The Story So Far

Lest it get lost in the details, let me say this about the D500: it’s a precocious little camera. There’s an enormous amount to like about it, and it really does bring back memories of the D3/D300 pairing. The D500 sensor performs better than any DX sensor we’ve had to date, the D500 autofocus system rocks once you learn a few nuances, the rear LCD is crystal clear for a change, and the near infinite buffer with XQD cards is completely freeing. If there were a Like button on it, I’d press it.

But as with everything Nikon lately, there are enough small details that are taking some of the shine off the D500 user experience. The Lexar SD card and third-party battery issues are real bummers, as are some of Nikon’s own batteries marked Li-Ion1, which perform differently in a D500 than any other Nikon (see previous post). The Direction pad is the consumer Direction pad, basically, and the missing flash will definitely displease a few. No iOS SnapBridge was a bummer.

Still, on whole, the D500 is a winner. And some of the issues should simply go away with time. 

What about the D5?

Also a clear winner, and with far fewer teething issues than the D500.  Moving from D4 to D5 is basically learning a new autofocus system and pushing the ISO values a little higher than you used to. Nothing seems to have been broken in the process of creating a D5 from the D4. 

Nikon’s once again shown that they know how to make a Papa Bear and Baby Bear pair that show what DSLR state-of-the-art is. Now if they’d only fill in the Mama Bear (the D810 suffices for now). 

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