Thinking about getting the Nikon D500

Canon RF 100-500mm F4.5-7.1 L IS USM

01/20/2017 06:06:12 PM · #1

Actually the decision is more around timing of the purchase rather than whether or not I'll get it... I am trying to decide if I should get it before my "once-in-a-lifetime" trip to take with me, or after. I've had my D7000 for a few years now and am fairly comfortable with it. Now. It took a bit to get there. I would hate to take a new camera and mess up yet another round of pics (small ISO oopsy last excursion) given lack of familiarity with the camera. But I'd also hate to miss out on an opportunity. Decisions, decisions.

Would love to hear your opinion and advice on questions I need to ask myself in this process.

Thank you!!

Alex_Petrini

Sony Alpha a7R III

Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM

01/20/2017 06:19:16 PM · #2

D500 is surely a super upgrade. Better ISO, faster, more professional. Better in every aspect... get it :)

rooum

01/20/2017 09:50:57 PM · #3

I have the D500 and it's an amazing camera. It's my first Nikon since I had the D700 and D300 a few years ago and the build is quite similar. Feels very solid and professional. I'm actually coming to it from having the Sony A7 and A6300 so from Full Frame back to aps-c and the files, of course, are not quite as great as the A7 but I quite like them - probably better than the A6300 but that's subjective perhaps. You might not notice a huge difference in image quality coming from the D7000 though but i haven't used that camera. In all other aspects i'd suppose it'll be a massive step up. Handling is amazing - the camera just feels right. Auto focus is stunning. My Sony A7 was abysmal in this regard but the A6300 is very good and the D500 blows it away - it basically focuses in the dark and is super fast and accurate. Definitely a game changing camera.

If you do get one i'd be careful about what sd cards (and XQD) you use. I've found it is very picky with all my older 16gb cards from various companies and it would occasionaly freeze and have errors. I've actually got two d500 cameras as i'll use them for weddings and they both suffered in the short amount of time i've had them. I bought some faster 32gb cards and they seem to be a better fit. I haven't got round to getting XQD yet but the Lexar cards apparently have some problems. it's a well documented problem but from what i've read, the d500 can be very 'picky' with lots of things such as cards, third party batteries and some third party lenses. Not a big thing but something to be aware of.

Message edited by author 2017-01-20 21:57:06.

JakeKurdsjuk

Canon EOS R5

01/21/2017 05:29:55 AM · #4

I was an early adopter and struggled through some of the early issues. To piggyback on rooum's post, yes, there are some card issues. It will not take 3rd party batteries of any kind, and while it takes the same batteries as your D7000 it will chew the old variety (marked "Li-ion01") very quickly, but thankfully Nikon will replace any of them with the newer "Li-ion20" variety for free (they replaced 7 for me). I also had an issue where the oils from my nose would cause the touch screen to stay on during image review, as if a finger were still touching it (I hadn't noticed it and woke up to a dead battery twice). I don't know if they've fixed that with a firmware upgrade or not, but I simply turned the touch function off since I wasn't using it anyway. I've got 3 other Nikons so I'm used to getting around without it. The only time I find it useful is during LiveView to choose focus points quickly or activate the shutter. Thom Hogan blogged extensively on the various issues so you can find out which cards have issues and which don't (I've had zero issues with my Sony XQD, and prior to that no issues with any of the SanDisk SD's I used). Check thru it so you don't get the wrong things.

OK, with all the negatives out of the way, I absolutely love this camera. I started with a D7000 and am confident in saying that the images from the D500 are a big step up in terms of IQ and ISO noise. The focus system is amazing, as has been said, and I love that it covers the entire width of the viewfinder (it's perfection for wildlife and sports). There are no buffer issues that both the D7000 and D7100 suffered from and you can shoot 10 fps for 20 seconds (it has a fixed 200 frame limit), and start again without the camera slowing down. You're gaining 4MP's (instead of losing 8 coming from the D7100). And the tilt screen (which I didn't originally think I'd like) is great for those times when you want to get down low or up high but don't want to lie on your face or have a ladder.

The controls are laid out differently, so it will take some getting used to. I'm not sure what your "once in a lifetime" trip is, but depending on how quickly you adapt the decision is really yours. If you don't have to sell or trade the D7000 to get it I would grab it first and see how quickly you bond with it. If the trip involves wildlife then I would highly recommend upgrading first. Just a brilliant camera.

01/22/2017 08:42:55 PM · #5

Thank you both for the in depth feedback! It's greatly appreciated.

When I had my D80 way back I switched from Lexar to SanDisk and have been much happier. Even if I can no longer really recall why i switched it sounds like it's still a good idea. This trip isn't a safari ... most of the stuff we see will be still. I also have to pack light. Only one suitcase and carryon can't weigh more than 11 pounds. Time to get creative. If there were fewer restrictions I'd just take both bodies. Heehee. But it's clear that I need to get it early and work out any kinks before I go. Lots to think about ... decision soon.

thompp1

Nikon AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 16-85 f/3.5-5.6G ED VR

01/23/2017 01:08:02 AM · #6

I've been using the D500 since early May, and am very happy with it. I recommend the either David Busch or the Darrell Young D500 book. Another great source of information is the Nikonians web site. The battery issues and features of the D500 and other Nikon models are discussed at length.

Nikon AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.4D

03/23/2018 04:18:05 PM · #7

Excited to report that my new toy has arrived. (Only a year later!) It's play time. :) :)

tate

Apple iPhone 14 Pro

03/28/2018 12:01:18 PM · #8

Did some real-world D500 ISO testing this weekend. These are not the greatest photos but are indicative of ISO on the D500. Thjs track is enormous and gets those cars going really fast (takes about 3.7 sec to travel the entire track and most are just a blur at the finish line) �
Maybe next race I'll try using a speedlight for a few.

ISO 500

ISO 2500

ISO 4000

ISO 20000

ISO 25600

ISO 32000

ISO 32000

Message edited by author 2018-03-28 12:10:04.

Tamron SP AF 17-50mm f/2.8 Di II LD Aspherical (IF) for Nikon

04/03/2018 12:46:43 PM · #9

Very cool! I'm in love with the ISO on this camera. Haven't had time for a decent test drive yet but will post when I do. :)

gwsallen

Nikon D300

06/15/2018 09:02:48 AM · #10

awesome package from amazon
Nikon D500 Wi-Fi 4K Digital SLR Camera Body with 64GB Card + Backpack + Battery + Kit
https://amzn.to/2JN7wd8

Ja-9

Nikon D750