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D7200 vs D500 (1 Viewer)

proudpapa56

proudpapa56

Where'd you go, stay put!
United States
I have the D7200 and am very pleased. Would there be any benefit to changing out for D500? One thing that might make me pass on the D500 is the SD / XQD card mix. There are some deals on the D500 body now which is why I ask.
 
I've got the D7200 and am very pleased with it too...so I can't answer your question... However, I bought the D7200 this summer just after the D500 had been released, and did read a lot of reviews and think carefully about whether it was worth the extra cash. The consensus seems to be it is better for BIF shots, so if this is important to you it may be worth the extra investment, although I've had some great BIF results with the D7200.
I'm totally with you on the card issue though...I didn't realise how useful two SD cards were before my D7200, and I'd be reluctant to give that up.
It will be interesting to hear from others who have taken the upgrade path and now have a few months of field use to look back on
 
having had both I preferred the d7200 picture quality. Yes the d500 was faster etc but not enough other better feature for me .
 
Thanks Les. Got the impression I'd just be changing for the sake of changing. And I'm still learning what can be done with the d7200.
 
I have a D7100, not D7200.... and acquired the D500 this spring... coupled with the new 300mmPF... it is a stunning performer .... the AF is blazingly fast and accurate...coupled with very rapid frame rate and excellent buffer...it is superb for BIF etc. I also much more prefer the size and feel of the D500.
HTH, YMMV.....;)
 
Pasquier said:
I have a D7100, not D7200.... and acquired the D500 this spring... coupled with the new 300mmPF... it is a stunning performer .... the AF is blazingly fast and accurate...coupled with very rapid frame rate and excellent buffer...it is superb for BIF etc. I also much more prefer the size and feel of the D500.
HTH, YMMV.....;)
Click to expand...

I did more or less the same, jettisoning my D7100/300mm/TC14EII combo for the D500/300mmPF/TC14EIII, and agree with all your comments. A superb combination, being particularly good with BIFs, as you say.
 
Pasquier said:
I have a D7100, not D7200.... and acquired the D500 this spring... coupled with the new 300mmPF... it is a stunning performer .... the AF is blazingly fast and accurate...coupled with very rapid frame rate and excellent buffer...it is superb for BIF etc. I also much more prefer the size and feel of the D500.
HTH, YMMV.....;)
Click to expand...

Is that a Nikon 300mm prime focus?
 
Reading this thread with interest - I'm looking for a better bird photography setup than my 4/3 system, without getting too crazy heavy. I usually carry my Camera when walk-around birding, to get shots of opportunity, or to document uncommon birds. Auto-Focus speed and accuracy is the most important aspect for me, as the brief moment I often have for getting a bird shot often results in no pic or an out-of-focus pic with my current gear. Better low-light performance is also a goal.

Since I'm almost always at max zoom (and could use more), the 300 PF f/4 lens coupled with D500 or D7200 are my top contenders at the moment (along with a 1.4x or 1.7x TC when needed). Around 4lbs - twice the weight of my current setup, but still much lighter than the 80-400 or a Canon 7D MII / 100-400 setup.

I wonder how much better the AF is on the D500, specifically for birds, when they're not particularly close?
 
PaulZr said:
Reading this thread with interest - I'm looking for a better bird photography setup than my 4/3 system, without getting too crazy heavy. I usually carry my Camera when walk-around birding, to get shots of opportunity, or to document uncommon birds. Auto-Focus speed and accuracy is the most important aspect for me, as the brief moment I often have for getting a bird shot often results in no pic or an out-of-focus pic with my current gear. Better low-light performance is also a goal.

Since I'm almost always at max zoom (and could use more), the 300 PF f/4 lens coupled with D500 or D7200 are my top contenders at the moment (along with a 1.4x or 1.7x TC when needed). Around 4lbs - twice the weight of my current setup, but still much lighter than the 80-400 or a Canon 7D MII / 100-400 setup.

I wonder how much better the AF is on the D500, specifically for birds, when they're not particularly close?
Click to expand...

You might want to consider the latest m4/3 offerings as well: http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?p=3514921#post3514921
 
PaulZr said:
...I wonder how much better the AF is on the D500, specifically for birds, when they're not particularly close?
Click to expand...

I can't do a comparison since I've never handled a 4/3 camera, but I can say that the auto-focus is truly excellent on my D500/300mmPF/TC1.4EIII combo. I've been a bird photographer for many years and have never had as high a proportion of keepers as with my new rig. Check my Flickr site for examples, many of which were taken at considerable distances and heavily cropped.
 
PaulZr said:
The OMD EM1 Mark II is on my list, but is on backorder everywhere, as is the 300mm f/4 lens. Interestingly, this combo weighs about the same as the D500/300 PF/TC1.4.
Click to expand...

FYI: Amazon has 12 of the 300mm f4 available as of this time; I just ordered the OMD EM1.2 Friday from Focus Camera. You can usually find such items in stock somewhere if you search widely. At least that is my experience.
 
Last edited:
I recently traded in my D5 for the D500 (at B and H) and the RX100M5. I also have the D7200. I never used the D5 at high speed Continuous and it was a bit heavy to carry around the neck all day. The D500 has the same AF system and 9fps is good enough for me.
Over the D7200 -
much better AF system
better low light ( Second Japanese White-eye photo at iso 18,000 - Noiseware)
better balance in the hand with tele lenses
9fps means more " keeper's
4k video means more options e.g. taking stills of video clip.
Here are a few images taken with the 300/4 afs PF lens.
The last photo of the Daurian Redstart is a very tight crop.
Neil
Hongkong,
Feb 2017
 

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