Nikon D500 - first impressions

[Frank Fremerey]

I understand you run NX-D on Windows 10 in a virtual machine on an 8core system?

I run NX-D 64bit on native Win10 64 bit on a 16core system with 64GB RAM ... much faster than Photo Ninja
on the same system.

Could it be the bottleneck is not NX-D???

[Frank Fremerey]

This is a frame dump from a video shot with the AFS 35/1.4 G at ISO 25600. W/b set to Auto and I had two opposite competing light sources: a vast expanse of deep blue sky and a yellow-orange sodium street lamp shining directly over this thicket of flowering Japanese Rose Rosa rugosa.  As this invasive species is on the National Black List, the ideal colour rendition perhaps might be all black (!), but to no avail; the D500 provided an uncannily accurate colour rendition of the flowers and foliage. This is taking automated white balance a great stride forward, in my opinion. One can rely on the functionality for once, it seems.

Another convincing example!

[Bjørn Rørslett]

"I understand you run NX-D on Windows 10 in a virtual machine on an 8core system?"


No. NX-D on a physical machine Win7, 32  GB RAM, 8core i7, all SSD-based. NX-D  is horribly slow, many times slower than Photo Ninja, the latter being glacial enough. Photoshop and other software fly at super speed thus the machine itself is fully operational and there is nothing wrong with the system as such.

In fact, over the years, I have never had any installation of Nikon Capture, Capture2, or NX-d, that wasn't glacially slow. This on many different hardware configurations.

[stenrasmussen]

Since theater will be my measure bar for any camera, what about iso 3200-6400 ability to work with the raw - I'm spoiled by the d750 forgiveness - and the actual noise of the shutter?
  Files noise, autofocus, speed and speed again and again is all there and it looks excellent for what I do.

The same goes for me...stage dance/theatre photography. I will investigate the 3200-8000 ISO range in this respect. The shutter is actually behaved noise wise. Don't have a D750 anymore so comparing will have to wait until/if I can get a loaner.

[golunvolo]

Thanks Frank and Sten for your information. Noted.
Sten, I will gladly provide d750´s nefs to compare.

[Frank Fremerey]

Thanks Frank and Sten for your information. Noted.
Sten, I will gladly provide d750´s nefs to compare.

The IQ difference is in the headroom for errors

[stenrasmussen]

In preparation for stage shooting I have been playing with little dolls...

[Akira]

Sten, I can detect hardly any chrominance noise.  The noise mostly looks like the luminance noise which is much less obtruding than the chrominance, looks rather like film grain and affects the sharpness less than the chrominance noise does.

Panasonic m4/3 cameras have traditionally showed similar character of noise performance.

[stenrasmussen]

I am happy to report that my D500 mates really well with my 35/1.4 Ai-S (CPU'ed). Still have to get acquainted with manual focusing this combo.
Btw, my chosen title would be: Nothing lasts forever.

[Frank Fremerey]

I am happy to report that my D500 mates really well with my 35/1.4 Ai-S (CPU'ed). Still have to get acquainted with manual focusing this combo.

I have no CPU in my 35/1.4 Ai-S but it still mates well with the D500. The VF is SUPERB.

[Bjørn Rørslett]

I asked my Nikon contacts about the inner design of the D500 and got this instructive image back. Apparently the 'plastic' is high-quality composite with carbon fibre in it. Plus the following statement issued by Nikon Europe BV

"Due to the way the mount is fixed to inner chassis and the way this is intertwined with other parts of the chassis there is maximum stability and plainness (sic; probably means 'planeness') achieved. You would really need great force and a some big lever to get this mount out of balance, not even considering to rupture it from the chassis itself."

Comforting to know, however, based on the Df experience I have had, I guess it is less difficult than the Nikon rep hopes to rip out the mount if you have an awkward fall with a 300 mm lens attached to the camera.

[Akira]

Apparently the carbon fiber reinforced thermoplastic (Sereebo developed by Teijin) is used only in the bodies of the monocoque design (D5300, 5500, 750 and 500).  I'm not sure how much the carbon fiber enhance its durability against the ripping force, though.

[Frank Fremerey]

"maximum stability and simplicity" ... is that nice? Yes it is!

Thank you, Bjørn

[John Koerner]

I asked my Nikon contacts about the inner design of the D500 and got this instructive image back. Apparently the 'plastic' is high-quality composite with carbon fibre in it. Plus the following statement issued by Nikon Europe BV

"Due to the way the mount is fixed to inner chassis and the way this is intertwined with other parts of the chassis there is maximum stability and plainness (sic; probably means 'planeness') achieved. You would really need great force and a some big lever to get this mount out of balance, not even considering to rupture it from the chassis itself."

Comforting to know, however, based on the Df experience I have had, I guess it is less difficult than the Nikon rep hopes to rip out the mount if you have an awkward fall with a 300 mm lens attached to the camera.

Goes back to what I said on p. 12, Post #170:

What was incorrectly being called mere "plastic" was in fact thermoplastic, which is actually stronger than steel, but much lighter, making it better to have in a field camera than magnesium.

[John Koerner]

Nikon D500 | 300mm f/2.8G ED VR II | Nikon AF-S 2x Teleconverter TC-20E III (@ 900mm, 10% crop) | 1/100/ | f/8.0 | ISO 100



Nikon D500 | 300mm f/2.8G ED VR II | Nikon AF-S 2x Teleconverter TC-20E III (@ 900mm, no crop) | 1/200/ | f/8.0 | ISO 1000



Nikon D500 | 300mm f/2.8G ED VR II | Nikon AF-S 2x Teleconverter TC-20E III (@ 900mm, no crop) | 1/1250/ | f/7.1 | ISO 320



Nikon D500 | 300mm f/2.8G ED VR II | Nikon AF-S 2x Teleconverter TC-20E III (@ 900mm, no crop) | 1/100/ | f/8.0 | ISO 2000


The D500 retains excellent image quality even with a 2X TC on it.