Tommy II Loc: Northern Illinois

You’ll love it. I got mine about 3 weeks ago, and have had a ball with it.

Festus Loc: North Dakota

Get the Nikon D850 and you WILL get the best of both worlds. You get FF and can switch the D850 to DX mode that is as good or better than the Nikon D500. The D500 = 20.9 megapixels and the D850 = 19.4 megapixels, virtually identical. However, the D850 has less noise, potentially giving you better resolution.

SusanFromVermont Loc: Southwest corner of Vermont

If you only have DX lenses, then an FX camera would require buying FX lenses. If you have FX lenses you can stay with DX or go to FX without that added expense. Since FX lenses can be used on either type of camera, that makes it possible to add to the quality of images no matter which is chosen. The glass is what determines a large part of the quality of photos.

The main reason I went from DX to FX is that I wanted the higher resolution it offered. But that is a personal preference. Not always all that important. My choice was the D810, and still learning its capabilities while working on my own photographic techniques. For me, at this time, the D850 is much more camera than I need since I am not a pro.

You should be happy with the D500, it is a very nice camera. The divide between DX and FX cameras is shrinking in many ways. The main thing is that the newer technology over the camera you have been using will give you plenty of advantages to work with. And it will produce the results you want.

mymike Loc: Tucson, AZ

[quote=sclay1234]Thank you for that very nice reply . I started with a cannon ae-1 back when I was 16 yrs old loved taking pictures then and still do. Used the ae1 all the way up to 2001 until I got the d200 that I still use to this day. The reason I picked the d500 is the quality, how close the d500 is to the d200 and the video. I am always shooting but at the moment mostly my daughter who is in the marching band. I have come to a decision after this post that the d500 will be alot more then I need . The d850 would be nice but in many ways it just will not be good for me at this point of my life . I feel the 45 mega pix. Is and the price and speed in the deciding factor for me. I enjoyed and appreciate all that the forum does for all of us thank you.
Scott[/quote
Nikon has a refurb sale and I thought I saw a D500 refurb there. The sale is 10% off until Monday. Best of luck and keep on shooting.

BJW

Good decision. I have shot high school ice hockey with a D500 for the past 2 seasons. I use a 70-200 f/2.8. The shots I have been getting are great, even in low light ice arenas. One of the best attributes of the D500 is its massive buffer, where you can fire away at 10 fps and the buffer won't get anywhere near filled up till you reach 200 images on continuous shooting mode. I have been thinking of going mirrorless and have tried out the Sony A9 and the Lumix G9, which are both aimed at sports and wildlife photographers. Also tried out the Sony A7riii. None of them have a buffer like the D500. If you don't want to miss shots while the buffer is writing to the card, go with the D500.

While it is true that a full frame sensor is larger than the D500's crop sensor, and theoretically "absorbs" more light, one of the respected rating houses rated the D5 and D500 both the best sports and wildlife cameras for 2016. I shoot with a full frame too, but the difference between the two is hard to perceive.

You can't go wrong with the D500.

Good luck.

BJW

cjc2 Loc: Hellertown PA

This is a decision you're going to have to make. What lenses do you own and will they work on a FF camera? The D500, IMHO, is the Crop version of the D5 (I own both) with a few other bells and whistles missing. What it does have is the same focusing system and set of controls. What it is missing is some of the low light capabilities. Again, IMHO, it's Nikon's top-of-the-line Crop Frame camera. I also own a D850 and it a the top-of-the-line full frame. If you're talking sports action, nothing beats the Nikon D5 from my point of view. Pick and choose, or get all three if you have the $$. Best of luck.

Jim Bob

There are those who question whether the D850 is the “best” of both worlds. Some professionals prefer the D500 for fast action subjects.

cjc2 Loc: Hellertown PA

My purchase of the D500 was driven by the fact that the D810, although a superlative camera, was useless for sports action. The D850 makes a great second camera to the D5. My D500 now is used much less, yet it is very handy to have in some situations. I find myself often using it with the 300/4E PF for theater and the like. Very light, very powerful.

aaciolkowski Loc: Sugar Grove Illinois

D500 will make you very happy

mborn Loc: Massachusetts

Idaho

Good call. With the 850 you pay a lot more to get just a little more and that's not counting the cost of your lens'. However, in my case I bought the 850 and have no regrets.

sclay1234 Loc: Ocean county nj

But I would like to take advantage of the speed of the d500 and I was told that the d850 would not be as fast as the d500 , only if I purchased another $1200 worth of equipment. Then that puts the whole setup over $4200 for a camera I would not take full advantage of.
Scott

mas24 Loc: Southern CA

The D500 would be my choice, because I already have a few DX lenses. As a crop sensor, it is good in low light, wildlife, and action sports with proper lenses. The D500 is the best of all crop sensor cameras today.

SusanFromVermont Loc: Southwest corner of Vermont

Don't let a lot of opinions sway you from your decision. The D500 sounds like it would suit your purposes very well and you will not have to purchase new lenses unless you want to. And lenses are a whole new category of discussion...

I suggest, if still unsure, that you look at a comparison between the two cameras. These two cameras have a lot of features in common, it is in the differences that you will find answers to questions about which one will suit your purposes. For ~$1400 more, the D850 gives you a bigger sensor and the possibility of a higher resolution. However, shooting wildlife and sports often requires long burst shots, and the D500's buffer allows up to 200 shots at 10 frames per second. The D850 is slower at 7 frames per second, and while that is not necessarily that much different, the smaller buffer only allows up to 51 shots at that speed. In a lot of the other functions, they are the same or have minor differences. Doing the research yourself will help answer a lot of questions and as a result you can make a more informed decision. Here is a link to B&H's comparison:

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/compare/Nikon_D500_vs_Nikon_D850/BHitems/1214161-REG_1351688-REG

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

Unless you make a lot of big prints (16x20 and up), go for the D500... or even a D7200 if you want a little higher MP at a little slower frame rate and a lower price.

If you don't make big prints, you would likely be the only person to notice any difference in your images.... while viewing them up close at ridiculous magnifications on your computer monitor. At "100%" on most monitors, a 24MP image is like making a 3.5 foot high by 5 foot wide print, then looking at it from 18 or 20" away. Silly! By the time you reduce the size of the image for it's intended purpose... perhaps a more reasonably sized print or, especially, online sharing.... the differences between FX and DX formats largely disappear.

It's a "myth" that "full frame is better". In fact, a 21MP D500 or a 24MP D7200 will be a HUGE step up from your 10MP D200... Better AF, much better image quality, MUCH higher usable ISO thanks to CMOS instead of CCD (which the D200 was one of the last Nikon's to use). There've been a lot of significant innovations and improvements in DSLRs the last 14 years... since your D200 came out!

A DX/APS-C model such as D500 or D7200 will be able to use any DX lenses you might have... and allows you to use both FX and DX lenses equally well. DX can be used on most... maybe all... Nikon DX cameras... But when those FX cameras are used with DX lenses, heavy cropping occurs and unless you buy a 46MP D8500, you end up with significantly lower resolution images than D500 or D7200 offer. So you actually have more lens choice, with DX cameras. And DX lenses can be smaller, lighter and less expensive.

The advantage of FX in the past was wide angle capabilities. But a lot of ultrawide lenses have since been created and refined to the point that's not a big consideration any longer.

So, nice as FX is for certain things (big prints of architecture or landscapes with gobs of fine detail), DX actually is better choice for most people. Besides being less expensive, DX also can be faster shooting. So I'd say take the money you save and use it for some lens upgrades or to add some you've been missing. You'll see more difference... expand your capabilities more... with lenses, than you would switching formats.