D500 is officially discontinued

[MILLIREHM]

as nikonrumors reports:

https://nikonrumors.com/2022/02/01/the-nikon-d500-is-now-officially-discontinued.aspx/#more-166490

Sad story somehow. There was no camera I got immediately attuned to like the D500, and it was also the first model I bought early.
It proved to be extremely valuable over the years and extended my options in a great way

[Jan Anne]

End of the DLSR era is closing in rapidly like the DSLR phased out the film SLR cameras, personally I am fine with it but now it kind of becomes a forced choice for those whom prefer an optical viewfinder which isn’t a good thing imho.

If somebody needs a backup; mine only has 4300 clicks on it so is essentially new

[MILLIREHM]

End of the DLSR era is closing in rapidly like the DSLR phased out the film SLR cameras, personally I am fine with it but now it kind of becomes a forced choice for those whom prefer an optical viewfinder which isn’t a good thing imho.

If somebody needs a backup; mine only has 4300 clicks on it so is essentially new

I agree- but dont like the forced choice either - Nikon has promised to further support SLR line - what we have seen is only discontinuation and the 120-300 mm lens as latest new product? (I know about the forces market development)
For some time there will be enough copies available for backup purposes.

[Ilkka Nissilä]

I agree- but dont like the forced choice either - Nikon has promised to further support SLR line - what we have seen is only discontinuation and the 120-300 mm lens as latest new product? (I know about the forces market development)
For some time there will be enough copies available for backup purposes.

I would assume that a D850 replacement is in the works, but obviously things can be changing quickly and the ongoing pandemic is affecting both customer motivation to purchase new gear as well as production. On top of the pandemic is the so-called mirrorless transition.

Personally I am one of those who prefer OVFs and have taken measures so that I can continue to use them. I will use the new tech when it is needed (when a DSLR would be too loud, mainly) but I'm not entirely keen on it, and the D850 continues to be the camera I pick most frequently.

I would prefer continued availability of DSLR gear but of course I understand that manufacturers are subject to market forces.

I suspect the D500 would be on its way out even without the mirrorless transition as the manufacturers prefer to charge 6k€-8k€ for high performance instead of <2k€. Of course, users may have the opposite wish. Component availability problems arising partly due to the shifts in spending but also due to production disruptions affect lower-priced products more than high-priced ones as the component manufacturers are keen to prioritise deals where they get paid more money per part, and this is why manufacturers are putting orders on hold for being some of the lower-priced cameras as a deal may not be possible to strike with a sufficiently low price and high volume.

If Fujifilm can put out a stacked DX BSI sensor in a high-performance mirrorless camera and if it turns out competitive with the big three then this might add some pressure on Nikon, Sony and Canon to produce a competing offering. Olympus also have the 150-400/4.5 TC but to my knowledge they don't yet use a stacked sensor in their camera line.

[Bill De Jager]

On the one hand this is sad because this is such a great camera and there is nothing remotely equivalent to replace it in sight at this time*. 

On the other hand, I'm hoping that Nikon is planning a mirrorless replacement that could offer the increased performance of the Z9 in a DX package much smaller than the D500.  That would also justify development of faster DX lenses such as a 16-50 f/2.8 which would go well with such a camera.

One can hope.

* Thom Hogan points to the upcoming Fuji X-H2 which might qualify, but it will lack the long telephoto lenses found in the Nikon, Canon, and Sony mirrorless systems.

[Roland Vink]

Olympus also have the 150-400/4.5 TC but to my knowledge they don't yet use a stacked sensor in their camera line.

Yet. Both OM Systems and Panasonic are due to announce new high-end cameras soon, which will likely have a new sensor. I wouldn't be surprised if the new cameras do away with the mechanical shutter like the Z9, read-out speeds on the smaller m4/3 sensor will be faster than the FX sensor so could offer very high performance. Just guessing

[Wannabebetter]

For some shooters, this may be the harbinger of opportunity should the used market suddenly be flooded with low-usage D500 bodies. (And do we ever love those capricious, "G-A-S" afflicted, weekend shooters, for assuring a steady stream of clean, used, gear.) Others will register a different response: Time to move on or risk feeling irredeemably "old school" or, worse still, left behind. Even I've gotten over my paranoid concerns for EVF induced ophthalmologic injury or running out of "juice" (battery power) in some remote wilderness - or eastern European battlefield. Yet a bigger part of me - the photographer I claim to be or, more often, am accused of being - yearns for a simpler platform; namely something with a "real" viewfinder.  Guess I haven't grownup all that much, after all. Perhaps the best tact then, is adaptability - mine I mean; not some lens-system. And should the necessity ever arise in some dystopian near-future, I can still build my own camera, even grind a lens or brew my own "film".