Nikon - D500 DSLR Camera (Body Only) - Black

I am a wildlife photographer and have been shooting with a Nikon D800, which still have and love but for some of the bird life it was a little slow to focus and frames per second were on the slow side for fast moving subjects. When the D500 came out and I read the specs and looked at some testimonials it appeared to be what I was in search of. It was. I love the 10 FPS and it focuses really fast. The other features that help in my wild life photography are the DX crop factor and I am enjoying the touch/tilt screen for those shots close to the ground. I have not found anything about camera that has presented any problems.

Run, don't walk, to pick up this camera body. Amazing low light quality, fast focus, huge files and beautiful video. This is a no-brainer if you're on the fence. It even improves the images I shoot with off-Nikon lenses.

I have been thru a few cameras. The D7200, the D7500, the D750. And the Sony RX10 IV. None of them compare to this beast. Many think it's a cropped sensor camera so it can't be that good. Trust me that it's "that good". I'll expand... First and foremost, it's a pro-body camera. It has features that the others do not. It feels much better in the hand. The rear LCD display can be pivoted up or down so that you can have more flexibility while shooting, unlike the others which only go one way. It shoots ten frames per second unlike the others which are about half that or less. That's a game changer when you're shooting wildlife, sports, or anything like an air show that requires speed. This body just feels powerful compared to the others. Another thing that I read in other reviews before buying it, and that I definitely noticed once I loaded a few images onto the computer for editing...was how accurate the colors are. That was not the case with the other camera bodies. Very impressed. I bought the 35mm f1.8 Nikon fixed lens w/ this camera body, as they say that's a must at a price of $199. The sample images below were taken with that lens. I will also be adding the Tamron 16-300mm for Nikon bodies @ $629. Both the lens and this camera body are moisture and dust sealed, making them a perfect combo for a long hike. If I could add that "Asia" from the Akron Best Buy store was more than helpful. She made the transaction very simple, and had a great attitude. Thank you Best Buy and Nikon. Products like this make life more enjoyable.

I have owned d5100, d7100, d750 this is the best build yet. Great for Wildlife and low light landscape photo. I found it difficult to pick up my D750 with the d500 in the bag, I only wish each memory card type could copy to each other.

I never thought I'd go back to an APS-C sensor camera. I love full frame and figured that would be all if ever use. I started from Nikon's D70, D200, D300 (got stolen) and for the last years I've been using the D700. I've been. Drooling for the D810 for its 36mp but never pulled the trigger on the $3000 price tag. In the last 2 years I have gotten into wildlife photography which lead me to the Tamron 150-600 and to my current Nikon 200-500mm lens. Great gear, but on a 12mp body and only 5 FPS, I find myself struggling with small and nimble birds. Missing focus and the "money shot". I have only had the D500 for a couple weeks but because of the 1.5 APS-C crop and the MP boost from 12 to 20.9, I am seeing details I have never been able to manage before. It's blowing me away! And 10 FPS is getting some really good action that I usually miss. Why not stay FF and pick up a D610 or D750? Buffers are too small for high speed RAW shooting. Even my D700 slows me down. But so far the D500 appears to be a home run.

Struggled for a long time choosing between the D500 and D750. Ultimately decided on the 500 because of its build quality, incredible autofocus, and control placement. Have not been disappointed with the decision. For sports the autofocus is the best I've used (have owned/used many), and low light focusing is unrivaled.

I'm going to start with what I don't like about the camera! Cons: SnapBridge, WiFi, Tilt screen and Touch screen. This camera is geared towards sports, action and wildlife photographers. Those are features that are not needed for these types of work, (with the exception of the tilt screen for some video footage). Snapbridge and wifi should only be on the entry level cameras (IMO)! If you're in a rush to post to social media, chances are that the photo isn't that good to begin with! Specular Highlights: Very temperamental and often blows them out if not careful! Lightroom: I find the color rendering to be off during import into lightroom. It's an easy fix though. A quick adjustment to the color profile in the camera calibration panel to camera flat or camera neutral brings the files back to a good starting point! Pros: AF speed, Accuracy and continuous AF tracking is nothing short of amazing and is where this camera really shines! ISO Performance: Excellent for a DX body. I personally wouldn't go beyond iso 4,000 but that's very good for DX IMO! Ergonomics: A+. If you own a D810, switching between cameras is like night and day. Overall, this is a solid performing camera for it's intended purpose and I highly recommend add it to your kit.

I've owned several Nikon cameras both DX and FX and I have the say the sheer power that this thing has is incredible. I guess the main reason that I got it was for it's high FPS burst for sports, and secondly the focusing system. The focusing system is fantastic along with the low light iso ability. Jumped on this as soon as the sell came out and a free vertical grip was offered. The only down side to the camera is the battery does not last as long as any of the other Nikon cameras that I've owned, even when in plane mode (not bad battery life, it's just not as good. WiFi/bluetooth drain). Bottom line: If you are into sports and/or wildlife, this camera is for you!