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Archive 2016 · Camera for Birding - D500 or D7200

  
 
Steve Perry
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p.2 #1 · p.2 #1 · Camera for Birding - D500 or D7200


Lance B wrote:
These are simply superb, Steve!


Thanks Lance I think the Reddish Egret needs a touch more fine tuning, but I've been very happy with what this camera can do.



May 20, 2016 at 08:15 PM
Lance B
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p.2 #2 · p.2 #2 · Camera for Birding - D500 or D7200


Steve Perry wrote:
Thanks Lance I think the Reddish Egret needs a touch more fine tuning, but I've been very happy with what this camera can do.


You're forgiven for such sloppy equipment adjustment. .



May 20, 2016 at 08:17 PM
SS-Cote
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p.2 #3 · p.2 #3 · Camera for Birding - D500 or D7200


Thanks again everyone. I went ahead and ordered the D500 (and even found one in stock!). Sounds like it's a pleasure to use. It was my original choice but I thought I should check out the D7200 as well. Next I'll be asking about AF settings for birds in flight.


May 20, 2016 at 08:22 PM
Charles Loy
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p.2 #4 · p.2 #4 · Camera for Birding - D500 or D7200


Agree that you bought the better camera, thrilled with mine


May 20, 2016 at 09:33 PM
Neddie Seagoon
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p.2 #5 · p.2 #5 · Camera for Birding - D500 or D7200


morris wrote:
Forget all the specs and tiny differences in resolution, the FPS is nice if you like to spray, the buffer on both is large enough. The huge difference for me is the joystick on the D500 which is an absolute delight to track your subject with.

Morris


Morris, I agree that the joystick sounds like a terrific tool, but I'm curious, is it necessary to manually track the subject as you describe? Does not the 3D tracking mode perform this function automatically?



May 21, 2016 at 10:45 AM
elkhornsun
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p.2 #6 · p.2 #6 · Camera for Birding - D500 or D7200


I used the D7200 and liked its performance but it felt small in my hands and not as comfortable to hold and use as the D750 or the D500. The D500 weighs 6.4 ounces more than the D7200 but I find the added substance to be a positive attribute.

The D7200 has the built-in flash with the commander function and both slots take SD cards which are the two areas where I would favor the D7200. But as others have mentioned the D500 has the most advanced autofocus system and more options for adjustments that are good for photographing birds in flight. There was a great thread on this forum with respect to D500 settings for wildlife that is worth taking the time to find and read.



May 21, 2016 at 12:21 PM
Steve Perry
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p.2 #7 · p.2 #7 · Camera for Birding - D500 or D7200


Neddie Seagoon wrote:
Morris, I agree that the joystick sounds like a terrific tool, but I'm curious, is it necessary to manually track the subject as you describe? Does not the 3D tracking mode perform this function automatically?


I'm not Morris, but I can share my 3D AF experience if you like.

The 3D AF is improved in the D500 and generally useable, however, it has two flaws:

1. If the subject and the background are similar in color (and especially if the background is in close proximity), it tends to jump from the subject to the background. Not as bad as in the past, but too often for me to use it for what I shoot. I think it would work good with sports or racing or something - however, with wildlife that's roughly the same color as the background, it's too erratic.

2. The second problem is that there's no way to tell what part of the animal it's going to focus on. When I'm doing birds in flight, I try to keep my AF on the bird in such a way that I'll get a nice sharp eye. With 3D, the camera is just as likely to pick a wing tip as it is the head, so again, too erratic.

On the other hand...

The joystick makes moving the AF point around MUCH easier than with the Multi-Selector. However, it's still tricky to move it during flight shots (I use back button AF), so I usually put my AF area where I think I'll need it and go from there. Sometimes I'll adjust before the bird flies into range, and again, they joystick makes it great. Plus, you can assign AF-On to the Joystick (push in), and you'll have focus and position all in one place (they don't work simultaneously though - EX: if you're focusing you have to lift off for a split second to move the AF point).




May 21, 2016 at 12:52 PM
SS-Cote
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p.2 #8 · p.2 #8 · Camera for Birding - D500 or D7200


Can someone clarify which button is the joystick? I was thinking it was the multi-selector.


May 21, 2016 at 01:30 PM
morris
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p.2 #9 · p.2 #9 · Camera for Birding - D500 or D7200


Steve Perry wrote:
I'm not Morris, but I can share my 3D AF experience if you like.

The 3D AF is improved in the D500 and generally useable, however, it has two flaws:

1. If the subject and the background are similar in color (and especially if the background is in close proximity), it tends to jump from the subject to the background. Not as bad as in the past, but too often for me to use it for what I shoot. I think it would work good with sports or racing or something - however, with wildlife that's roughly the same color
...Show more

Thank you for answering Steve. I agree with all you have said. I usually use manual exposure and use the shutter release 1/2 press to activate focus. This way I don't get crossed up with what my finger needs to do. The problem of focusing on the wing rather than the body can be reduced and/or eliminated by stopping down a bit. At f8 in the 400mm to 600mm range, this will work though the backgrounds will look different if close. 3D tracking works very well when your subject is in a nice blue sky, not so well when you are photographing a white bird with a breaking wave in the background.

Morris



May 21, 2016 at 01:44 PM
Neddie Seagoon
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p.2 #10 · p.2 #10 · Camera for Birding - D500 or D7200


Thanks for the replies. I've used 3D tracking in the theater, but that's a fairly high contrast slow moving situation and it works quite well. I guess I'm not surprised that it is less than ideal for fast moving wildlife.


May 22, 2016 at 12:50 AM
bs kite
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p.2 #11 · p.2 #11 · Camera for Birding - D500 or D7200


I have had the D7200 and liked it. But I switched to the D500 because none of those D700 series cameras were the best Nikon could do in DX. The D500 is a professional grade DX camera and is the very best DX camera Nikon could produce....no doubt.

Your concern over 4 megapixels is unfounded. There is virtually no practical difference between 20 megapixels and 24 megapixels. Or I guess someone else said it best....negligible.

The D500 beats the D7200 in every category, except price.

Faster AF.....very fast

No chattering with my 80-400 AFS, as there sometimes was with my D7200.

Plenty of room for my large hands. Really, the D7200 was too small for my hands.

No comparison regarding build quality. The D7200 is of ample build but the D500 is pro quality.

I liked the D7200 and really hesitated letting it go. But now I am so glad I made the decision to upgrade to this D500.

Final words: The D7200 is a fun camera and quite good for BIF. But I have to say that the D500 is a much better camera in every way, except price. If I had to go back to the D7200 now, after having used my D500 for 3 weeks, I would be wanting.







May 22, 2016 at 07:57 PM
Mark K
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p.2 #12 · p.2 #12 · Camera for Birding - D500 or D7200


Having had D500 for eight months, I have successfully convinced myself DX is sometimes not bad for everything and is getting a D7200 as a backup.


Jan 15, 2017 at 12:33 PM
nuclearjock
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p.2 #13 · p.2 #13 · Camera for Birding - D500 or D7200


If you're shooting them in flight, D500 and its group AF hands down. I own both the D500 and D7200. The D500 is now my dedicated birding body, while the 16-80 lives on my D7200 for walk around/vacations.


Jan 15, 2017 at 02:21 PM
mneary
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p.2 #14 · p.2 #14 · Camera for Birding - D500 or D7200


D500, hands down! Best wildlife camera I've ever had.

Cheers

Mike



Jan 15, 2017 at 04:00 PM
bs kite
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p.2 #15 · p.2 #15 · Camera for Birding - D500 or D7200


morris wrote:
Forget all the specs and tiny differences in resolution, the FPS is nice if you like to spray, the buffer on both is large enough. The huge difference for me is the joystick on the D500 which is an absolute delight to track your subject with.

Morris


Morris, please....to what do you refer?

........"to track your subject".......?

Do you mean the button to the left of the multi-selector? Yes, I do believe it is called a "joystick.

If you mean by "absolute delight to track your subject"......that it allows us to move the focus point(s) to the left or right (in the viewfinder), you bet it is a nice feature . In fact, I am just becoming familiar with it and need more practice. I am very, very thankful for the shots on Christmas Day of the RB Merganser, and they could have been much better if I had quickly moved that focus point to the left third of the viewfinder. I did not know about it then.

Is this the feature you refer to Morris?



Jan 15, 2017 at 10:04 PM
morris
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p.2 #16 · p.2 #16 · Camera for Birding - D500 or D7200


bs kite wrote:
Morris, please....to what do you refer?

........"to track your subject".......?

Do you mean the button to the left of the multi-selector? Yes, I do believe it is called a "joystick.

If you mean by "absolute delight to track your subject"......that it allows us to move the focus point(s) to the left or right (in the viewfinder), you bet it is a nice feature . In fact, I am just becoming familiar with it and need more practice. I am very, very thankful for the shots on Christmas Day of the RB Merganser, and they could have been much better if
...Show more

Yes



Jan 16, 2017 at 08:31 AM
elkhornsun
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p.2 #17 · p.2 #17 · Camera for Birding - D500 or D7200


I had the D7200 and its autofocus was 99% as good as that of my D750 in most situations. The one distinction is that the D7200 lacks Group AF mode. I was photographing hummingbirds coming to a feeder with the D500 and I experimented with all the available autofocus modes and all failed miserably with the notable exception of Group autofocus that worked exceedingly well.

So it all depends on what you plan to photograph. Both the D7200 and D500 cameras provide an exceptional value. With the D500 you lose the Commander flash which is not insignificant but you get double the fps rate though with the added cost of XQD cards and card readers. You slightly less resolution with the D500 but not enough to matter for the most part.

The one aspect of the D500 that I thoroughly hate is the re-location of the ISO button to the right side of the camera, which is the opposite side as with all my other cameras, past and present, going back 15 years with Nikon. I change ISO frequently during the day while shooting and I have to look at the camera body to locate the ISO button as it is on one side with the D810 and D750 and on the opposite side with the D500. I greatly prefer the ergonomics of the Canon cameras where these types of design stupidities are not encountered.



Jan 18, 2017 at 03:20 PM
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