rbfanman

Camera features come, and go, and usefulness has nothing to do with it. Depth Of Field Preview is a useful feature, but absent from most cameras these days. Someone with more power than brains hand down decisions on such, from on high, and lesser types go along with it.

speters Loc: Grangeville/Idaho

I guess it must the user-settings, right? I shoot Canon, no U settings, but I do like custom settings and pros do too, it has nothing to do with memory, but a whole bunch of settings for certain situations, that can be activated by a single push of a button, what's wrong with that?

PRodacy Loc: New Mexico

I have and use Pro level cameras. I just like to work smarter, not harder. Look at it this way. Sure, I know what all of the settings are on my camera and how to set them, and I often do. However, I tend to shoot a couple types of images more often than others, so, why change 5, 6, or more settings through menus, twisting dials, etc. when I can do all of this with one simple movement of the mode dial? The other functions are always available when I need them.

carl hervol Loc: jacksonville florida

Never used it or the built in flash.

hemantkarkhanis Loc: India

I am with Nikon since 1999. Started my photography with Nikon Coolpix 4500 then had D7000. Now I have D7200 and D750. All these last 3 cameras have U1 and U2 modes. I don't think that pros never require these modes. I have configure these modes as follows-

U1 for Nature photography
U2 for portrait photography

Now look the settings for each (This is my very personal setting. For same situations your may be different)-

Image quality- U1 Fine U2 Normal
Image size- U1 Large U2 Medium
White balance- U1 Direct sunlight U2 Flash with -0.3EV
Picture control- U1 Vivid* (more sharp and more saturation) U2 Portrait* (Less sharp and less saturation) (* mean change in default values)
Active D-lighting- U1 H U2 N
AF- U1 Continues group area U2 Single 1
Exposure comp- U1 -0.7EV U2 0EV
Metering- U1 Center weighted U2 Matrix
ISO- U1 Auto ISO (upto 1600) U2 Auto ISO (upto 400)

Don't think that I never do changes in these settings. I do always.... depending upon the situation. And the good thing is that until and unless I save the changed settings, they will not become my default U1 and U2 settings.

Now tell me.....
If I want to change my photographic situation from nature to portrait and again back to nature quickly, U1 and U2 modes are not important????? Without these U1 and U2 I might have fondle with all the above settings. There is no matter that you are pro or not. U1 and U2 will surely help shooters to become ready for changing in conditions.

hemantkarkhanis Loc: India

You are exactly right.

Jim Bob

Great response.

Jim Bob

You have good sense. Others who claim it is a "Professional" camera are simply apologists for Nikon. There is a reason Nikon has been losing money and part of it has to do with the company's lack of vision and failure to include useful features throughout its model line. The D500 is no exception. There are numerous professionals who find these missing features appalling.

SkyKing Loc: Thompson Ridge, NY

...if I understand your question correctly the d500 allows you to set up 4 preset photo shooting banks that the camera can save and you can easy access them by pressing the italic i button on the lower right...in essence you can change the d500 from a pro camera to a point-and-shoot camera...

Bill_de Loc: US

In reality, most of the cameras we see used from day to day can be set up as a point-and-shoot. My problem is that some days I forget to point and on others I forget to shoot.


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houdel Loc: Chase, Michigan USA

Technically, the D500, and D750 for that matter, are NOT pro cameras; Nikon classifies them as "Enthusiast Cameras". The only bodies Nikon classifies as "Professional" are the D5 and D810/810A.

rook2c4 Loc: Philadelphia, PA USA

Exactly!
It always amazes me just how many photographers don't understand Program mode and how to use it.

houdel Loc: Chase, Michigan USA

Totally agree. So many "photographers" poo-poo Program mode when they have absolutely no idea of its usefulness. I use it quite frequently when I am walking along rural roads and paths in anticipation of "targets of opportunity" - where I encounter a fleeting subject that may be gone before I could get my camera properly set up were I in A, S or M mode. Program works LIKE Auto, except I have preset parameters which Auto doesn't. Another feature of Program mode which many are unaware of is if I have the time and want to fine tune what Program mode has selected for me, turning the main and/or the secondary control dials will adjust the aperture and shutter speeds while keeping exposure constant, so if I want a smaller aperture or faster shutter I can get what I want quite quickly by just spinning a dial and watching the readout in my viewfinder.

Bill_de Loc: US

To me program, shutter priority, and aperture priority all do the same thing. In aperture mode if I decide shutter speed is more important I adjust the aperture until the camera selects the shutter speed I want. Conversely, in shutter priority you can select the shutter speed that gives you the aperture you want. In program mode you just turn the main dial (Nikon) to get the shutter speed or aperture you want. If the results aren't the same I think there is something wrong. In any auto mode, it is important to keep an eye on how the exposure +/- is set.

I started with aperture priority because in cameras of old it was easier to change the aperture than shutter speed because my hand was always gripping the aperture ring. I pretty much stick with it, although today with it being a choice of two dials it really doesn't matter.

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Jerrin1 Loc: Wolverhampton, England

I really don't see your reply as a valid argument at all. I have a Nikon D500 and an Olympus EM1 mark II. Both manufacturers identify these cameras as professional. My D500 has no quick access pre-sets. My EM1.2 has three on the top rotary dial. The Olympus system is brilliant and has nothing to do with the user not knowing how to set the camera up. It has everything to do with not missing a shot. Here is a real life example: I was taking photographs of a perched bird - 1/800th, f5.6, auto ISO no compensation, single focus point. In my peripheral vision I saw a Heron flying over my shoulder. I had moments to react. I turned my top dial to pre - set 1, which is set up at 1/2000th, f8, auto ISO, - 0.3 comp, 9 segment focus points. and took a sequence of shots. Had I been using my D500 I would not have obtained the shots, as the Heron would have been further away. Pre-sets are designed for photographers who know exactly how to set a camera up and are particularly useful to wildlife photographers. If you are taking a photograph of a slow moving deer which suddenly puts a grouse in the air your current settings will not capture the grouse. Switching almost instantaneously to pre-sets will, though.