If you still prefer DSLRs over mirrorless cameras, you may find some incredible deals among higher-end APS-C models released a few years ago. The Nikon D7500 is a fantastic example of this.
When it was first released in April 2017, the D7500 was a premium, enthusiast-level DSLR that took a lot of inspiration from the Nikon D500, which was, at the time, Nikon’s flagship DX-format camera. As a result, it was positioned above the D7200, which has since been phased out of production, and below the latter.
In that case, what additional value does it offer to the table? The Nikon D7500 has a burst shooting rate of 8 frames per second and a large buffer, making it an excellent choice for photographing sports and action.
Additionally, it captures 4K video at a frame rate of 30 frames per second, which is impressive for a DSLR camera aimed at enthusiasts. Fans of DSLR cameras will feel right at home with the weather-sealing and bulky handling of the D7500’s frame, which has a reassuringly heavy feel.
Nikon D7500 Features
The Nikon D7500 included a new sensor, one of the most significant changes it delivered. While the D7100 and D7200 all have 24-megapixel chips (as did the entry-level D3400 and D5600), Nikon decided to utilize the slightly lower-resolution 20.9-megapixel sensor from the D500 for this camera. Like the one in the D500, this sensor is paired with Nikon’s EXPEED 5 image processor.
While it may seem like quite a sacrifice to lose almost 4MP compared to the D7200’s 24.2MP, the minor drop in resolution has advantages, particularly regarding sensitivity. Also, like the D500, Nikon was able to eke out that bit more detail from the 20.9MP sensor by removing the low-pass filter.
Nikon D7500 Build Quality
The Nikon D7500 weighs a manageable 640 grams (or 1 pound and 6.6 ounces), making it 5% lighter than the D7200, which has since been discontinued, and 16% lighter than the D500. Despite this little weight reduction, it still has a reassuringly robust feel when held in hand.
Compared to the D7200, the handgrip on the D7500 is somewhat more profound. In conjunction with the coatings with a softer texture on the front and back of the grip, this ensures that the D7500 is pleasant to hold while providing a sense of security.
The D7500 is chunky enough that our little finger did not slip off the bottom of the grip when we held the camera. This is just as well as those who want an even better purchase and a more comfortable experience when shooting vertically will be disappointed to hear that there is not currently an optional vertical grip available for sale.
Nikon D7500 Autofocus
Even though the D500 heavily inspires the Nikon D7500, it does not have the exact highly developed autofocus mechanism that the D500 does. Instead, it has an improved version of the 51-point autofocus technology in the D7200.
Even in 2017, this method was already showing its age, but it is a tried-and-true solution that continues to perform well. Fifteen of the fifty-one AF points are of the more sensitive cross-type form, which provides higher precision and accuracy, and the coverage may be customized to be as few as twenty-one or as many as nine points if you want.
Nikon D7500 Performance
It should not have come as a surprise that the Nikon D7500 has a burst shooting speed of 8 fps, considering that a slew of mirrorless cameras, such as the Fujifilm X-T3, have eclipsed the six fps burst shooting performance of the now-defunct D7200.
The new EXPEED 5 image processor helps the D7500 shoot a burst of 50 raw files before the buffer needs to be cleared. This is a significant improvement over the D7200, which could only shoot 18 raw files at six frames per second, and it is impressive for a DSLR that is not intended for professional use.
As we have alluded to, the 180,000-pixel RGB sensor found in the D5 and D500 has been passed down to the D7500. This sensor is responsible for metering and white balance, and it also provides information to the automatic scene recognition system, which helps improve autofocusing by allowing for better subject detection.
Nikon D7500 Image Quality
The marvelous D500 sensor is at the core of the Nikon D7500, so it should come as no surprise that the results are outstanding.
It may have a little lower pixel count than more reasonably priced DX Nikon DSLRs, but as long as you don’t plan to spend most of your time shooting at ISO 100, you’ll find that the tiny reduction in resolution is a sacrifice that’s well worth paying.
When examining photographs taken at various ISO settings, this becomes very clear. Excellent clarity levels may be seen in pictures shot at the lower end of the sensitivity range. Still, the camera’s full potential does not become apparent until the ISO setting is increased.
Even if there is a slight loss of resolution when using an ISO setting of 6400, the pictures are still rather impressive. Moreover, even though there is now a trace of chroma (color) noise in the images, the results are still excellent even after increasing the sensitivity by one more stop to ISO 12,800.
Nikon D7500 Specs
| Body type | Mid-size SLR |
|---|---|
| Sensor | |
| Max resolution | 5568 x 3712 |
| Other resolutions | 4176 x 2784, 2784 x 1856 |
| Image ratio w h | 3:2 |
| Effective pixels | 21 megapixels |
| Sensor photo detectors | 22 megapixels |
| Sensor size | APS-C (23.5 x 15.7 mm) |
| Sensor type | CMOS |
| Processor | Expeed 5 |
| Image | |
| ISO | ISO 100 – 51200 (expandable to 50 – 1640000) |
| Boosted ISO (minimum) | 50 |
| Boosted ISO (maximum) | 1640000 |
| White balance presets | 12 |
| Custom white balance | Yes (5) |
| Image stabilization | Digital only |
| Image stabilization notes | 3-axis Electronic for Full HD and below |
| Uncompressed format | RAW |
| JPEG quality levels | Fine, Normal, Basic |
| File format | JPEG: JPEG-Baseline compliant with acceptable, regular, or basic compression (Size priority); Optimal quality compression available (RAW): Lossless compressed, compressed 12 or 14 bitNEF (RAW) + JPEG: Single Photograph Recorded in both NEF (RAW) and JPEG Formats |
| Optics & Focus | |
| Autofocus | Contrast Detect (sensor)Phase DetectMulti-area selective single-pointTrackingSingleContinuousFace DetectionLive View. |
| Autofocus assist lamp | Yes |
| Manual focus | Yes |
| Number of focus points | 51 |
| Lens mount | Nikon F |
| Focal length multiplier | 1.5× |
| Screen/viewfinder | |
| Articulated LCD | Tilting |
| Screen size | 3.2″ |
| Screen dots | 922,000 |
| Touch screen | Yes |
| Screen type | TFT LCD |
| Live View | Yes |
| Viewfinder type | Optical (pentaprism) |
| Viewfinder coverage | 100% |
| Viewfinder magnification | 0.94× (0.63× 35mm equiv.) |
| Photography features | |
| Minimum shutter speed | 30 sec |
| Maximum shutter speed | 1/8000 sec |
| Exposure modes | Aperture PriorityAutoAuto (flash off)Manual (M)Programmed auto with flexible program (P)Scene ModesShutter-PriorityUser |
| Scene modes | Autumn ColorsBeach / SnowBlossomCandlelightChildClose-upDusk / DawnFoodLandscapeNight LandscapeNight PortraitParty / IndoorPet PortraitPortraitSportsSunsetSpecial Effects Mode |
| Built-in flash | Yes (Pop-up) |
| Flash Range | 12.00 m (at ISO 100) |
| External flash | Yes (Hot-shoe, Wireless plus sync connector) |
| Flash modes | Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Slow sync, Rear-curtain |
| Flash X sync speed | 1/250 sec |
| Drive modes | Single-frameSelf-timerQuiet continuous quiet shutter mirror-up constant high steady low |
| Continuous drive | 8.0 fps |
| Self-timer | Yes (2, 5, 10, or 20 sec) |
| Metering modes | MultiCenter-weightedHighlight-weighted spot |
| Exposure compensation | ±5 (at 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV steps) |
| AE Bracketing | ±5 (2, 3, 5, 7 frames at 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV, 2/3 EV, 1 EV, 2 EV steps) |
| WB Bracketing | Yes (3 frames in 1-stop increments) |
| Videography features | |
| Format | MPEG-4, H.264 |
| Videography notes | Supports MOV and MP4 packages |
| Modes | 3840 x 2160 @ 30p / 144 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM3840 x 2160 @ 25p / 144 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM3840 x 2160 @ 24p / 144 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM1920 x 1080 @ 60p / 48 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM1920 x 1080 @ 60p / 24 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM1920 x 1080 @ 50p / 48 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM1920 x 1080 @ 50p / 24 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM1920 x 1080 @ 30p / 24 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM1920 x 1080 @ 30p / 12 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM1920 x 1080 @ 25p / 24 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM1920 x 1080 @ 25p / 12 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM1920 x 1080 @ 24p / 24 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM1920 x 1080 @ 24p / 12 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM1280 x 720 @ 60p / 24 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM1280 x 720 @ 60p / 12 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM1280 x 720 @ 50p / 24 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM1280 x 720 @ 50p / 12 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM |
| Microphone | Stereo |
| Speaker | Mono |
| Storage | |
| Storage types | SD/SDHC/SDXC |
| Connectivity | |
| USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
| HDMI | Yes (mini-HDMI) |
| Microphone port | Yes |
| Headphone port | Yes |
| Wireless | Built-In |
| Wireless notes | Wi-Fi with low-energy Bluetooth |
| Remote control | Yes (Wired, wireless, smartphone) |
| Physical | |
| Environmentally sealed | Yes |
| Battery | Battery Pack |
| Battery description | EN-EL15a lithium-ion rechargeable battery & charger |
| Battery Life (CIPA) | 950 |
| Weight (inc. batteries) | 720 g (1.59 lb / 25.40 oz) |
| Dimensions | 136 x 104 x 73 mm (5.35 x 4.09 x 2.87″) |
| Other features | |
| Orientation sensor | Yes |
| Timelapse recording | Yes (4K output) |
| GPS | Optional |
| GPS notes | GP-1A |
Nikon D7500 Verdict
Despite its age, the D7500 continues to be a great performer in all aspects, which is particularly impressive given that its price keeps decreasing. Moreover, its combination of an outstanding 20.9-megapixel sensor with the same picture processing engine found in the D500 remains a fantastic combo.
At the same time, specifications such as eight frames per second burst shooting and 4K video make it competitive with many of today’s more recent models. Although it does not have the most modern focusing technology, finding a higher-quality DSLR for the same price isn’t easy.
