D500, Need help pulling the Trigger!! (Page 2): I rarely shoot more than a few frame bursts at a time and with thousands of wildlife/BIF shots I never had any problems with my D7100.

DaveO Loc: Northeast CT

Revet wrote:

I use the continuous shooting function for BIF or other moving wildlife shots. I am sure any sports photographer relies on it also. If you shoot RAW, the buffer on the D7100 fills up very fast (after a few shots) and then you have to wait until it downloads to the card. A fast card helps but not that much. The buffer of the D500 is huge and also shoots at a faster rate.

I rarely shoot more than a few frame bursts at a time and with thousands of wildlife/BIF shots I never had any problems with my D7100. I'm sure if I demanded more I would have slowdowns even with the Extreme Pro cards,but not enough for me to drop two grand on another camera,LOL! The really obvious advantage of my D500 is the autofocus system. The faster rate may get you that shot in a million,but often you will see no obvious difference frame to frame at a high rate and I'm sure you've noticed that. Makes for plenty of shots to go through! Enjoy and thank you for your answer.

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

Revet wrote:

I have a D7100 and I have been contemplating getti... (show quote)

If you shoot sports or wildlife it is a no brain er. The D500 has a separate processing engine just for focusing, not so with the D7100. Second, the burst rate on the D500 blows the doors off the D7100, third, the D500 is a low light king, has an articulated screen, not so with the D7100, and shoots 10 fps, the D7100 cannot do that. Remember, not only are you getting a discount, from B&H your getting a vertical grip, extra battery, camera bag, and memory card. Your saving around 1150 and your getting a lens that is not only sharp but has a range of 24-120. It is a no brain ER.

Jim Bob

DaveO wrote:

I rarely shoot more than a few frame bursts at a t... (show quote)

I agree. Although some folks tend to push this issue, I would be willing to wager most of them have not experienced buffer issues either.

DaveO Loc: Northeast CT

Jim Bob wrote:

I agree. Although some folks tend to push this issue, I would be willing to wager most of them have not experienced buffer issues either.

I realize some folks spray and pray and are impressed with the buffer and number of shots they can attain and this is a fine camera for that.

We used to do that in the military with automatic gunfire and eventually modified that thinking...

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

DaveO wrote:

I realize some folks spray and pray and are impressed with the buffer and number of shots they can attain and this is a fine camera for that.

We used to do that in the military with automatic gunfire and eventually modified that thinking...

This is true to a point. For me however shooting at 11 fps and 7 fps is a big difference. When a great blue heron is coming in for a landing to hand off a stick to the female building her nest every fraction of a second counts. I stand a better change of getting that perfect shot if I have even one more frame per second. FPS can make a big impact in some situations.

bigjoe

Let me help you out I bought the d500 about a year ago from the D 7100 I bought it for three reasons it's more durable then the D 7100 the performance is amazing the auto focus and exposure are amazing The body is more durable and I plan on having This camera for at least 8 to 10 years and of course whatever lens Nikon comes out with will work on it it is my humble opinion after working with a D 500 for year you'll be very pleased and amazed and well worth the investment

Jeffcs Loc: Myrtle Beach South Carolina

Beening a D500 owner and finding how the quality of the camera and images it produces blows the D7XXX away and yet the opinions here when the op is clearly asking for positive feed back for purchasing the D500 continue to support the D7XXX with the frame rate is well ok and the buffer isn't that bad focusing works how about lower light photography when wild life are more active and your not having to shoot at the worst time of the day; while the D500 is newer technology is greatly improved
I say go for it I can 110% say you will not have buyers remorse Nikon got this one right

Eric Bornstein Loc: Toronto Canada

I would like to add my comment to this discussion. I purchased the D500 and acquired the Nikon f/4 24-120 as a walking around lens. I love the speed of this camera, whether single shot or continuous. The features of the camera suits the eclectic nature of the subjects that I capture. YOLO - if the $ are not the issue, go for it!

Revet Loc: Fairview Park, Ohio

I probably should have been a little clearer with my original post. I am definitely getting the D500, either now or during the Christmas sale period. What I am really interested in, is the 16-80 lens worth the extra $600 to replace my 18-200 as a walk around (not what I would use for BIF or other wildlife shots). For walk around, it would mainly be a family event, vacation, or just grab the camera and go lens. My goal is to gradually improve the glass I am using with this superb DX camera.

DaveO Loc: Northeast CT

billnikon wrote:

This is true to a point. For me however shooting at 11 fps and 7 fps is a big difference. When a great blue heron is coming in for a landing to hand off a stick to the female building her nest every fraction of a second counts. I stand a better change of getting that perfect shot if I have even one more frame per second. FPS can make a big impact in some situations.

I certainly did not mean to imply it made no difference,but for the vast majority of shooting if probably doesn't. I'll bet that most of us can't even begin to optimize the focus systems in our cameras. If we are truly concerned with ultimate performance,just owning the equipment isn't enough. For example,when we talk about that critical FPS,that split second extra advantage,which AF-C Release mode do we use, Shutter Release or Focus-Release? Why? For that better chance for sharp focus are we using a Group or Dynamic Area AF Mode? Why? Recomposing methods,etc. There are certainly several things that we can do to improve performance that we must also set in the D500,even though the standard settings and speed are great. There are so many aspects that I will dedicate more time in learning what they are and how to best use them to increase my keepers instead of hoping for that special shot by shear mathematical probability with long burst mode shots.

Bill_de Loc: US

On paper only, I never shot with the 16-80, the constant F2.8 maximum aperture might be appealing. Not so much for low light as the D500 handles high ISO nicely. But if you like to control your depth of field and like nice soft backgrounds it might be worth it. Sometimes focal length is a deciding factor, but there are other features that deserve consideration.

Good luck with whatever you decide.
--

SteveTog Loc: Philly

If you can suffer with a D7200 it is still an awesome camera for an incredibly low price, comparatively. The IQ of the 7200 vs. the D500 is not very much different at all. If you are shooting wildlife and action sports, then the cost difference of the D500 is fully justified. Also, if you WANT the D500 vs the D7200 the cost may be justified, too. You don't buy a camera every day, for most people it is a non-trivial expenditure and they have to live with their decision for a year or two or three, so emotional considerations are also important.

I bought the D500 over the D7200 because I am want to hang onto it for at least 5 or 6 years and I wanted the Expeed 5 processor and the buffer. It's really great for action shooting if you know how to use it. To me, the was the critical difference between the two cameras.

Think about the great portrait or long lens that you buy with the difference in price. Is the Expeed 5 processor and buffer worth that to you?

Elsiss Loc: Bayside, NY, Boynton Beach, Fl.

If you are strongly considering the d500, this price won't last. Already I am noticing many authorized dealers are close to out of stock. Just get off the fence and pull the trigger. You probably have that range of the kit lens already, so get the body only.

Rab-Eye Loc: Indiana

Here's the other side of the coin:

1. This is merely opinion, but I don't really like the super wide range zooms, for the exact same reason some prefer vanilla to chocolate.

2. I have the 16-85 version of the lens on my D300s, and I'm very happy with it.

3. The newer 16-80 is a stop faster.

4. Given the current opportunity to get a free MB-17, even body+lens+grip is an incredible value.

5. Getting the 16-80 lets me keep the 16-85 on my D300s body.

For those reasons, I bought it with the lens. Obviously, our situations are different, but the common ground might be the ability to use your 18-300 on one body and the 16-80 on another. Other than speed, I don't see a reason to carry both lenses at the same time, but for example, I'll sometimes shoot with my daughter, so now I can let her use the D300s while I use the D500, and we each have a nice lens to use. Of course, she'll say, "Daddy, why would I want to use your old camera when my D3x00 has more megapixels?"

Jeffcs Loc: Myrtle Beach South Carolina

Revet wrote:

I probably should have been a little clearer with my original post. I am definitely getting the D500, either now or during the Christmas sale period. What I am really interested in, is the 16-80 lens worth the extra $600 to replace my 18-200 as a walk around (not what I would use for BIF or other wildlife shots). For walk around, it would mainly be a family event, vacation, or just grab the camera and go lens. My goal is to gradually improve the glass I am using with this superb DX camera.

One thing to consider is; if you will ever consider going up to FF camera consider the 17-35 also a 2.8 lens over the DX 16-80 although it is a hefty price tag for cheap beleave it or not also 18-105 or 18-140 both great lenses not 2.8 but good contenders and nice "walking" with used prices below $300 you could pick up the D500 and enjoy all summer I own the 18-140 and my daughter is using the 18-105 in her children portrait business