Nikon D500 Complete Review in 2021

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The Nikon D500 – say it’s the big brother of the Nikon d7500 – belongs to a superior range, and is aimed primarily at enthusiasts and photography professionals who are looking for a compact camera, lightweight and as powerful as monsters like the D5 or the D810.

nikon d500 review

Level design, it has a magnesium alloy body with a shell that withstands bad weather. But as a result, it is not the lightest device on the market: 760 grams on the scale!

Nikon D500 Buying Guide Review 2021

Some will find good in this weight a little higher than other competitors. A heavier device is also a more stable device, and the grip in this case is a real pleasure. Without integrating a full frame sensor, however, we have a new viewfinder that has the merit of offering 100% of the field of view.

The screen is articulated only on one axis, which is perhaps a little bit at this price level. With its 2.3 Mpx, it offers the best resolution of this comparison and an ultra-faithful image quality. On the other hand, it is necessary to underline the necessity to go through the physical buttons to reach some options to which the touch does not give access. Personally, I prefer this configuration, but I can understand that it is disturbing for some.

Nikon d500 Specs

Point of view of the connection, it offers the same options as the D7500, with one exception: it can this time board two SD cards, which can improve its memory capacity. It also has WiFi, an NFC chip and Bluetooth via SnapBridge.

Nikon D500 Buying Guide

The autofocus shows obviously (we do not pay for nothing!) Rather delirious performance. There are 153 points AF – three times more than the D7500! Sport and action photographers are therefore unlikely to be disappointed: it is extremely fast, and very precise. On the other hand, the result seems less optimal, at this level, in low light.

On the image quality side, this model displays an ISO sensitivity ranging from 100 to 51,200 – expandable to no less than 164,000! – to say that we expect it at the turn. And even at 25,600, the grain does not prevent, in my opinion, the image of being quite exploitable (but, again, everything depends on the context of use of this image).

nikon d500 slr

The EXPEED 5 processor is made of wood other than the DIGIC 7. It can bring the burst mode to 10 fps, for up to 200 continuous RAW files. What to satisfy most professionals, even in the field of sport.

Nikon d500 Lenses

It also embeds a new 180,000 pixel RGB sensor to handle footage and white balance and dramatically improve autofocus. The performance of this sensor makes it possible to compensate for overexposed subjects, avoiding the defects of most SLRs.

HDR is also very effective, with contrasting and vibrant renderings, regardless of the exposure context. In video capture, it obviously offers support 4K – essential in this price range – with 30 ips – up to 60 in Full HD, with a slow-motion option. Whether for video or photo, the physical stabilization system provides a very satisfying result, even when filming by hand.

Nikon d500 Manual

You think that such a monster must lack autonomy, is not it? Well no ! Its battery is in harmony with the excellence of this device, since it holds 1240 shots, and this despite the many features it embarks (it may be why it is heavy, after all …).

In the end, the D500 is an excellent SLR camera. It will no doubt satisfy enthusiasts and professionals a little limited in their budget. It embodies impressive pro performance, and it is likely to suit fans of sports photography with its impeccable rendering on moving subjects.

Pros and Cons of Nikon d500

Pros

  • 10 fps in burst mode
  • Excellent build quality
  • Beautiful images
  • High-performance autofocus

Cons

  • Few touch controls
  • A little heavy (760g)

If the D7500 stands out in the quality of the graphics processor, the D500 is a champion of speed. This is especially a good choice if you already have DX lenses, which offer the best results with this device.

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