D500 General Discussion Thread

NSXTypeR

mhedges said:

I think the D500 cake is baked at this point. Don’t see them adding any features via firmware.

Did you mean by "baked" as in the D500's "goose is cooked"? I kind of have to agree, as much as I'd like to continue shooting DX DSLRs, I'm a little nervous that the replacement for the D500 might go mirrorless.

mhedges

NSXTypeR said:

mhedges said:

I think the D500 cake is baked at this point. Don’t see them adding any features via firmware.

Did you mean by "baked" as in the D500's "goose is cooked"? I kind of have to agree, as much as I'd like to continue shooting DX DSLRs, I'm a little nervous that the replacement for the D500 might go mirrorless.

More just that it's a finished product that's been on the market for 2+ years now and it's not likely to get any significant updates. But your take may be correct too.

FreezeAction

retread said:

spraynpray said:

Still...fighting...the...temptation!

Resistance is futile you will be assimilated.

I have been assimilated. It's on the FedEx truck out for delivery. Now the D7200 won't feel lonely even thought it has to give up the 200-500...…...

Pistnbroke

So someone tell me why should I change my D7200 for a D500 ..its for my wife to use and though she is good at wedding photos I don't think she get the technical stuff. We go bird photo every week at the local bird reserve for the exercise (her view)and the restaurant !

retread

I have a D7200 & the D500, they get along fine. Both have their place.

tc88

If you shoot static birds, for sure no reason.

If you shoot BIF, I don’t know what your hit rate is. Let’s say it’s 10% on D7200. Then you probably can expect 15% on D500. Basically you will be as productive in 3 trips with D7200 as in 2 trips with D500. I’m not sure it’s worthwhile to upgrade.

And if the reason is exercise and restaurant, then for sure no. Besides the cost can pay for a lot of food.

Pistnbroke

I have two D7200 so trading them for a D500 (grey is £1089..$1300) is not a problem. The wife is more interested in weight so has a Tam 100-400 while I tote the 200-500/D850.
Our usual reserve is well wooded so BIF are usually behind trees unless we get a lake landing or take off.
Have you noticed a trend to putting glass in the bird hides....and not cleaning it .
I usually complain to the management as the use of glass ruins the photos.

spraynpray

D7200/D500, you trade lots of pixels for AF that is very good. Apparently similar to D850. If I compare my D750 AF to my D850, the difference is with the D750 I look for sharp shots but with the D850 I look for best composition because they are all sharp. As said above, if not a difficult focus subject use the D7200. If difficult like BIF, use D500. Do not get rid of your D7200. Big mistake.

FreezeAction

One of the reasons I talked myself into was the 1sensor at f8 on my D7200 vs 15 on my D500. Add on the buffer for BIF and I made the move. Tomorrow I tackle the small speedy birds to see just what the D500 is capable of or maybe what I am capable of. The camera is most likely much more capable than I am.

FreezeAction

@spraynpray No plans to dump my D7200. I even still use my D5300 for some things. BIF is the main target of the D500 as well as 4K video. I did lose the D810 via a gift to a son so now it is completely legal to acquire a D850 to share the bag with the D500. No matter how many pixels or long the lens if the images are not in focus I'm just wearing out a shutter.

FreezeAction

One of the reasons I talked myself into was the 1sensor at f8 on my D7200 vs 15 on my D500. Add on the buffer for BIF and I made the move. Tomorrow I tackle the small speedy birds to see just what the D500 is capable of or maybe what I am capable of. The camera is most likely much more capable than I am.

An after thought is that the more work that get's dumped onto the other bodies the longer the shutter lasts. I think I will experiment with CL at 8 fps.

spraynpray

FreezeAction said:

No matter how many pixels or long the lens if the images are not in focus I'm just wearing out a shutter.

Absolutely. That is my thinking too. The D850 amazed me in that regard.

I do wish I still had a 24mp DX for the biting detail when my butterflies are in sharp focus though.

Pistnbroke

I agree with spray a good lens becomes fantastic lens on the D850..so sharp and enhanced hit rate..will have a D7200 to sell at the end of april with about 2000 on it..!!

Capt_Spaulding

What's the resolution of the D850 in DX crop mode?

FreezeAction

Capt_Spaulding said:

What's the resolution of the D850 in DX crop mode?

19.4mp for the D850 in DX mode VS 20.9 for the D500 however I do not know the actual size difference of the pixels as far a noise that may be produced.

ADKDaveyJ

Our D500 now is totally used in an Ikelite UW housing. I use the D7200 and the D7500. Of all three I have ( as is well known on NR ) a distinct preference for the D7500. The D7200 is a great camera, but it is MUCH harder to use. The D500 has no onboard flash. That to me is a show stopper. We have had practical field work in our construction business where no flash on the D500 was a no go! I myself would have got a D7500 for the Ikelite housing. My next DSLR Nikon will be another D7500 or a Z6 with a FTZ and 24-70 f4 S lens. If I were to buy another D Nikon I would like a D850, as I have used it very briefly and it is amazing. Yes the D500 focuses very fast. But If I were Nikon I’d pursue the DX DSLR with a D7500 revamp aiming at a $1,200 body pricetag..

retread

I tend to use the D500 for things that move fast and the D7200 for those that don't.

mhedges

ADKDaveyJ said:

Of all three I have ( as is well known on NR ) a distinct preference for the D7500. The D7200 is a great camera, but it is MUCH harder to use.

Interesting. What makes the D7200 harder to use?

NSXTypeR

Single card slot aside, the D7500 would be an excellent upgrade for me. I only use my D7000 with a single card slot anyway, so it's no big deal. The D500 would be great too, but I'd miss the pop up flash, even though I barely use it.

Ton14

@ADKDaveyJ Same question as @mhedges, what makes the 7200 harder to use, has it to do with the housing you mentioned. I have the D600 and the D810. my learning curve for the D7200 was 20 minutes. The learning curve for the Z6 was a little longer for me, but not for the basic stuff.

Further the Nikon D850 and Z6 does not have a pop up flash either. We need a liitle flash unit, I always have a FlashQ in my pocket, about the same power as a pop up flash and you can use it remote ($82,-) ok, only manual flash, but I'am used to that, but there are other small ones enough on the market..

@Pistnbroke is selling his D7200 in April and regret it in May, that's for sure, lol.

spraynpray

Sshhh Ton, I am hoping he'll sell it to a poor overworked unpaid moderator...

mhedges

I haven't decided whether to sell mine or not. I have only used it to take eclipse pics since I got the Z6. Used prices are pretty low right now since it is so cheap new.

FreezeAction

With the D500 aimed at the wildlife & sports events of fast moving subjects the majority of users I feel would have no use for a built in flash. I can see for one camera shooters a built in flash would have been nice but I still prefer having one body that is sealed up as tightly as possible and without the popup flash it is better sealed. If I need a pop up flash I simply grab the D7200. If I need the articulating back it's the D5300. I never did have a lot of use for a Crescent Wrench.... or pliers on a hex nut. I now struggle with what to replace the D810 with that I gifted to a son.... D750 for the nightscapes or a D850 that can do more with daylight landscapes? It's like the proverbial "To be or not to be" question. The bottom line is for myself is what do I really need to hang in the bag with the D500. Most likely a D850 or possibly a D760 if it sneaks up on us like the D500 did.

ADKDaveyJ

Answer to mhedges. I used both cameras today at Key West. The D7500 with the 16-80 one of the single most important lenses to me, the D7200 with the 70-300 AF-P DX VR lens. I took some dramatic pelican shots of them in flight and diving at Pilchards, a Sardine. The ISO takes longer to set on the D7200, and I tried to get the dives with the D7200 on video. It would have been a blazing fast transition from Aperture Priority to Manual with the D7500. I could not do it fast enough with the D7200 to capture the dramatic dives and aerial maneuvers. I see absolutely no difference between the JPEG fine large MP from the two cameras. I have never had the single card on the D7500 fail. I own the D7000, the D7100, the D7200, and both the D500 and D7500. My son and grandsons still use the other older Nikon’s. There was a BIG difference from each upgrade by my standards. The D7500 has it all, at a price point I can use in the field with great confidence and results. The rest of my income gets destroyed by NYS taxes on my farmland. Believe me the onboard flash is quite useful. I just make sure when close to remove the lens hood as it will cause severe shadow where the flash hits the lens hood.

ADKDaveyJ

To Ton14: I do not use an Ikelite housing on anything but the D500 as these expensive UW housings fit one camera only. Had it been just my decision to buy an Ikelite UW housing I would have bought a D7500, and the Ikelite for that, And used the two lens we use for the D500. The Nikkor 12-24 now a slightly older lens, and the Tokina 10-17. Of those two I prefer the Nikkor 12-24UW. If the Tokina is set on the 10mm end of the zoom you have to be VERY close to the subject. Some of this work can be seen on U Tube under Christjen Johnson titled Mermaid Havana Cabana. I will try to find the link to that. Personally I never sell used Nikon’s as they make excellent back up cameras. Also they are still working just fine. I still have my Nikon F5 with a lovely 20-35 f2.8 lens on it and the battery grip. Why sell this stuff that was a great part of my life?