Nikon D500 - first impressions

[chambeshi]

The most rigorous test of a camera body (or lens) is how well it survives trauma, especially impacts from being dropped and similar accidents. Height and total mass of the equipment compound the damage inflicted on impact. So does the nature of the substrate i.e. terra firma. My D500 - 300 f2.8G VRII unit was not properly tightened on to the arca-swiss mount on the Sirui monopod. The entire combo of lens and camera fell off my shoulder and hit hard granitic clay. As those who've had similar disasters, the event happens too damned quickly to grab anything e.g. a sling! All of a sudden the "loss" of Weight off one's shoulder then the bang! Reminds me somewhat of being shot at unexpectantly !!

This accident was caused by my own stupity in the rushed assembly of lens to the LS10 monopod head. The Arca-swiss plate coupling was still loose, and I also did not clip on the safety loop (see photos below). 2 stupid mistakes I will not make again. The 3rd-party Meike grip fitted to the D500 is polycarbonate. It seemed to absorb most of the impact but the LCD screen is well and truly buggered. And the +ve arm of the LCD exposure meter is not showing in (either viewfinder and anterior lcd)... ominous symptom

Nevertheless, the camera still fires in S, and both Continuous modes. AF works. Oh, yes and i'm especially relieved to report the lens survived fine, given the grip and D500 bearing the brunt of the impact! One take home lesson is the Mg/polycarbonate chassis can take some abuse, but I'm definitely not planning anymore trials. The D500 is with Nikon for post-mortem and damage assessment.... At very least bracing mysefl for the cost of a replacement LCD....+++??!! and the Labour

The photos below show the snaplink clipping system I normally use to link the tripod/monopod handsling to lens carry-loop. The red button on the Sirui MP-20 depresses the brass stud that is the spring-loaded safety/anti-slip mechanism to stop the loose plate slipping forward or back. This Sirui system is far, far superior to the anchor (anti-slide) studs fitted to some tripod feet; It's tricky to seat the arca-swiss plate fully from above on the plate: the grub screws on these Jobu tripod feet means one has to loosen the tripod head wide enough to put the foot on from above. And then "tightening" the arca-swiss coupling can still leave the whole assembly loose. These studs give a false - actually dangerous - sense of security. My usual modus operandi is to slide the arca-swiss plate screwed under the lens foot (or camera body) horizontally into the tripod head, which is slightly loosened & then tighten the side belt - tight. My first mitigation has been to remove these studs supplied on the Jobu 300/2.8 Foot - since consigned them to scrap.

kind regards

woody

[Frank Fremerey]

Stupid mistakes happen. We can only see to them not happen too often.

[tommiejeep]

Woody, I feel your pain.  I just killed my D750 with an unplanned dip in a muddy Pond.  In my defence I was on a heavy dose of medications , post hospital, and never should have been out shooting.   Cost of repair Rs 68K (over $1,000) .  Nikon offered me a new one at a knockdown price but I've decided to wait and see what Nikon brings out next.  I have too many cameras but the D750 is very nice and paired well with the D500.  I've carried the 500vr over the shoulder attached to tripod a few times but never far and without incident.   Sometimes it is just the angle which the camera hit.    Fingers crossed for quick, reasonable trip to Nikon.

All the best,

[Akira]

Woody and Tom, sorry about your mishap.  Hope your financial and mental pain will be kept to the minimum.

My D750 and AF-S 50/1.8G combo dropped from the 50cm stool to the wooden floor.  Fortunately the plastic lens hood absorbed the most of the shock.  I brought the combo to Nikon service next day, and it turned out to be totally undamaged.  The alignment of the optical axis remained intact.  Of course, it has operated flawlessly since then.  It didn't take even any scratches.  I guess the new monocoque construction and its "floating" mirror box helped, too.

[tommiejeep]

Akira, a drop to the soft bank would have been much better than the camera and I going into the water.  A dunking normally means death to most cameras even if only for a few seconds 

Glad your drop did no damage.  If I do not like new offerings from Nikon I can see myself taking Nikon's offer for another D750 or even a super cheap D610. Hoping for a new D7xx with new sensor and the AF of the D5/D500 and 1/8000.  I can live with less fps and just a reasonable buffer but Nikon seems to always leave something out.

With the 42MP Sony, but horrendous write times, I am not too bothered but still prefer my Nikons.   

All the best,
tom

[John G]

Hi Chambesi
.                  I feel your bad luck, not your stupid mistake.
The single clamp lens foot retainers are a accident waiting to happen, when it does, it is bad luck not stupidity.
Why the mounting base plate cant have the middle third as a clamp and the front and rear thirds of the clamp, be a
Permanent part of the base plate, where you would need to slide the lens foot into it, with a spring loaded pin to restrict the sliding operation of the foot. Keeping it secure if you over look any of the set up method.
This is a system that would safeguard  many a  equipment from serious damage, when a  simple user error occurs.
I had a in depth conversation over the Xmas period, on this subject, as I am selecting a lens mounting system, and
Equipment security as well as performance are on my mind.
The person I was talking to, had another bad luck experience. They watched the cantilever lens mount break off on a Gimbal with a New Purchased 600mm f4 mounted on it . Luckily the tripod was set low, and long grass was under the set up, so no damage happened.

[BW]

I´m sorry to hear that Chambesi! Hope you get it fixed at a minor cost. Wish you the best of luck!

[Bent Hjarbo]

I have just being in Norway "shooting" the Danish XC skiing championship.
I used both my old D700 and my new D500.
I had to adjust exposure on nearly all my images taken with the D500 +0,3 to +0,7. Setting the camera to overexpose +0,7 solved the problem, but in the past I never had to do this on my digital cameras (D200, D300s).
Do I have a problem/error on this particular camera or have others observed the same.
The 2 pictures shows the difference.

[Bjørn Rørslett]

Was this with matrix metering?

[Bent Hjarbo]

Was this with matrix metering?

Yes on both cameras, have used this during the last 8 years when photographing the XC championship

[Bjørn Rørslett]

I'm a little surprised as my D500 doesn't return such results. Perhaps I haven't pushed it enough? Matrix metering ought to understand there is snow in the scene. The earliest version way back in time still needed a helping hand for snow scenes, but the metering systems have improved and are more clever now.

However, it is very easy to relocate the +- compensation on the D500 without intending to do so.

Added: just checked with my D500 and the 300PF. The camera definitively underexposes when snow comprises a major part of the frame.

[stenrasmussen]

I think this is one of the drawbacks of new "improved" metering....trying to revert to 18% grey.

[Frode]

I'm a little surprised as my D500 doesn't return such results. Perhaps I haven't pushed it enough? Matrix metering ought to understand there is snow in the scene. The earliest version way back in time still needed a helping hand for snow scenes, but the metering systems have improved and are more clever now.

However, it is very easy to relocate the +- compensation on the D500 without intending to do so.

Added: just checked with my D500 and the 300PF. The camera definitively underexposes when snow comprises a major part of the frame.

Hmm, it looks like some of you make use of the fine tune exposure...?

May I ask what amount you've been using for your models? Both with matrix and spot? Advice/experience for the D4s?

[richardHaw]

for snow, I always +1 or even +2
there is definitely something in the snow that is fooling the meter

[Frode]

for snow, I always +1 or even +2
there is definitely something in the snow that is fooling the meter

Exposure compensation is one thing, I'm wondering about using the "Fine tune optimal exposure" setting permanent?