Always great to have a professional photographer admit that he cant be great in all situations. I admire your humble admissions regarding the sports and bird photos.
Great review Matt! I actually sold my D5 and picked up a D500 mainly due to the extra reach, portability, and low ISO DR. I just didn't need to shoot over ISO 2500 so the D5 had no real advantages. I think everyone who is complaining about comparing the two just don't understand sports and wildlife shooters. Yes there is a massive price difference but if you're concerned with getting the shot that is best for you then that is irrelevant. At the end of the day the D500 was a better fit for me.
The "secret sauce" regarding autofocus on the D500 is to add the grip AND the EN EL 18A ( D5/D4s) battery. This battery is delivering 50% more voltage over the EN EL 15 and will drive the autofocus motor and VR system in Pro lenses to the max. This principle also applies to the D810..
Also comparing with D5 - three times the price. People who buy D5 are more than likely pros and will buy $12k lense. Us mere mortals and enthusiast enthusiasts don't have that kind of cash laying around for our hobbies.
I am currently debating between the D500 and D7200 to replace the D7100 I no longer have. After watching and reading numerous comparison/reviews I pretty much decided to go with the D7200. My reasoning was: 1. I do not shoot sports or birds in flight very often and have no need for 10 frames/second (6 fps will do just fine) 2. Lesser learning curve due to D7200 controls and menus being almost identical to my old D7100 3. Smaller size and weight around my neck or in the travel bag 4. Slightly higher resolution (24mp vs 21mp) - I often crop tightly and create individual portraits of my kids out of group shots 5. Even though I can afford a D500, I would rather not spend the extra $1300 CAN if I don't have to. After playing with both cameras at the local store I am again very indecisive.... All the above arguments for the D7200 started fading away after holding the D500. It felt custom-made for my hand. I have never held a more comfortable camera. I did not feel the extra weight. It was just so perfectly fit and balanced in my hand. I guess I need some help... The decisive factor for me now would be image quality, color reproduction and most importantly dynamic range/detail capturing in extremely high contrast situations. Any insight on which of these two cameras is better in these criteria? Please advise Thank you
I've got mine for about a month now and am absolutely happy with it. I bought two new lenses to couple with it, one of which is the Sigma 50-100mm F/1.8 DC Art and the other one is Nikon AF-S 200mm F/2G VRii. Both lenses work perfectly with my D500 and do exceptionally well in shooting sports. Please get a Sigma 50-100mm F/1.8 DC Art and do a full review. You'll be amazed by it. Cheers!
My theory is that the D5 has a more powerful battery, running on higher voltage, and therefore drives the AF motor faster. The difference should be bigger, the bigger the lens. Keep up the good work!
I'm watching this in 2019, and a D500 is going for $1499 almost everywhere. . .For the cost difference (which is VERY important to me) the D500 is my choice, and I'm confident I'll create some wonderful images with it. . .I'll also seriously consider some new lenses soon with the money I didn't spend on a camera body! I also must say that my initial attraction to the D500 ( and its current price range) was for use in shooting high-speed action, air shows for example. But your confidence in using it for a portrait shoot as well is a strong selling point for me!
John Roberts I agree I've been shooting with the d7100 for a while and I love it, www.asquaredphotos.com I just bought the D500 and I'm looking forward to using it, but am dreading the size! Spend your money on the Sigma 18-35 and the 50-100 you won't be disappointed!
I checked out your shots and they look great. I shoot with 2 D700s that I just cant let go despite their 12 mpx. I like Macro and street photography and was thinking I would add the D7100 when I want to go light, also to get more length from my 100mm macro lens. The D500 is great for action and birds, but I believe the D7100 is more bang for much fewer dollars. I put my money mostly in good glass.
I'm sure that the d500 is the ''cheapest'' way to make sport and wildlife photography but i don't feel the price tag right.Curently im shooting everything using my tank camera d7100 with a great selection of lenses and im gettings excellent results.With the right settings and crop 1.3 mode you can achieve 8 fps in jpg quality with 16 m.pixels which is more than enough for the web. My opinion,don't hit me for that. Matt honest review as always. p.s we need more jade...
Nice video but I don't understand why you kept comparing it to the D5. I mean we all know that there is huge difference. Maybe you should have compared it to the D750 or D810.
These two cameras have some similar specs but they are very different. Comparing a £1500 crop with a £5.200 full frame one is a bit ridiculous. The D500 is a good camera that will make prosumer interested in shooting sport/wildlife really happy but the D5 can be used for everything and will give professional results with every type fo shoot.
TheFlowMind Look crop is crop. Big deal. It's 2016 and APS-C sensors are every bit as good as FF. The IQ from the D500 is arguably better than the D750. go online and look at the images. What makes a camera professional? The pro using it. A pro will have no problem shooting everything you mentioned with the D500. Matt said it right in the video. The real difference between FF and crop at this point? POV and in SOME cases DOF. Put a longer lens on a crop body and DOF is not an issue. The crop sensor argument is losing its teeth thanks to improvements in tech. Heck, the iPhone 6 is shooting 4k video now on a 1" sensor.
Nice review, I especially liked the portrait shots. Welcome back Jade! :) I must say you also had some really good bird photos; wildlife has always been one of my preferred subjects to shoot.
I like wildlife photography and astrophotography too... I'm not sure what to do. Either take d500 or the d810. I can shoot crop mode on the d810 too, so theoretically I can get the same size images around 21Mpixels. Just it's not as fast as the d500. I think in the crop mode the d810 can shoot 6fps, so that's still quite a bit slower than the d500. But then again, for astrophotography d810 is a better choice. What do you think???
I shoot sports all the time, with my D850, you did a descent job though. I am thinking of getting the D500 for wildlife and sports. No I do not own the D5 but I see that excels at low light, indoor sports and such, but I use the D850 and the 70-200mm for indoors performs just fine. Overall, great review, even at this late date!
Matt, you looked like michael jackson dangling a kid off the balcony when you where holding that lens on the bridge. My heart skipped a beat. Great review.
Seconding this. I was like "nooo, please have that lens and body attached somewhere.." As a D500 owner I was fearing it could fall and ruin both the glass and the body.
Why compare the D500 with a camera costing over three times as much? Of course the focus and tracking will be quicker on the D5, that's why it costs a lot more. A comparison with the D7500 or D7200 would have been better.
its not the focus motor but the power that battery can deliver to motor that might be making difference in focus speed. D5/1Dx mk II have larger and more powerful batteries compared to smaller counterparts- D500/7D mk II.
The battery does effect the CPU speed as well. it was some time ago but some tech tear down guy showed that the different versions of nikons (i think it was the D90, D300 and D3 at that time) ran at different CPU speeds.
Matt Granger Its a suspicion, since both D500 and D5 share the same internals except for battery. Also like if you remember back in the days of D300/s those cameras only hit 8fps if D3's battery or AA sized alkaline batteries were used.
Why do you think the D810 is better built. It also has a plastic front right? It is just a feel thing or you seen something backing it up? Also I understand the D5 has a plastic lower making it inferior in built compared to the D4. Thoughts?
Jade. Wow. Stunning. Gorgeous. Wow.. I need to catch my breath. :) And ah, oh yeah... Matt.. Thanks for the ah, what was it? Oh yeah, that's right, the camera review. :) Always appreciate and admire your thoughts. I have spent the last couple years doing indoor high school sports (which means of course poor lighting... Having to shoot at iso 6400 - 12800 at f2 to 2.8 and 1/800th or so). I've been using a D600. I wonder how the high iso noise performance of the D500 compares to the D600.
I'm watching as many reviews as I can about the D500 as I'm thinking of getting one. Up until late 2013 my Canon EOS 20D served me well. But I wanted something newer and more compact and so got a good deal on Fujifilm X-E2 MILC at the beginning of 2015. Its a nice camera, but what put me off a bit, is that despite modest usage over a two year period it developed a burnt pixel on its sensor. I never had such an issue with my Canon over nearly a decade of much harder use. Which got me thinking maybe because mirrorless cameras when in use have their sensors working all the time to feed the EVF they wear out quicker. Anyway I started missing the bright optical viewfinder you get on DSLRs, despite the Fuji having a very good quality EVF and the great battery life! I could shoot for days with my old DSLR without worrying too much about the battery going dead. While with the Fuji, at times I had to change the battery a few times over a single shooting day period! But while the latest Canon DSLRs are great overall, they're DR (despite improvements with the EOS 80D and EOS 5D Mk4) still lag behind the likes of Fuji, Nikon and Sony. So I'm thinking of going Nikon this time around.Which is also kind of going full circle for me as one of the first 'proper' cameras I used was my Father's Nikon F film camera!
The choice between a D500, D750, and D810 is killing me! I currently shoot DX and want to move into FX, but the D500 is such an amazing camera at a great price. I shoot mostly portraits and weddings, but also some motocross. Advise?
I am pretty sure they let go off the pop up flash so you could use the tilt-shift lenses especially the 24mm PC-E. My D800 doesn't allow full shift with 24mm PC-E due to the extended flash bulge
You said it consistently underexposes about a third of a stop? Have you tried it with another lense? On my D300 some lenses overexpose, and some underexpose. Not a big deal if you know about it, of course. Just use the exposure compensation.
Matt is comparing the D500 with the D5!!!! And keeps trying to defend the poor D5 against D500! It means just one thing: Buy the D500 and be happy! Even in 2020... Buy the D500 and be happy! It does it all! Don't bother yourself with the mirrorless mania. D500, the right lenses and the very best autofocus for wildlife or sports... The prints are amazing up to ISO 6400 for small birds in wildlife or 10.000 for easier shots like portraits, shows, concerts, or your dog running around.
Matt,just an observation.I really think you have a bit of a biased view on the D5.You own it and in your mind I think you may subconsciously be trying to justify the cost of it compared to D500.Good review but heavily bias.
I have two DX format Nikon bodies, my now old D90 and recently my daughter gave me her D3300 and i do wildlife mainly using a Nikon 400mm f2.8 VRII. I am looking for a new body and cant decide between the D5 or D500 as the D500 gives the 400mm a focal length of 600mm as you say.
thanks a lot, Matt. After informing you on my hearing not being the best: did or did I not notice that in burst mode the D500 shutter sounded less loud than the D5's? For bird photography a relevant issue, I'd say.
Matt nice review where you say you think the D500 shoots about 2/3 stop underexposed. I don't think you're imagining that. I have a D500 and in bright sunlight I think the camera does exactly that. Regarding no pop up flash everyone mentions that's for better sealing. I think that might be a little hocus pocus marketing from Nikon. My opinion is the electronics from the wifi or bluetooth has something to do with that area where the pop up flash would exist.
Hey Matt, love the videos. I currently own a Nikon D7200, Nikon 35mm, Tamron 10-24mm, 24-70mm & the 70-200mm lens. I do still enjoy using the 7200, however, I am looking to upgrade. At this point, I'm shooting landscapes, wildlife, sports & starting little with portraits. So I guess I'm looking for a recommendation if this camera will fit the bill going forward. Let me know your/anyones thoughts. Keep up the good work!
This man has no disregard for the shutter mechanism!!!! LOL............. As always a very entertaining and informational review. I know that there's a gajillion reviews of this camera but I alway's hold Mr. Granger's views as most pertinent to my use.
@Matt ....low light capability and ISO testing and 4k Video comparision missing :( .....D5 only do 3 min 4 K with crop mode ....and where as D500 do 29 min 59 sec
Ever do any roller derby shoots? I'm currently shooting on a D7100, and have been eyeballing the D500 for speed, but then also the D750 for low light performance.
Thanx for the review Matt. I've got a question. I noticed you're using a Black Rapid to carry your stuff around. The D500 and 400mm f2.8 were with one carabiner at the D500. Doesn't that damaged the camerabody because of the weight of the 400mm? And what's the effect on the body? Question: How much weight can the body handle olny carried by one carabiner. I want to use it with the 200-500mm f5.6 but I'm afraid it's to heavy for one carabiner. (Forgive me my poor English, it's not my native speak. I'm from the Netherlands.) Kind regards Nico
Great review, great comparison. Interesting about the underexposure. Was that just in a certain situation or on most shots? I'm a canon-ite but this camera is tempting me. Thanks.
You're awesome Matt. Thanks for the vids. Thanks for just speaking like a normal photographer and not talking down to us like we've no idea what a camera is.
13:50 I don't agree with that statement! You can set the response time of the AF in CUSTOM MENU SETTINGS -> a AUTOFOCUS -> a3 Focus tracking with lock-on. Set to "Delayed" and you will see the difference!
You are disagreeing that he did not observe that difference? LOLOL Perhaps menu tweaking can make them more similar but he's talking about his experience of picking them up and just shooting.
Still can make up my mind between d500, d850 and d5... I need some good tracking af, fast shutter and good low light that doesn't weigh a ton. Is the D850 AF and tracking OK vs the d500 and the D5? How do the 3 of them compare at higher Iso? Thanks!
I teach photography to advanced amateurs and pros. I know both cameras well. The D500 excels over the Canon 7Dmkii in everything but GPS and video. But I dare anyone to see the difference in the results of the two or find an unhappy 7Dmkii user. The Canon is an exceptional camera but behind the D500 in sharpness (who can tell?) focusing (the Canon is last year's best) etc. My take is now both the Canon and Nikon worlds have great cameras and that is good. Let's see what Canon does next year.
I never used my popup on the D7100. I do have a SB600 but I didn't think the D500 would fire that flash. I was going to buy a D500, but then again, the people thinking you are doing something wrong is pathetic. I really need to check out the rules of taking photos in public places.
I had the d810 and d500 about the time this video came out. And while I still love the d810, it probably got used 10% as much as the d500. Such as good camera.
Tittle says "Nikon D500 - Field Tested Review" not "D500 vs D5". The d500 obviously not comparable to a full frame flagship with a $4000 price range difference.
Hi Matt, Another great review thank you. Was wondering about image quality (pixel peeping) D500 vs, D810. D800E., D5, how about 7Dm2. Thank you again for your excellent real life review. Nice to see jade again
Just picked up this camera and its amazing, great camera along with my D750 (replaced my D3s). But holy moly, it is impossible to find a store in Australia with the MB-D17 Grip in stock!
A question 4 u is it limited 2 record more than 30 minutes in total or is it limited to record 30 minutes at a time ? 4 example i wanted 2 record 3 hours of footage how will i have to do it ????
Great Video! Have a question. I'm currently shooting a D7100 with 2 DX and 3 FX lens. Which would serve me better as a new primary body, the D500 or the D750? I do all types of photography (sports, animals, landscapes, nightscapes, portraits). With them both being $200-$500 off right now with a free MB-16/17 grip, I"m torn on which to get
I think you should consider the new D850. It's the best of both worlds...45 MP full frame for wide angle and very low light, and 19 MP DX crop mode for that extra telephoto reach. It's not cheap, but if you're on the fence between full frame and APS-C, it's a way to get both.
I was thinking about this as well. I shoot portraits and landscapes. No sports but the specs on that D500 is awsome but i want to switch on a fullframe. Also D850 is way to expensive for me.
would the quality of a D5 with an 400mm f2.8 with a 1.4x converter give you same or better results than using the same 400mm on the D500? I do realize that you loose a stop with the converter... How would you compare both options here?
My LCD screen is black. My images come fine, but unlike with d5100 the screen is always black unless I press info or gallery or menu etc. Is this normal?
Not fully up on this, but due to no flash, does this mean the camera has no means of triggering off camera flash unless you buy a trigger of some sort?
Nice review, and of course not going to be as solid as the D5, but for the price and vs the competition it looks like the D500 smokes them. I'm selling my Sony DSLT aps-c body for a D500 (keeping my sony FF bodies for other tasks) for sport and wildlife. Any chance you're going to test the Nikon 200-500mm at some point?
Nikon d500 OR Nikon d610? Plz I need help to chose between both! I shoot wildlife and landscape and I really don't feel/need to have more FPS. I just want better result and image quality. So Full frame or APS-C?
Hi Matt, favour please - could you kindly let me know which Gitzo gear you've used? I expanded on my Manfrotto equipment (200PL platte centric) and find their MHXPRO XPRO BHQ2 ballhead is rather terrible. It dropped once and one of the knobs just shattered. Thanks!
I am a enthusiast photoghraper. I own a d5500 with a 50 mm 1.8 and sigma 17-50mm 2.8 Having the setup for 2+ years i do not find the sigma lens good enough in sharpness . May be something is wrong with my copy or what. So i was wondering should i upgrade to a d500 or d810 i generally shoot wildlife and landscapes. Any help will be appriciated and i am an admirer of your vids
What do u think about the D500 for replacing a D7000? I'm shooting mostly sports but I do a few weddings every year and dable in landscape and macro-photography, would this be a good camera for it or would the D7200 be enough?
I have the D7000 and D7200.. Landscape and Macro the D7200 will be better. For Sports, the new AF in the D500 would be better. However, the D7200 is not bad at AF. its is much better than the D7000, ie it is very good. It will depend on how much you value the $$ savings between the D500 at D7200. For me I dont shoot sports but ever other day I WANT at D500 and other days I think the D7200 is more than sufficient for me. Haha !
Not going to agree that D7200 will be better for lanscape/macro. A mere 3.3MP difference in sensor size is negligible, given that the D500's sharpness is enough to make them close enough IQ if the D500's image was enlarged to that of the D7200's. The new EXPEED 5 offers improved image processing, allowing the D500 the flexibility to handle any type of photography. You need to step up to the D800 series to see a real advantage for landscape/portraits (a D810 at ISO 6400 or less is amazing). The next gen D800/900 should be quite impressive. And yes, the AF system of the D7200 was only second best to the D750 by a smidge in Nikon's lineup, so it's no slouch, but still fell short of its Canon competitor's AF (7D MII), whereas the D500 surpasses it, being bested only by the D5, which however lacks the horizontal focus point reach of the D500. If the D7200 meets your needs, then it does. Right now I'm getting by with my D5500, but I want a D500 EVERY day, lol.
Check out the D500 at Amazon: geni.us/MGTomuM & BH Photo: bhpho.to/2zPZuyI
What lens did you used for the shot at 11:30?
Always great to have a professional photographer admit that he cant be great in all situations. I admire your humble admissions regarding the sports and bird photos.
More than 3000 sample images from NIKON D500 onfotolife.com
If you're shooting sports that camera does everything you need. Take the extra $3k and put it into glass.
but I have good eyes?!
DjLongCock+ I don’t think your eyes could photograph stuff
Great review Matt! I actually sold my D5 and picked up a D500 mainly due to the extra reach, portability, and low ISO DR. I just didn't need to shoot over ISO 2500 so the D5 had no real advantages. I think everyone who is complaining about comparing the two just don't understand sports and wildlife shooters. Yes there is a massive price difference but if you're concerned with getting the shot that is best for you then that is irrelevant. At the end of the day the D500 was a better fit for me.
I love my D7100 too but even more now, I love my Fujifilm X-Pro2. Totally different, and very enjoyable shooting experience.
+oc2phish07 D 7100 is divine!
Precisely my very thoughts, I have the D850, thinking of getting the D500 for wildlife and sports.
@@princesphotographystudio D850 can be turned into a better crop sensor D500.....
Matt seems unaware the D5 costs $4000 more than the D500
Matt, great review. Watching you balance that camera and lens combo on that bridge really had me on the edge of my seat!
The "secret sauce" regarding autofocus on the D500 is to add the grip AND the EN EL 18A ( D5/D4s) battery.
This battery is delivering 50% more voltage over the EN EL 15 and will drive the autofocus motor and VR system in Pro lenses to the max.
This principle also applies to the D810..
Get a better or different battery such as the EN EL 18A which is used in the D5&D4 but can't return it if it doesn't work . WHAT THE HELL
This guy: *Tries to shoot some birds*
4:48 Bird: *BrO I'm FrEAkInG bEHinD yOU!*
My current D300 is on it's last leg and due for a replacement. The D500 is a no brainer for me.
Why not do a real review using lenses that most people will be buying that don't cost $12K?
Because it's a d500
Also comparing with D5 - three times the price. People who buy D5 are more than likely pros and will buy $12k lense. Us mere mortals and enthusiast enthusiasts don't have that kind of cash laying around for our hobbies.
The fact that he is even comparing it to the D5 must mean it is a decent camera for what it is!
Hunter Currie It's way more than decent.
Agreed
Dx d5
Not too sure about that resolution...
I am currently debating between the D500 and D7200 to replace the D7100 I no longer have.
After watching and reading numerous comparison/reviews I pretty much decided to go with the D7200.
My reasoning was:
1. I do not shoot sports or birds in flight very often and have no need for 10 frames/second (6 fps will do just fine)
2. Lesser learning curve due to D7200 controls and menus being almost identical to my old D7100
3. Smaller size and weight around my neck or in the travel bag
4. Slightly higher resolution (24mp vs 21mp) - I often crop tightly and create individual portraits of my kids out of group shots
5. Even though I can afford a D500, I would rather not spend the extra $1300 CAN if I don't have to.
After playing with both cameras at the local store I am again very indecisive....
All the above arguments for the D7200 started fading away after holding the D500. It felt custom-made for my hand. I have never held a more comfortable camera. I did not feel the extra weight. It was just so perfectly fit and balanced in my hand.
I guess I need some help... The decisive factor for me now would be image quality, color reproduction and most importantly dynamic range/detail capturing in extremely high contrast situations.
Any insight on which of these two cameras is better in these criteria?
Please advise
Thank you
+Matt Granger, my understanding is the D500 doesn't have a pop-up flash to facilitate the extra-large (for APS-C) mirror box.
I've got mine for about a month now and am absolutely happy with it. I bought two new lenses to couple with it, one of which is the Sigma 50-100mm F/1.8 DC Art and the other one is Nikon AF-S 200mm F/2G VRii. Both lenses work perfectly with my D500 and do exceptionally well in shooting sports. Please get a Sigma 50-100mm F/1.8 DC Art and do a full review. You'll be amazed by it. Cheers!
Steven. I would LOVE to try that setup for indoor high school sports. Nice.
Thanks, I already have the Sigma Art 50-100 and have just purchased the legendary D500 in 2023, can't wait to try it with this lens :)
I lost my shit watching the gear rest on the bridge like that.
on 3:32 my heard stopped for seconds - I expected Matt to do a "Kai Wong" dropping this equipment into the lake any second :-)
haha - it was attached via blackrapid strap
I was betting my money it was going in the pond
My theory is that the D5 has a more powerful battery, running on higher voltage, and therefore drives the AF motor faster. The difference should be bigger, the bigger the lens. Keep up the good work!
I'm watching this in 2019, and a D500 is going for $1499 almost everywhere. . .For the cost difference (which is VERY important to me) the D500 is my choice, and I'm confident I'll create some wonderful images with it. . .I'll also seriously consider some new lenses soon with the money I didn't spend on a camera body! I also must say that my initial attraction to the D500 ( and its current price range) was for use in shooting high-speed action, air shows for example. But your confidence in using it for a portrait shoot as well is a strong selling point for me!
NIce and logical comparison between the D500 and the D5. Fun to watch this review even though I'm leagues below it with my lowly D7100.
Lowly? you might need to learn how to use it, check my pics with my "lowly" D7100 www.500px.com/keykey007
wow amazing shots bobby!
John Roberts I agree I've been shooting with the d7100 for a while and I love it, www.asquaredphotos.com I just bought the D500 and I'm looking forward to using it, but am dreading the size! Spend your money on the Sigma 18-35 and the 50-100 you won't be disappointed!
I checked out your shots and they look great. I shoot with 2 D700s that I just cant let go despite their 12 mpx. I like Macro and street photography and was thinking I would add the D7100 when I want to go light, also to get more length from my 100mm macro lens. The D500 is great for action and birds, but I believe the D7100 is more bang for much fewer dollars. I put my money mostly in good glass.
Imagine this camera in the hands of Abraham Zapruder on November 22nd, 1963.
I'm sure that the d500 is the ''cheapest'' way to make sport and wildlife photography but i don't feel the price tag right.Curently im shooting everything using my tank camera d7100 with a great selection of lenses and im gettings excellent results.With the right settings and crop 1.3 mode you can achieve 8 fps in jpg quality with 16 m.pixels which is more than enough for the web.
My opinion,don't hit me for that.
Matt honest review as always.
p.s we need more jade...
Comparing the D500 against the D5, says a lot..... Good Review Saludos!!!!!
Nice video but I don't understand why you kept comparing it to the D5. I mean we all know that there is huge difference. Maybe you should have compared it to the D750 or D810.
No. It's the proper comparison.
The intent and functions of the two cameras are very much the same.
It has nothing in common with the d810 or d750.
Because everyone looks at it as a baby D5, that's the point of this camera, being a sort of crop sensored D5.
10 frames a second, fast...
These two cameras have some similar specs but they are very different. Comparing a £1500 crop with a £5.200 full frame one is a bit ridiculous. The D500 is a good camera that will make prosumer interested in shooting sport/wildlife really happy but the D5 can be used for everything and will give professional results with every type fo shoot.
TheFlowMind Look crop is crop. Big deal. It's 2016 and APS-C sensors are every bit as good as FF. The IQ from the D500 is arguably better than the D750. go online and look at the images.
What makes a camera professional? The pro using it. A pro will have no problem shooting everything you mentioned with the D500. Matt said it right in the video.
The real difference between FF and crop at this point? POV and in SOME cases DOF. Put a longer lens on a crop body and DOF is not an issue.
The crop sensor argument is losing its teeth thanks to improvements in tech. Heck, the iPhone 6 is shooting 4k video now on a 1" sensor.
Remko v.d. Wielen Yes but a good comparison should be with a camera of the same range. Noon will be torn between a D500 and a D5!
Great video & review! There are too many D500 reviews that don't keep a level head in their conclusions. Great job and review Matt!
Looks like a good camera for the Nikon guys. I shoot the Canon 7D Mark II and enjoy the reach over the 1Dx for sports and birds.
Nice review, I especially liked the portrait shots. Welcome back Jade! :) I must say you also had some really good bird photos; wildlife has always been one of my preferred subjects to shoot.
I like wildlife photography and astrophotography too... I'm not sure what to do. Either take d500 or the d810. I can shoot crop mode on the d810 too, so theoretically I can get the same size images around 21Mpixels. Just it's not as fast as the d500. I think in the crop mode the d810 can shoot 6fps, so that's still quite a bit slower than the d500. But then again, for astrophotography d810 is a better choice. What do you think???
I shoot sports all the time, with my D850, you did a descent job though. I am thinking of getting the D500 for wildlife and sports. No I do not own the D5 but I see that excels at low light, indoor sports and such, but I use the D850 and the 70-200mm for indoors performs just fine. Overall, great review, even at this late date!
Matt, you looked like michael jackson dangling a kid off the balcony when you where holding that lens on the bridge. My heart skipped a beat. Great review.
Seconding this. I was like "nooo, please have that lens and body attached somewhere.." As a D500 owner I was fearing it could fall and ruin both the glass and the body.
Cesarin Pill,
zz,in
I had the same feeling as Tim king...
Why compare the D500 with a camera costing over three times as much? Of course the focus and tracking will be quicker on the D5, that's why it costs a lot more. A comparison with the D7500 or D7200 would have been better.
its not the focus motor but the power that battery can deliver to motor that might be making difference in focus speed. D5/1Dx mk II have larger and more powerful batteries compared to smaller counterparts- D500/7D mk II.
+Chaitanya Shukla is that a guess, or fact?
The battery does effect the CPU speed as well. it was some time ago but some tech tear down guy showed that the different versions of nikons (i think it was the D90, D300 and D3 at that time) ran at different CPU speeds.
Matt Granger Its a suspicion, since both D500 and D5 share the same internals except for battery. Also like if you remember back in the days of D300/s those cameras only hit 8fps if D3's battery or AA sized alkaline batteries were used.
Excellent review Matt Granger. Thank you.
I wonder how will it compare to the a6500 I don't do any sports but I like them both.
Great review Matt. Would also have liked to see how the D500 performed in a studio scenario.
Why do you think the D810 is better built. It also has a plastic front right? It is just a feel thing or you seen something backing it up? Also I understand the D5 has a plastic lower making it inferior in built compared to the D4. Thoughts?
Jade.
Wow.
Stunning.
Gorgeous.
Wow.. I need to catch my breath. :)
And ah, oh yeah... Matt.. Thanks for the ah, what was it? Oh yeah, that's right, the camera review. :) Always appreciate and admire your thoughts.
I have spent the last couple years doing indoor high school sports (which means of course poor lighting... Having to shoot at iso 6400 - 12800 at f2 to 2.8 and 1/800th or so). I've been using a D600. I wonder how the high iso noise performance of the D500 compares to the D600.
I'm watching as many reviews as I can about the D500 as I'm thinking of getting one. Up until late 2013 my Canon EOS 20D served me well. But I wanted something newer and more compact and so got a good deal on Fujifilm X-E2 MILC at the beginning of 2015. Its a nice camera, but what put me off a bit, is that despite modest usage over a two year period it developed a burnt pixel on its sensor.
I never had such an issue with my Canon over nearly a decade of much harder use. Which got me thinking maybe because mirrorless cameras when in use have their sensors working all the time to feed the EVF they wear out quicker. Anyway I started missing the bright optical viewfinder you get on DSLRs, despite the Fuji having a very good quality EVF and the great battery life! I could shoot for days with my old DSLR without worrying too much about the battery going dead. While with the Fuji, at times I had to change the battery a few times over a single shooting day period!
But while the latest Canon DSLRs are great overall, they're DR (despite improvements with the EOS 80D and EOS 5D Mk4) still lag behind the likes of Fuji, Nikon and Sony. So I'm thinking of going Nikon this time around.Which is also kind of going full circle for me as one of the first 'proper' cameras I used was my Father's Nikon F film camera!
The choice between a D500, D750, and D810 is killing me! I currently shoot DX and want to move into FX, but the D500 is such an amazing camera at a great price. I shoot mostly portraits and weddings, but also some motocross.
Advise?
I am pretty sure they let go off the pop up flash so you could use the tilt-shift lenses especially the 24mm PC-E. My D800 doesn't allow full shift with 24mm PC-E due to the extended flash bulge
Thank you Matt for the review. It was really appreciated even if you don't do birds and sports very well.
Matt, is this a good overall camera? Landscapes. Portraits. No crop. No print.
You said it consistently underexposes about a third of a stop? Have you tried it with another lense? On my D300 some lenses overexpose, and some underexpose. Not a big deal if you know about it, of course. Just use the exposure compensation.
Still enjoying my mint D700 :D love it to bits...
Matt is comparing the D500 with the D5!!!! And keeps trying to defend the poor D5 against D500! It means just one thing: Buy the D500 and be happy! Even in 2020... Buy the D500 and be happy! It does it all! Don't bother yourself with the mirrorless mania. D500, the right lenses and the very best autofocus for wildlife or sports... The prints are amazing up to ISO 6400 for small birds in wildlife or 10.000 for easier shots like portraits, shows, concerts, or your dog running around.
Excellent review. This looks like my future DX. Thanks for sharing this extensive review.
Matt,just an observation.I really think you have a bit of a biased view on the D5.You own it and in your mind I think you may subconsciously be trying to justify the cost of it compared to D500.Good review but heavily bias.
Yes, I was thinking that too. Still a great little review!
I don't think its biased at all, once you shoot with a pro camera, its so easy to see the flaws in other cameras you use..
I have two DX format Nikon bodies, my now old D90 and recently my daughter gave me her D3300 and i do wildlife mainly using a Nikon 400mm f2.8 VRII. I am looking for a new body and cant decide between the D5 or D500 as the D500 gives the 400mm a focal length of 600mm as you say.
thanks a lot, Matt. After informing you on my hearing not being the best: did or did I not notice that in burst mode the D500 shutter sounded less loud than the D5's? For bird photography a relevant issue, I'd say.
I have never thought about asking the coach on my sons opposing team to shoot..nice tip thanks!
Matt nice review where you say you think the D500 shoots about 2/3 stop underexposed. I don't think you're imagining that. I have a D500 and in bright sunlight I think the camera does exactly that. Regarding no pop up flash everyone mentions that's for better sealing. I think that might be a little hocus pocus marketing from Nikon. My opinion is the electronics from the wifi or bluetooth has something to do with that area where the pop up flash would exist.
Lovin your channel Matt, hadn't seen this one before, lovin the table!
cheers from the UK.
tony
Brilliant report thanks so much Matt
Hey Matt, love the videos. I currently own a Nikon D7200, Nikon 35mm, Tamron 10-24mm, 24-70mm & the 70-200mm lens. I do still enjoy using the 7200, however, I am looking to upgrade. At this point, I'm shooting landscapes, wildlife, sports & starting little with portraits. So I guess I'm looking for a recommendation if this camera will fit the bill going forward. Let me know your/anyones thoughts. Keep up the good work!
Hi Matt, love your videos just checking you're Nikon d500 video again. Do you think it's still a good buy for 2019 ?
Thanks for this video. I do own a D4S and I would like to understand how the D500 would compare or pair, as backup crop body) with it.
This man has no disregard for the shutter mechanism!!!! LOL.............
As always a very entertaining and informational review. I know that there's a gajillion reviews of this camera but I alway's hold Mr. Granger's views as most pertinent to my use.
@Matt ....low light capability and ISO testing and 4k Video comparision missing :( .....D5 only do 3 min 4 K with crop mode ....and where as D500 do 29 min 59 sec
It was updated it can now shoot 30 mins
That 400/2.8 rocking on the edge of the bridge made me want to shout a the screen.
Ever do any roller derby shoots? I'm currently shooting on a D7100, and have been eyeballing the D500 for speed, but then also the D750 for low light performance.
Thank you for the review, and I love your table.
Just got mine Matt and love it!
Thanx for the review Matt.
I've got a question. I noticed you're using a Black Rapid to carry your stuff around. The D500 and 400mm f2.8 were with one carabiner at the D500. Doesn't that damaged the camerabody because of the weight of the 400mm? And what's the effect on the body?
Question: How much weight can the body handle olny carried by one carabiner. I want to use it with the 200-500mm f5.6 but I'm afraid it's to heavy for one carabiner.
(Forgive me my poor English, it's not my native speak. I'm from the Netherlands.)
Kind regards
Nico
"All the pixels on to the bird" - sounds fine ;)
Thx for the info. - Eero
Great review, great comparison. Interesting about the underexposure. Was that just in a certain situation or on most shots? I'm a canon-ite but this camera is tempting me. Thanks.
hmm maybe another thing to add to their firmware update list...
I expected you to shoot more models with your review. I actually waited on you to review the camera because you work with models.
I want one. I have a D7100, and it's a good camera, but mine has that noise banding issue which kinda sucks.
What probably "sucks" is the adobe raw convertor for the D7100. :-) google it any raw converter not named adobe does not have the banding.
You're awesome Matt. Thanks for the vids. Thanks for just speaking like a normal photographer and not talking down to us like we've no idea what a camera is.
Thanks Matt, was looking for this one. My next camera!
13:50 I don't agree with that statement! You can set the response time of the AF in CUSTOM MENU SETTINGS -> a AUTOFOCUS -> a3 Focus tracking with lock-on. Set to "Delayed" and you will see the difference!
You are disagreeing that he did not observe that difference? LOLOL
Perhaps menu tweaking can make them more similar but he's talking about his experience of picking them up and just shooting.
can you please compare Nikon 200-500 mm vs tamron 150-600 mm G2
The return of Jade 😍😍...
Still can make up my mind between d500, d850 and d5... I need some good tracking af, fast shutter and good low light that doesn't weigh a ton. Is the D850 AF and tracking OK vs the d500 and the D5? How do the 3 of them compare at higher Iso? Thanks!
Thank you Matt, here is a suggestion; how about comparing it to the Canon 7D MarkII?
D500 leads on every aspect vs 7D Mark II! D500 is way Better in my opinion.
+Mohamed Nanabhai have you tried both cameras ?
I teach photography to advanced amateurs and pros. I know both cameras well. The D500 excels over the Canon 7Dmkii in everything but GPS and video. But I dare anyone to see the difference in the results of the two or find an unhappy 7Dmkii user. The Canon is an exceptional camera but behind the D500 in sharpness (who can tell?) focusing (the Canon is last year's best) etc. My take is now both the Canon and Nikon worlds have great cameras and that is good. Let's see what Canon does next year.
hows autofocus of d500 vs d810? im considering ff for its DOV, better low light (maybe?) thx.
I never used my popup on the D7100. I do have a SB600 but I didn't think the D500 would fire that flash.
I was going to buy a D500, but then again, the people thinking you are doing something wrong is pathetic. I really need to check out the rules of taking photos in public places.
The Nikon channels on You Tube are great for seeing what the D500 can do.
I had the d810 and d500 about the time this video came out. And while I still love the d810, it probably got used 10% as much as the d500. Such as good camera.
"...and the game has stopped" haha! Love the timing of that.
Tittle says "Nikon D500 - Field Tested Review" not "D500 vs D5". The d500 obviously not comparable to a full frame flagship with a $4000 price range difference.
Hey Matt!
Great review, and thanks for doing it.
what do think about the D500 when upping the ISO? low light and for wildlife ?
Thanks
BEST QUESTION....thats what disappointed me with the D500.....
My only grip with this is why is there no CF variant? They can do it with the D5 but not the D500...
i like the d750 for the full frame and better menu than the d800. also the 3d focus tracking is unbeatable. would love the d500 for video though
Hi Matt, Another great review thank you. Was wondering about image quality (pixel peeping) D500 vs, D810. D800E., D5, how about 7Dm2. Thank you again for your excellent real life review. Nice to see jade again
Oh yeah Jade is back, cool. I almost got the D500 but thought I'd go for it all and picked up a D5 to compliment my D810
Just picked up this camera and its amazing, great camera along with my D750 (replaced my D3s). But holy moly, it is impossible to find a store in Australia with the MB-D17 Grip in stock!
A question 4 u is it limited 2 record more than 30 minutes in total or is it limited to record 30 minutes at a time ? 4 example i wanted 2 record 3 hours of footage how will i have to do it ????
You need the mbd17 with bl5 and enel18b but it is possible with a large card
Great Video! Have a question. I'm currently shooting a D7100 with 2 DX and 3 FX lens. Which would serve me better as a new primary body, the D500 or the D750? I do all types of photography (sports, animals, landscapes, nightscapes, portraits). With them both being $200-$500 off right now with a free MB-16/17 grip, I"m torn on which to get
I wish someone would assist on answering this question! Thanks
I think you should consider the new D850. It's the best of both worlds...45 MP full frame for wide angle and very low light, and 19 MP DX crop mode for that extra telephoto reach.
It's not cheap, but if you're on the fence between full frame and APS-C, it's a way to get both.
I was thinking about this as well. I shoot portraits and landscapes. No sports but the specs on that D500 is awsome but i want to switch on a fullframe. Also D850 is way to expensive for me.
would the quality of a D5 with an 400mm f2.8 with a 1.4x converter give you same or better results than using the same 400mm on the D500? I do realize that you loose a stop with the converter... How would you compare both options here?
My LCD screen is black. My images come fine, but unlike with d5100 the screen is always black unless I press info or gallery or menu etc. Is this normal?
Not fully up on this, but due to no flash, does this mean the camera has no means of triggering off camera flash unless you buy a trigger of some sort?
Nice review, and of course not going to be as solid as the D5, but for the price and vs the competition it looks like the D500 smokes them.
I'm selling my Sony DSLT aps-c body for a D500 (keeping my sony FF bodies for other tasks) for sport and wildlife.
Any chance you're going to test the Nikon 200-500mm at some point?
Surely the focus speed also depends on the focusing mechanism in the lens, doesn't it ?
thanks for the video, enjoyed it. Can I ask you what brand is the copper colored quick release on the bottom of your D5?
Nikon d500 OR Nikon d610? Plz I need help to chose between both! I shoot wildlife and landscape and I really don't feel/need to have more FPS. I just want better result and image quality. So Full frame or APS-C?
why do I feel a lot of people say the have the D5 because of the price but they really don't ...
Hi matt which is better for wedding photography d500 or d7200 ?
I am shocked I am looking at cameras that are almost 5 years old now. But I guess Nikon isn't updating their DSLR cameras anymore. :-/
Hi Matt, favour please - could you kindly let me know which Gitzo gear you've used? I expanded on my Manfrotto equipment (200PL platte centric) and find their MHXPRO XPRO BHQ2 ballhead is rather terrible. It dropped once and one of the knobs just shattered. Thanks!
Just ordered a Gitzo ballhead - what are those orange Arca plates you're using?
Matt how would you rate the D500 against the D4S when it comes to Autofocus?
I am a enthusiast photoghraper.
I own a d5500 with a 50 mm 1.8 and sigma 17-50mm 2.8
Having the setup for 2+ years i do not find the sigma lens good enough in sharpness . May be something is wrong with my copy or what. So i was wondering should i upgrade to a d500 or d810 i generally shoot wildlife and landscapes. Any help will be appriciated and i am an admirer of your vids
In comparison to Nikon D7200, where do you put D500 ?
What do u think about the D500 for replacing a D7000? I'm shooting mostly sports but I do a few weddings every year and dable in landscape and macro-photography, would this be a good camera for it or would the D7200 be enough?
it will blow the 7000 series out of the water for sports and weddings
I have the D7000 and D7200.. Landscape and Macro the D7200 will be better. For Sports, the new AF in the D500 would be better. However, the D7200 is not bad at AF. its is much better than the D7000, ie it is very good. It will depend on how much you value the $$ savings between the D500 at D7200. For me I dont shoot sports but ever other day I WANT at D500 and other days I think the D7200 is more than sufficient for me. Haha !
Not going to agree that D7200 will be better for lanscape/macro. A mere 3.3MP difference in sensor size is negligible, given that the D500's sharpness is enough to make them close enough IQ if the D500's image was enlarged to that of the D7200's. The new EXPEED 5 offers improved image processing, allowing the D500 the flexibility to handle any type of photography. You need to step up to the D800 series to see a real advantage for landscape/portraits (a D810 at ISO 6400 or less is amazing). The next gen D800/900 should be quite impressive.
And yes, the AF system of the D7200 was only second best to the D750 by a smidge in Nikon's lineup, so it's no slouch, but still fell short of its Canon competitor's AF (7D MII), whereas the D500 surpasses it, being bested only by the D5, which however lacks the horizontal focus point reach of the D500.
If the D7200 meets your needs, then it does. Right now I'm getting by with my D5500, but I want a D500 EVERY day, lol.
That sweet sweet live edge wood desk!