The Nikon D850 played a massive role in Nikon being able to grab some really positive headlines for the last half of last year. More so they were able to grab one this year, and recently, when they announced the following:

Nikon attained the #1 position for both market share and revenue for December 2017, in the full frame digital camera with interchangeable lens (DCIL) category in the U.S.1The overwhelming success of the powerful new Nikon D850 DSLR as well as the acclaimed D750 DSLR helped contribute to the brand’s strong growth within the full frame camera segment for December 2017. According to The NPD Group, Nikon achieved double-digit unit and dollar sales growth within the full frame camera segment in December 2017 vs. December 2016.

Keep in mind this was for the month of December, and we know many major purchases are done, historically, in October and November. But still, this is big news for Nikon who has been struggling with back-order fulfillment of the D850 since its release. But it wasn’t the only fulfillment issue the company has faced, because everything FOR the D850 has been backed up too, like the Film Scanning kit, and more pressingly the MB-D18 vertical battery grip.

The latter is problematic because if you bought a D850 and read the spec sheet you’d know that many of those headline-grabbing specs (like the 9FPS and 5000 shots with the D5 battery) are only achievable with the battery grip, and thus far it has not really been available in the US. In any case, it is now, but there’s a catch…

By the time you get the grip ($400), the battery and charger for that battery (which is different than that of D850 body), the cost for all of that is just shy of $1,000. So really, the D850 cost isn’t $3,300, because you can’t get the full capability advertised without those extras, so it’s actually about $4,300.

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In addition to the cost, there is the inconvenience, and it’s considerable. Not only will you have to have a grip with you to get the best out of the camera, but you’ll have to carry different battery type, and remember, DSLRs, unlike their mirrorless counterparts, can’t charge via USB, so you’ll need to carry two chargers at all times.

But a testament to Nikon’s pull is that the D850 is continually running out of stock. So if you do want one, here are the links to the extras you’ll need to get the most out of it:

Nikon D850

Nikon MB-D18 Multi-Power Battery Pack with EN-EL18b Battery Kit

  • MB-D18 Multi-Power Battery Pack
  • EN-EL18b Rechargeable Battery
  • BL-5 Battery Chamber Cover
  • MH-26aAK Adapter Kit and Battery Charge

*some location have stock arriving / releasing this week and just get your name of the list if you want it – unless they’ve been sold out already.