D500 General Discussion Thread

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Love my D500. I would rather see a D500 upgrade.

Photobug

I agree with all the comments about upgrades. However, my gut tells me that the only DSLR improvements will be see over the next five or six years is the D6/D5, D850, D750 (D780 last one) and the D500 along with upgrades on the entry level DSLR i.e. D3X00 family until they can gets a mirrorless in place at this price point. Just saying....

DaveyJ

To NST tyoeR.

NSXTypeR said:

DaveyJ said:

I am more interested in a D500 than any other Camera! I own the Z50 and it is a good camera. But it doesn’t hold a candle to the D500 or even the D7500!

For me, I'm looking at a D7500 replacement (if Nikon makes one) as "my last camera". No use changing camera mounts as I already own all the lenses I want and I'll get a big boost in ISO performance. The D7000 was announced 10 years ago, and I notice that it has trouble keeping up with fast moving objects and in low light.

The D7100 and D7200 were pretty good cameras. I still have a D7200 which I use in a pinch. Despite the two SD card slots and the supposed advantage of 24MP, I mostly use the D7500 and when needing small, the Z50. I agree with Photobug that it would seem very unlikely the D7500 would be updated. It is a extremely useful camera. my daily user favorite. But the D500 I do believe is an incredibly likely to be upgraded DSLR. The D7500 despite being actually a GREAT camera has never achieved much in reviews, which is tragic, since it really is that great. Secondly the D7500 sales have never been good enough for Nikon.


Myself if I were using a D7000, ten years old, I’d Race to purchase a NEW D7500 and test it throughly in the first month you get it. I believe you would find out a phenomenal improvement over the D7000. And the video on the D7500 is quite good. The video on the even D7100 is hardly that advanced. Only the D500 seems likely to get upgraded, and initially that upgraded 500 will be priced the usual high to start. But a batch of us will PREORDER the D500X and it will be worth it to those truly enamored with this camera. Frankly the D750 uograde to the D780 was only due to Nikon’s lack of faith in DX and that is extremely flawed as a full frame mentality. DX is so far from over it is amazing!

NSXTypeR

Photobug said:

I agree with all the comments about upgrades. However, my gut tells me that the only DSLR improvements will be see over the next five or six years is the D6/D5, D850, D750 (D780 last one) and the D500 along with upgrades on the entry level DSLR i.e. D3X00 family until they can gets a mirrorless in place at this price point. Just saying....

I'm afraid you're probably right, but I hope you're seriously wrong so we get updates to both cameras haha.

DaveyJ said:

To NST tyoeR.

NSXTypeR said:

DaveyJ said:

I am more interested in a D500 than any other Camera! I own the Z50 and it is a good camera. But it doesn’t hold a candle to the D500 or even the D7500!

For me, I'm looking at a D7500 replacement (if Nikon makes one) as "my last camera". No use changing camera mounts as I already own all the lenses I want and I'll get a big boost in ISO performance. The D7000 was announced 10 years ago, and I notice that it has trouble keeping up with fast moving objects and in low light.

The D7100 and D7200 were pretty good cameras. I still have a D7200 which I use in a pinch. Despite the two SD card slots and the supposed advantage of 24MP, I mostly use the D7500 and when needing small, the Z50. I agree with Photobug that it would seem very unlikely the D7500 would be updated. It is a extremely useful camera. my daily user favorite. But the D500 I do believe is an incredibly likely to be upgraded DSLR. The D7500 despite being actually a GREAT camera has never achieved much in reviews, which is tragic, since it really is that great. Secondly the D7500 sales have never been good enough for Nikon.

No doubt, if the D7000 line ends with the D7500, I will naturally be picking it up. I don't shoot professionally and I shoot just for myself, so I'm in no rush to pick up a replacement for my camera so far. Surprisingly the D7000 was most helpful in cold weather shooting as I don't own touch sensitive gloves. The large battery, large controls helped me get shots I couldn't get with a cell phone in South Korea.

For sure I'll be shooting DX for the foreseeable future.

DaveyJ

I HOPE to be shooting with DX for the rest of my life. I am 75. I have a son and a grandson who have a fortune in quadcopters, underwater rigs, and even rigs they have built themselves. They shoot commercially. They still use the D500 and rate it as the best Nikon they have ever used. They have briefly tried my D7500 and Z50 and were impressed with them. Apparently sales of the Z50 and reviews have been sufficient for Nikon to stay with DX. I’d like to own a D850 and top shelf lens. But for my money as My heavy duty wages as a scientist are over, and I cannot afford gear that costs me that much. I do not spend anything on Medical expenses, figuring the Nikon’s help my health enough. I have contacted Nikon about the NEED for a D500 upgrade and I and others I know will buy one on ore-order as soon as they are announced. But the D7500 awesome as it actually is.....will not be updated! Just not enough accurate reviews. Thom Hogan rates it as very good. I rate it as a MUST OWN! I do have some stills and video from a D7100 that are very good. But the D7500 is head and shoulders better than the D7100.

heartyfisher

DaveyJ said:

I am more interested in a D500 than any other Camera! I own the Z50 and it is a good camera. But it doesn’t hold a candle to the D500 or even the D7500!

Interesting... Do you think that A DZ50 or DZ500 would be viable? Ie a mirrorless Fmount DX camera.

PS Hi everyone !! .. I am Back !!

mhedges

Welcome back @heartyfisher !

Meaning F mount camera with EVF? I don't see that happening. Far better off using a Z camera W/FTZ.

heartyfisher

Have been recovering from operation (20cm scar on my chest !!) and playing with Blender and Space stuff design for fun...

Back to DZ500 .. why not a D500 or D7500 style body that can use all of the hundreds maybe thousands F mount lenses but mirror-less. With IBS for all those non VR lenses and manual lenses...

mhedges

heartyfisher said:

Have been recovering from operation (20cm scar on my chest !!) and playing with Blender and Space stuff design for fun...

Back to DZ500 .. why not a D500 or D7500 style body that can use all of the hundreds maybe thousands F mount lenses but mirror-less. With IBS for all those non VR lenses and manual lenses...

Great that you are recovering. Hope everything is going well?


I just don't see the benefit to F mount mirrorless. And I think the demand would be pretty low. Z cameras with FTZ do the same already, other than operate screw drive AF.

If the market was doing well then maybe a specialty camera like that could be justified. But it's not. Nikon needs to make cameras that will have the biggest potential customer base, and can't get caught up putting out niche products.

heartyfisher

mhedges said:

Nikon needs to make cameras that will have the biggest potential customer base, and can't get caught up putting out niche products.

Like the Nikon DF ? Maybe call that the Nikon DZ ? but the DZ5000 wouldn't be all that special in fact it could replace the low end Nikon DSLR?

mhedges

heartyfisher said:

Like the Nikon DF ? Maybe call that the Nikon DZ ? but the DZ5000 wouldn't be all that special in fact it could replace the low end Nikon DSLR?

The DF is kind of the example of what I'm talking about. It did not sell well by all accounts. And when it came out the market was much bigger, and the extent to which the market will collapse to wasn't at all as clear as it is today. And even then I believe it was a pet project of someone high up with the company otherwise it wouldn't have come out.

DaveyJ

To me an OVF is far more realistic than a EVF. The EVFs have a very phony look when I look into them, the OVF looks like it is, a window to the world. I see very few advantages to mirrorless rehash. I own a Z Mount Nikon and see NO purpose for a mirrorless F Mount. The more I use the EVF the more I adjust to the look in that finder. Far better than using a range finder camera, But the OVF still looks best to me. That is why I’d like to see a updated D500. Initial reaction to the actual D780 look very good to me. When the pricetag drops on that, I might get one of those if a D500 update failed to emerge! I did try a.Nikon Df and immediately decided Imcould never use that camera. First, they removed the video....at a COST!

donaldejose

DaveyJ: Agreed. I would like to see a D600 with a DX sensor using the technologies in the D6 sensor. D6 + D600 just like D3 + D300 and D5 + D500. But I don't think it will happen. I am transitioning to Z mount because the lenses are so much better plus the other advantages of mirrorless. I want to use my FF Z mount lenses on a DX body which is equivalent to a D600 body if Nikon produced one. So I want Nikon to put its limited resources into developing a top of the line DX mirrorless body (like the D500 was the top of the line DX DSLR body) over a D600.

DaveyJ

I think any reference to a D600 just sounds like a unwise reference to one of the most problematic Nikon Cameras ever. Some way the D500 needs to be still firmly connected to that camera as so many pros are still using it in the field as their single FIRST choice. The inexpensive FF 600 camera had such a issue with oily spots I am certain Nikon needs to name it a D500X as that is a racers nomenclature and that wouldn’t even be missed as a connection for the very serious wildlife photographers using the D500.

The D6 will be an awesome pro camera. But the D6 buyers and the D500 veterans who will be at first those who quickly pre-order if the announced stats/attributes are good enough are NOT the same people at all! .. Both the D6 and D500X should have about a 20.9 mexapixel sensor with upgraded video, and still speed capabilities that will be world class. But D6 and D500X are two separate targets. I just think the 600 name would be very dangerous! The inexpensive full frame oiled sensor problems were difficult to solve and essentially really severely hurt Nikon. There needs to be a real DX DSLR new flagship camera with the latest EXSpeed Processor and about very other step forward. And this upgrade should not be handicapped with no grip, reduced capability in capture cards, etc., With a real OVF and improvements it would secure existing D500 legacy and continue the upgrade as THE champions camera.

Ton14

DaveyJ said:

I think any reference to a D600 just sounds like a unwise reference to one of the most problematic Nikon Cameras ever.

Funny, this stamp is still the only truth of the Nikon D600. Nikon has completely repaired this for everybody, They even put in an improved shutter for the second time during a service turn in mine. I wrote everything what Nikon service center did with my D600 on this forum and what I tested.

The Nikon D600 is the only camera that does not have a Sony sensor, but one with the name Nikon on it (source tear down by Lens Rentals). It is still one of the best 24mp FF cameras ever made, not just Nikon, see DxO for example. I used it for 5 years and still is my backup camera. This camera became very cheap after the oil problem and the D610 came on the market, which was the same camera.

The D600 is poor in low light, but there are good solutions for that.

Nikon made the D750 with some new things, but this camera is not better then the D600 due to Image Quality.

spraynpray

Ton14 said:

DaveyJ said:

I think any reference to a D600 just sounds like a unwise reference to one of the most problematic Nikon Cameras ever.

The D600 is poor in low light, but there are good solutions for that.

Nikon made the D750 with some new things, but this camera is not better then the D600 due to Image Quality.

Those two sentences contradict each other Ton. The D750 was my best ever Nikon at low light and was widely proclaimed the low light king so - at least in that regard - the D750 IQ is better than D600 or D610. Plus the AF was better making it far more likely you would get a sharp shot which is kind of important for IQ too.

Ton14

Yes you are right Andrew the D750 got these improvements and the flip screen, the D750 still is THE super camera. I refer here on the DxO lab tests, in real life the D750 is better to work with of course.

When the D750 came out I would go for that if I wanted a new 24mp Nikon, but this 2012!! camera is still a very good one . The Nikon D600 was a bargain after the oil problem, you could buy one new very cheap for years and send it to Nikon for a new shutter system for free.

In very dark situations the Yongnuo YN622N-TX trigger on my camera gave me fast AF, the same as you get when you put a flash on and use this AF system, but compaired to other camera's the D600 AF was bad. AF is always a problem with those camera's when there is no contrast available.

sport

Ton14 said:

The Nikon D600 is the only camera that does not have a Sony sensor, but one with the name Nikon on it (source tear down by Lens Rentals). It is still one of the best 24mp FF cameras ever made, not just Nikon, see DxO for example.

This is not true. Ifixit and Chipworks tore down a D600 and the chip is a Sony IMX-128. It's the same one used in the D610 and D750. I looked at the D600 as a glaring example of Nikon marketing being completely inept. You have a decent camera that internet word of mouth trashed and Nikon dropped the ball.

mhedges

Didn’t they basically decide the 600 was so tainted they dropped it and did the 610, even though there are very minimal differences between the two?

PB_PM

Given how short the update cycle was for the D600 -> D610 that is the most likely explanation. I don't think there were any meaningful changes other than some new video recording settings.

Photobug

mhedges said:

Didn’t they basically decide the 600 was so tainted they dropped it and did the 610, even though there are very minimal differences between the two?

That is my understanding...all that bad press so they replaced it.

gene_mcgill

I watched the D600 oil spot debacle and held off. I bought a D610 and returned it two weeks later because of oil all over the sensor. A couple weeks after returning it I was in the same photo shop and the person I returned it to said "that thing was swimming in oil!" Not Nikon's finest hour.

heartyfisher

My Nikon 610 has been great since day one.. one of the best nikon sensors ever in terms of Colour tones. No hint of oil ..

donaldejose

I had a D600. It had a few spots of oil at first; I simply cleaned the sensor and they never reoccurred. It was my first FF sensor Nikon and it was great. I only replaced it with a D750 for improved AF. People are now complaining that the D6 is not better than the D5 because they have the same 20mp sensor. Well, the D600 and the D750 both had 24mp sensors. "Better" is not just a matter of the sensor. D6 AF improvements and other things may make a significant difference. For example, high ISO IQ may be significantly better when shooting jpegs due to improved in camera processing due to new software and hardware. Sometimes the published stats are misleading. That whole "oil on the sensor" internet hype was misleading about how good that D600 was at the time, especially for the price point. Back to the D500 for a moment. IF practical testing of the D6 shows it is a significant improvement in actual use perhaps it would be worth Nikon's while to put those "innards" into a D600 (guess they have to call it something else like a D500s) like they did with the D5/D500 FX/DX "twins." It should not cost much to do that since they don't have to change the body, just swap out some parts and add some software and they can sell a new camera.

DaveyJ

Should be called a D500X as it would have immediate race photographer recognition and I know more Canon professional race photographers who switched and now use D500 today in 2020. The D500X would also get a number of wildlife photographers to add the new upgrade to their existing D500 and functioning lens, often using 70-200 fast lens. The DX and OVF advantages are obvious to those shooting scenes where a wider view invites getting hit or being too close to racers, or too close to spooky or dangerous wildlife.

FF is not as necessary to pro photographers as some think it is. And all of those guys regard mirrorless as something they have tried and find far too slow in the field for fast action longer distance shots. This upgrade would be more welcomed than the D750 to D780. Nikon marketing and even Nikon engineering seems to have been seriously mislead on the DX versus FX controversy. The DX action shooters are the least likely to contact Nikon, or be on forums chanting Give us FF only, they know DX is very far from dead. I’ve used Nikon mirrorless in the field and the EVF and screen lag is absolutely unusable in race or sudden photo op cases. Nikon also has virtually no Nikon ambassadors.who push for a race camera. DX advantages are real world. Nikon marketing and camera development seems locked into a anti-DX mentality. It has hurt Nikon sales far more than they comprehend.