	22	11	22	22
	1080p24	1920×1080	22	11	22	22
720p	720p60	1280×720	22	11	22	22
	720p50	1280×720	22	11	22	22
1080p Slow-Motion	1080p30 4x slow-mo	1920×1080	30	–	30	–
	1080p25 4x slow-mo	1920×1080	30	–	30	–
	1080p24 5x slow-mo	1920×1080	25	–	30	–

Picture Controls & color grading

There are several profiles you can use to bake a specific style into your output image:

• Same as photo settings (default)
• Auto
• Standard
• Neutral
• Vivid
• Monochrome
• Portrait
• Landscape
• Flat

The D850 does not have true log-format recording (so there is no N-Log or S-Log available internally). However, it does have a simplified equivalent: the Flat picture profile.

Just as with still images, the standard profiles are most useful if you do not plan to edit the video in post-production. If you *do* plan to color grade your footage, the best option is Flat. The video straight out of the camera will look washed out and dull, but it preserves the maximum amount of dynamic range information, giving you the most flexibility in your editing software.

Recording limits & quality settings

30-Minute Time Limit: In the regular video modes, the Nikon D850 has a hard-coded 30-minute continuous recording time limit. To record an event longer than that, you will have to manually restart the recording and break it up into sub-30-minute clips. (Note: When shooting in the dedicated slow-motion modes, the shooting time limit drops to just 3 minutes of physical recording time).

Quality Settings: For many of the 1080p and 720p framerate combinations, you have a choice of quality settings: High Quality or Normal. This refers to the level of compression applied. You cannot change this setting for 4K or slow-motion shooting modes — the option will be grayed out in the menu, as the camera automatically defaults to the highest quality possible.

HDMI output for external recording

The D850 also supports clean video out using its HDMI connection, allowing you to record to an external monitor/recorder (like an Atomos Ninja). The available resolutions for HDMI out are:

• 4K progressive
• 1080 progressive / interlaced
• 720 progressive
• 576 progressive
• 480 progressive

There is also an Auto option, which will attempt to automatically determine the maximum resolution of your attached recording device.

RGB output range

The default output range setting is Auto, but if your external footage looks incorrect, you can manually override it with two choices:

• Limited range: This is for recording devices with an RGB video signal input range of 16 to 235. If your shadow details look crushed, blocky, and muddy, switching to this should fix it.
• Full range: This is for recording devices with an RGB video signal input range of 0 to 255. If your shadow details look too bright or washed out, this broader option should help.

Things worth knowing

NTSC vs. PAL: The menu system doesn’t explicitly refer to NTSC or PAL regions, but you can shoot for each specifically by choosing the appropriate framerate. Use 60 or 30 fps for NTSC (North America) and 50 or 25 fps for PAL (Europe). The 24 fps option is universally recognized as the standard cinematic film framerate.⁴

Cropped View in Slow-Mo: When you shoot in the dedicated slow-motion modes, the camera automatically crops the field of view. You do not get the full-frame FX view that you do in standard shooting modes.

Notes & References:

1. The encoder used for Nikon’s MOV files is identified as “qt 2007.09 (qt/niko)”. The video codec is AVC. [↩︎]
2. Some newer video-centric cameras can use even better encoders such as Apple ProRes or even internal video RAW. [↩︎]
3. The bitrates used here are ones I’ve found in my own testing and might vary slightly from the official technical specifications depending on the scene. [↩︎]
4. As a technical matter, the frame rates are not precisely 30 or 60, but those numbers are used as an industry shorthand. For example, the “30” frame rate is actually 29.97. [↩︎]