Nikon D500 Review: Breaking Boundaries in 4K

Nikon D 500 4K DSLR Camera Review

Max Wales

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Nikon D300 was launched into market several years ago with few basic specifications and minimalistic design. After that its successor 300S joined the race of digital cameras and performed well for years but now you must be curious to know about the latest addition in this series that is D500. It was the very first camera model that offered 4K recording ability at consumer friendly price range and the incredible quality was ensured with advanced APS-C sensors. You will find D500 good in making color adjustments with great dynamic range and it always leads to sharp details.

Complete Review for Nikon D500

D500 is one of the incredible launch by Nikon that has qualities same as that of high end DSLR cameras. The only difference is its smaller APS-C one sensor as DSLRs use to possess the full frame designs. But at the same time, D500 is offering all DSLR comparable features at smaller price tag of $1796.95 only. It has a 153 point auto focus system, works with 21 mega pixel sensor and offers 10fps frame rate setting for burst mode. You will definitely love to enjoy great results with its ultra high sensitivity offers by classic sensor unit. Probably, you will not find anything missing in this well designed camera unit.

1.Pros and Cons

Pros:

• It offers incredible image quality.
• Easy to handle.
• Weather sealed body.
• Huge buffer with fast shooting option.
• Impressive AF system.

Cons:

• This camera appears heavy and larger in size as compared to other APS-C rivals.
• Menu controls are not easier to access.
• Instead of Vari-angle screen, it is designed with titling screen.
• The Live View AF appears little slow.

2.Design

If we talk about ergonomics then D500 appears quite similar to its predecessor D300S. You will find its grip almost similar in shape as well as depth so both these cameras become easy to handle for longer duration. Also, the buttons are positioned same as that of 300S where few buttons are on top left corner of camera whereas one extra button is added to left flank of D500. This camera also features joystick based controls that were missing in D300S; this time you will find it much easier to handle settings for auto focus points.

3.Performance

Autofocus:

D500 is designed with 153 auto focus points where 99 are having cross type ability to offer higher sensitivity response. Other 25 points offer operation at f/8 setting so you will definitely find great results for wild life photography. You will be glad to know that these focus points also ensure incredible sensitivity for low light recordings with capture range falling up to -3EV. The focusing speed of D500 is simply awesome and you will find fantastic results for dark areas. The shot to shot movements, start up and stop time are fast enough and the fast refreshing ability make this camera suitable for professionals.

Image Quality:

There is no doubt to say that D500 offers incredible stills for both higher and lower ISO ratings. You can expect versatile performance from this advanced camera unit as it can beat all the odds against low light response. It is designed with DX-format sensor that has 20.9 million pixel handling ability so that all captured images appear with crisp and deep details. This camera unit provides highly sensitive stills that appear same as that of high end DSLR cameras. Probably, you can expect remarkable DSRL like performance at low price from this Nikon D500.

Video Quality:

4K content quality for D500 is just incredible that is why most of professional videographers love to use this camera unit for their routine needs. When you cannot afford a DSLR unit but need high end video quality then Nikon D500 is simply the best choice for you. Along with great video performance, this device also has ability to support head phones and microphones. You can save all captured details easily to XQD cards or SD cards for future needs or can share them on social media websites to gather amazing review.

4.Key Features

• It comes with USB 3.0 connector.
• Headphone and Mix sockets are added to the camera unit.
• You can access it remotely via Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity options along with NFC setup.
• Comes with 2.36 M specially designed dot tilting type touch screen system.
• The viewfinder provides 100% coverage with its 1x magnification ability.
• You can enjoy crisp 4K UHD videos with its 1.5x crop sensor.
• It can offer 10fps frame rate setting for about 200 shots.
• Possess one AF point joystick.
• RGB sensor of 180,000 pixel rating included for fast subject recognition and easy metering.
• It is designed with 153 point AF module that has around 99 cross points.
• 20.7 MP high end APS-C sensor.

5.Conclusion

D500 has lots of fantastic functions and it leads to great performance for almost all kind of shooting conditions. Whether you are a sports photographer, love to capture wildlife scenes or more curious to collect memories on get together, this high tech camera module can provide you satisfactory results for all conditions. There are numbers of buttons for easy adjustment of settings and its sturdy grip allows easy handling even on rough sites. The best part is its low price range that fits to budget of every video enthusiast.

Max Wales

Max Wales is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Max Wales

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