Nikon D7500 Review

Nikon D7500, speed and capability

 

The Nikon D7500 is a midrange APS-C DSLR that both sits below and borrows a lot from Nikon's APS-C flagship D500 including its 20.9MP sensor, high-res metering sensor (used for subject recognition) and very probably its image processor. In a lot of ways, it's like a mini D500, which in and of itself is like a mini D5. All three are built for speed.

The D7500 gets a 2 fps bump over its predecessor and can shoot 8 fps for an impressive 100+ JPEGs (3x the buffer of the D7200). That's not quite as fast as the D500's 10 fps burst, but it's still serious firepower for enthusiasts and serious photographers alike. Its AF system remains the same, reliable 51-point module from D7200 and D7100. But the new metering sensor should mean better 3D Tracking. If you haven't guessed by now, this is a great camera for fast action photography.

Key features:

• 20.9MP APS-C CMOS Sensor
• 51-point phase detect AF
• 8 fps burst for 100+ JPEGS or 50 Raws
• 180k-pixel RGB sensor for metering and subject recognition
• 3.2" tilting touchscreen LCD
• Deeper grip
• Weather-sealing
• 4K (UHD) video from 1.5x crop of sensor
• In-camera batch Raw processing
• Wi-Fi and Bluetooth

Externally, not much has changed about the D7500's designed compared to its predecessor. The D7500 maintains its position as a compact yet capable twin dial DSLR geared toward enthusiasts. 4K video has been added, but like most current Nikon cameras, it comes with limitations including a 1.5x crop factor. The addition of a tilting touchscreen screen, deeper grip and beefed-up sealing are all welcomed improvements, though.

What it loses compared with D7200

While the D7500 makes some gains over its predecessor, it loses some things as well. Prior to the D500's release, the D7200 sat pretty as the brand's flagship APS-C. But now that the D500 is top dog, Nikon had to differentiate the two cameras. As a result, the D7500 loses its second memory card slot as well as its 'Ai' indexing tab, limiting its compatibility with older, manual focus Nikon lenses (all previous D7000-series cameras had this).

In addition, Nikon has no plans to launch a vertical grip for the camera and the body of the D7500 reveals no electric contacts for such a grip.

Misconceptions: D7500 vs D7200

There are a few understandable misconceptions made when comparing the D7500 to its beloved predecessor. The first is sensor resolution. Yes, the D7500 has a sensor that is 3MP less resolution than the D7200. No, that does not matter. The sensor in the D7500 is borrowed from the D500 and built for fast readout speeds, something that contributes to its 8 fps burst and 4K video. It also offers excellent image quality.

The next misconception is regarding LCD resolution: The D7200's 1.2M-dot display is the same resolution as the D7500's updated 922k-dot display. Both are 640 x 480. And despite the D7500's reduction in dots, its LCD actually appears a tad crisper than that of the D7200.

Kits and pricing

The Nikon D7500 will be available in the USA, body-only for $1249, and $1749 with a 18-140mm F3.5-5.6G ED VR lens. European markets get the better kit option: with the 16-80mm F2.8-4E ED VR.

Body & handling

 The internal structure of the D7500's body has been redesigned compared to the D7200, but the result is a camera similar in size, weight and button layout to its predecessor. Still, the redesign managed to shave 35g/1.2oz off the total package, and adds improved weather-sealing.