Another announcement: Nikon D500!

[arbitrage]

53 selectable AF points, 35x-type selectable...I'd like to see the actual AF module as I doubt all those tightly packed extras sensors are actual sensors on the AF module....

More detailed specs: http://chsvimg.nikon.com/lineup/microsite/d500/common/pdf/technology-digest.pdf

 

[Bennymiata]

Sounds like Nikon read this forum.

I hope Canon does too.

 

[RickWagoner]

Man the D500 just slaughtered the 7d2...it even has bluetooth and tilty screen. 200 buffer with RAW at 10 fps..4k video....DAMN!!!!!!!!! For $2k this thing is a steal esp when you compare it at the going price rite now of $1500 on the 7d2.



Well least you 7d2 owners only have to wait another 4 years for Canon to update it...oops.

 

[tr573]

53 selectable AF points, 35x-type selectable...I'd like to see the actual AF module as I doubt all those tightly packed extras sensors are actual sensors on the AF module....

More detailed specs: http://chsvimg.nikon.com/lineup/microsite/d500/common/pdf/technology-digest.pdf

This probably works out in practice the same way Canon has their AF sensors laid out. The normal one extends far beyond the box, so that they all overlap for tracking handoff. Spot narrows it down to just the area inside the box. Marketing department is calling that overlap a "feature" to give it a huge # of AF points on the box

 

[ahsanford]

Man the D500 just slaughtered the 7d2...it even has bluetooth and tilty screen. 200 buffer with RAW at 10 fps..4k video....DAMN!!!!!!!!! For $2k this thing is a steal esp when you compare it at the going price rite now of $1500 on the 7d2.

Well least you 7d2 owners only have to wait another 4 years for Canon to update it...oops.

Whereas the 7D2 is '1DX-like' for some things (AF in particular), the D500 looks like a straight-up D5 with a crop sensor. This is a formidable rig at first glance.

- A

 

[Don Haines]

Man the D500 just slaughtered the 7d2...it even has bluetooth and tilty screen. 200 buffer with RAW at 10 fps..4k video....DAMN!!!!!!!!! For $2k this thing is a steal esp when you compare it at the going price rite now of $1500 on the 7d2.

Well least you 7d2 owners only have to wait another 4 years for Canon to update it...oops.

What do yu mean slaughtered the 7D2? It slaughters everything!

 

[RickWagoner]

Man the D500 just slaughtered the 7d2...it even has bluetooth and tilty screen. 200 buffer with RAW at 10 fps..4k video....DAMN!!!!!!!!! For $2k this thing is a steal esp when you compare it at the going price rite now of $1500 on the 7d2.

Well least you 7d2 owners only have to wait another 4 years for Canon to update it...oops.

What do yu mean slaughtered the 7D2? It slaughters everything!

the best part is you can Throw any of the three well known and well reviewed 150-600mm third party lenses and have an incredible time shooting with great glass.

 

[bholliman]

Man the D500 just slaughtered the 7d2...it even has bluetooth and tilty screen. 200 buffer with RAW at 10 fps..4k video....DAMN!!!!!!!!! For $2k this thing is a steal esp when you compare it at the going price rite now of $1500 on the 7d2.
Well least you 7d2 owners only have to wait another 4 years for Canon to update it...oops.

Definitely a great camera according to the specs. Not sure it's a huge upgrade from the 7D2 for a stills shooter however, especially with 7D2 prices approaching $1K, roughly 1/2 what the D500 will introduce at.

RAW buffer is actually 79 shots, see the revised press release "while a generous buffer allows for up to 79 shots (14-bit, uncompressed RAW/NEF) to be captured"

The AF system and AF point coverage are very interesting. Looking forward to seeing the hands-on reviews.

 

[ahsanford]

Man the D500 just slaughtered the 7d2...it even has bluetooth and tilty screen. 200 buffer with RAW at 10 fps..4k video....DAMN!!!!!!!!! For $2k this thing is a steal esp when you compare it at the going price rite now of $1500 on the 7d2.

Well least you 7d2 owners only have to wait another 4 years for Canon to update it...oops.

What do yu mean slaughtered the 7D2? It slaughters everything!

the best part is you can Throw any of the three well known and well reviewed 150-600mm third party lenses and have an incredible time shooting with great glass.

150-600 X 1.5 crop X 1.3 additional crop mode ('crop of a crop') = 1170mm reach without needing an AF slowing teleconverter. Reach-obsessed folks should love that.

(Yes, you can always similarly crop a 7D2 shot in post, but you can't share that with the world right away like this can, can you? )

- A

 

[RickWagoner]

Man the D500 just slaughtered the 7d2...it even has bluetooth and tilty screen. 200 buffer with RAW at 10 fps..4k video....DAMN!!!!!!!!! For $2k this thing is a steal esp when you compare it at the going price rite now of $1500 on the 7d2.
Well least you 7d2 owners only have to wait another 4 years for Canon to update it...oops.

Definitely a great camera according to the specs. Not sure it's a huge upgrade from the 7D2 for a stills shooter however, especially with 7D2 prices approaching $1K, roughly 1/2 what the D500 will introduce at.

RAW buffer is actually 79 shots, see the revised press release "while a generous buffer allows for up to 79 shots (14-bit, uncompressed RAW/NEF) to be captured"

The AF system and AF point coverage are very interesting. Looking forward to seeing the hands-on reviews.

even if you compare the 79 frames to the 24 real 7d2 the D500 still pounces. The $1k price is mostly gone now, overall the 7d2 is back up to $1500. How are you not sure of it being an upgrade? it even has tilty touchy screen that Canon said they can not do in the 7d2..not to mention it is a bit lighter and thinner than the 7d2..my bird photographing mouth is on the floor!

 

[Proscribo]

even if you compare the 79 frames to the 24 real 7d2 the D500 still pounces. The $1k price is mostly gone now, overall the 7d2 is back up to $1500. How are you not sure of it being an upgrade? it even has tilty touchy screen that Canon said they can not do in the 7d2..not to mention it is a bit lighter and thinner than the 7d2..my bird photographing mouth is on the floor!

He said a huge upgrade, which it certainly is not, unless you need 4K video.

 

[wsmith96]

Man the D500 just slaughtered the 7d2...it even has bluetooth and tilty screen. 200 buffer with RAW at 10 fps..4k video....DAMN!!!!!!!!! For $2k this thing is a steal esp when you compare it at the going price rite now of $1500 on the 7d2.



Well least you 7d2 owners only have to wait another 4 years for Canon to update it...oops.

Wait, I thought that tilt/articulate screens weren't for pro level cameras...

 

[Busted Knuckles]

No doubt this is a spec monster. I will at the moment assume that the sensor is certainly no worse than current, probably at least a mild improvement.

So let the reviews begin, see what the big "C" does in response. I would think they have a pretty decent line up.

D5 for the pro's pro body.
D500 for the crop sports/wildlife/smaller form factor
D810 for the landscape "high res" shooters.
D750 for the enthusiasts?

Pretty darn capable line up if you ask me - certainly makes up for the stumble on the retro body attempt.

I recall saying something about 30 fps HD being an interesting sport shooting mode, 4k 30 fps gets interesting - bit depth is going to be a key, if the rolling shutter is minimal for web/TV oriented work......

conclusion - fun to be hobbying in the imaging world, a bit better than a box of chocolates

 

[unfocused]

As a 7DII user, this is great news. I did not like the fact that Nikon had seemed to abandon the pro-level crop market, leaving a monopoly for Canon. Canon delivered very nicely with the 7DII, when they didn't have to (no real competition). This is a long-awaited upgrade for Nikon users, which bodes well for the future of pro-crop sensor cameras.

 

[expatinasia]

I am amazed by the D500 announcement. I bet potential buyers of the 5D Mark IV are all crossing their fingers that it will compete with that. Some amazing features for a camera that on launch has a US$ 1,999 RRP.

Hats off to Nikon for not only keeping this a secret, but bringing out what should be an amazing camera.

I really like some of the specs: USB 3.0, all those AF points, 10FPS, ability to easily transfer pics to a mobile phone, etc. etc.

My only negative surprise would be why they announced both the D5 and D500 on the same night. Sure you have a captive audience of post new-year hungry for news journos, but the D500 has made such an impact it has taken some of the spotlight away from the 5D which costs over 3 times as much.

The other announcement of the day which caught my attention was Panasonic's Lumix DMC-TZ100 (competition to the Sony RX100 Mark IV).

 

[wsmith96]

Man the D500 just slaughtered the 7d2...it even has bluetooth and tilty screen. 200 buffer with RAW at 10 fps..4k video....DAMN!!!!!!!!! For $2k this thing is a steal esp when you compare it at the going price rite now of $1500 on the 7d2.

Well least you 7d2 owners only have to wait another 4 years for Canon to update it...oops.

Wait, I thought that tilt/articulate screens weren't for pro level cameras...

Is that like how people said touch screens weren't for pro level cameras, except that Phase One's $50,000 100MP camera has a touch screen?

I'd take both features on my camera. Hoping both will be on the 5D4 or 6D2

 

[ahsanford]

Comments in-line below:

So let the reviews begin, see what the big "C" does in response. I would think they have a pretty decent line up.

D5 for the pro's pro body. --> highest end studio / reportage / sideline sports folks

D500 for the crop sports/wildlife/smaller form factor --> yes, but this is a stellar 'reach value' as well; think of the hugely pricey glass you no longer need to buy with the reach of crop. Sure, it's not the same as a D5 + a $10k ideal supertele, but 80% as good for 20% of the price is a pretty damn compelling offer. (exact same value proposition as the 7D2 plus, candidly, more. So attractive from a spec-sheet perspective).

D810 for the landscape "high res" shooters. --> that's an all-around pro rig, it may lack a high burst rate, but I see it as a 5D3 with a better sensor and worse video. But expect this to be leap-frogged by a D820 / D900 with that A7R II 42 MP BSI sensor hotness any day now.

D750 for the enthusiasts. --> I see this as the 'value pro' rig. That camera is loved by the Nikon faithful. A great overall camera unless you need 1/8000s shutters or a boatload of megapixels. This is far more than an enthusiast rig -- it's a great deal, and it won a ton of awards if memory serves.

Yeah, it's a strong lineup. If you drop the aging 5D3 down alongside the D750, you get:

1DX II vs. D5 (should be very very close in overall appeal)

5DS R vs. D810 (Canon nudges ahead on detail, the Nikon has the landscape/studio DR edge)

5D3 vs. D750 (the 5D3 is more workhorse-ish / capable / tweakable, but the D750 is more recent with a better sensor, tilting screen, drool-worthy spot meter at any AF point, etc.)

6D vs. D610 (yawn, but both could improve)

D500 vs. 7D2 (not a contest from a spec-sheet perspective, but let's wait for reviews.)

Presuming we see the 1DX II soon, I see Canon's biggest hole being the 7D2 and 5D3 -- the 5D4 in particular is long overdue to break the market Venn diagram and try to conquer the 'do-everything non-gripped FF rig' arena between that the D750 and D810 currently sort-of occupy -- you know, the space the 5D3 occupied at launch 4 years ago.

- A

 

[ahsanford]

I am amazed by the D500 announcement. I bet potential buyers of the 5D Mark IV are all crossing their fingers that it will compete with that. Some amazing features for a camera that on launch has a US$ 1,999 RRP.

Apples and oranges. The 5D4 is the Indiana Jones of Canon's lineup -- it's a ~ $3,500 do-everything-well sort of rig.

The D500, though impressive, is a 7D2 killer. Nothing more.

- A

 

[scyrene]

Add 4K to that list of specs:

http://imaging.nikon.com/lineup/microsite/d500/

- A

And 4K time-lapse

Surely time lapse is the one area where 4K is passé? It's a video built from a series of stills. Any camera capable of 4K stills can make 4K time lapses (assembled on a computer being the caveat).

 

[ahsanford]

Add 4K to that list of specs:

http://imaging.nikon.com/lineup/microsite/d500/

- A

And 4K time-lapse

Surely time lapse is the one area where 4K is passé? It's a video built from a series of stills. Any camera capable of 4K stills can make 4K time lapses (assembled on a computer being the caveat).

4K is the new HD. I'm half-surprised a 4K-branded tripod and shutter-release didn't accompany this announcement.

- A