Nikon D500 is here – the DX version of Nikon D5

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Nikon has finally announced the real replacement of the Nikon D300 – Nikon D500. It has been a long wait from Nikon to come out with a DX camera that shares the many great features as the Nikon flagship FX DSLR. The crowd has been waiting for the D4/D400 combo but that never happened. So what’s new in this highly anticipated D500? Let’s check out the new features.

• 20.9MP
• 153 autofocus point with 99 point cross types and wide AF coverage
• 180K pixel RGB metering sensor
• ISO up to 51,200 (extended to ISO 1,640,000)
• EXPEED 5
• 4K video at 30p
• 10fps
• Touch responsive 3.2” 2.4k dot tilting LCD
• Supports radio-controlled Advanced Wireless Lighting
• USB 3.0
• Weight 760g  (body only)
• Available in March, 2016

You can order your Nikon D500 here

It has been six years since the update of the Nikon D300s and eight years since the Nikon D300. The new Nikon D500 shares many of the stunning/professional features as the Nikon flagship D5 just like back then when the Nikon D300 shares the many great features of the Nikon D3. When Nikon replaced the Nikon D300 with the D300s, it was a disappointing one and there was a huge request for the Nikon D400 which never happened. The Nikon D500 maintains its professional magnesium alloy body with the inclusion of a tiltable LCD and a bigger VF taken from the FX models. Much needed USB 3.0 is now included in the D500. The D500 also incorporates control for its new radio controlled Advanced Wireless Lighting system.

In terms of the main specification, the resolution has increased from 12MP to 20.9M which is a reasonable increment. Personally, I think 20MP is the right spot for DX cameras. One of the many features that shares with the Nikon D5 is the completely re-vamped autofocus sensor module. This sensor module offers 153 focus points (99 of which are cross-type sensors) for a wider coverage of the entire image area. The centre focus point has a detection range beginning at an incredible -4 EV, enabling autofocusing even under extremely dim lighting. A larger AF coverage is probably one of the most requested features by photographers, it is great to see Nikon has finally implemented it on the D5. The greater coverage would see more accurate and improve subject tracking around the edge of the frame. In addition, the Nikon D5 has improved the metering system to 180K-pixel RGB sensor to ensure that extremely reliable AF performance and exposure are demonstrated in all situation.

For ISO Nikon has decided to keep the D500 at 20MP paying much attention to its high ISO performance. The native ISO has increased by 4 stops to 51,200, so you can expect the ISO performance to be much better than with the Nikon D500 than the D300s. I would expect the Nikon D500 to produce a clean image up to ISO 6400. The Nikon D500 offers an extended ISO range up to 1.6 millions, that’s probably not a setting you want to use but it shows how powerful DX cameras have become.

As 4K video becoming a standard these days, it is not a surprise to see Nikon has included 4K video @ 30p in the D5. This is quite a huge jump from the Nikon D300S  which only offer 720p.

The frame rate has increase slightly up to 10fps which is no D5 but it doesn’t cost $7000 either.

The Nikon D500 is a very solid DX camera that has a similar resolution (20MP) and shares the same 153 AF point system as the Nikon D5. It is the best Nikon DX camera to date and hugely improved from the Nikon D300s. Is this the camera you have been waiting for? Leave us a comment below.

Primary features

1. Powerful 153-point AF achieves superior subject acquisition performance across a wide range of situations

   The D500’s Multi-CAM 20K autofocus sensor module offers a dense configuration of 153 focus points (99 cross sensors) that covers an extremely wide portion of the image area, meaning that even fast-moving subjects can be acquired precisely. AF capability is extended down to -4 EV* with the central point and -3 EV* with all other points, making AF usable even in extremely low light or when shooting low-contrast subjects. A newly employed AF engine and 180K-pixel RGB sensor also contribute to achieving exceptional AF performance in a variety of scenes.

   • *ISO 100, 20°C/68°F.
2. High-speed continuous shooting at approx. 10 fps for up to 200 shots (14-bit lossless compressed RAW)

   The D500 delivers high-speed continuous shooting at approx. 10 fps*¹ for up to 200 shots in JPEG and in 14-bit lossless compressed RAW, without any drop in shooting speed. Even moving subjects can be tracked accurately across a wide field of view at this rapid rate, taking advantage of the camera’s stable viewfinder image and a widest-ever diagonal viewing angle*² of approx. 30.8°.

   • *1Approximate frame rates for a fully charged EN-EL15 Rechargeable Li-ion Battery, using continuous-servo AF, a shutter speed of 1/250 s or faster, and with other settings at default values.
   • *2*As of January 6, 2016, among D-SLR cameras using an APS-C size image sensor. Based on Nikon research.
3. Unique benefits of a compact DX system — added agility in telephoto shooting

   Nikon’s DX-format D500 provides an angle of view equivalent to that of a lens with an approx. 1.5x longer focal length*¹. This permits telephoto shooting using smaller, lighter lenses with a shorter focal length, while taking advantage of performance that rivals the D5 FX-format flagship model. The camera’s agility is also enhanced by the kit lens, AF-S DX NIKKOR 16-80mm f/2.8-4E ED VR, the lightweight 5x normal zoom lens, which weighs only approx. 1340 g/2 lb 15.3 oz*² when attached to the D500.

   • *135mm-format equivalent.
   • *2Including battery, XQD memory card and lens.
4. 4K UHD video, suitable for professional productions

   The D500 can record 4K UHD (3840 x 2160)/30p/25p/24p as well as 1080/60p video for up to 29 min. 59 s*¹, with simultaneous output via HDMI available. It is also possible to generate 4K UHD time-lapse movies within the camera. In Full HD or HD mode, the D500’s electronic Vibration Reduction function*² reduces the effects of camera shake in the horizontal, vertical and rotational directions during hand-held movie recording, while Active D-Lighting preserves details in highlights and shadows to capture footage with natural brightness.

   • *1Recorded in separate files.
   • *2Image area will be slightly smaller in DX-based movie format.
5. New EXPEED 5 image-processing engine achieves sensitivity up to ISO 51200, expandable to Hi 5 (equivalent to ISO 1640000)

   The D500’s new EXPEED 5 image-processing engine, as used in the D5, delivers standard ISO sensitivity from 100 to 51200, expandable down to Lo 1 (ISO 50 equivalent) and up to Hi 5 (ISO 1640000 equivalent). It can capture exceptionally high-definition images, while effectively reducing noise even at high ISO settings. The new 180K-pixel RGB sensor (approx. 180,000 pixels) further improves the performance of the camera’s Advanced Scene Recognition System, and its flicker reduction for still images reduces exposure variations even under flickering light sources.

6. Touch-screen, tilting 8-cm/3.2-in. high-resolution monitor ensures more comfortable shooting for professionals and advanced amateurs

   The D500’s touch-panel monitor enables a variety of functions, including instant switching of images using the frame advance bar and text input — shared with the D5 — as well as touch AF and touch shutter (in still shooting). The tilting monitor with 3-axis hinge structure allows you to shoot from more flexible angles for stills and movies. And its large 8-cm/3.2-in. screen with significantly enhanced 2359k-dot resolution lets you confirm focus in amazingly precise detail.

7. SnapBridge support lets you link with a smart device via Bluetooth^® and Wi-Fi^®

   The D500 can be constantly connected to a smart device* with the SnapBridge application installed (to be available as a free download), via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. This enables a variety of features: you can automatically transfer images taken with the D500 to your smart device, as well as upload them automatically to NIKON IMAGE SPACE. You can also use the smart device to browse images stored in the camera, as well as embed images with its location and date/time information. SnapBridge dramatically enhances the value and convenience of images taken with the D500.

   • *Smartphones and tablet computers with iOS or Android™.

Full Specification