appealnow wrote:
I think the salesman may feel that my level of expertise, capability wouldn't use the D500. The one thing he mentioned is that the D500 doesn't have an auto setting. When traveling (as opposed to doing wildlife in the future), there just isn't much time to worry about settings a lot.
For those of you who have both D7500 and D500, have you noticed any significant difference in the quality of the weather build?
I used the D7000 for several years and then upgraded to the D500. The D7xxx series are prosumer cameras, that is they have all the features, auto modes, scene modes and a pop up flash typical of entry level cameras. The build and weather sealing, however is better than the D3xxx and the D5xxx. They also use multiple dials and buttons for setting exposure instead of having to access multiple layers in the menu.
The D500 is a pro camera. It's heavier, sturdier and better weather sealed than the others. While it doesn't offer auto or scene modes, it does have the usual A, S, and P modes and manual of course. Except for the sensor (APS-C), its outstanding 10fps and video mode, the specs are nearly identical to the flagship D5. Functionally the D500 is a more capable imaging machine, it will allow you to get the picture in more challenging photo situations than the lesser models will allow.
Is the D7500 a capable camera? It is. Will you regret buying that one and saving a bunch of dollars? You won't. Is the D500 worth the extra $1000 over the 7500? It is. If you spend that extra money, will you look back and regret it? Not ever!
So if you can stretch your budget for that extra thousand, do it. If your worried about not having the auto feature, shoot in A, S or P mode, only one dial to mess with and you'll be able to experience the joy of actually learning how to control your camera and the images it produces. You will experience a little bit of a learning curve, but you will like it. Oh, and the lack of a pop up flash, I thought that I would miss that too. But, because of the extended low noise ISO capability of the D500, not only do I not miss it, but I mostly don't even use my shoe mounted flash.
Buy as much camera power as you can afford, and then forget it. Focus on enjoying every photo opportunity that comes along. Photography is not so much about equipment, it's about chasing the light and caturing the moment. All modern cameras will allow you to do that.