I have been photographing birds for over 20 years, going back to the film era. I have been using a D7000 and Nikon V1 and V2 bodies for several years. My main birding lens these days is the Sigma 100-400. My son has essentially taken possession of my D7000, and I need a replacement. My V1 and V2 bodies work well for birds that are more or less static, but not so well with birds in motion. My D7000 is definitely better for birds in motion, but doesn’t exactly have the speediest AF.
I have used a D7500 with my Sigma 100-400 before. Good combo. The price is more in line with what I would like to pay. And both new and used copies are relatively easy to come across where I live.
But I have also been advised to consider the D500, especially given it’s best-in-class AF. The price, however, gives me pause. Also, it is more difficult to find in my area, either new or used.
Is the D500 that much better than the D7500 to warrant the significantly greater cost? Is the D7500’s performance so much less than the D500’s that I should just forget it?
(FWIW, I have also considered used D810 bodies that are currently available used, and produce images of around 16MP when used in crop mode, just like my D7000 does.)
