I've said the same thing on every recent "Z500" thread, I think the Z50ii will be technically superior to, or at least as good as the D500 in every way.
I owned a D500 and I have a Z50ii on order and, as an engineer, I'll be quite happy to admit my opinion was wrong if that proves to be the case in use - that's the nature of the scientific method.
The things that the Z50ii is regularly criticised for, lack of IBIS and 20MP sensor, apply equally to the D500.
I suspect the thing that's lacking from the Z50ii to allow D500 enthusiasts to embrace it, is its lowly position in the line-up and the corresponding loss of cache.
Owning a camera doesn't always translate to knowing the camera, its strengths and weaknesses.
I shot birds, wildlife, sports, portraiture, and landscapes with a D500 for 6 years before upgrading in May to a Z9. Here's a bullet-point summary of why it's just silly to consider a Z50II a mirrorless D500:
- No battery grip: The #1 reason I upgraded to a Z9 instead of a Z8 is that a Nikon battery grip has been affixed to my D500 from day 1. The grip and second battery extend the amount of time a photographer is able to shoot without changing batteries. It also balances the weight of the long lens that's attached. The absence of a battery grip with controls is an instant disqualifier.
No battery grip is an irritating annoyance certainly but it is not a showstopper. More seriously the Z50 II doesn't use CFExpress B cards, and the ENEL15c battery would have been a better choice too.
- Consumer user interface: The Z9 felt comfortable in my hands, right away. It felt familiar because, like the D600, it has a dedicated AF-ON button, thumbstick, and left top panel mode turret. These are essential control surfaces for a D500 shooter. All Nikon professional bodies have them. The Z50II has none of them. It has a dedicated exposure mode dial, which is just a huge waste of real estate. Again, these missing controls are instant disqualifies.
Customization of the back buttons, camera rear panel right allows BBAF with the Z50 II. Plus it's simple to use powerful AF Overrides and AF HandOff, on Fn buttons, which are standard techniques to optimize AF performance on birds and other challenging subjects.
- User Settings vs Banks: All Nikon's professional cameras incorporate the banks custom configuration system. Other cameras in their lineup feature user settings. Banks are not more customizable and powerful tools. Any camera without banks isn't a suitable D500 alternative.
Correct and unfortunate. However the Z50 II has a wider range of customization options on more controls, and it's possible to customize these to more control buttons.
- The Z50 isn't an upgrade: At best, the Z50II matches the autofocus capability, burst rate, and buffer of the D500.
The buffer is 200 images, apparently, which will not be restrictive in almost every situation. The Z50 II Autofocus is going to outperform DSLRs in almost every aspect, with the partial exception of stickiness thanks to the DSLR cross-type AF sensors.
Mechanical frame rate is 1 frame faster than the D500, and significantly faster - 25 fps - using the electronic shutter. Burst rates are far ahead of anything possible in a DSLR.
- I've been shooting with a D500 since 2018.
Excellent camera and it still is excellent, and I enjoyed mine 2016-2018, but a D850 and D5 replaced it for important reasons, 'croppability' and ISO performance respectively. Latterly the D6 and Z9 are my workhorses.
- Some have been with that system from the beginning. Anybody migrating from a D500 isn't interested in making some lateral move that costs a lot of money but doesn't deliver improved performance.
<$1000 for a Z50 II is a remarkable bargain of a deal.
- The Z50II with its 11 fps mechanical shutter is a discount D500, at best. Those who leave the D500 for the Zcosystem want 20 fps in raw, minimal rolling shutter, a zero blackout EVF, silent shooting, more pixels. They want an actual upgrade.
The Z50II isn't a D500 replacement and it most certainly isn't an upgrade.
Nevertheless, photographers will vote with their wallets.
This camera outperforms the D500 in Autofocus and faster fps notwithstanding its different haptics and ergonomics. It's impossible to deny it's a compact light powerhouse for wildlife and similar genres, which will outperform the D500 where it matters and the Subject Recognition with eye detection plus high fps will even outperform the D6. Silent shutter is an added bonus.
The Z50 II should sell very well, and it will work surprisingly well as a light weight camera for photographing wildlife, aircraft, sports etc. It will be straightforward to carry spare batteries with a portable compact power pack for PD charging on a USB C cable.
