Nikon D5/D500 Event participants discussion.

autofocus

Ok, I just returned from the Nikon Event at Pictureline Camera in Salt Lake City, UT. First, Pictureline was a great host and I would encourage anyone in the area to check them out. They also have a pre-order list that ensures you are first in the queue if you make a deposit with them. I thought that was a nice touch. Also, the Nikon rep for Utah said she would be back after the cameras ship to hold a special hands on class with the folks that purchase from Pictureline. Again, nice touch.

Shipping. According to the Nikon reps the D500 will ship end of April. The D5 will ship end of March. No other info as to why the delay. They did mention the Nikon USA policy of filling from bottom up. Thom Hogan may be able to expound on this.

D5. I own a D4 and love the camera. It's served me well and AMA Motocross put it through the paces.

D5 ISO. OK here's the point of much consternation in forums. As all know the native ISO is 100-102400. Beyond you have Hi1-5. I was smitten with what I saw (albeit on the back of the camera) at ISO 102400. Just WOW! I zoomed in beyond 100% and liked what I saw. Yes, it's JPEG (the demo models don't capture in RAW, more on that in a minute) but looks very clean considering. I'll go out on a limb and say at 102400 you will have usable files. How usable, ask a wedding photog or sports shooter in low light. If I'm wrong when we finally get some photos to look at I'll gladly state so. The host asked if I would like him to turn the lights down in store for photos which again was a nice touch. I shot photos starting at 51200 and stepped up to H5. Even at H1 (equiv. 204800) the photos looked good. at H5, well you guessed it, lots of noise but.... enough information to tell what was in the frame. The Nikon rep addressed the High settings alluding to Forensic/Military/Law Enforcement use. Being retired military I can see where it has a use.

D5 Video. Of course I asked about the 3 min limit on 4K video. He said the firmware is still being developed and anything is possible. He confirmed it's clean HDMI video out. To my surprise, the new touchscreen allows touch focus while in any live view mode. Including video. I tried it in live view and it's very responsive and seemed very smooth. May be due to the independent processor for AF.

D5 AF. With the new 24-70 VR focus was lightning fast at apertures from 2.8 - f22. I tried focusing on the darkest parts of the store but really not a challenge. Even when the lights were lowered no problem. What I really wanted to see was the -4EV in action. Unfortunately they wouldn't allow us to step outside in real darkness. Side note here, they are very protective of the demo models. You can't even turn your back to the reps while handling. Based on my experience in store I think it's a significant improvement but we'll have to wait and see when they ship.

D5 AF Fine Tune feature. I asked about the ability to fine tune zoom lenses at different points of zoom. He said it's the first time anyone asked. He didn't have an answer but would pose the question to Nikon USA. The demo models do not have the function enabled so no way to test it.

D5 Handling. If you've held a D3/4/4s you'll feel right at home. The only thing I will remark on is the ISO button on top near the shutter button. Instinctively I looked at the back of the camera to change ISO only to realize the button moved. Will this be a problem when carrying a D4 with the D5? Maybe but it's not a show stopper in my books.

So there you have it. I'll write another post on the D500. It really impressed me also.

Sports

Thanks, @autofocus. Great info and good questions, even though you couldn't get answers to everything.

...Just WOW ...

If the D5 high ISO gets a WOW, the D500 must get a wow (lower case), I hope.

... I tried [touch focus] in live view and it's very responsive and seemed very smooth. ...

Have you any idea if this smothness is produced with all AF lenses, or are some lenses better suited than others?

So there you have it. I'll write another post on the D500. It really impressed me also.

Looking forward to it.
Btw, did you like the AF point selection "thing"?

IronHeadSlim

The AF point selection "thing" is absolutely great. I am coming from D3/D700 so that is a huge plus. And it's on both D5 & D500 which is really nice.

I couldn't believe the shot taken by the Nikon rep when we were is a dark room watching a film. 3 million friggin' ISO. I thought it was cool to push Tri-X to 1600. D500 is very good too with back of camera jpegs at 51200.

Ironheart

The local Nikon rep just confirmed that anyone who has a D500 preorder in at my local shop will be in the first wave of shipments. Since I am #2 on the list, I am planning on pitching a tent on the sidewalk a few days before the delivery date, whenever we get one...

spraynpray

Polishing up your brass knuckles Ironheart?

Ironheart

Indeed, whatever it takes!

autofocus

D500 hands on.

I know I promised to add my thoughts on the D500 after attending a launch event but there have been so many posts that covered almost all of my observances. I say almost because there is one more I would like to share.

With all the talk about articulating screens and how they may be a weak point, that specific question/comment was asked at the event. The Rep then demonstrated how robust the mechanism is. He pulled the screen away from the camera and used it (holding just the extended screen) as a handle. While holding it he was swinging the camera overhead, side to side, and even made a punching motion. After his demo I would say there will be no problem with it being a weak.

How many folks will ever hold their camera by the screen only and swing it through the air during a shoot.

I'll add that when playing with the camera the articulating mechanism feels very sturdy. Just my two cents worth.

EricBowles

I attended a Launch event in Atlanta yesterday.

One of the key takeaways was confirmation that there is no 200 frame buffer. There is a 200 frame maximum burst rate for 14 bit lossless compressed RAW files but it is only achieved with the Lexar 2933x XQD or Sony G XQD cards. Other cards do not reach a 200 frame burst unless you change image quality or type. This assumes you are not in backup mode. If you have an SD card, it needs to be a fast UHS-II card for best performance. The Lexar 2000x UHS-II card is a good choice and performs in any older UHS-I devices. These cards both need new readers.

Another key takeaway is on bracketing. You can do a 1 stop bracket for up to 9 frames. But you can also do a 3 stop bracket for up to 5 frames. There is a new bracketing button where the old on-camera flash release was located. The main and sub command dials control bracketing.

It's hard to see the impact, but one new feature is a dedicated processor for AF. That's on both the D5 and D500. The D500 has the exact same AF system as the D5, and the crop sensor makes the AF points cover from edge to edge - much wider than in the past. The new AF is awesome - it tracks in very low light. Cross sensors at f/8 are laid out like a plus sign from the center - they extend vertically and horizontally from the center.

WestEndFoto

With this new AF tech, I am looking forward to the D820.

autofocus

A couple of more weeks....