Nikon D850 Week - Part One - Power Up

There. That states it succinctly. A week devoted to one of the flagship cameras of one of the flagship photographic manufacturers. A full-frame DSLR that embodies most of what Nikon knows about the digital shooting. More sophisticated than I am used to, but a rewarding challenge. Those who have one may read to see if I bolster their pride of ownership and those who are wondering if they should buy one can see what it does in the hands of an amateurishly professional enthusiast casual user... You'll see the box in the heading image - never mind YouTube videos of unboxing it. The box has a lid - you open it and take out what's inside. Hardly needs a film crew to capture that. Nor does it need extensive coverage on charging the battery. Plug in the cord, plug in the charger, plug in the battery, go away. Came back in 90 minutes and you're good to start shooting. Or at least to start setting menu items. But consider what you've just done. The Nikon EN-EL 15a battery is reasonably standard to a number of Nikon cameras right now - if you have smaller ones you may have a similar power supply - you can trade batteries between 'em. Believe me, no-one ever had too many charged batteries to hand. The shape is distinctive and the design that shields the terminal slots means that it is safer to carry in your bag. It is also a little more troublesome to charge if you are going to use the universal sort of aftermarket charger, but the Nikon MH-25a is a breeze. I am a little curious about the hole-and-bridge shape of the charger's dock, but presume it gives the block some more strength and definitely prevents the battery from slipping out as it is charged. I'm a little less sanguine about the rotating figure-of-eight power socket - I suspect the complexity this introduces is connected to some sort of 117 V AC plug for use in Japan and North America. They have a penchant for blocks that go straight into a wall socket. I was also a little curious about the electricity loss that happens when you don't use the thing straight off. Next day after charging it I plugged it into the block again. It took about 7 more minutes to top up. Don't know the percentage down as I overlooked the facility that Nikon has in their cameras to measure it. It's a good deal more helpful than the rather crude half and quarter block diagrams that other makers use in smaller cameras. Still...precision is all very well but nothing beats an extra battery in the bag. And one back at the hotel charging up. Note that we can also approve of the practice of providing a substantial plastic protective cap with each battery. Airport regulations require you to keep these things with you in cabin baggage rather than in the hold - you'll see that on your check-in information: