JB
- Comment
I told myself I would use my D300 until the day it stopped working. Well, needless to say, when the D7500 was announced, it sounded like exactly what I was looking for in my next camera...even though my D300 is still running strong with 85k+ shutters. While the D500 is the logical upgrade (if you buy into the whole "pro" vs "consumer" marketing spin), its price makes the upgrade unattractive. The D7500 takes so much of what is great about the D500 and offers it in a more affordable body. At first, I questioned my upgrade, but after a week of shooting with the D7500, I couldnt be happier. Below are the pros & cons that I see based on my experience thus far, and attached is a vertical crop from a horizontal image I shot the other day. Pros: - a much appreciated upgrade in technology (sensor, ISO capabilities, auto focus, metering, video, etc.) - lighter and a more portable than my D300 - 8fps - ISO capabilities and noise handling are phenomenal - much more pleasing colors - quiet shooting mode is nice, and overall the shutter is much quieter - Snapseed and the ability to sync to my phone is awesome. While I dont plan to backup everything to my phone continuously, it is a feature that is going to be handy when needed. Also, when I tested the continuous backup, it worked flawlessly. - the tilt out screen is surprisingly useful considering I didnt expect to use it at all - Live view is much more useful Cons: - still cant get used to the top dial button that has two different levels to it. I can easily adjust the top dial (Auto, P, A, S, etc.) but the lower level dial (S, CL, CH, etc.) is much more difficult for me to change than how Im used to adjusting those settings on the D300. - while I appreciate the lighter camera, there is something I miss about feeling such a rock solid camera body in my hand, such as the D300. When you pickup the D300, you know its a serious machine and that itll last for years to come. However, when I pick up the D7500, its plastic body just leaves me wanting to know if itll hold its own and last 9 years like my D300 did. - its slightly shorter than my D300, and as such the right hand grip just doesnt quite feel the same. It feels a little more cramped than the D300 which fit my hand perfectly. - the battery seems to have slightly less life to it than that of my D300, but it is still reasonable. - when shooting video and focusing with live view, the camera seems to struggle with auto focusing at times, especially if youre using the touch screen to specify the focal point. Neutral: - many people are slamming the D7500 for only having a single memory card slot, but to me it doesnt matter. Im also no professional, but in the 10+ years of shooting digital SLRs with single slot memory, I cant say Ive ever had a card fail on me. To me, the card technology seems to have come so far that if you invest in a good, quality card, this shouldnt matter to you. - 4K video. Maybe Ill find this useful down the road, but I dont see myself doing a ton of this. - "Effects" such as miniature mode, toy camera, etc. These are fun, and are enjoyable in point in shoots. However, even in my point and shoots, I cant say they get much usage