D7xxx(D7200) vs D500

autofocus

I think the D7200 is a much superior camera. That's why I bought a D500.

Ironheart

Huh?

autofocus

Seems the only way to settle the debate as to which is better. I guess I'm just crazy because I bought the inferior camera. Funny thing is, I'm happy with my choice.

retread

Guess I have the bad one too but it works for me just fine. Never had a D7200 so don't know what I am missing I guess.

donaldejose

Pistnbroke: will you buy a D810 upgrade if it is 75mp? www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDvul84wues

Ironheart

I guess I'm a sucker 'cause I have both

WestEndFoto

Pistnbroke, what lens do you use that will benefit from more than 36 megapixels?

heartyfisher

there has been some comments for a 2 dx system with the d500 + d7200.. just curious about the advantages of that.. any points? please comment.

BVS

heartyfisher said:

there has been some comments for a 2 dx system with the d500 + d7200.. just curious about the advantages of that.. any points? please comment.

I'm a bit baffled by that myself. The only advantages would seem to be 4Mpix and pop-up flash, which doesn't seem to be worth carrying an extra camera around for, unless you just want a backup or don't want to have to change lenses.

Pistnbroke

54 MP yes that's 24 in DX mode loads of pixels on image/ use all my lenses

Ironheart

D500 vs. D7200 - Easy guide to which one to choose for what:
D500 - Long focal length, moving subjects, low light. Examples - Sports, BiF, Concerts. Shots where AF speed is paramount, subjects are unpredictable, high frame rates desired, high ISO is needed.
D7200 - Short focal length, static or slow subjects, reasonable light. Examples - Landscapes, portraits, macro. Shots where you can spend your time setting up, finding the right light, squeezing every last bit of goodness out of the 24Mp sensor, low ISO desired, high frame rates not needed.

donaldejose

Ironheart: I agree with your two scenarios but I would substitute a used FX 24 mp body for the same price as a new D7200. The D600 or D610 has a better sensor and can be purchased for less money. A used D750 can be obtained for about the same, or a bit more, money.

heartyfisher

Ironheart said:

D500 vs. D7200 - Easy guide to which one to choose for what:
D500 - Long focal length, moving subjects, low light. Examples - Sports, BiF, Concerts. Shots where AF speed is paramount, subjects are unpredictable, high frame rates desired, high ISO is needed.
D7200 - Short focal length, static or slow subjects, reasonable light. Examples - Landscapes, portraits, macro. Shots where you can spend your time setting up, finding the right light, squeezing every last bit of goodness out of the 24Mp sensor, low ISO desired, high frame rates not needed.

I agree that the functional load can be distributed across 2 cameras very nicely..
however, I think the D500 and D7200 can serve the same first functionality.. just that the D500 does it much better. the second functionality grouping can be done by a second body. That body could be one of several .. I would say .. in terms of price/capability its probably in this order. D810, D750, D610/D600, D7200, D5500.

So as with the other thread we had some time ago. the D810 can serve both functionality best! with the dual camera set we had the D750+D7200. But now if we add the D500 into the mix, it looks to me, like the D500 can do most jobs well and would fit in the single camera scenario as well as work with as the second awesomest(;-)) 2 camera combo with the D810.

The choice is of course up to the individual.. and we had several reasons why a dual system is chosen ie, backup, vs functionality spread vs primary& secondary.

manhattanboy

donaldejose said:

Ironheart: I agree with your two scenarios but I would substitute a used FX 24 mp body for the same price as a new D7200. The D600 or D610 has a better sensor and can be purchased for less money. A used D750 can be obtained for about the same, or a bit more, money.

The 610 has the old AF system. You would be better off with their the 750 or the 7200 if you are shooting fast moving subjects. For bif and outdoor sports, I would take the 7200 over the 750. For indoor, portrait, and landscape shots, I would take the 750 over the 7200.

heartyfisher said:

But now if we add the D500 into the mix, it looks to me, like the D500 can do most jobs well and would fit in the single camera scenario as well as work with as the second awesomest(;-)) 2 camera combo with the D810.

This is now my preferred combo. The D500 frame rate is a beast, and the other day I exhausted all my XQDs and SDs and had to resort to shooting the D810 using CF in DX crop. Nobody needs 10 fps, but then again nobody needs a Porsche either... its just fun to use. The viewfinder of the 810 is still hands down much nicer than the 500, but the 500 is now my main camera for the outdoors.

rmp

I just completed a trip to Scotland with a 810-500 combo. For me, it was a good combo, heavy for all day travel, but it produced the IQ I wanted. I was not into fast sports or BIF, so the 810 was the most used. However, the IQ of the 500 was good enough for most situations. For now, this is my choice combo. Still, I will trade up for lower weight at equal or better IQ.

Ironheart

donaldejose said:

Ironheart: I agree with your two scenarios but I would substitute a used FX 24 mp body for the same price as a new D7200. The D600 or D610 has a better sensor and can be purchased for less money. A used D750 can be obtained for about the same, or a bit more, money.

Perhaps, but a) being a DX guy, and b) already owning a D7200 and a D500 I'll stay pat

donaldejose

Right, especially if you don't want to invest in FX lenses and are happy with the DX lens you now use.

At present I use a D500 for low light and fast moving subjects (would rather have a D5 but not for three times the money) and a D800 for landscapes (would rather have a D810 but will now wait for its replacement at 50+ megapixels because I know I will want one when it comes out).

I want to have a small lightweight 24 mp DX sensor body for carry around. Now I use a Coolpix A with its 16 mp 28mm equivalent DX sensor which I can crop to 35, 50 and 85mm if necessary but I would rather have a moderate zoom which I could still get into a jacket pocket. Nikon: please scale up the DX sensor Coolpix A a bit with a moderate pancake zoom lens and an EVF.

WestEndFoto

If I was buying from scratch I would buy two 810s and have a different lens on each one.

I used my wife's D5500 in Montreal a couple of weeks ago as my D800 was in the shop. It is a nice little camera but the focal lengths due to the crop factor are awkward.

pictureted

WestEndFoto said:

If I was buying from scratch I would buy two 810s and have a different lens on each one.



I used my wife's D5500 in Montreal a couple of weeks ago as my D800 was in the shop. It is a nice little camera but the focal lengths due to the crop factor are awkward.

I would likely do the same if starting from scratch. But I started with DX (D90) and 16-85VR, 10-24, 10.5 and 70-300VR. When I moved to FX with a D810 none of them got any use. Now with a D500 I find that they represent a nice alternative when I want to either travel a little lighter or benefit from the better AF, frame rate and buffer. The D500 with 16-85 and 70-300 (now focusing well with the D500) were a great combo for the recent Carnaval Parade - the AF yielded a higher hit rate, I never filled the buffer and didn't need the higher MPs. The D810 would have been better with the contrasty lighting, but the D500 was more than adequate (about the same as a D7100)

That "awkwardness" is true, particularly when intermixing FX and DX wide and mid-range lenses, but is a real advantage with lenses like my 200-500.

WestEndFoto

Yes, I imagine it would not really be an issue with a long lens. I was using my 14-24 and 24-70.

DaveyJ

Having owned the D500 and comparing it to my D7200....it is farther ahead of the D7200 compared to the D7100....probably the best camera I have ever used. Also one heck of a bargain! For outside action photography this is the bomb! I like the 16-80 lens on it, but is good with most lens I have tried with it! I could not be ore impressed with a camera!

Nik0n2011

i wanted so much a new DX leading machine, i was ready to break the pig's belly (or head), but i'm not rich, and i can't justify the price difference between D7200 & D500
so i went on the cheaper the money i saved went on a 50 1.4 Art.

I will look in 2 years what will the new alternatives be
1) D510 with substantial improvements, not only speed+pro body
2) D820 if the DX crop area will sport MORE MB than now, on par with the D7200
-i know it will not be as fast as the D7300, but it doesnt matter to me.

donaldejose

You can always wait for the next iteration and practice your skills. Some iterations are more minor and some more significant. Two of the exact same bodies with different prime lenses also can be a good idea because it allows for a very quick lens change while keeping the controls identical. Of course, a zoom gives you even quicker changes of focal length. One body with a 24-70 zoom and an identical body with a 70-200 zoom certainly covers a lot of choices. There are so many valid choices the one that works best for you will depend upon what and how you prefer to shoot. No "one size fits all."

DaveyJ

Having a D500 and a D7200 both I have come to some conclusions. The D500 is better built. The D7200 is a great camera. But if Imhad it to do again, I'd take two D500s. Why? It is a near perfect camera. The mega pixel comparison is misleading... The D500 seems much faster to focus. The D7200 is a fine camera. But the price of the D500 puts it too close for me to want another D7200. I didn't think the movable LCD screen was going to be that great a deal.....it is!
The D500 is easily the best camera I have ever used. I have owned cameras that cost five times as much as the D500, back before I "retired". Those cameras were not in this league. Still have my Nikon F5 and the full frame lens.....but the D500 and the D7200 get all of my photo work now. Haven't seen a single problem from the D500. It sure snaps into focus!
The 16-80 is my favorite lens on it. Now I need another for wide angle...and another for tele.
It will still cost less than a D5. Don't get me wrong.....I am sure I'd love a D5......but the D500 is a spectacular winner!

manhattanboy

Nik0n2011 said:

i wanted so much a new DX leading machine, i was ready to break the pig's belly (or head), but i'm not rich, and i can't justify the price difference between D7200 & D500
so i went on the cheaper the money i saved went on a 50 1.4 Art.

I will look in 2 years what will the new alternatives be
1) D510 with substantial improvements, not only speed+pro body
2) D820 if the DX crop area will sport MORE MB than now, on par with the D7200
-i know it will not be as fast as the D7300, but it doesnt matter to me.

I had a Canon 7D mark II owner come up to me yesterday to ask about my gear. He was shooting with a variable aperture convenience zoom; the funny thing is his 7DM2 was outfitted with battery grip on a nice Black-Rapid like cross-body strap. I was thinking he probably would have been better off with a lesser camera set-up and better lens. The lesson to my garbage rambling is you did the right thing recognizing that having great lenses is important. Crippling a great camera set up with a junk lens is a travesty.

Now as to whether you should have bought the D500... PitchBlack used to always say just buy the best as it saves you money in the long run when you second guess yourself and then spend money on upgrades. I have recently followed that advice and surprisingly not regretted spending the extra money. Got a D810 in 2014 and this year has been the D500. I am actually fine with the AF and pixel count and operation of the D810 and even a camera with more megapixels and the D5 AF will not cause me to upgrade this year or even the next several. I upgraded the 7100 to the 500 and similar to @DaveyJ I have not used my 7100 camera since. The buffer and speed are great, but what I appreciate the most is the added versatility that Qc and the flip screen bring, but those are esoteric things important to me. Know yourself! For most the D500 is probably overkill for they need.