Anyone else waiting for a Nikon Z (CROP SENSOR) camera that replaces the D500?

If you would like to post, you'll need to register. Note that if you have a BCG store account, you'll need a new, separate account here (we keep the two sites separate for security purposes).

I decided not to get on the Z8 wagon. A replacement of my D7500 as a mirrorless with APS-C zoom like the 18-300mm would weight a lot less. I would love to put a 200-400 higher quality zoom on that camera.
 
When the D850 arrived I sold my D500. The D850 in DX mode provides a 19MP file as compared to 21MP with the D850 and I could live with that. That would be the case with the Z7 II with its 45MP sensor where the DX image size is 19MP.
+1
For me If Nikon does not bring out a 61 MP full frame body (I think they will) a DX pro body needs to be at least 33 MP BSI - and 45 MP BSI if Nikon bring out a 60+ MP full frame body.

33 or 45 MP DX would be great with my 800 PF on a small bird like a kingfisher as I cannot get as close as I would like to kingfisher at nearby locations.
As I get 19 MP from my Z9 there is no current Nikon DX giving a useful potential increase in resolution.
 
+1
For me If Nikon does not bring out a 61 MP full frame body (I think they will) a DX pro body needs to be at least 33 MP BSI - and 45 MP BSI if Nikon bring out a 60+ MP full frame body.

33 or 45 MP DX would be great with my 800 PF on a small bird like a kingfisher as I cannot get as close as I would like to kingfisher at nearby locations.
As I get 19 MP from my Z9 there is no current Nikon DX giving a useful potential increase in resolution.
I wish Nikon listens to you.
 
I wish Nikon listens to you.
Maybe yes - maybe no.

In the heyday of the D500 no Nikon FX body could match the D500 resolution.
I sold my D500 after getting the D850.

As far as I know there is no current BSI 33 MP DX sensor - let alone a 45MP BSI 45 MP DX sensor.

If Nikon are planning a 61 MP BSI FF body (I expect they are) a 33 MP DX body would have only a short period of high sales.
Nikon might not feel the investment of 33 MP DX worthwhile if 61 MP FF is being developed.
 
Maybe yes - maybe no.

In the heyday of the D500 no Nikon FX body could match the D500 resolution.
I sold my D500 after getting the D850.

As far as I know there is no current BSI 33 MP DX sensor - let alone a 45MP BSI 45 MP DX sensor.

If Nikon are planning a 61 MP BSI FF body (I expect they are) a 33 MP DX body would have only a short period of high sales.
Nikon might not feel the investment of 33 MP DX worthwhile if 61 MP FF is being developed.

The Sony sensor in the Fujifilm XH2 (40mp).
 
I've been watching a LOT of Nikon Z8 reviews in the past few days, and I am glad to see that a lot of the Z9 functionality is there in a slightly smaller/lighter/less expensive form factor.
However, I was hoping for a mirrorless APS-C (i.e., crop sensor) camera. A successor, specifically, to the tried and true bird photographer's camera, the D500.

Yes, I know that the Z9 has a DX mode, but not being someone who can afford a $15,000+, 600mm + 1.4TC lens, I need a camera that can help me get 750mm compositional reach with my 500mm PF lens, right out of the gate. (Plus, $4,000 for a new camera body is still a little bit steep for me.)

Anyone else here hoping/waiting for a D500 mirrorless successor? And if so, do you think it will come out within the next two years?
I know this is an older thread, but I am still hoping that Nikon releases a mirrorless version of the D500 with higher resolution with the AF system and speed of the Z9, in a smaller, lighter body without a grip. It's been on my wish list since day one of owning the Z9 (and now the Z8). I bought the Z8 for the occasions when I wanted smaller and lighter; I would probably sell the Z8 for a high-end DX mirrorless with 30 MP; it would be a perfect match for the 600 PF. I know I can shoot in crop mode, but that only yields a 19 MP file (roughly). I have to admit, though, that I'm beginning to believe Nikon is not going to go down that path.
 
I still think this rumored DX Z9 isnt happening. For better or worse…crop Zs are relatively inexpensive and to put in the stacked sensor they would need a new design unless 20MP is enough but it probably isn’t because of marketing. Add in the Expeed 7, better EVF, and no shutter to get the FPS of the higher models which today you can’t not put in a dedicated wildlife model for marketing purposes at least. All of that is going to price this body way out of lune with the other crop Zs and there’s really no niche for $2K crop bodies much.
 
I still think this rumored DX Z9 isnt happening. For better or worse…crop Zs are relatively inexpensive and to put in the stacked sensor they would need a new design unless 20MP is enough but it probably isn’t because of marketing. Add in the Expeed 7, better EVF, and no shutter to get the FPS of the higher models which today you can’t not put in a dedicated wildlife model for marketing purposes at least. All of that is going to price this body way out of lune with the other crop Zs and there’s really no niche for $2K crop bodies much.

Perhaps there's the possibility to use the Sony stacked sensor from the X-H2S or the BSI sensor from the X-H2/X-T5?
Even without a stacked sensor, you could get 15fps with mechanical shutter and very little lag or blackout.

Cost on Amazon:
- X-T5 $1699
- X-H2 $1849
- X-H2s $2299

Fujifilm sells a good amount of those cameras. About Fujifilm financial results of the fiscal year ending in March 2023:
"In the Professional Imaging business, revenue increased as sales of new products from the X Series digital cameras, X-H2S, X-H2 and X-T5 which come with the latest, fifth-generation devices, performed well."

I believe they would sell even more if they had long and fast lenses.
 
Prior to the Z8, I used a D500 for wildlife, and a D750 (which I owned before the D500) for event work, landscape, etc.. They made a great combo, and I had one of the bodies as a backup for the other or to accommodate a different lens if I needed to use two in the field. Since adopting the Z8, in many ways I've felt like I have both of those cameras in one body (which, in some ways, could justify the price). However, there are definitely times when I don't want to be carrying a $4,000 camera body with me, and having a lower cost alternative for those occasions would be great. It would also restore the ability to have two different focal length lenses mounted and ready to use at the same time.
 
Prior to the Z8, I used a D500 for wildlife, and a D750 (which I owned before the D500) for event work, landscape, etc.. They made a great combo, and I had one of the bodies as a backup for the other or to accommodate a different lens if I needed to use two in the field. Since adopting the Z8, in many ways I've felt like I have both of those cameras in one body (which, in some ways, could justify the price). However, there are definitely times when I don't want to be carrying a $4,000 camera body with me, and having a lower cost alternative for those occasions would be great. It would also restore the ability to have two different focal length lenses mounted and ready to use at the same time.
Consider the new $2,000 zf.
 
Not me. I plan on the D500 being the last crop sensor "SLR" type of camera I ever use.

Although, I'd be willing to get a "point & shoot" camera for my less serious photo endeavors.
 
My first DSL was the Canon 1D Mark II as I was one of those holdouts from the film days who said digital will never be as good as film. The sensor was a 1.3 crop and I didn't think much of it until I got a 5D and then I wanted full frame for everything but wasn't happy with the 5D AF system and I was considering dropping the coin for the 1Ds Mark II but that's when Nikon announced its D700 and I decided that buying two D700's and a lens for the cost of a 1Ds Mark II made a lot more sense and I made the switch. A few years later I bought a D500 but I could never quite be satisfied with the "look" of the images compared to the D750 I also had at the time but I loved everything else about the camera. For a while I even bought into the Micro Four Thirds system (MFT) but again, found myself not being as happy with the images as I was from my FF bodies.

The biggest issues were high ISO performance and background rendering; however, things are changing in the post processing (PP) world and AI is really shaking things up, especially with denoise and now background blur, it's not perfect but I must admit for baby stage it is very impressive and will be exciting to see this technology quickly improve over the next few years.

I say all that to say that I may be interested in a Z version of the D500 for the right price, basically a Z8 body with a 1.5 crop sensor in it, but a good sensor that denoise and background blur can work really well on...
 
I say all that to say that I may be interested in a Z version of the D500 for the right price, basically a Z8 body with a 1.5 crop sensor in it, but a good sensor that denoise and background blur can work really well on...
Are you willing to pay say $3,000 for the body…because that's probably what it would cost. Sensor would be 19MP assuming it's a scaled down Z8/9 sensor which while adequate would be a marketing downer, and making a 24 or 30MP sensor is a whole new development of a back side illuminated fast sensor. Add in the better EVF, the Expeed 7…and sure, you could probably fit that in a Z7 sized body but anything smaller would mean a smaller battery and again…marketing downer. And all of that is assuming that a smaller body can handle the heat that the sensor and electronics generate. And then consider the market…how many people would buy this $3K body?

The Z7II is already smaller and lighter than a D500 is…and I would bet that a large portion of the decision to make the Z8 what it is instead of putting all of those Z9 guts into the Z7II body and calling that either the Z8 or Z7III has to do with either physical size limitations, battery capacity, or heat load.

Granted…the Z8 is bigger and heavier than the Z7II is…and there's a reason for that difference. The sensor is the same size although a BSI one might be thicker. Don't know if the Expeed 7 is significantly larger than the Expeed 6 but probably it is given the huge performance difference with the according heat load. Battery…anything smaller than the Z7II would use the En-EL25 like the other crop sensor Z bodies…and it's less than half the capacity of the EN-EL15C that the Z7/8 use…so another marketing downer there.

I'm not going to say never because I don't know Nikon's thoughts…but there are just too many roadblocks both technical and economical to make a crop sensor sized body with Z8/9 guts in it…and you know what…the crop sensor body with Z9 features already exists, just put the Z8 in DX mode…or if you want light get a Z7II and put it in DX mode, but you won't get Z9 performance.
 
Are you willing to pay say $3,000 for the body…because that's probably what it would cost. Sensor would be 19MP assuming it's a scaled down Z8/9 sensor which while adequate would be a marketing downer, and making a 24 or 30MP sensor is a whole new development of a back side illuminated fast sensor. Add in the better EVF, the Expeed 7…and sure, you could probably fit that in a Z7 sized body but anything smaller would mean a smaller battery and again…marketing downer. And all of that is assuming that a smaller body can handle the heat that the sensor and electronics generate. And then consider the market…how many people would buy this $3K body?

The Z7II is already smaller and lighter than a D500 is…and I would bet that a large portion of the decision to make the Z8 what it is instead of putting all of those Z9 guts into the Z7II body and calling that either the Z8 or Z7III has to do with either physical size limitations, battery capacity, or heat load.

Granted…the Z8 is bigger and heavier than the Z7II is…and there's a reason for that difference. The sensor is the same size although a BSI one might be thicker. Don't know if the Expeed 7 is significantly larger than the Expeed 6 but probably it is given the huge performance difference with the according heat load. Battery…anything smaller than the Z7II would use the En-EL25 like the other crop sensor Z bodies…and it's less than half the capacity of the EN-EL15C that the Z7/8 use…so another marketing downer there.

I'm not going to say never because I don't know Nikon's thoughts…but there are just too many roadblocks both technical and economical to make a crop sensor sized body with Z8/9 guts in it…and you know what…the crop sensor body with Z9 features already exists, just put the Z8 in DX mode…or if you want light get a Z7II and put it in DX mode, but you won't get Z9 performance.
There is a Sony BSI, 40mp cropped sensor on the market today, in a smaller, $2,000 body. If they wanted to, Nikon can easily adapt it.
 
Are you willing to pay say $3,000 for the body…because that's probably what it would cost. Sensor would be 19MP assuming it's a scaled down Z8/9 sensor which while adequate would be a marketing downer, and making a 24 or 30MP sensor is a whole new development of a back side illuminated fast sensor. Add in the better EVF, the Expeed 7…and sure, you could probably fit that in a Z7 sized body but anything smaller would mean a smaller battery and again…marketing downer. And all of that is assuming that a smaller body can handle the heat that the sensor and electronics generate. And then consider the market…how many people would buy this $3K body?

The Z7II is already smaller and lighter than a D500 is…and I would bet that a large portion of the decision to make the Z8 what it is instead of putting all of those Z9 guts into the Z7II body and calling that either the Z8 or Z7III has to do with either physical size limitations, battery capacity, or heat load.

Granted…the Z8 is bigger and heavier than the Z7II is…and there's a reason for that difference. The sensor is the same size although a BSI one might be thicker. Don't know if the Expeed 7 is significantly larger than the Expeed 6 but probably it is given the huge performance difference with the according heat load. Battery…anything smaller than the Z7II would use the En-EL25 like the other crop sensor Z bodies…and it's less than half the capacity of the EN-EL15C that the Z7/8 use…so another marketing downer there.

I'm not going to say never because I don't know Nikon's thoughts…but there are just too many roadblocks both technical and economical to make a crop sensor sized body with Z8/9 guts in it…and you know what…the crop sensor body with Z9 features already exists, just put the Z8 in DX mode…or if you want light get a Z7II and put it in DX mode, but you won't get Z9 performance.
I think for a lot of the reasons you raise is why we don't have that Z option today. Is there enough of a market to purchase a ZD500 when you already have a Z8 that offers DX mode. D850 also offered DX mode but D500 was still a big seller even with the D850, so what was the biggest differentiator besides sensor - price. Maybe there is a market, but maybe not enough market to make it worth their while. Sensor would need to have higher MP count than cropped Z9/Z8 otherwise what's the point.
 
I think for a lot of the reasons you raise is why we don't have that Z option today. Is there enough of a market to purchase a ZD500 when you already have a Z8 that offers DX mode. D850 also offered DX mode but D500 was still a big seller even with the D850, so what was the biggest differentiator besides sensor - price. Maybe there is a market, but maybe not enough market to make it worth their while. Sensor would need to have higher MP count than cropped Z9/Z8 otherwise what's the point.
Guys, the supposedly Z D500 is rumored to be the Z90. The sensor was speculated to be 33MP... If not oh well LOL
 
For those who want a crop Z high end body, why not put a Z 8 or Z 9 into crop mode? Not 100% the same as if Nikon designed a Z 8/9 crop body, but 98% of the way there. what am I missing? What is the down side - cost, if a true crop body, perhaps you might get a slightly higher frame rate, something else?
 
For those who want a crop Z high end body, why not put a Z 8 or Z 9 into crop mode? Not 100% the same as if Nikon designed a Z 8/9 crop body, but 98% of the way there. what am I missing? What is the down side - cost, if a true crop body, perhaps you might get a slightly higher frame rate, something else?

People are hoping for a lighter, cheaper body with similar performance derived from a smaller sensor.
 
People are hoping for a lighter, cheaper body with similar performance derived from a smaller sensor.
how much smaller could it be than the current Z 8? All the electronic would need to be same, except perhaps a bit less memory (1 less chip or chip with less memory)? Not an EE, any thought about how much smaller a DX Z 8 could be?
 
For those who want a crop Z high end body, why not put a Z 8 or Z 9 into crop mode? Not 100% the same as if Nikon designed a Z 8/9 crop body, but 98% of the way there. what am I missing? What is the down side - cost, if a true crop body, perhaps you might get a slightly higher frame rate, something else?
I have a Z9 and Z8. So a D500 in mirrorless, with its 20 MP sensor, would have little attraction over shooting the Z9 or Z8 in DX mode (or cropping in post).

I could see it being attractive to some if it were smaller & lighter or less expensive.

It might be more attractive to me if it had a higher resolution DX sensor, say 33 MP. That would put more pixels on the duck than a Z9 or Z8 in DX mode (or cropped in post).
 
For those who want a crop Z high end body, why not put a Z 8 or Z 9 into crop mode? Not 100% the same as if Nikon designed a Z 8/9 crop body, but 98% of the way there. what am I missing? What is the down side - cost, if a true crop body, perhaps you might get a slightly higher frame rate, something else?
i think the objective here is to shave $1-1.5k usd off the z8 price and have as good as performance, caveat that it's a crop and lower mp
 
There is a Sony BSI, 40mp cropped sensor on the market today, in a smaller, $2,000 body. If they wanted to, Nikon can easily adapt it.
It will be surprising if Nikon do not follow up in this price zone, with Z9 / Z8 level high frame rate together with AF leveraging the EXPEED7. The company is still prioritizing selling the Z8.
People are hoping for a lighter, cheaper body with similar performance derived from a smaller sensor.
A Z90 has a high probability considering Nikon's Medium Term Strategy, post on pg 1 refers
 
Last edited:
Back
Top