Beginner Is the Nikon D500 a good choice

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JayTee

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Jamie
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Hi all, I'm a novice when it comes to which camera to buy. I'm looking to buy a camera for wildlife images, especially owls. I was thinking of the Nikon D500, but would welcome any advice.
Also, is it best to buy from a UK stockist or online from a company that imports?
 
D500 has superb AF and speed, you may not need that for owls, in which case a D7200 would save you a lot of cash wherever you buy it from.
 
it is a stunning camera and would be perfectly fine for wildlife and birding when combined with good glass. There is probably a discussion about whether you really need something as high end as that camera if you are a complete novice but being honest if i had the cash to buy at the top end when i was starting out then i would probably do the same since you invariably end up buying twice when you find the limits of the cheaper option.

In terms of uk vs grey personally i am happy to buy grey as the savings can be significant however there is a lot of people on here who disagree with doing so on moral grounds. If you do buy grey stick with panamoz/hdew as they are very reputable with good warranties.
 
D7500 is another good camera if you want to spend a bit less.

D500 is a beast but as mentioned, you will need nice glass.
 
I love my D500 for wildlife. It's extremely fast and I've managed to capture some fantastic shots with it. One thing though - when it comes to moving the AF spot around the frame and selecting what to focus on - for long lenses you would need to go for quite a fast lens to get reliable autofocus. I've the Tamron 150-600 and I'm limited to the most central points for AF so I'm considering getting a Nikon 200-500 f5.6 or Nikon 300 f4 PF instead
 
Spend most of your budget on lenses instead. You will need it for birds in flight, not an easy type of photography. They are usually very skilled photographers and have wicked lenses from what I gather.
 
Thanks for the advice, I'm even more unsure now, lol. I'm now thinking, am I better going for the D7200 or 7500 and spending more on the lens?
 
JayTee said:
Thanks for the advice, I'm even more unsure now, lol. I'm now thinking, am I better going for the D7200 or 7500 and spending more on the lens?
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Spend more on the lens and get the D7200.
If I was considering the D7500 I would probably go for the D500 for the minimal difference in price and better spec.
 
In your shoes I would go for D500 and Nikon 200-500 if you can cope with the weight of the lens.
For a high priced item like D500 this I would go offficial UK dealer.
Just my opinion, others will differ.
 
Hertsman said:
Buy a D500 from Panamoz and buy used glass with the savings.....
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Careful if you're going for a used 200-500, I've heard there's quite a lot of variance from one lens to another.
 
Buying a Ferrari does not make you a good driver :)
 
Gil Bev said:
I love my D500 for wildlife. It's extremely fast and I've managed to capture some fantastic shots with it. One thing though - when it comes to moving the AF spot around the frame and selecting what to focus on - for long lenses you would need to go for quite a fast lens to get reliable autofocus. I've the Tamron 150-600 and I'm limited to the most central points for AF so I'm considering getting a Nikon 200-500 f5.6 or Nikon 300 f4 PF instead
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The 200-500mm autofocus wasn't as fast as my Tamron 150-600mm on my D500, Gil.
 
JayTee said:
Hi all, I'm a novice when it comes to which camera to buy. I'm looking to buy a camera for wildlife images, especially owls. I was thinking of the Nikon D500, but would welcome any advice.
Also, is it best to buy from a UK stockist or online from a company that imports?
Click to expand...

Get a D7200, nothing wrong with it. Will do everything you need and more!
 
Just get the camera and figure out where the money for a 500-600mm lens comes from.
 
As has already been mentioned a D7200 would provide a bigger budget for a lens. I would also consider the 300mm AF-S, combined with a 1.4tc, this is a very good wildlife lens and available very cheaply now it has been superseded by the PF version. As a combination (D7200, 300 AF-S & 1.4tc) this would be really high quality wildlife rig.
 
Right..you're a novice as I was a couple of years ago. If you have the funds then by all means get a d500 and I would suggest the 200-500mm.
BUT do not think that the best will give you stunning results Jamie.
There is a LOT of practise and know how to get into your head before you get what others are achieving with the same or older equipment.
AND ..there is nothing wrong with older bodies...I recently posted an image re a query on face book for a pic from a d7200...I thought I had until I checked the exif and saw it was from my d300!...
 
It's the lens that requires the investment for wildlife, I guess it's owls in flight rather than perched on a tree/stump/stick so I would say D7200 plus 300 or 80-400/200-500

The advantage of the D500 over the D7*00 series is I think the 500 can focus reliably to f8 allowing use of 1.4x TC with the f5.6 lenses
 
welshwizard645 said:
It's the lens that requires the investment for wildlife, I guess it's owls in flight rather than perched on a tree/stump/stick so I would say D7200 plus 300 or 80-400/200-500

The advantage of the D500 over the D7*00 series is I think the 500 can focus reliably to f8 allowing use of 1.4x TC with the f5.6 lenses
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D7200 can focus at f8. :)
 
Thanks so much for the great advice, I agree Tom and Peter, I think I'm going to go for the D7200 plus the 200-500, and see how I get on. Unless I get my hands on some money before then
 
keeweeman said:
In terms of uk vs grey... there is a lot of people on here who disagree with doing so on moral grounds....
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.... and/or legal grounds.
 
JayTee said:
Thanks so much for the great advice, I agree Tom and Peter, I think I'm going to go for the D7200 plus the 200-500, and see how I get on. Unless I get my hands on some money before then
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D7200 is a great camera, used mine as part of a trade in for the d500, i'll probably buy another at some time.
 
If you can get the D500 and you will not regret it .. D7100/7200 .. it will eat them for speed and wildlife pics .. as far as buying equipment .. there are a number of good shops in the UK .. I have bought from Wex, LCE (London Camera Exchange (really good price on my Nikon 300mm f2.8 vrii) and I have also used Panamoz a number of times .. (a lot cheaper but grey imports .. but they also have a fantastic service and warranty). There are pros and cons with each (price, grey imports etc etc) .. but you do what you can for your hobby .. if i can save a grand it leaves me more for glass .. albeit with more risk . I bought my first D7100 as a novice .. then the 7200 to step up a little in functionality .. then got the D500 for speed and birds in flight .. wish I had bought the D500 to start with .. so that's my advice .. if you can .. get it .. what lens are you looking for ? what range do you shoot? what light and what will you be shooting? Finally, what price do you want it all to be at?
 
hehe .. I suppose it's up to the individual what they fall into .. portrait, scenery, wildlife, architecture .. I just got hooked on wildlife .. I know for a fact thought that there are shots from my D500 that I just could not have made with the 7100/7200 .. if Jaytee comes back with answers to the questions above we can help get best bang for the buck :)
 
Thanks for the replies. Hi Timbo, I'm keen to photograph owls in flight, but spend a bit of time taking my son to reserves, so all birds would be of interest, which has prompted me to look at buying a decent camera. The lens I was looking at, is the Nikon AF-S 200-500. The owls will probably be around dusk, but marsh harriers etc will be by day. Budget is about £1500 - £1800.
 
For that budget another option is the 300 F4 PF + 1.4 tc. A lot lighter than the 200-500 (if weight matters).
Of course it is fixed focal length.
 
Sigma 150-600 sport with dock and camo cover for £999 ... (used in great condition apparently) .... 200-500 same price ... do you mind a heavier lens (built like a tank) and weather sealed ?
 
Peter123 said:
For that budget another option is the 300 F4 PF + 1.4 tc. A lot lighter than the 200-500 (if weight matters).
Of course it is fixed focal length.
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Is the right answer....
And maybe a 1.7tc instead of 1.4

The Sig 150-600 handles quite poorly in my experience.
 
I'm not sure I'd bother with a TC, to be honest. Even with as excellent a lens as the Nikkor 300mm f/4D AF-S, you're losing a little sharpness to the TC, and as high resolution as the D7200's sensor is, I'm not confident (having tried such a combination for several months) that it pays off versus simply cropping, with the additional downside of the TC dropping the aperture to f/5.6 - with British weather as it so often is, I tend to find myself thankful to be at f/4.

As for the original question: yes, a D500 is the best crop format camera Nikon makes, and a top-notch performer, by all accounts. However, I'd concur with the sentiment expressed by others - whilst the AF is supposedly All That, and the continuous shooting rate even higher than the D7x00 family, there's a sharp difference in price between, say, a used D7100 and a new D500.

As for the lens - there are a few very good options, including Sigma and Tamron's zooms, and Nikon's 300mm. As regards the latter, bear in mind there are two versions you'll commonly encounter - the 300mm f/4D AF-S, and the newer 300mm AF-S f/4E PF ED VR. The latter comes with stabilisation, which may or may not be useful for you, and is half the weight and length. I use the former, which can be found used for around the £500 mark from the likes of MPB. If the budget permits, you might want to try a quick 3-day rental of a couple candidate lenses, and see how it all works out for you, with AF speed, sharpness, and weight.
 
Canon EOS 5D mark is the best choice for professional photography. I have used this camera to shoot wedding sessions. It is designed to use in all type of photograph such as wildlife, nature, birthday parties, etc. You need to buy it to capture glorious pictures of wildlife.
 
TBH, I'm not sure any of the cameras suggested are one of the better choices for wildlife photography... especially for owls and other nocturnal/diurnal animals. For similar money I would probably go for a nice used D4 in your position...
 
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