Nikon D500 Summary

Nikon D500

The Nikon D500 is an unexpected entry into the digital camera market. It appears as a full-frame sized and priced APS-C DSLR that justifies its existence by an unrivaled 153-point Phase-Detect AF system and 10 FPS continuous drive that can sustain 200 frames, be them JPEG or RAW. This camera creates a new choice between speed and image-quality.

Nikon created the D500 with a new 20 MP APS-C CMOS sensor and EXPEED 5 processor to deliver unprecedented sensitivity, speed and throughput to APS-C class digital cameras. With an expanded ISO range of 50-1,638,400, and an AF system sensitive to -4 EV, the D500 leads in low-light performance and is built with night photography in mind, having illuminated controls, a backlit status LCD and built-in viewfinder shutter.

Image quality of the Nikon D500 is class-leading, besting the previous champion when it comes to image-noise and matching it in dynamic-range. Its rendering engine is produces superb images with good sharpness, natural colors, saturation and contrast. Only metering and Auto White-Balance could use improvements yet are easy issues to overcome.

Ergonomically, the D500 clearly inherited Nikon DNA, making it instantly familiar. While keeping all key controls efficient with its dual control-dials and high number of external controls, this is a camera with a huge feature set, much of it remains accessible only within the lengthy menu system. Still, exposure parameters and focus are a breeze to change. The newly introduced tilting LCD mechanism casts some doubt on the durability of this camera compared to other professional offerings.

The Nikon D500 delivers an excellent performance on all fronts. A critical eye can find imperfections yet this is true of anything. The key consideration with the D500 is a choice between this speedy APS-C or an even higher image-quality yet slower full-frame, both available for nearly the same price.

Neocamera detailed review Read the full Nikon D500 review here.