Happy after 145,000 shutter activations

[81258606]

I've had my D500 a little over a year and my shutter count is 145,000. This would be high for a landscape photographer but I'm a bird photographer and get out several days a week since I'm retired. I shoot in CH mode so I'm usually getting a burst with each subject. Probably 80% of my shooting is perched birds with the remainder flight shots.

I've used the D200, D300, D300s, and D7200 and enjoyed all of those camera bodies. With a good subject and good light, they all have done well in the past. One of the main improvements with the new camera is the excellent autofocus - especially for flight shots. Generally I use the D25 mode for perched shots and Group for flight shots. I used to shoot with an old 600mm on a tripod and now use a 500mm handheld. The handheld mode is much more flexible for me and I can react much quicker to a bird that is available for just a few seconds.

I'll admit to not being a good technical photographer but work to learn new techniques whenever I can. Here are some recent flight shots that I liked and I have to give a lot of credit to the D500.

https://bill3sarah.smugmug.com/Misc/Flight-samples/

I alternate between Aperture priority f/7.1 and Manual with f/7.1 and shutter 1/1600 or faster. If the light is good and I expect some birds to fly, I may walk around set to manual exposure.

I suppose I should save some money to repair the D500 down the road or to get another if the current wears out.

 

[arniebook]

Thats a lot of shooting in one years time! ... I have "only" 28,000.

A very nice, and diverse gallery of BIF.

So great that you have many opportunities nearby.

Arnie

 

[Joakim Ekman]

Thats a lot of shooting in one years time! ... I have "only" 28,000.

A very nice, and diverse gallery of BIF.

So great that you have many opportunities nearby.

Arnie

 

[Jimusny]

I've had my D500 a little over a year and my shutter count is 145,000. This would be high for a landscape photographer but I'm a bird photographer and get out several days a week since I'm retired. I shoot in CH mode so I'm usually getting a burst with each subject. Probably 80% of my shooting is perched birds with the remainder flight shots.

I've used the D200, D300, D300s, and D7200 and enjoyed all of those camera bodies. With a good subject and good light, they all have done well in the past. One of the main improvements with the new camera is the excellent autofocus - especially for flight shots. Generally I use the D25 mode for perched shots and Group for flight shots. I used to shoot with an old 600mm on a tripod and now use a 500mm handheld. The handheld mode is much more flexible for me and I can react much quicker to a bird that is available for just a few seconds.

I'll admit to not being a good technical photographer but work to learn new techniques whenever I can. Here are some recent flight shots that I liked and I have to give a lot of credit to the D500.

https://bill3sarah.smugmug.com/Misc/Flight-samples/

I alternate between Aperture priority f/7.1 and Manual with f/7.1 and shutter 1/1600 or faster. If the light is good and I expect some birds to fly, I may walk around set to manual exposure.

I suppose I should save some money to repair the D500 down the road or to get another if the current wears out.

I'm tempted to buy another D500 with the free grip before sale goes away myself, but I only have 40,000 shots in 6 months

I keep going form the D750 sale to the extra D500, just to try FF, but really I am mainly shooting birds so D500 is probably the smarter choice.. who knows there may have even better deals when I need one, but I hold my back up D7200 now and it just doesn't feel as good in my hands

 

[keiththom]

I've had my D500 a little over a year and my shutter count is 145,000. This would be high for a landscape photographer but I'm a bird photographer and get out several days a week since I'm retired. I shoot in CH mode so I'm usually getting a burst with each subject. Probably 80% of my shooting is perched birds with the remainder flight shots.

I've used the D200, D300, D300s, and D7200 and enjoyed all of those camera bodies. With a good subject and good light, they all have done well in the past. One of the main improvements with the new camera is the excellent autofocus - especially for flight shots. Generally I use the D25 mode for perched shots and Group for flight shots. I used to shoot with an old 600mm on a tripod and now use a 500mm handheld. The handheld mode is much more flexible for me and I can react much quicker to a bird that is available for just a few seconds.

I'll admit to not being a good technical photographer but work to learn new techniques whenever I can. Here are some recent flight shots that I liked and I have to give a lot of credit to the D500.

https://bill3sarah.smugmug.com/Misc/Flight-samples/

I alternate between Aperture priority f/7.1 and Manual with f/7.1 and shutter 1/1600 or faster. If the light is good and I expect some birds to fly, I may walk around set to manual exposure.

I suppose I should save some money to repair the D500 down the road or to get another if the current wears out.

Very nice group of images!

 

[erringtont]

Very nice set, but it appears you are using a 1.4x teleconverter on the 500mm to get to 700 as the 'info' is reporting. This may be costing you a bit of acuity. Have you tried BIF without the TC on that lens?

 

[81258606]

I don't think I've used the 500mm without the 1.4 TC. I walk around and alternate between smaller perched birds and the occasional flying bird. I need the 1.4 for the reach but realize I lose something in sharpness. I should experiment with just the 500mm. Clearly there have been instances where the 700mm was too much and 500mm would have been better.

 

[garyj]

Just passed 200K. Great sports and wildlife camera for a bargain price.

 

[photogramps]

A good set of shots there.

I also shoot birds (and wildlife) and have had my D500 since July last year and am just short of 23,000 actuations, 145,000 & 200,000 is going some!

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https://www.flickr.com/photos/53444368@N05/