Reviews |Nikon D850 tear-down reveals sensor to be Sony chip

Nikon D850 tear-down reveals sensor to be Sony chip

Nikon D850: price, release date, specifications officially revealed
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The full-frame sensor in the Nikon D850 appears to be made by Sony, following a tear-down and examination of the DSLR by a camera modification company.

ChipMod recently stripped down the D850 and examined its core. Posting on the AstroCN forum, the company revealed that the D850’s sensor has a Sony product code stamped on its back.

ChipMod provided a picture of the back of the D850 sensor where one can see the codes IMX309AQJ and 1183456. And as Nikon Rumors points out, nearly all Sony sensors have “IMX” in their model name.

In a correspondence with Nikon Rumors, ChipMod also says it analysed the bonding pattern on the D850’s sensor with other characteristics that are typical of Sony sensors, and found a lot of similarity.

If Sony is providing sensors to Nikon for its high-end cameras, it makes us wonder how much Sony knows about Nikon’s full-frame mirrorless camera.

And if Sony is aware of Nikon’s timetables, could that be guiding its competitive pricing decisions with the A7 III.