The Nikon D7500 is a compromise between its predecessor, the discontinued D7200, and the high-end Nikon D500. It inherits many of the features of the flagship D500 but has a more affordable price tag to suit beginner or enthusiast photographers.
First released in 2017, the D7500 is going strong as an all-rounder mid-level camera. Sure, it might have a slightly lower resolution than its predecessor but it’s more lightweight, features a new tilting touchscreen and a powerful EXPEED 5 image processor, and produces exceptionally sharp images with beautiful colour rendition. It also introduces 4K video.
In short: It offers great value for money. But let’s take a look at the D7500 specs in more detail with our DSLR review below.
Notable Nikon D7500 specs
Nikon has made an interesting choice with the D7500 in downgrading the sensor from the 24MP sensor of its predecessor, the discontinued D7200, to a 20.9MP sensor (the same one you’ll find in the D500).
This means you’re getting a slightly lower resolution but this model omits the low-pass filter so you’ll get a bit more detail from the sensor than you’d expect.
Build and handling
One of the biggest drawbacks to DSLRs has always been their bulk but the Nikon D7500 drops a bit of weight from its predecessor, the D7200. It’s 5% lighter than the D7200 and 16% lighter than the D500, from which it borrows many of its features.
Weighing in at just 640 grams, it still feels solid and comfortable in your hands. The handgrip is deep and the soft-texture coatings on the grip add sturdy resistance.
The lightweight carbon fibre body is weather-sealed to protect it from dust and moisture, while the button placement is reassuringly familiar for those used to the D7000 range.
New to the D7000 range is a 3.2-inch tilt-angle touchscreen display, which has a bright 922k-dot resolution. You have tap-to-focus control and can swipe through the images in a snap, pinching to zoom.
Even better, you get the top control panel LCD, which makes it easy to see all your most important camera settings at a glance.
The D7500 also has an eye-level solid glass pentaprism optical viewfinder with 100% coverage. That’s bigger and brighter than most viewfinders you’d find in this camera class. An eye sensor means the rear display is automatically disabled when you put your eye to the viewfinder, helping to save the battery.
Autofocus and performance
The D7500 has the same autofocus system as the D7200, a 51-point AF system. Fifteen of those 51 autofocus points are more sensitive cross-type points, which means they deliver greater precision and accuracy.
We love the Group-Area AF mode, which makes it easy to track subjects. It enables the D7500 to constantly monitor five different AF fields to enhance subject detection and tracking. It also improves focus acquisition and background isolation.
The camera has also managed to refine the autofocus in Live View, thanks to the Auto AF Fine Tune feature. This mode allows you to automatically calibrate autofocus with specific lenses.
The D7500 has an impressive burst shooting mode of 8 frames per second, helped by the new EXPEED 5 image processor. Impressively for an enthusiast DSLR, the D7500 can shoot a burst rate of 50 RAW files.
Finally, the D7500’s 180k-pixel RGB metering sensor makes sure exposures are accurate and prevents under or overexposing. Working with the autofocus system, the meter has greatly improved subject tracking.
D7500 battery and storage
The D7500 packs a new battery, the EN-EL15a, which delivers an incredible 950 shots between charges. It’s the kind of battery life you just won’t find in a mirrorless camera but it’s not quite the 1,100-shot battery life of the D7200 (a trade-off for having a more powerful image processor).
Unlike the D7200 with its dual SD slots, the D7500 has just one memory card slot that can host an SD, SDHC, or SDXC memory card.
Low light performance
The D7500 has a slight upgrade on sensitivity with an ISO range of 100 to 51,200 (up from a maximum ISO of 25,600 on the D7200). In the expanded range, you get an ISO of 50 up to a whopping 1,640,000.
Noise performance is also impressive. While you’ll get incredible detail in shots taken at the lower end of the ISO range, the camera performs equally well in higher ISO settings.
JPG images do well up to about ISO 25,600 although grain and noise start to creep in at about 204,800 and above. A noise reduction setting enables you to toggle Low or Off, allowing you to choose between grain or detail.
RAW files process ISOs brilliantly through to about ISO 12,800 but graininess becomes more visible at about ISO 25,600. But the results are still some of the best you’ll find in a camera in this class.
Overall, noise becomes heaviest at ISO 102,400 so you can push the boundaries fairly far before it starts to affect the quality of your images.
Video
The Nikon D7500 is capable of 4K video recording at up to 30fps, something you don’t often find in DSLRs of this class. This 4K video is cropped by a factor of 1.5x.
If you need to shoot wide video though, you can record the full sensor width at 1080p up to 60 fps. All video recordings are limited to a maximum of 29 minutes and 59 seconds, which is common for cameras in this class.
The camera comes with 3.5mm jacks for microphones and headphones, which is always handy for vloggers and videographers.
The camera offers simple video capabilities and provides a flat picture profile that works well in post-production grading, making it great for casual videographers.
Are you ready for the Nikon D7500?
There’s plenty to love about the Nikon D7500. Serious improvements from the D7200 include the faster capture rate, 4K video capture, and the tilting touchscreen. This is a brilliant camera for sports, action, and wildlife photography.
For budget-conscious, enthusiast photographers, there’s little to critique with the D7500. But if you’re disappointed by some of the trade-offs—the lower resolution sensor, for example—consider something with a little more oomph. The Nikon D500 is in the next class up from the D7500 and delivers a range of additional pro features.
Browse our range of Nikon cameras online at Camera House today and shop now to get free delivery options across Australia.
