Nikon D500: Returns the reflex DX professional

Last updated Nov 20, 2018 652

With Nikon D5, Nikon also has a younger sister D500. The sensor DX, but the similarities with the flagship are many (auto focus, exposure, strength of body, 4K video …), and comparable performance. A third of the price.

Nikon has finally decided to give an heir to highly acclaimed Nikon D300s, which has been, so far, the latest SLR sensor format DX professional level. The newcomer is called Nikon D500 and, despite the simultaneous announcement of the Nikon D5 may have put slightly in the shade, it is a camera body of great value and importance.

The sensor, format DX (APS-C, in common parlance), is a 20.9 megapixel CMOS with no optical low-pass filter, and is flanked by the EXPEED image processor 5 of the D5, which should ensure the same color rendering the flagship. Even the ISO range will, proportionally, as extensive: in this case, one speaks of ISO 100-51,200 native, with the possibility of operating in extension of the range between L (50 ISO) and H5 (about 1,640,000 ISO equivalents).

Also, thanks to the power of the processor EXPEED 5, the shooting interval reaches 10 fps (2 more than the D300s), and the burst can be maintained for 200 RAW 14-bit compressed or the uncompressed 79-bit RAW 14 – far more than necessary. Here too, then, the similarities with the Nikon D5 are obvious.

But even more obvious, and certainly more substantial, are two similarities between the two models: as the flagship, the Nikon D500 also integrate the same RGB light meter from 180,000 pixels to act as scene recognition and the same AF system from 153 points active ( 55 selectable, 99 to the cross, 35 to the cross selectable, 15 with sensitivity f/8), able to hook up to the subject -4 EV. A jump remarkable than the Nikon D300s (which, remember, was made in 2009).

As the body ” pro “, the Nikon D500 provides a layout of commands similar to that of the Nikon D810 and the same level of topicalization. Its body is reinforced with magnesium alloy in the top and back, and with carbon fiber in the front. Small waiver in favor of the strength is the lack of built-in flash, but we are sure that the typical user of this model do not hear that much about the lack. Double the memory slot, XQD and SD card.

The viewfinder, which is also slightly improved compared to the Nikon D300s offers a 1x magnification (0.94x was previously). The display, an RGBW 2,350,000 points and 3.2″ diagonal, and is tilting touchscreen. Excellent connectivity options, which include Wi-Fi integrated with NFC and BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy).

Last but not least, also the Nikon D500 can shoot 4K video. It is a small Nikon D5, which has much in common with the latter, similar services, and a price of less than a third: the Nikon D500 is indeed available on the US market approximately $2,000 (body only).