Today at CES Nikon announced two new DSLR cameras: the pro-oriented D5 and the enthusiast-oriented D500, which is possibly the longest-awaited successor to any camera we can remember, replacing the D300S after almost six years.
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Just after the announcement we slipped away from the CES crowds with Nikon’s DSLR product manager, Mark Soares, to get his take on the new bodies, a rundown of some major features, and insight into why Nikon chose to break the number sequence by skipping '400' and calling the new DX flagship the D500 instead.
I had the pleasure of trying it out. Made a small video of the shutter at 12fps for 100+ consecutive NEF 14bit comressed frames. https://youtu.be/18UJbsVmNx0
I thought it was a bad move by Nikon too. The thing is now they get back into your pocket when you purchase the SU-800 to continue using your older flash via CLS.
I have a bag full of flashes and I'm still "bummed" by the lack of a built-in on this camera. They say it's so the camera can have D810 class weatherproofing but I've never had the need for a better weatherproofed Nikon. The flippy screen gimmick diminishes the cameras integrity a little, too, so you're adding integrity and taking it away at the same time. Would've preferred a 30 MP camera with a built-in flash, no flippy screen, two SD slots and no wi-fi. But I already have a roomful of Nikon gear and Nikon has to cater to the kiddies and video people.
You're right. I checked out the D750 and thought that it would effect the integrity. I've been the unfortunate victim to a couple of camera accidents and know without a doubt if I were to drop a D750 or D500 with a built in flash as I have dropped my D810 it would be a write off.... As far as the the new social based technology is concerned, It's just marketing. The more oohs and ahhs they offer while researching specs they gain, the more potential Nikon customers won.
Bear in mind the ILC cameras with the best weather sealing I've come across are Olympus OM-D bodies (I seem to recall one being frozen in a block of ice and then working afterwards). All of those bodies have an articulated screen and many of them have wifi too...
I think the articulated screen and wifi are essentials in this day and age if Nikon wants buyers for this camera. Wifi and jpeg to smart devices is a real addition for news and documentary photography.
I would have wanted a built in flash too, but I guess Nikon takes the view Canon doesn't do it and it doesn't hurt them.
If I would have to choose between the D5 and D500, I'd certainly consider the D500, better reach ,10fps ok not up to the 15 of the d5. With the pixel pitch of the DX sensor it "should" be great for all action/wildilfe. Of course i'd get both if I could. Pretty good sales pitch, but i'll wait a year concerning price/ and initial "nikon" problems.
They don't have ideas of their own they can express for fear of sounding in some way not ecstatically positive. Instead, the talking head fumbles and sounds like a moron describing a product until such time as he is given a list of safe phrases to use by the corporate marketing team. The news outlet wants to have SOMEONE comment, even if there is nothing useful they are going to say, so the company throws the safe "greatest thing ever" coached guy at us and this is the result.
He probably said Enthusiast because he was saying to himself "Be Enthusiastic!" over and over.
Pretty stoked about both these cameras ,I'll adjust(when the cheque book comes out) to any perceived short comings others feel are missing or deem non compatible with their working style.At the moment I run a d3s d800 and a d2x, all good ! Used to have to check polaroids and use a light meter to make a buck.Whats with all the want want ? Lighter mirrorless alternative or Big beefy and Work proof ! personaly happy thats still the philosophy at Nikon IMHO They now have a range that if you know your stuff you can shoot studio, sport /press and lightweight adventure/Outdoor .Flash sync at 500th is worked around by PWizard same speed as old shutter hassy lenses , T/S is reasonably covered for 5/4 landscape architecture shooters, full page mag is doable with dx, Billboards with the d800 series and to top it off the latest 200-500 wipes the slate with my old 300 2.8afs not to mention how good it'll be with the dx reach and 1.4 TC for some sport and wildlife shooters. Cheers
I will get the D500 sometime this year. The moment I heard about it I knew I wanted it. I started into Nikon with a D200, then went to a D7000. I've stayed with my DX lenses, a 12-24 f4 and a 17-55 f2.8, and I have the first version of the 70-200 f2.8, so the D500 was made for me.
This won't take better landscapes or portraits, though.
High ISO, high FPS, fast motion AF tracking, rugged body, 4k video.
If you need none of those things, you'd be better suited to one of their other cameras and spending the difference on a plane ticket to somewhere nice. :-p
@ABM Barry.....No you can't say that here. You need to shoot 5000 shots with a camera then upgrade, you can't possibly take decent shots with that dinosaur.
I still like the results from my Fuji S2 pro and Nikon D100. Got them both used, and see no reason to upgrade. LOL Seriously, even an entry level DSLR camera will outperform the D200 in terms of image quality.
I didn't say I needed it. I said I wanted it. There's nothing wrong with the D7000. I'm not shooting with it out of economic necessity. It's just that nothing really fired me up to go out and buy. I considered the D750, but the pull wasn't great enough to make me sell my lenses and go full frame. The D500 is the first camera to get me in full acquisition mode since the D200 came out. My wife is for it because he'll get the D7000. Everyone will be happy, happy!
That product manager didn't pussy foot around the question of mirrorless. I might look into that 500. There's something nice about a rugged camera you can actually hold on to and you don't have to baby it.
He plugged Nikon's own(somewhat laughable) mirrorless system, and then spoke to only one advantage, the optical viewfinder. He certainly didn't avoid it, but he far from gave a convincing argument for Nikon not pursuing mirrorless in a serious manner.
I still think Nikon is putting it's head in the sand regarding mirrorless. They should be pushing their own mirrorless systems ahead, or someday they will be the ones playing "catch-up".
Then again, maybe they are. Nikon has never been one to share it's plans with anyone.
It's also great to see stars clearly through a beautiful glass finder. Also, get your shots framed exactly where you released the shutter, unlike my Oly mirrorless cameras. Mirrorless is next to useless for any serious close in action or sport photography.
The D5 and D500, will prove to be sensational work tools, I'm sure, ....... :)
The Olympus cameras only have the delay for the IBIS, I believe(which I think you can shut off).
To imply that a camera with no mirror to move out of the way is somehow slower to capture an image in relation to shutter activation is a little silly. There is EVF lag, to be sure, but not nearly close to the amount of "human lag"(.25 seconds). Even with an optical viewfinder you are predicting a shot. Combined lag between the 2 systems is about equal, accounting for EVF lag, or mirror/shutter lag.
To be quite honest, I have a feeling that many people using mirrorless cameras and losing shots are not doing so because of he camera, they are just not really liking the camera, and blaming it for their own faults...
Not saying you in particular... It just might be that when you miss a shot with an SLR, you say "darn, I messed up". But when you miss it with a mirrorless, you say "this camera keeps messing up!". Ya know?
I use an Olympus E-M1 for photographing athletics. While I can't compare it to a Nikon, which I don't have, I can say it's not useless. I practise my technique, and I've worked out the optimum settings for the camera. Cameras can't read your mind.
Hah! You say that You can see stars better via those small OVF in Nikon than E-M1 or E-M5II Live View Boost II mode enabled? That literally allows you to see every star that you can't even naked eye, compose perfectly by seeing everyone black object in the scenery without taking a single test shot (like power lines going above you in under starlight). And then shoot in Live Time mode to get perfect Exposure each time without wondering anything in any condition. And manual focus is like no problem what so ever as you can get perfect focus if wanted (or even with AF).
Place any DSLR on tripod and wait 30-60min to get a night vision Okish, and then compare that OVF to Live View Boost II and difference is like night and day for Olympus benefit.
I think the number 4 is thought to be unlucky in Japan if I remember correctly. Maybe that is why the skipped D400 name. No idea why they kept D4 and others.
From HBR: Product names. It’s common for companies to release products in a numbered series. However, many companies remove the number 4 or the number 13 due to their bad luck connotations in the East and West, respectively. Japanese camera maker Fuji skips the series 4 and jumps directly from series 3 to series 5 for this reason. Likewise, Canon introduced its Powershot G15, skipping both G13 and G14.
No, they missed out the D400 because they thought they could force all D300 users to upgrade to full frame. That didn't work out, so they finally relented and released the D500 and are hoping that those once loyal customers are still interested in a Nikon camera.
We all know that, but there was the D40 in 2006, too. The D500 name instead of D5 is because to show consumers they're from the same roots, and the D500 does feature the D5 AF system, but into a DX body. Samples from the D500 looking really good, via Nikon online.
3 minutes only applies to D5 for internal recording. External recording isn't limited by the D5 or D500. D500 has a 29min,59sec limit for internal recording. Actually makes some sense if not obvious at first.
I remember hearing that you can take longer 4K video with an external device attached. I don't do video so I'm only faintly familiar what device they're talking about.
I shoot 4K on a GH4, .... you Will need an external recording device. 500gb solid state drives fill up in measurements of only minutes not hours! Your Editing hardware will also have to be Processor and RAM rich! And you will end up with as many HDD's holding your shoots as you did DVD's when you shot in Standard Def! Then there's your editing screen????????
But Samsung uses the more efficient H.265 format which reduces the file sizes significantly. Everyone should move to this more efficient format for 4K soon.
Within 365 days after its launch, my then called 'revolutionary' D750 seems already to be outdated. No 4K video, relatively small buffer, limited high ISO performance. Such a shame! Wake up Peter, this is a consumer society! It's not about photography, it's about GEAR!
the 1/4000 shutter speed should have been a clue for you. the clue for me was when my first D750 fell down 3 feet on the floor and immediately started to show FEE error - construction is just not there in the same league with D700, D300, D800, etc... D750 is more in like with D7000 class of cameras, but with a bigger sensor.
Mark my words: within 365 days we will come to the conclusion that todays 'hot picks' D5 & D500 will have it's drawbacks as well. In the meantime we tend to forget that 95% of the pics that we take nowadays we also could have taken with a Nikon D90, D300 or even a rickety D750. Of course i'm not against 'progress' and 'innovation' but i think photography should not be about gear in the first place. I know it sounds a bit obvious, but that's the point i wanted to make.
@Absolutic - Yours may have suffered, but mine flew a few feet and bounced off solid concrete without a single scratch. Some guy dropped his 30 feet down with a 70-200mm into some brush and nothing happened to his. Then there was someone with a D810 in his backpack, fell off a chair and it broke. So.... regardless of whether it's a D750 or D8XX, you shouldn't be dropping them.
@Peter, the D750 is still bad-ass. "outdated?" Tech moves fast, but that doesn't mean you can't take insanely great photos with the D750 (unless you are limited by your own skills and imagination of course). Limited high ISO performance? Come on.... how high do you want to go? ISO12800 looks pretty damned good on the D750 and I hardly ever need to go there even though I shoot in local low light venues without flash.
It's about consuming, but it's also VERY much about releasing gear that makes photography even more convenient and integrated into our daily lives. This is what people have been asking for and Nikon has finally delivered.
@Dyun27, i'm VERY happy with my D750. I have a photobook coming out in April 2016 (http://www.lehmanns.de/shop/kunst-musik-theater/30890341-9783943061215-music-brings-us-together) that was shot for 25% with cameras like the Nikon D3, D700. Some pics even were taken with a Fuji S3 pro. Innovation and technique in our field is important but not essential for making good pictures.
I literally just bought my D750 last week, and I'm perfectly happy with the shots I can get with it. Coming in previously from APS-C, the high ISO performance is a huge jump, and I often need to shoot as high as 12,800.
The D5 and D500 are very impressive indeed, but I hope I never need to shoot in conditions so demanding as to require one of them. Even if they both have ISO ceilings of over 1 million, if I needed to bump my ISO to 25,600, chances are that what I'm shooting isn't worth shooting anyway.
The D750 has a fantastic sensor - I wish sensors could be replaceable like film - would love to have the D750 sensor in the D4. Even at 6.5fps the D750 wasn't really in my opinion a 2nd body sports camera - I found the focusing (despite the specs) to be worse than the D4 - 10fps, fast AF and a good sensor (for 30% of D5) could be a nice 2nd body for sport
The interviewer failed to ask the one question that all Nikon users should care most about: What has Nikon done (if anything) to avoid the defects that has plagued the introduction of its products in the last few years? Can we be sure that the D5 and D500 will be defect free when they come on the market in March?
I totally hope so. To date the D3 and D300 was the best launch in Nikon history. I've been screaming about Nikon to get it together when I at least a year go that they will try and repeat the success of the past. I remember being on this forum in 2007 and the Buzz about Nikon and the game changing D3 and D300 (the baby D3' as some called it was phenomenal.💥
Not sure about upgrading from my D7200 to the D500. I miss the "pro-feeling" from my D200 on the D7200, but the price step is quite pro too. Curious for the first real-world samples and low light performance. Added video features and tilt-screen are also some features which I would have liked on my D7200. But no hurry, let's wait for the christmas deals 2016. :)
The price step isn't too "pro" in my opinion. Imaging Resource and DP Review both listed the D300 at $1800 retail back on Aug 23, 2007. I purchased my D300 from B&H through BillMeLater for $1625 on Aug 13, 2008.
The D700 was introduced a month earlier than my D300 purchase, and at $2999.99. The D750 and D810 are on Amazon (prime, can be found slightly cheaper) right now for $1900 and $3000 respectively. However, they are also now dated tech with what the D500 offers -- thus my disagreement with the "pro" price step.
Where I am bugged, is that I also purchased the MB-D10 with my D300 and still came in at under $2000 (though additional items did take me over that price). I happened to already have an SB-800, which coupled with either my D70 or D300 I could fire remotely or on hot shoe. I'm somewhat confused on the workings of the SB-5000 with the D500, since the D500 is sans built-in flash. The understanding I have is one will need the WR-R10 set or the SU-800 to trigger it.
Sorry, by "pro" step I only meant that it's a big step from I would say the D7xxx to the D500. I got me the D7200 last year, which replaced my D200. I didn't say the D500 is overprized - it's now the first announced price when it hits the market in March. I am pretty sure by the end of this year it will be about the same price (maybe with some christmas deals) as my D200 when I bought it back in 2006 - which was about 1600€ (can't really tell anymore, I bought it bundled with my 18-200mm 1st gen and together it was about 2350€).
So I definitely won't be an early adopter. But again, for me it will be a big step. D7200 is about 880€ new at the moment...maybe at the end of the year it will hit the 700€ - so I think the max at this time you will get for a used D7200 will be about 600€. Which needs then additional 1000€+ to upgrade to the D500. That's my "pro" step. :)
I was in a similar situation going from the D70 + 18-70mm kit (paid $1800 back in 2004) to the D300 i mentioned previously. Your line of thought is why I waited a year after the initial release of the D300. Part of me wishes I could have swung the extra money to go from D70 to D700 back then, but my job at the time just didn't afford that luxury.
I'm more disappointed in having to invest into the new flash system, which is why I have waited this long to upgrade my D300 and avoiding bodies with no built-in flash for use as a commander. Guess I will figure something out to do with my SB-800 and -600 units.
Because it is if you compare it to the camera it is meant to be an alternative for, the D5.
The D500 is not really meant to be alternative to a D810 (High res pro FX body not meant for action so not comparable to D500) or D7200 ( significantly cheaper general purpose enthusiast DX body not meant primarily for action) or D750 (FX and again general purpose enthusiast camera and not meant primarily for action)
The D500 is designed to be a less expensive and smaller alternative to a D5. Just look at the features, specs and controls. It is meant to be a DX D5 without the integrated grip. It is a pro sports camera for lower income pros,enthusiasts, and those who don't want to lug around a D5 but still need/want it's sports/action capabilities. Heck if it wasn't DX there would be no reason to ever buy a D5 over the D500 unless you just had to have the integrated grip.
Wow. $2,000 for a DX camera. If I upgrade my D7000, I'd rather shill out the $1,500 to $1,800 for a D750. Nikon will need to drop the price on the D500 anywhere from $600 to $800 to get the D7000 owners to buy one.
The D500 is meant for sports/action shooters. If that's not what you shoot most of the time and you don't need the FPS or AF tracking than this camera was not meant for you and there are better choices for you in Nikon's lineup.
If you watch the video the Nikon rep mentions several times that the D500 is for all those D7000 people to upgrade to. I don't care if it's paired with D5. I'm going by what the rep said. And if that's truly Nikon's thinking (D7000 to D500) they're going to need to drop their price to get a lot of D7000 users to take the plunge.
What you are saying is you really like the camera, but do not want to spend the money to upgrade from D7000 to D500, after selling off your D7000 on used market. Wait a year and price may come down $200. by next Dec. sales to $1800. Do not expect huge drops. This is a premium pro DX camera. For everyone else there is always the excellent D7200 (or D7100), just it is not the premium camera in DX everyone really would want if they justify the cost to buy. Sell a lens you do not use much and then buy one. This I have in mind, as I was considering a D7200 but would prefer a D500 as I do video.
If FX is your priority, then that makes a lot of sense. You are really upgrading your whole system by moving to the D750, rather than just your body. Obviously any lenses you have won't work the same on your D750 unless you plan to shoot in DX crop mode in which case you'd be better off with a D7200.
The D500 is a natural upgrade path for a D7000 user that doesn't want to leave DX but wants to get access to additional performance and accessories/features/build that don't make it to the D750/D7200 series.
BTW, I shoot FX, so a D500 isn't even the question, I was just trying to help you understand where the products sit. I also love and highly recommend the D750. You get to keep using your cheepo IR remote and that's a big win in my book (seriously)
I have mostly FX lenses. I only have a few DX lenses. I figure if I'm shelling out the $$$ I want to be able to use my glass if I move up to an FX body. I'm very interested in this camera. I just think the $2,000 price tag is a FX price for a DX body!
I get your argument for making a decision for yourself, but sensor format is not the only factor for pricing. There is a lot to these cameras outside of the size of the sensor. That aside, its quite possible that the sensor in the D500 costs as much or more to manufacture than the one in the D750. Just speculating. I have no idea.
A decent analogy would be notebook computers. Screen size can play a role in the price of a computer, but there are plenty of 13 inch notebooks that cost significantly more than other 15 inch models.
I think of the D500 as a bit of a niche camera and those that want it would pay almost anything to get it. It surprises me that Nikon didn't price it higher. Actually, I would expect both of the new models to be little higher.
I have a D750 and a D7100.I will sell the D7100 for the D500. I will never sell the D750. I love that camera. As far as I am concerned, it is my Goldilocks camera, it just does everything right. It may well be the last FF I buy. Buying the D500 because it's the best, will pair well with the Nikon 200-500, and may well be the last crop camera I ever buy.
$2000 is a professional camera price for a professional camera. There is no such thing as a DX price or an FX price. For action photography, the D500 will outshoot the D750, and that's what people will pay a price for. If you don't need fast AF or high frame rates, by all means buy a D750.
Miracles on the inside but dull as ditchwater on the outside as usual. After a lifetime of interest in photography there are finally no cameras to lust after as beautiful working tools. In the film camera age there was always a long list!
D300 was my first digital when clients started to demand faster if not finer results. The lens support for the DX format has been appalling from the start, giving the impression that the manufacturers did not really consider it a serious format. Fine if you wanted a cheap long reach but useless if you worked wide and ended up using super expensive glass for a less than super wide shot... The slow upgrade of this series must have made many more than me give up long ago.
Optical viewfinders on DSLRs are rubbish compared with the film camera equivalents and are fairly useless for delicate manual focus situations.
Looking forward to thefuture D6 & D600 pairing. OH! Somebody has failed to think ahead about series numbering from day one.
I think a small update D5s (perhaps a higher res sensor, not much else changing) might well be the last "full size SLR" Nikon ever makes. The writing's already on the wall. Mirrorless cometh.
Yes, it's easy to imagine in particular that the D500s would be the last DSLR made in that series. That's another 2-3 years for the D500s, and then 2-3 years after that for any naming problem.
The Panasonic G1 came out in 6 years ago, and look where we are now? Can you even imagine what mirrorless cameras will be like in 6 years?
Also IMO, the next 'big' release from Nikon is for them to relent and just give the smaller FF cameras like the D750 a D500 style ergonomics and control makeover with AF joystick (I love AF joysticks).
C'mon DPR... with the access you guys have to top level gear, there's no excuse for focus hunting in a video. I'm not a video guy but WOW, it was insanely obvious.
I want to see the Nikon presentation showing off 80 year old OVF tech! Can anyone send me this film roll by pony express ASAP! Otherwise a url or link will do!
20 mp is well and good I suppose and keeps them out of better addressing the micro focus adjustments for lenses to the body. Even if this sensor offers the most dynamic range and the highest sensitivity ever, it still lags behind in detail which is still relevant. It's also hard to hear them hype video on a camera who's viewfinder turns off and the focusing system switches from industry leading to something out of a low end cell phone unit as soon as you hit "record".
I don't think releasing what are essentially the best examples of why DSLR's are still relevant in the D5/D500 changes the fundamental path here. Pentaprism viewfinder cameras are physically huge and separate the metering and focus from the main optical path. We put up with this because EVF's aren't fast enough and on sensor metering/focus isn't yet as good but both of those seem like resolvable technical hurdles.
These cameras are amazing but they seem like perhaps the last "best in class" DSLR's we'll ever see.
When a mirrorless camera offers and EVF that's physically larger than the one on the D5 with 1/4 the refresh delay of today's units to support a sensor capable of full resolution at 60fps with a totally silent shutter and full quality AF across the entire frame, are professionals really going to keep putting up with micro focus adjustments, off-eye video shooting, physical shutters, small viewfinders, and extra weight? I think not.
Bigger question will be raised 4 and 8 years later. When D6/D7 comes out, will we have D500 successors? If so, how it will be called? (Hint: D600 and D700 already exist ;-)
Since this camera never turns off (powering bluetooth), I am curious to the shelf life of these fine cameras. An unused camera may go flat and kill the internal battery which will necessitate a trip to service center.
You should be able to turn the bluetooth off. There must be an option in the menu. Besides, I don't think bluetooth is powered by the internal battery. Where do you learn it?
I'd like to know where I can confirm your statement. Could you share a link?
"Always on" sounds like a marketing phrase to me. There must be a way to turn it off when not needed, otherwise you cannot bring D500 with you when you fly.
what they prob mean is like in the NX-1 once you turn the camera on it can link via bluetooth to you phone and open the wifi channel when needed and connect to it without user intervention (besides initial setup which can be done with a NFC tap)
the fine print they did not tell you is Iphone users will not have this capability as the iOS does not allow NFC for one (outside of apple pay) and 2 in iOS an application can not trigger a connection to a wifi network like it can on android. So on iOS devices you will have to initialize the connection and joing the wireless network. On android devices it will be a bit more seamless. This is the reason i bought a new overstock samsung made google nexus 7in tablet Gen 2. (it has NFC and Bluetooth and works seamlessly).
So to recap once you turn on the camera it will auto connect to your phone and the nikon app and automatically initialize the wifi network when needed for live view and picture sending and tethering options. turn it off it ends
apples are overpriced by large margin anyway, not nikon's problem if some feature doesn't work on apple! it would sound negative if they mentioned something like that
I dont understand the price of D500 which is higher than D750. Nikon D7200 is more than enough for wildlife, why one would pay 2000 bucks for crop sensor camera.
@endofoto Because they can't afford a D5 or don't want to lug it around. The D500 is basically a D5 with a DX sensor and no integrated grip. iT is the affordable and smaller alternative to buying the more expensive, heavy, large, D5. When you see it that way it all makes sense.
Imagine shooting sports at 10fps with the D500 and using a 70-200 2.8 which now effectively becomes a 105-300 2.8! Sure you can crop a D750 image taken with the 24Mp sensor (6.5fps) , but with DX you have more pixels at equivalent focal lengths.
The D750 is a great wedding camera etc. but NOT a sports camera
I do not subscribe to this superstitious nonsense either.
However, it is a fact that 4 is considered unlucky in some parts of the world. In the 1990s I worked for a company manufacturing sophisticated high-tech equipment (although not photographic) and, on advice from our Asian colleagues, we deliberately skipped the "4xx" series and went straight to 500.
Although Wikipedia is not completely reliable, look up "Tetraphobia".
I'll wait for the D500s that works all the bugs out. It will be the last pro APS-C from Nikon. But by then I reckon mirrorless will have won me over. The bulk of a dSLR just isn't worth the small advantages.
With the new lenses long from Olympus and Panasonic, I personally don't see anymore reason to shoot a dSLR. Especially if the focus speed is equal.
not much bulk though... 760 grams. It's going to be as light as the D750. Only 200 grams heaving than the Sony a7 series. No way mirrorless will get a bigger following until they work out bugs in the AF system and AF tracking. You just can't shoot most sports on them.
you can wit hthe NX-1 unfortunately their are no long zooms for it with native AF support. 200mm is the longest offering. 150mm in premium glass and the NX line appears to be dead. so its possible.
If their was ever truth to the nikon samsung tieup a new mirrorless solution with nikon electronics for the lenes and nikons catalog of lenes would be huge.
My hands are the same. It's exactly why I have an F5 and never had problem with the weight because ergonomically it fitted in my hand ( no pinky finger) dangling. I have a D3 and D700 with grip but prior to that was D300 and grip and it was beefier than D3.
He actually handled the mirrorless question very well. The awkward parts were earlier when they were talking about product development and D400 bodies and numbering. That response was pure adulterated marketing BS.
Meh. Product names are the definition of marketing BS. I don't understand why people are getting hung up on the name. It's a D500 because most of the bits, besides the sensor, come out of a D5. Pretty straightforward to me.
Actually I think he was simply confused by the question (about numbering) where he thought it was being asked essentially 'why isn't it called the D400', rather than 'why wasn't there a D400?'.
As for the mirrorless response.... Well of course he would say these tropes. He chooses not to mention any of the advantages of EVF either.
He talks about the innovative features and 4K video blah blah, so whats the awesome battery life like then?
There were other points made by him too, not just battery life. Fact is- there will always be pros and cons to each type- always. It will never end. It's about using the right tool for the job- period. Use an OVF to its strengths, use an EVF to its strengths. Debates are silly.
I don't really think anyone here is debating the merits. Just voicing dissatisfaction that the Marketing wonks at Nikon aren't credibly debating the merits. Personally, I'd love to have a great Nikon mirrorless camera that I could slap my existing F lenses onto in a pinch, possibly via a Nikon converter or some such. Doesn't sound like Nikon is interested because they want to save us from short battery life and a little bit of screen lag...
I agree. I left Nikon largely because of what Sony NEX/E-mount can give you. The NEX-6 gave you D7000 image quality in a much smaller package, the A6000 gives you D7200 image quality in a much smaller package--AND they're improving AF and EVF "lag" etc all the time. The EVF shows a "real time preview" of what will result, even as you apply WB and exposure compensation. You get tons of AF sensors that DSLRs don't provide unless you get a top level model.
Then there's absolute focusing accuracy. Especially as sensors now have 24mp sensors, well I found the D5300 I briefly tried out was HARD to achieve sharp focus with, and I mean HARD. I upgraded my NEX-6 to the A6000, focus is always dead to rights. Electronic first curtain shutter means no "shutter shock." Meanwhile look at what Sony is doing via the A7r II.
I'm not saying DSLRs aren't great, but Nikon is pretty much dismissing mirrorless, and they shouldn't.
@disasterpiece - agreed. I know somebody at work who bought a Canon 1200D over the 750D because they thought it was a better model (being a higher number). They thought they'd got a bargain. Oops. I just smiled and decided not to say anything.
Yes I think people get that... So what happens when they release the D6 and it's companion?
Personally I like the MkII MkIII naming scheme that is becoming more and more popular. It is CLEAR where that model sits within that series, but more than that, if someone says 'get a RX100' or 'you should look at a 5D' then it is just the latest iteration of that camera rather than a new model number they've never heard of. This is especially a good idea (as above) with particularly popular models, 5D / RX100 / E-M5 etc. 'Consumers' are often lost otherwise, is the 1200D better than the 100D? What about the 760D, where does that fit in? Seems like between the two. 6D must have replaced 5D and 7D must be the best... 1D is super entry level right, like a budget 100D?
and then, @M Lammerse, with the D6 --- they'll have to complement it with the "D6DX" or "DX6" or something. Unless they go all Canon on us and produce the "D5 Mk II", "D500 Mk II" etc.
@M Lammerse not completely "no relation", but rather the fact that over the years so many models were released that there was no way of keeping the numbering convention consistent (unless they began naming them like D3000, D3001, D3002 and so on - which by itself would be pretty logical, but from a buyer's standpoint and judging the model number alone, it would look like that there's almost no difference between the old and the new).
Nice looking set of features... except the price! $2K for an APS-C body and $6.5K for FF? I get that these are "flagship" products, but those are prices that only make sense for folks who upgrade once every six years.
Well, these are not Sony cameras that get updated twice a year, but I'm sure that the street prices will drop sooner than later.
Also, if a camera is really good, why not use it until it breaks down? I don't see how the technological advancements have a direct relation to the quality of people's cat and kid photos anyways..
Still no reason to ditch a camera.. The pictures don't turn bad because the camera is outdated. And they usually don't become better with a new one either..
I'm perfectly happy with the results I get from my EIGHT years old Canon.. My next DSLR will still have a mirror and will most likely be a - by then outdated - 1Dx and I will be happy with that for a long time too...
These are not disposable consumer grade cameras. Pros work on very long replacement schedules.... they don't jump for cheap gimmicks and need meaningful comprehensive updates, which these things definitely are.
Plus I am pretty sure the D3/D300 and 1D/7D series were all just as expensive.
The D500 is very competitively priced, and I think it crosses all the right points in the technology curve so it will last well. The D5, however, is too expensive. I'm absolutely convinced, for example, that with the financial travails in the press in general and newspapers in particular, the photojournalism market for the D5 is going to be very weak outside of the major agencies like Getty and AP. Your typical newspaper -- and all too often now it's your typical staff photographer operating on too small of an equipment allowance, rather than the employer buying the gear -- is either going to keep their D3, D4 bodies running or buy D500s. And without the D500 they'd have been eyeing Canon 7DII bodies.
"Because video side is so important to Nikon" they decided to completely screw up the 4K. D500 in 4K has about 2.23x crop factor relative to FF sensor and both D5 and D500 have a 1,46x crop factor relative to their lenses, which practically means the 4K is totally useless. As a bonus, D5 has only 3 fk minutes of 4K video recording.
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