D500 owners ~ where are your thoughts on the camera and pictures? Please….. (Page 4): Excellent review! We have a D5 & a D500. Autofocus is much better on both cameras compared to our...

wcuster Loc: The Sea Ranch, CA

Excellent review!

We have a D5 & a D500. Autofocus is much better on both cameras compared to our earlier Nikons but I have struggled to find the "best" settings - d25, d74, d153, group, 3d, auto for action wildlife. This review offers good advice.

Walt Custer

AntonioReyna Loc: Los Angeles, California

You are correct about the D500 being in more direct competition with the 7DII. But, right now, you can buy a new 7DII here in LA for about $1,100 and the D500 is almost twice that much. For someone who is not tied into Canon or Nikon lenses, they need to carefully assess the two options. The 7DII has proven to be a winner and I expect that the D500 will do likewise.

Jerrin1 Loc: Wolverhampton, England

AntonioReyna wrote:

You are correct about the D500 being in more direct competition with the 7DII. But, right now, you can buy a new 7DII here in LA for about $1,100 and the D500 is almost twice that much. For someone who is not tied into Canon or Nikon lenses, they need to carefully assess the two options. The 7DII has proven to be a winner and I expect that the D500 will do likewise.

I couldn't agree more. Having had a Canon 7D mark 11 I know exactly how good it is. But when I realised that I wasn't achieving the keeper rate on BIF with my Olympus EM1's that I had achieved with my 7D mark 11 I decided to go back to APS-C for that part of my photography. Though the price difference was not an issue I did take it into consideration, I would not spend an extra thousand pounds just for the sake of it. After a few weeks of umming and arring and reading and viewing all the reviews more than once I decided on the D500. We all have our own priorities and the cost/value of anything is always relative.

Leon S Loc: Minnesota

Jerrin1 wrote:

I take it you mean that it's not worth the extra money to you as an individual? For me, for instance, it is worth the extra. A slow shooting FF camera is of no value whatsoever to me, but I would never suggest that a D810 is not worth the extra over a D750 because they are not meant to be in direct competition. In the same way the D500 is not in direct competition with the D7100 or D7200. It is, however, in direct competition with the Canon 7D mark 11.

Obviously my comments were (in my opinion based on where I am in life today). I couldn't do any field tests with the camera and I didn't come away with any captures from inside the store to analyze. I'm sure there are some people that can really use it's incredible speed to capture images. That and maybe the ability to automatically fine tune lenses to the camera might be another feature important to you. There is no doubt the camera is a fine tool and will be loved by most who choose to buy it. Will it do anything, needed by me, that is not already covered by my D7200, or D810? No. If I lost all my equipment and needed to restore my equipment, the D500 would be one of the contenders I would consider. Leon

phlash46 Loc: Westchester County, New York

CHG_CANON wrote:

but not spelling or proofreading ....

phlash46 Loc: Westchester County, New York

gerryh wrote:

Thank Steve, i also owe the new D500 and love it, still learning and adjusting, just got back from Bali with tons of pictures.

A shame you still owe money on it...

Brucej67 Loc: Cary, NC

Has anyone who owns the D500 noticed how fast it drains the battery. My friends D500 and my D500 have short battery life of going from fully charged to drained in around 350 shots. Both of us have WI-Fy off and airplane mode off.

Steve Perry Loc: Sylvania, Ohio

Brucej67 wrote:

Has anyone who owns the D500 noticed how fast it drains the battery. My friends D500 and my D500 have short battery life of going from fully charged to drained in around 350 shots. Both of us have WI-Fy off and airplane mode off.

Make sure you're using the newer battery (Li-Ion 02, not the older 01 units). Also, I've heard of the camera draining batteries faster on the first few rounds using the camera (I guess it's charging an internal battery, I don't know for sure, just what I've heard).

Most of the time I'm getting 1000~1200 shots, and have had up to 2000. Some of it depends on how much VR, chimping, live view, that kind of thing.

mborn Loc: Massachusetts

Brucej67 wrote:

Has anyone who owns the D500 noticed how fast it drains the battery. My friends D500 and my D500 have short battery life of going from fully charged to drained in around 350 shots. Both of us have WI-Fy off and airplane mode off.

I have no problem with mine get up to and >1000 shots/ battery V02
here is a link to see if your battery needs to be replaced Free by Nikon

My apologies for not getting back to you sooner. In order to exchange your EN-EL15 Rechargeable Li-ion Battery, please click the link below and confirm your battery has been affected. If you have determined that your battery lot numbers match our recall/exchange, please respond to this email with a copy of your D500 proof of purchase by clicking on 'Update Your Question'.

Answer Title: Notice to users of the EN-EL15 Rechargeable Li-ion Battery
Answer Link: https://support.nikonusa.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/17787

Brucej67 Loc: Cary, NC

Thanks Steve, it is a great camera and both my friend and I have noticed a few odds and ends that don't seem right with the camera, another point is that in live view the D500 will not work with the older SB-800 flashes. It is small things that we are finding, but overall we love our D500's.

Steve Perry wrote:

Make sure you're using the newer battery (Li-Ion 02, not the older 01 units). Also, I've heard of the camera draining batteries faster on the first few rounds using the camera (I guess it's charging an internal battery, I don't know for sure, just what I've heard).

Most of the time I'm getting 1000~1200 shots, and have had up to 2000. Some of it depends on how much VR, chimping, live view, that kind of thing.

Brucej67 Loc: Cary, NC

The EN-EL15 that I have been using is a V02, but thanks for the advice.

mborn wrote:

I have no problem with mine get up to and >1000... (show quote)

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

Brucej67 wrote:

Has anyone who owns the D500 noticed how fast it drains the battery. My friends D500 and my D500 have short battery life of going from fully charged to drained in around 350 shots. Both of us have WI-Fy off and airplane mode off.

Many are reporting 1200 shots without changing the battery, and with airplane mode off. Different strokes for different folks.

Brucej67 Loc: Cary, NC

Don't figure does it. I wonder if it is some menu setting that is doing it, but what I don't know.

billnikon wrote:

Many are reporting 1200 shots without changing the battery, and with airplane mode off. Different strokes for different folks.

Jim Bob

Steve Perry wrote:

A few birds for ya from the D500

Nice. But nothing that the D7200 could not accomplish.

OddJobber Loc: Portland, OR

Brucej67 wrote:

Don't figure does it. I wonder if it is some menu setting that is doing it, but what I don't know.

From what little I've learned, yes. The D500 is loaded with communication options - SnapBridge, wi-fi, Bluetooth, etc., which are always searching for devices to connect to. Go to the setup menu and set airplane mode to ON. That will prevent the camera from transmitting. Default setting is OFF (let's the camera communicate).