Nikon D7500

Nikon D7500: full review

Upgrade of D7200, Nikon D7500 goes beyond the definition of “entry level”, being a semi-professional APS-C camera with some features – first of all the unbelievable speed – borrowed from the phenomenal Nikon, much more expensive.

I’ll start saying that I liked this Nikon D7500 very much, despite some défaillance that we’re going to see later.

Nikon D7500: design and camera body

Solid and easy to handle, when you hold Nikon D7500 in your hands, it gives you the idea of an ambitious and serious camera. This pleasant “grip” might be also due to its being a tropicalized camera, built to be weather proof. Its weight is quite heavy – 720 grams including battery and memory card – but it’s still slightly inferior to the previous model, following the technological trend. Its size in millimeters is 135.5 x 104 x 72.5. To the touch it’s very different from the Nikon of the 3000 and 5000 series.

From the top you can see that Nikon D7500 has the control ring on the left, to make room for the settings micro-screen. The LCD display is only vertically adjustable but it’s already an improvement compared to Nikon D7200 – i.e. the previous model among semi-professional cameras. It is unclear, though, why it has only one memory card slot (7200 has two of them).

Technical features of Nikon D7500

Surprisingly, D7500 has 4 megapixels less than its previous model: the sensor, in fact, has 20 megapixels. A step backwards? Not exactly. Because while it is true that high definition is an important feature for photographers printing in big size formats, it is also true that 24 megapixels, in an APS-C format, can generate an annoying digital noise, especially increasing the ISO.

Thus, the good news about Nikon D7500 is that it has an ISO sensitivity that reaches 1,640,000. This, indeed, is a plus not to be underestimated… as well as the presence of the same processor of D500: Expeed 5 works at really higher speed, up to 8 frames per second, buffering 100 jpeg images and 50 RAW images. This means burst mode, respectively, for 14 and 7 seconds, without any problem. Such a performance, of course, is possible only if you have an appropriate memory card.

• The Autofocus system is 51 points Multi-CAM 3500DX II, the 15 central ones are cross-shaped: excellent in viewfinder, not so excellent in liveview mode, but this is a common characteristic in systems based on contrast and not on points.
• Video: 4K/UHD 30p or Full HD (1080p) up to 50p/60p
• Optical viewfinder: 100% coverage and 0,94x zoom
• Top shooting speed: 1/8000
• Display: 922K dots LCD Touch Screen (7,5 cm), only vertically reclinable
• 12 mt range incorporated flash at ISO 100
• Connectivity: integrated Wireless, energy efficient “Snapbridge” bluetooth
• Battery: approx. 950 shots

Compared to 7200D, another little step backwards is the lack of the battery grip, meaning a joint for an additional grip for the back-up battery.

Taking pictures with Nikon D7500

Nikon D7500 offers high quality images but is also a complete and versatile camera. The main difference compared to its previous model is the ability to shoot well at high ISO: in other words, this camera doesn’t fear darkness. The high speed of execution, besides, allows to capture moving subjects without any problem.

If all this wasn’t enough for a positive opinion about Nikon D7500, it needs to be reminded that the LCD display will keep you from contorting yourself weirdly. And such a solid and tropicalized camera body, together with the long life of the battery, will allow you to pursue any tourism-photo ambition.

Also the direct drives make the experience more fluid, without going to the main settings every time.

Like all reflex camera, Nikon D7500 has burst mode, aperture and shutter priority and manual mode.

And then there are the scene modes: Food, Flowers, Autumn colors, Candlelight, Portrait and Landscape (also at night), Sunset, Sports, Children, Close up, Parties/interiors, Beach/snow, Sunrise/twilight, Pets portrait.

Special effects: Night view, pop, Toy camera, super vivid, photo drawing, miniature, color selection, silhouette, high key, low key.

Nikon D7500: price and sales kit

For months, the sales price was the major “flaw” of Nikon D7500, which at the moment (June 2018) is more affordable. Currently, the camera body alone is around 1,100 euros on Amazon, quite a depreciation compared to the launch price of 1,500 euros! If you want to get the kit including the 18-140 f/3.5-5.6G ED VR lens (thus not the simple basic model 18-55) you’ll have to spend a little more than 1,800 euro (which was the launch price of the kit with the standard 18-55 lens). In less than ten months, a 20% discount is not that bad…

In any case, it is more expensive than D7200 and a little cheaper than the full frame D610.

My opinion on Nikon D7500

In general, the middle-ways in technology don’t usually satisfy any range of consumers. This is not the case of Nikon D7500, excellent all-round camera that will make many users happy:

The amateur: thanks to a quite easy light management and to a speed that was unimaginable until a couple of years ago, unless you spent at least 2,500€.

The professional: a performant camera in some way even superior to some Nikon full frames.

An inexplicable question remains: why remove the double memory card and the battery grip? Obviously they’re not crucial technical elements, but they are features that – if lacking – make the photographer’s work more arduous. And the fact that the previous model (D7200) is superior in this sense… is an unexplainable own goal by Nikon.