Nikon D500 - first impressions

[John G]

Hi Sayanda
                 I am very impressed with your images. Exceptional for early test shots, keep on posting as you learn your set up.

[Frank Fremerey]

I have to sing another praise for the MB-D17 with Eneloop Pro
in it. Wow. Weeks of shooting with one loading.

PLUS: the grip ist very expensive BUT the camera makes so much
more sense ergonomically. A very good investment.

2700 Euros for D500 + MB-D17. Price will come down eventually
The best camera I had till today. Easily beats the D3 in every single
aspect. I will sell the D3 if I can still get some money for her or
I will give it to a friend or to my son if they need a better camera.

[chris dees]

The price of the grip is rediculous; €449,00
This is the first time I ordered a third party grip; a little over €100,00 with two batteries and loader.
I'll use the batteries with my V1.   

[Frank Fremerey]

I paid 405 Euros.

[Bjørn Rørslett]

..... Easily beats the D3 in every single
aspect. ...

The D500 lacks the support for making audio notes attached to any frame. An extremely handy feature of the pro-calibre Nikons sorely missed from Df and the D500, to name but two models.

I used this *a lot* when shooting varies botanical subjects, or persons. The wav-file got the same name as its corresponding NEF/jpg thus silently followed when you copied files later. The better RAW converters just let the wav ride piggy-back on the NEF.

Instead we have got a silly video gizmo (except for the Df though, where sanity reigned).

[Frank Fremerey]

The D500 lacks the support for making audio notes attached to any frame. An extremely handy feature of the pro-calibre Nikons sorely missed from Df and the D500, to name but two models.
I used this *a lot* when shooting varies botanical subjects, or persons. The wav-file got the same name as its corresponding NEF/jpg thus silently followed when you copied files later. The better RAW converters just let the wav ride piggy-back on the NEF.

Yes, I miss that too.

[Ilkka Nissilä]

The D5 has the voice memo, either automatically recorded during shooting or manually activated (Fn3 button, with appropriate custom setting). This is set up in setup and custom function menus.

[Bjørn Rørslett]

I'm not going to buy a D5 just to get the memo functionality .... But it is a bad move to delete this feature from all second-tier models. D2-, D3-, D4-, D5-series all have this capability.

[Hugh_3170]

Anything that aids the ease and the richness of documenting ones images at the time of their capture  is to be encouraged, e.g. the use of GPS to geotag ones image files.  I see voice memos as being as equally as  important to the use of a GPS with a camera.  Mileage for others may differ, but in a lab or in a studio, voice memos might be even more important than the GPS.

[Akira]

Maybe you could utilize the video function to record the situation where a batch of images were taken.  The video quality can be set to the lowest for the purpose.  You can keep the file as small as possible.

[Frank Fremerey]

Maybe you could utilize the video function to record the situation where a batch of images were taken.  The video quality can be set to the lowest for the purpose.  You can keep the file as small as possible.

I was thinking about that too. Yet the nifty one-name-for-nef-jpg-wav is sure lost that way.

The who-is-who on a huge event is a very helpful feature.

[MFloyd]

I'm not going to buy a D5 just to get the memo functionality .... But it is a bad move to delete this feature from all second-tier models. D2-, D3-, D4-, D5-series all have this capability.

Just a reminder, that Nikon only considers the D5, D810 and D810A as being the actual professional line of their product.

[Akira]

I was thinking about that too. Yet the nifty one-name-for-nef-jpg-wav is sure lost that way.

The who-is-who on a huge event is a very helpful feature.

Yes, that's for sure.  My solution is no more than the "better-than-nothing" kind of thing.

[Frank Fremerey]

Just a reminder, that Nikon only considers the D5, D810 and D810A as being the actual professional line of their product.

This is Nikon's opinion on this: http://nikonpro.com/Renewal-NPS-Equipment-List.pdf

Someone help with the current list ....

[MFloyd]

This is Nikon USA. Maybe they have another policy. And, I should not have mentioned it, because "who really cares ?"