Upgrade head ache.....

DaveNewman

Senior Member
good morning from the UK, long time since ive posted :)

need a little advice please. i currently own a D5600 with a 70-300 and 200-500 lens. im looking to upgrade to a better body. its between d7500 and d500

i mainly shoot wildlife, BIF, action shots, sports (im not really a landscape person or portrait)

what are peoples thoughts? (i understand there is a cost difference, but im looking for a body where i dont have to upgrade again, or at least for many many years)

upgrade will be end of this month.

OR would the D7200 be a better option than the D500 or the D7500?

regards
dave
 
Last edited:

mikew_RIP

Senior Member
Not tried the D7500 but had two goes with a D500 because i wanted to use that camera, with a long enough lens though it was just too heavy for me so opted back to Olympus, if i could manage it the D500 all the time.
 

hark

Administrator
Staff member
Super Mod
Contributor
Nikon didn't make a grip for the D7500 so the body doesn't have the contact on the bottom like other Nikon bodies have. However, there is an aftermarket grip that is made although I don't think it performs quite as good as Nikon grips. If you are into shooting wildlife, sports, and actions, that's definitely something you should consider.

I have the D7200. While it's a great body, I do miss the articulating (tilt) screen that I have on my D750. The D500 does include the articulating screen. The D500 has a slightly better sensor than the D7200. And the D500 is a pro body with more focus points and a better buffer rate for quick successive shots. Overall the D500 outperforms the D7200 for wildlife and sports.

https://photographylife.com/nikon-d500-vs-d7200
 

Horoscope Fish

Senior Member
good morning from the UK, long time since ive posted :)

need a little advice please. i currently own a D5600 with a 70-300 and 200-500 lens. im looking to upgrade to a better body. its between d7500 and d500

i mainly shoot wildlife, BIF, action shots, sports (im not really a landscape person or portrait)

what are peoples thoughts? (i understand there is a cost difference, but im looking for a body where i dont have to upgrade again, or at least for many many years)

upgrade will be end of this month.

OR would the D7200 be a better option than the D500 or the D7500?

regards
dave

D500. Hands down, full stop.
 

hark

Administrator
Staff member
Super Mod
Contributor
thanks for the replies guys

Dave, a little more info for you - here is Photography Life's review of the D500.

Quote from article:

There is no question that the D500 is meant to be viewed as, and perform as, a mini-D5. Consider the naming of the two, the simultaneous announcements, the new auto-focus system common to both, the use of XQD memory cards in both cameras, and even the identical resolution 21MP sensors, among many other commonalities.

https://photographylife.com/reviews/nikon-d500
 

editorial_use_only

Senior Member
i currently own a D5600 with a 70-300 and 200-500 lens. im looking to upgrade to a better body. its between d7500 and d500 ... i mainly shoot wildlife, BIF, action shots, sports (im not really a landscape person or portrait)
For those subjects, get the D500. No contest. And get an XQD card.

One other thing. Both lenses are relatively slow. I don't know which 70-300 you have, but if it's the AFS then neither are fast focusing. It will make a difference if you can get a lens like the 70-200/2.8, even if it's a used VR 1. Your ability to control DOF will really improve, your ability to track moving subjects will improve.
 

Woodyg3

Senior Member
Contributor
I use the D500 and 200-500 for wildlife, and am extremely happy. The D500 has fast and accurate autofocus with focus points all across the screen. 10 fps is great for birds in flight, running mammals, etc. XQD cards are not cheap, but they are robust and fast. I use the second card slot for overflow, which has saved me from losing shots at times. I still use my D7200 for backup, macro, landscapes, etc. It's a great camera, too, just not as much of a "hot rod" as the D500. :)
 

Bikerbrent

Senior Member
would you advise upgrading the 300 lens to the 2.8 faster one?

Definitely. The D500 will not show it's full capabilities with the AF-P DX NIKKOR 70-300mm f/4.5-6.3G ED VR. And since you have the 200-300mm range nicely covered with your 200-500m lens, I would suggest one of the 70-200mm f2.8 lenses to due the D500 justice.
 

DaveNewman

Senior Member
ive just looked, you cant get a faster 70-300 lens in a 2.8 its looks like its the 70-200 2.8 lens..

am i right?

this one? [FONT=&quot]Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8E FL ED VR Zoom Lens[/FONT]
 
Last edited:

editorial_use_only

Senior Member
Like I said above, any of the Nikon 70-200's would be an improvement over the 70-300. The latest version is indeed the E, but I think any of them, the VR 1 or the VR 2 or the E, would be an improvement. By reputation, the 70-300 AFP is better than the 70-300 AFS in terms of focusing speed though.

And you should really evaluate what's important for you, for your preferred style and your aspirations. I was shooting in a corner with my lens wide open, 2.8. The guy who came along and started shooting next to me, I know he shoots stopped way down. f/8. He doesn't care about shallow DOF and subject isolation. For him, the fast aperture of a 2.8 lens wouldn't really matter. What matters for you?

And, yes, there is a 300/2.8 zoom lens. The Sigma 120-300/2.8. It's about $3000. There is also the Sigma 50-100/1.8. If you're working with subjects that are closer to you, that could be a nice lens. That extra stop f/2 from f/2.8 can be really useful, depending on what you are shooting.

Still, I think the 70-200/2.8 can be a photographer's best friend. I do 90% of my work with mine. Music, motorsports, portraits, events.
 

Andy W

Senior Member
The lens you listed is the latest and greatest 70-200 from Nikon. There are also used 70-200 VR1 and VRIIs to choose from. Tamron's latest 70-200mm 2.8 G2 is a very good lens.

I have the Sigma 120-300mm 2.8 mentioned above. It's a great lens but it weighs nearly 7.5 lbs.
 
Last edited:

spb_stan

Senior Member
The older 70-200 VR usually referred to as the VR1 only after the VR2 came out is build well, is fast and in the center rather sharp but its weakness was soft corners in Fx but no problem with the smaller image circle of Dx so to save money a used VR1 is a great buy, since they were so well made they will still be in good shape and save you $1500-2000. On the D500, its field of view is the same as a 300mm so it has enough reach for most wildlife unless you are after small birds or insects 50 meters away. It vibration reduction is good so a lot of shots can be made without a tripod and relatively slow shutter if the light is low.
A new alternative is the 70-300 AFP which has a fast pulse motor and very good optics compared to all prior versions of the 70-300. For not as much weight or size as expected for a 300mm lens, the Nikon 300mm E f4 pf ed vr is a miracle of tech with Fresnel lens so its normally very heavy objective lens is a fraction of the weight and length of any 300 f/4....and sharper. An east to carry small very sharp fast 300 that does not need a tripod means it is unique in the industry. There is a 500mm version, that on a Dx body has the same field of view as a 750mm lens is out now but demand is far outstripping supply so they are hard to find in some markets but in Europe they seem to be instock in many stores. I rented the 300FP and on my D850 and later on the Z6, it performed beautifully and weighed less than my 70-200 and was shorter
I do not shoot wildlife much or sports but a 70-200 2.8 is my most used lens, that and 24-70.2.8 of f/4 out of 15 Nikkor fast lenses and a few Sigma and a very nice Tamron 15-30 2.8 G2. As a result of very high satisfaction with the Tamron G2, I would also have no hesitation in recommending that also and it being 1/2 the price of a Nikon, if you want new with warranty, check it out.

Regarding the body, in DX, which has advantages in wildlife and sports, there is no DSLR on the planet that is a competitor to the D500. Canon has their 7DII but it never came close and rumor is that it is not being replaced with a newer model, Canon effectively conceding the Dx sport and Wildlife market to Nikon. The only other competing camera is the Sony a9 which has very good AF but is not built anywhere near what outdoorsmen expect of their rugged reliable weather resistant wildlands camera. It also suffered from the worst support and repair facility record in the industry.
A big plus of the D500 is also the same thing that many reviewers(who are pushing other cameras for which they get ample revenue) is used of the only pro card system out and the ability to use future releases of the CF Express cards with simply a firmware update. XQD is orders of magnitude more reliable than consumer based SD card system.
For those with a more all round photography style, the Fx Z6 is better in most uses, with better low light IQ, better AF in low light, better VF by far, smaller, lighter and access to the low cost and industry topping S lenses. For video hybrid shooters, it is a no brainer with the best video of any FX cameras, and any F mount lens investment is protected by using the FTZ adaptor.
 
Top