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Archive 2017 · Sony A99ii vs Nikon D500 :: What to Buy?

  
 
mikehummel
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Sony A99ii vs Nikon D500 :: What to Buy?


So I used to shoot Canon 5DMK2 before I convinced myself I needed to go smaller and went for the Olympus OMD E-M52. Two years later - I'm back to shopping for a larger body which better fits my hand, and I'm torn between two very quality cameras: Sony a99ii or the Nikon d500.

My photography is pure pleasure, mostly vacation and street. I'm not selling my work; and I print it just for my walls (or the walls of friends who ask for them). That being said, I like a larger sized camera (but not too large); and the most important factors to me is a bright viewfinder with fast auto-focus.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on what body you'd suggest - as well as what the sharpest and fastest prime lens you'd recommend for that body.

Thanks!
(x/sony)
May 05, 2017 at 04:05 PM
ckcarr
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Sony A99ii vs Nikon D500 :: What to Buy?


Sony is a cult




Sony Cult Members
May 05, 2017 at 04:22 PM
brian_sp
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Sony A99ii vs Nikon D500 :: What to Buy?





May 05, 2017 at 04:29 PM
ZhanMing12
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Sony A99ii vs Nikon D500 :: What to Buy?


You way want to try an A7rII for size since I don't see A-mount development going very far; it's possible or even likely that you're buying into a dying lens mount at this point.

That said...for A99ii

+ full frame
+ much better IQ than D500, and much better than anything Nikon has short of the D810
+ cheap and high-quality Minolta-era primes
+ IBIS

For D500...

+ much bigger lens selection overall, exotic options (super-teles, TS, etc.)
+ faster AF, especially in low light
+ cheap screw-driven lenses, some are also very good.
+ super-fast readout with XQD
May 05, 2017 at 04:40 PM
Lauchlan Toal
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Sony A99ii vs Nikon D500 :: What to Buy?


Totally depends on your needs. The Sony is a very impressive camera. 42 megapixels, full frame, 12 fps, too many AF points to count, in body stabilization, a fancier tilt screen, and other little perks that Sony likes to pack in. But it's around $3200, vs $1800 for the D500. (Give or take.) So just keep that price in mind, if it matters.

The D500 is arguably more robust, still tends to have better AF for tracking subjects like in sports or challenging wildlife (though I'm sure the a99ii is by no means bad), and puts a few more pixels on distant subjects than the a99ii does (though only a couple extra megapixels). The D500 also has a larger buffer.

Lens selection is also worth considering. The Sony A series is infamous for its mediocre choice of lenses, whereas Nikon has a lens for anything. Doesn't matter if you only need typical portrait lenses and zooms, but if you want something more exotic Nikon may be the only choice.

I'd choose the D500 for action and wildlife, and the a99ii for commercial, landscape, and portraiture (assuming you don't need a tilt-shift or some other lens Sony doesn't have). But with that price difference, I'd be inclined to go for the Nikon even if I was shooting other genres, unless I really needed lots of megapixels or great low light performance.
May 05, 2017 at 04:44 PM
sjms
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Sony A99ii vs Nikon D500 :: What to Buy?


it also has those little caveats that come out after reading the spec/capabilities. read with comprehension
May 05, 2017 at 06:49 PM
charles.K
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Sony A99ii vs Nikon D500 :: What to Buy?


You are comparing FF with APS-C so it is difficult to compare. Personally for the style of photography you have mentioned I would opt for a used D750. The choice of lenses are superb, 105/1.4 G, 50 Art, 58G, 35G/35 Art, 85/1.8 or 85/1.4, 24G or 24 Art. The D750 is an great camera and excellent compromise in size and weight.

I would opt for Nikon now as the lens selection is vast both old, used and newer versions. The sharpest lens is not always the best in rendering


May 05, 2017 at 06:51 PM
snapsy
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Sony A99ii vs Nikon D500 :: What to Buy?


As an all-around camera I'd consider the D750 over the D500/A9ii. Very good IQ, AF, great lens selection, and can be had for $1500 w/grip with the current promotion.
May 05, 2017 at 06:52 PM
sjms
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Sony A99ii vs Nikon D500 :: What to Buy?


or if you are doing crop frame the D7200. sometimes simple is best. the performance of this camera exceeded my expectations when I started to use it a few years ago.

Edited on May 07, 2017 at 07:19 AM · View previous versions
May 05, 2017 at 07:11 PM
JimFox
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Sony A99ii vs Nikon D500 :: What to Buy?


Comparing FX vs DX is never really going to be fair in terms of image quality.

So not sure why you would pick a Full Frame Sony vs a Crop sensor Nikon. I would have thought you would have gone either Full Frame or Crop Sensor for both of your choices.

Jim
May 05, 2017 at 07:52 PM
jbonzo1
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Sony A99ii vs Nikon D500 :: What to Buy?


snapsy wrote:
As an all-around camera I'd consider the D750 over the D500/A9ii. Very good IQ, AF, great lens selection, and can be had for $1500 w/grip with the current promotion.

This.
Use the money you save on glass.
May 05, 2017 at 10:27 PM
swifty168
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · Sony A99ii vs Nikon D500 :: What to Buy?


I'd look at the lens you want, then matching the appropriate body. A fast AF and good VF body can be found on any mount but you'll also need a lens with fast AF motor.
You'd have to consult the Sony forum for the appropriate lenses but you didn't specify what sort of focal length you're after.
In Nikon land, the 70-200/2.8 FL and Sigma 135/1.8 fits the bill for fast (both AF speed and aperture) portrait lenses.
May 05, 2017 at 11:57 PM
mikehummel
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · Sony A99ii vs Nikon D500 :: What to Buy?


I haven't looked at the D750 or D7200 yet, but will add it the list. The primes I normally shoot are (FF eq of) 35, 55, 85, 105. 35 and 85 are usually my favorites; but thinking of sticking with a 55 for my next body as a start.
May 06, 2017 at 12:22 AM
elkhornsun
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · Sony A99ii vs Nikon D500 :: What to Buy?


What is that you hope to gain over the Olympus E-M5 Mark II camera, exactly?

I have this camera and the D810 and the D500 and the D750 and D610, and there are aspects of the Olympus that I prefer, including its electronic viewfinder that amplifies the light so in low light shooting I don't have to guess about framing and then chimp and try again. I can shoot at much slower shutter speeds with the Olympus cameras with the 5-axis internal image stabilization and when combined with its OS lenses the results are even better by a couple of stops. Shooting with the 300mm f/4 (full frame 600mm f/4 equivalent) at 1/8s hand held and getting super sharp images and not need to calibrate the autofocus in the camera with mirrorless which is inherently more accurate than a DSLR can ever be (which is why Live View was added).

I would hold off on buying a Nikon camera other than the D500 as I would hope for new versions of the D750 and D810 to have the new autofocus system found in the D5 and D500 and for fast autofocus it makes a tremendous difference in performance.


May 07, 2017 at 12:48 PM
nick53097
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p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · Sony A99ii vs Nikon D500 :: What to Buy?


Bright viewfinder - either D500 or Nikon Df
D750 is a bargain right now
May 07, 2017 at 02:31 PM
milkod2001
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p.1 #16 · p.1 #16 · Sony A99ii vs Nikon D500 :: What to Buy?


Nikon D500 might be a bit of overkill for vacation and street. Too big body. D750 might be better choice. Smaller, lighter body but still very good AF, IQ and all other features you would ever need for vacation and street.

From Sony i'd go with E-mount cameras only, you would have much better lenses options than your A-mount A99ii. A7r2 with Zeiss Batis or Sony lenses might be perfect fit for vacation and street photography.

Also think about lenses you would need. If you need to use lenses with more than 200mm focal length Nikon is your only reliable choice. If under 200mm ,Sony will do.
May 07, 2017 at 03:51 PM





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