7200 vs 500

Dsiner

Senior Member
What would drive you to move to the 500? Friend is all over me to "upgrads" but what does the 500 have it need? I don't normally shoot sports or wildlife, my 7200 seems just fine for everything else, am I missing something?
 

Zeke_M

Senior Member
I'm in the same boat with my D7100.

D750 or D500. I'm leaning towards the D500 for a few reasons. Massive buffer, 10fps etc, stupid high ISO and the list goes on.
On paper it looks like a pro level camera with a DX sensor.
My 70-200 and a D500 would be an awesome combination on a D500.

D7200 vs D500 comparison.

Nikon D500 vs Nikon D7200 Detailed Comparison
 

Blacktop

Senior Member
What would drive you to move to the 500? Friend is all over me to "upgrads" but what does the 500 have it need? I don't normally shoot sports or wildlife, my 7200 seems just fine for everything else, am I missing something?

If you don't shoot sports or wildlife, keep your D7200. You're not going to gain any IQ and the gain in cleaner high ISO is minimal on the D500. If you have money burning in your pockets, spend the extra on a nice quality lens instead.
 
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Bikerbrent

Senior Member
Keep the D7200. The D500 is pretty narrowly focused on action/sports photography. I agree with Blacktop, spend the extra on a good lens instead.
 

Blacktop

Senior Member
You'll lose a bit of IQ in cropping. How much? no one seems to know!

Well, the D7200 has an extra 3.1 MPs, but unless you're pixel peeping at 200% you'd never know it. Both cameras produce great IQ but the colors look a little different in my limited experience with these bodies.
I don't know how to explain it, but it just looks that way to my eyes. If I wasn't shooting so much BIF/ birds , I would have went for the D7200 ,no question about it.
 

jay_dean

Senior Member
Well, the D7200 has an extra 3.1 MPs, but unless you're pixel peeping at 200% you'd never know it. Both cameras produce great IQ but the colors look a little different in my limited experience with these bodies.
I don't know how to explain it, but it just looks that way to my eyes. If I wasn't shooting so much BIF/ birds , I would have went for the D7200 ,no question about it.
As i'm a heavy cropper when it comes to birds, I've been asking the 'how much difference is there in heavily cropped images between the D500 and D7200' question since the D500 began to get into peoples hands, but i've not had any definitive answer so far
 

Daz

Senior Member
If you don't shoot sports or wildlife, keep your D7200. You're not going to gain any IQ and the gain in cleaner high ISO is minimal on the D500. If you have money burning in your pockets, spend the extra on a nice quality lens instead.

THIS is the answer that I would expand on. With what lenses do you have?

If you have cheap lenses it doesnt matter what camera body you buy, in fact buying better cameras will show the imperfections in the lenses more.

If you have the lenses already then the freedom is up to you. The D500 is basically the D5 with a crop sensor and the fact that all the reviewers are saying should you buy the D500 or D750 (which is still an awesome camera) and they are saying go the 500 route says a lot ...

Keep the D7200. The D500 is pretty narrowly focused on action/sports photography. I agree with Blacktop, spend the extra on a good lens instead.

The D500 is not narrowly focused. I dont shoot any birds and I seldom shoot motorsport. I have used the D500 for ALL scenarios, Models/Portrait photography, Food/Macro photography, Long exposures and the D500 has handled it all superbly. It is geared towards action with the buffer however that doesnt mean it is "worse" at any other type of photography :)

I only very recently upgraded from the D600 to the D500 and I was going back and forth between the D750 and the D500, it took me going into a camera store and playing with it to work out which one I would like. Maybe this is an option for you with the 500 and 7200, or even get them out on a hire and compare both sets of images etc.

Personally I didnt think I would like the "add on" features of the 500 but Snapbridge letting you put your pics straight on your phone is awesome as it the tilt screen for low or high angle shots :)
 
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carguy

Senior Member
I'm in the same boat with my D7100.

D750 or D500. I'm leaning towards the D500 for a few reasons. Massive buffer, 10fps etc, stupid high ISO and the list goes on.
On paper it looks like a pro level camera with a DX sensor.
My 70-200 and a D500 would be an awesome combination on a D500.

D7200 vs D500 comparison.

Nikon D500 vs Nikon D7200 Detailed Comparison
The first question I would ask is what is your D7200 not doing for you that you need?
 

jay_dean

Senior Member
and the fact that all the reviewers are saying should you buy the D500 or D750 (which is still an awesome camera) and they are saying go the 500 route says a lot ...

I've absolutely no doubt the D500 is a great frame. However, cameras tend to suit individuals and their needs/wants, i dont need a reviewer to tell me what camera i should own, otherwise maybe i'd own a D750 and a 50mm prime, neither of which i want because they're just not for me.
 

Horoscope Fish

Senior Member
What would drive you to move to the 500? Friend is all over me to "upgrads" but what does the 500 have it need? I don't normally shoot sports or wildlife, my 7200 seems just fine for everything else, am I missing something?
If you have to ASK yourself if you need a D500 over your current rig, you don't need a D500.

Based on what I've read, I'd tell you to keep your D7200 and get some really top-notch glass, or take a class and better your skills instead. Money better spent, IMO.
.....
 

Danno

Senior Member
I have a D7200. I am very satisfied with it, especially given the kind of shots I take. I do shoot some birds and some sports, but the pace I am able to keep up with works fine with the D7200.

I do understand, from what I have read here and elsewhere, that the D500 is quicker to focus than the D7200. But I am comfortable with how mine works with my 200-500 f 5.6 Nikon lens when I shoot birds.

I would love to have a D500. But all things considered, I prefer to save for some Sigma Art lenses and look more to a full frame camera for Landscapes. I really do like getting sunrise shots :)

You have a good camera. Given what you say you shoot, money could be better spent on good lenses.
 

captain birdseye

Senior Member
I have both of them although I have only had the d500 for 7 or 8 weeks during which the UK weather has been pretty dire preventing me from getting good use out of it.
Apart from the obvious frame rate and buffer improvements I find the performance at higher ISO settings in low light to be noticeably better (not massively so though) ditto the AF. (But so far I have only used it in poor light with the 200-500vr).
The flexibility of being able to have different AF settings on the joystick, af-on button and shutter are great.
The viewfinder is huge in comparison and the rear screen is of a higher resolution making it more reliable for assessing the sharpness of images in camera and its touch screen, despite being one of the things I thought I would not really want on a camera is very handy.
I suppose that at higher ISO settings it may/may not be quite as croppable as the d7200 due to its 20mps vs 24 mps but this can be subjective to shooting conditions and the amount of grain you end up with on the final image.
The d500s grain is easier to deal with than the d7200s and the higher you go ISO wise the better the difference.
If you often shoot in low light and need quick AF for moving subjects go for the d500.
If not settle for the d7200 unless you find the other features of the d500 tempting.
Having both I intend to use the d500, gripped with the nikon 200-500vr for birding and the d7200, gripped with the sigma 150 f2.8 macro for bugs fungi/flowers.
 
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Daz

Senior Member
I do understand, from what I have read here and elsewhere, that the D500 is quicker to focus than the D7200. But I am comfortable with how mine works with my 200-500 f 5.6 Nikon lens when I shoot birds.

Its sometimes TOO quick, the Sigma 50 - 500 cant keep up with the focus speed of the 500 apparently !
 

bandit993

Senior Member
I have the D7200 and would like to try the D500. The buffer and FPS is my main interest The AF might be better too, but the 3 less Mp is bothering me a little. I have seen where there are some who say the detail is a little better on the D7200. Still on the fence...
 

Moab Man

Senior Member
Another vote for stay with you D7200. You have listed no reason in your style of shooting that would warrant an upgrade. I am also another vote for improved glass. Glass makes a far greater difference than any camera body of today ever will.
 

carguy

Senior Member
What would drive you to move to the 500? Friend is all over me to "upgrads" but what does the 500 have it need? I don't normally shoot sports or wildlife, my 7200 seems just fine for everything else, am I missing something?
The only time I think about upgrading from my D7100 to a D500 is when I hit the buffer and for higher ISO performance. I'm still good to wait a bit for the price of Nikon refurbs to come down a bit.
 
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