D7200 / D500 help

[KCPhoto]

Ignoring the frame rate and pro layout, what are the pro's and con's (if any). Is the AF upgrade a large enough gain to justify the cost of this change? What besides AF and the obvious 10 fps could sway me to sell the 7200 and part with several hundred more dollars? The few hundred is no the holdup. Its the "is the a real gain in the long game"? Losing 4mp is kind of a con as it is just that much less flexibility for cropping when needed. I prefer all types of wildlife photography. Both action and slower scenes. I have a D810 for when I am not looking for the extra reach or have other goals.

I would match it with my current 200-500 most of the time. I am decently happy with my 7200 overall. I know this horse has been beaten purely to death all over the web. But, so far the commentary on BCG isn't tainted with fanboyish, snobby gearhead type garbage. I don't care about test charts. I like to hear other folks' real experiences without all that bs mixed in.

 

[Fred A]

I have both, and use primarily for BIF and wildlife photography. The upgrade to the D500 for me was worth it - slightly faster AF and the ability to use Group AF helped me a great deal. For me, the D500 has been one of the best action cameras i have used, and was glad I spent the money for it.

 

[Replytoken]

A couple of thoughts from somebody who moved from a D300 to the D500. The dedicated buttons, larger viewfinder and joy stick may seem like they are minor, but I find them to be of great value. The XQD cards are wicked fast and can handle large bursts if you are so inclined in your shooting. The sensor, IIRC, is a BSI design and probably gives you a different DR curve over the ISO range, and I suspect that the D7200 may have a slight edge in IQ at normal ISO settings.

The AF is different, and I personally have found it to be less predictable than the CAM 3500? used in the D300/D7200/D750 (not able to verify if that module was used in all of these bodies, but I believe so). Lots of folks love the new AF module and believe that if it moves, the D500 can acquire focus on it. There was a VERY, VERY long thread at FM that Steve participated in that talks about the differences between the CAM modules and the logic behind them, and I found it to be helpful reading. Still, I personally have had troubles making the switch, but there are so many examples of great work from D500 bodies that you should probably try and see if you can rent one for a day. If all else fails, you can use it to pound nails, and it might only cost you a few bucks in value when you resell it. It is built like a mini D5 when you use it with the grip.

Good luck,

--Ken

 

[Steve]

The D7200 is a wonderful camera and I used one for years before the D500 came out. However, for me anyway, the D500 was well worth the upgrade. I really like the AF system and even just adding Group AF to the mix is a game-changer - not to mention the other AF upgrades.

Don't get me wrong, I captured plenty of action and wildlife with the D7200 (and even the D7000 before that), but the D500 really is another level and, at least in my opinion worth the upgrade. On my D500 review, I do mention the differences towards the end of the video and compare the D7200 a little if you want to take a look:

Nikon D500 Review - Backcountry Gallery

Welcome to the supplement page for my Nikon D500 video review. Before you read this page, I highly recommend that you watch the video first since it has information not mentioned below. I know it’s a long clip, but hey, what’s 25 minutes when you get to spend it with a nice guy like me? […]

backcountrygallery.com

Still, in my opinion, you can get great shots either way.

 

[Stevie n]

A fabulous wildlife camera and for BIF that Group AF, once locked on it doesn't want to let go and paired up with 300pf and 1.4 Extender you can walk all day and you don't its there great little system!

 

[Indrajeet Singh]

Ignoring the frame rate and pro layout, what are the pro's and con's (if any). Is the AF upgrade a large enough gain to justify the cost of this change? What besides AF and the obvious 10 fps could sway me to sell the 7200 and part with several hundred more dollars? The few hundred is no the holdup. Its the "is the a real gain in the long game"? Losing 4mp is kind of a con as it is just that much less flexibility for cropping when needed. I prefer all types of wildlife photography. Both action and slower scenes. I have a D810 for when I am not looking for the extra reach or have other goals.

I would match it with my current 200-500 most of the time. I am decently happy with my 7200 overall. I know this horse has been beaten purely to death all over the web. But, so far the commentary on BCG isn't tainted with fanboyish, snobby gearhead type garbage. I don't care about test charts. I like to hear other folks' real experiences without all that bs mixed in.

Hi KC, I use the D7200, D810 and D500. All great bodies, each with their individual strengths. My use and belief for these is - The D7200 - amazing image quality and great for the crop value as you mention. I use it for when I need to shoot into the distance using the 200~500. Most the time however, it is used for my Macro work. Great body hope to never sell it. D810 another milestone body from Nikon, great for landscapes. I primarily use it for video since it permits back button focus acquisition when shooting video unlike any of my other DSLRs, including the D850. With a loupe fitted, it work extremely efficiently. I hope the Z7S is released soon and I may then replace the D810 for video with this. The D500, unbeatable for action, I enjoy capturing birds on the wing and nothing I know does this better than the D500, though it lacks the image quality of the D7200, its auto focus attributes make it almost perfect for action. Hope this helps. Cheers! Indrajeet.

 

[KCPhoto]

Thank you to all who have weighed in so far. This is why I am loving this place! Not one mtf chart or mathematical equation given. Just good ol' "I have these cameras and here is my experience".

I have seen a few mentions of the iq on the 7200 possibly having an edge at lower iso. I have certainly seen amazing results by people with way better habits than I. I guess I just need to decide if I wanna spend on group focus and better customization options. Thanks again. I look forward to more opinions.

 

[Pistnbroke]

Why not go all the way and get a D850? Its got a D500 inside it . Sell the ageing D810 and or the D7200 and do the job right.

 

[StefanSC]

Ignoring the frame rate and pro layout, what are the pro's and con's (if any). Is the AF upgrade a large enough gain to justify the cost of this change? What besides AF and the obvious 10 fps could sway me to sell the 7200 and part with several hundred more dollars? The few hundred is no the holdup. Its the "is the a real gain in the long game"? Losing 4mp is kind of a con as it is just that much less flexibility for cropping when needed. I prefer all types of wildlife photography. Both action and slower scenes. I have a D810 for when I am not looking for the extra reach or have other goals.

Hello KCPhoto,

I've used a D810 since launch and a couple of years ago I was exploring the idea of adding a APS-C body for wildlife.
I went with the D500 over the D7200 but I had the chance to compare the two cameras.

In my experience, between the two there isn't a difference that stands out but there are a lot of small items that add up for a real gain in the long game with the D500.

Things like the body-style being the same with your D810 so switching between them is easier, the joystick, the AF covering more of the viewfinder, the AF behaving a bit better with f6.3/f8 lenses, Group-AF, easier to review and share images, the slightly better JPEG engine, white balance and exposure metering and so on.

Be aware though you will be losing somethings with the D500, like the D9 AF option, the on-board flash (you need a speedlite for commander) and you will have to pay more for XQD cards and fast SDs.

The ~4 Mpx loss , in my opinion, isn't something to worry about.

 

[SanDiegoSteve]

I upgraded a D7200 to a D500. Why? Lower light AF (-4ev vs -3ev) and faster AF. I shoot a lot of sports and "action" events and my keeper rate with the AF is better.

I think I get about 1/3 to 2/3 better high ISO. So, that isn't huge. Framerate is faster, but I'll also argue against just spraying and praying. Buffer is better and I would fill it on the D7200 occasionally.

I do think the D7200 was better in the 100-800 ISO range. The final output image is only like 500px per side different, so that is no big deal to me.


The real question, what do you use the camera for? I don't always grab my D500, so it isn't better in every way.

 

[Woodyg3]

D500 by a mile. I own both. Better AF, larger image butter, faster frame rate, better and more complete control layout, group AF, bigger and brighter viewfinder, built in viewfinder cover for long exposures, more function buttons, and more things I'm not thinking of. I disagree with people who say the image quality is not as good as the D7200, and actually think it's a tad better in the noise department.

 

[Larry Shuman]

The D500 has the D5 focus and AF module.

 

[Woodpecker]

My dream would by a D5 and - if the money isn't there for the real big glass - may be in combination with a D500 to get the reach, but unfortunately my name is not Buffet .

Why did I get the D7200 in the first place:

• Checking out out working with extra reach without buying a 800 f5.6 E ,especially
  using the 500PF getting 750mm FX equivalent reach with f5.6 hand-holdable
  (to do that with a FX body I would need a TC bringing it to f8 where AF is not fully functional any more)
• Chance to get a D7200 in perfect condition for less than what TC-14E III would cost .
• Having a DX body with almost identical layout to my D750
  (sometimes long breaks between opprtunities to go out photographing, makes it easier o handle both simultaneously)
• Camera can take grip
  (as opposed to D7500)
• So far excellent critiques regarding IQ

Would I upgrade to D500 ? Probably not.

• Buffer and framerate would be great, but priority for me would be is a pro FX body because of low light tolerance, so the DX part has priority B anyway.
  If I got to shoot more in brighter lighting conditions and require the big buffer and the higher frame rate, the D500 would be really tempting.
  For low light it is still not significantly better than the D7200 regarding noise.
• For what I do the good old 51-point AF seems still good enough, especially after in the D7200 you have a pretty good AF coverage area.
  If I looked for a bigger AF coverage area with more sensors, that would primarily be for FX format.
• Price tag versus expected improvement for my way of using a DX body.
• Different layout to my current FX body

 

[Charles Loy]

Reading through this I did not see anyone commenting about your pairing it with the 200-500. I use that combo, and seriously believe it is magic. The perfect camera for the 200-500. I use it with the 16-80 2.8-4 and 10-20 some, but the 200-500 nearly lives on it.
My other cameras are D5 and D810, it's 'at home' to use the D500 alone with the other two. I suggest to grab it.