D500

WWA, thanks, much apprecaited.

I'm no expert by any means, but here's what I do (although other routines might work just as well or even better). For the High ISO images (typically ISO8000-12800) I usually process in Lightroom to taste, setting the colour profile to "Nikon Standard" (as I find the adobe profile a bit anemic). I then turn sharpening completely off in Lightroom then continue my edit in PS CC. I first create a duplicate layer then run it though the plug in - Topaz Denoise", which I've used for a few years now and does a really good job. Once that's done I create a layer mask and paint out the areas that I don't want NR to affect (typically high detail areas like feathers etc., revealing the non processed background layer.

Once I'm happy with NR, I then run though "Topaz Infocus" for final screen sharpening.

It's sounds like a faff, but to be honest it takes all of 5 minutes top. For Images up to ISO6400, I don't even use layers but rather just run a mild Topaz Denoise routine across the whole image then though Topaz Infocus for final sharpening (even quicker)


That's for the reply, I certainly need to brush up on my PP skills. Is there a reason many of you don't just use the noise function in Lightroom?
 
Just that it's not quite as polished or controllable as a dedicated NR plug in or program.
 
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so at low iso there is not any more noise than any other camera with this size sensor and similar price etc?
 
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Guys where do you all buy your filters ? i normally start with Wex but find them park and jessops etc all about the same price. I found Cameraking online who were 50% or more cheaper than them all, so i grabbed 2 Hoya Fusion Filters 1 UV and 1 Cir-PL, very good service came next day brand new etc... couldn't believe price differential.
 
so at low iso there is not any more noise than any other camera with this size sensor and similar price etc?

Chris, my only other APS-C camera is my X100. Haven't done any real comparisons but I reckon at low ISO the D500 could hold its own pretty well.
Get off the fence and get one. You know you NEED one.
 
Price drop at Panamoz. Now £1470

I have noticed the lower price too.... IIRC the body has dropped approx £100 with them since release, where the D750 and D810 prices have increased, but stabilized over the last few months. Maybe their not selling as many D500 as hoped??
 
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Since the DX cameras went to a true base ISO of 100 a few years ago (i.e. post D300), then at low ISO's there's pretty much nothing in it up to ISO 800ish between all the cameras (in my opinion).

Of course what has changed is DR. For instance, using DXO Mark as a guide, the DR for 3 DX Nikon cameras spanning the last few years are D300 - 12.2ev, D5300 - 13.9ev, D7200 14.6ev
 
As some of you may know from previous posts, I've always been a bit frustrated with my BiF shots using the D810. As other, far more talented, photographer's on TP are able to get great shots of BiF using the aforementioned camera I have no problem admitting my frustration may lie with 'user error'.

Bearing in mind my frustration with BiF using the D810 I wanted to share with you a typical example of something else that you may agree represents a greater challenge still, DiF. Dragon flies in Flight. The key point for me here, in that this is a 'typical' shot of these gravity defying beasties. I took about 25 shots of this migrant hawker (female, please correct me if this is wrong), at quite considerable distance and all but 2 were in 'focus', not pin sharp but pretty good considering the following challenging conditions. In my hands, with the D810, the success rate would have been inverted - at best!

Please appreciate that I know neither of the following shots are great and there is nothing at all scientific in what I'm about to show, and the cropped image is cropped and processed too much, but this is what Ive been able to achieve on my third short outing with the D500.

Camera: D500
Lens: 300mm PF f/4 VR on
TC: 1.4x Mk III

Handheld.


Aperture: f/5.6
Iso: 400
Shutter speed: 1/6400
Metering: Centre Weight
Aperture priority
AF: Group AF assigned to sub selector.

SOOC other than resize in PSE


Extreme crop and processed to bring up some detail in the dragon fly - wasn't trying to create a masterpiece.



Another example of AF accuracy and speed, not IQ!

If you consider how small the dragon fly was in the frame (despite the lens+TC+DX sensor), the challenging background the AF system needed to deal with to track and lock on to the very fast hunting dragon fly.

Same lens and camera as above.

Handheld.

Aperture: f/5.6
Iso: 400
Shutter speed: 1/4000
Metering: Centre Weight
Aperture priority
AF: Group AF assigned to sub selector.

SOOC just resized for convenience in PSE


Extreme crop and PP.

Looking good, DiF photography is extremely hard, in the end I just had to wait for it to land :)

https://flic.kr/p/o1SrrK
 
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I have noticed the lower price too.... IIRC the body has dropped approx £100 with them since release, where the D750 and D810 prices have increased, but stabilized over the last few months. Maybe their not selling as many D500 as hoped??

Panamoz pre Brexit were £1460. Went up to £1570 (which is what I paid).
I guess there is more stock becoming available.
 
@Dave Semmens That second kingfisher is an absolute beauty! Can't decide if the spider web by the feet is a nice addition or a distraction!

Spiders web! :eek: You have better eyes than me. I had to zoom in a lot to see it. I'd be more than happy with that image. A beautiful bird captured very well. If the web was a problem it shouldn't be that hard to remove, but I think few, like myself, would see it unless displayed very large.

I'd just like to see a Kingfisher in real life at some point, nevermind take a pic of one. :( :rolleyes: :)
 
A couple from this morning - been trying to get a Kingfisher in flight. Getting closer but still need more practice.

I am 100% sure the camera can handle it without an issue, but I am the weak link :D

DSC_1116-Edit-Edit by Dave Semmens, on Flickr

Sunbathing by Dave Semmens, on Flickr


Dave.


Two very nice shots Dave, but #2 for me is a "Cracker", great comp', perfect colour, and fine detail.(y)

George.
 
Two very nice shots Dave, but #2 for me is a "Cracker", great comp', perfect colour, and fine detail.(y)

George.

Incredible!! Where abouts were these? I'm in the Chester area and have been scouting for ages but no joy, anyone know of any hotspots close ish?
 
Just going through the menu's on the D500.

Probably obvious but did you all realise you can programme the joystick selector button press as an AF mode?

I've got the main AF-ON button set to Group for BiF's, PV button set to Single-Point for stationary and the Joystick press set to Dynamic 153 for erratic flyers.
 
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Just going through the menu's on the D500.

Probably obvious but did you all realise you can programme the joystick selector button press as an AF mode?

I've got the main AF-ON button set to Group, PV button set to Single-Point and the Joystick press set to Dynamic 153.

I really should look into these things more! I haven't done anything with the menus and setting up buttons! Stupid, spend all that money and then not make the most of my new toy!
 
I really should look into these things more! I haven't done anything with the menus and setting up buttons! Stupid, spend all that money and then not make the most of my new toy!

There are some great options, I love being able to go from Group to Single-point with a single button press :)
 
JPEG ?

I always shoot RAW but I wonder if any of you D500 users are using jpeg, if so what are your findings?
Thom Hogan suggests the D500 doesn't render them very well, I'm going to do RAW on XQD and jpeg on SD for a bit and see what I find but would love to hear your experience. :)
 
JPEG ?

I always shoot RAW but I wonder if any of you D500 users are using jpeg, if so what are your findings?
Thom Hogan suggests the D500 doesn't render them very well, I'm going to do RAW on XQD and jpeg on SD for a bit and see what I find but would love to hear your experience. :)

I did that the other day just to see what the jpgs were like :)

100% crop camera standard. jpg extra fine, I think I may have had the contrast & sharpening up a notch from default. 200- 500mm lens. If I could gaurantee I'd get the exposure right more, might save some PP time.

Just cropped in PS 1/640 f6.3 ISO 200
DSC_8958.jpg
 
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Thanks Jerry, doesn't look too bad at all ... will be interested to see what mine turn out like :)
 
Thanks Jerry, doesn't look too bad at all ... will be interested to see what mine turn out like :)
Will be interesting to hear your findings. I generally prefer the colours of the JPEG on my D750 but overall get better results with RAW. It's very time consuming to get the RAWs to match the JPEG colours (or near as dammit) so I just don't import the jpegs anymore, they're just a backup for any card failures ;)
 
Will be interesting to hear your findings. I generally prefer the colours of the JPEG on my D750 but overall get better results with RAW. It's very time consuming to get the RAWs to match the JPEG colours (or near as dammit) so I just don't import the jpegs anymore, they're just a backup for any card failures ;)

Hopefully will be out again on Wednesday so will see what they turn out like :)
 
I got an email from Nikon today saying that LCD on my D500 has been repaired. :banana: Much faster than the 3-4 weeks I was quoted over the phone, about 10 days. :D Timing is everything and this has probably messed up my holiday which I had planned to go on from 3rd Aug, that will probably be the day I'll get it back. :-/ Nevermind, it will be great to get it back though.

The price for the repair was £172.33, so exactly what they quoted. Thankfully they didn't seem to find anything else wrong with it. :)
 
Well I got the camera back today. :)The screen looks perfect. No physical sign of the repair on any of the metal work of the body. Nikon seem to have done a very good job. :)

I bought a screen protector which I will fit later. Hopefully that will stop any damage to the LCD screen again. ;)
 
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