[Torque123]

Originally Posted by nilanjanray

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I played with the D500 for a few days last week. The FPS helped me get a few shots that I wouldn't usually get. Perhaps I would get, but it would take much longer to get an interesting expression or position, especially with a rapidly moving creature such as a swallow.

The FPS, buffer and AF are very nice. Image quality still not at par with FX big brothers (even those with older sensors), as I expected. There was too much hype about the D500, and people were expecting the moon.

I was using a Sony mirrorless A6000 & Sony SEL 55-210 for the past 1 year to shoot wildlife (mammals). I do not want to get the extra reach by using adaptors etc. Hence I sold the entire kit recently.

Now I have decided to go for the Nikon D500 (new) or D7200 (new/used) with Nikon 200-500 (new). As you have used D7200 in the past, what do you feel about the AF, low light capability of D500 compared to D7200. I am not much into taking videos. So the 4K video offered by D500 is not a deal breaker for me. Is the extra moolah of 45 to 50K over the D7200 (new) really justifiable/worth for the new sensor, build, buffer, fps, touchscreen & more focus points resulting in better AF? In which other department do you feel the D500 is better than the D7200?

which one would you prefer between Nikon D500 & D750 for shooting mammals as the latter is in the same price range as the former?

[josejoseph]

Originally Posted by Torque123

which one would you prefer between Nikon D500 & D750 for shooting mammals as the latter is in the same price range as the former?

My 2 cents -

I have the D750 and my friend just got the D500.

If your preference is shooting mammals, get the D500. Reasons are

1. Due to cropped sensor you have longer FL
2. D500 has higher FPS
3. D500 has more AF points
4. Noise at higher ISO is better in D500 compared to D750.

[dinesh6481]

Originally Posted by wrongturn

Thank you. I still sometimes can't get the focus right maybe I will get better with time. It was my first day with the camera, and I was on auto mode, like always. But now I am learning about photography slowly and steadily and I am on manual all the time, learning through trial & error. Hopefully some day I will be able to take great shots like you. There is a lot to learn for me specially about editing RAW files.
I have found photography to be a great stress buster honestly and also it's a great hobby to have, which actually & literally pays.
Here is a shot of my dZire.

I have been fan of nilanjanray photography and i think he has taken some of the best landscape shots. I would like to contribute my two cents for photography guidelines.
1. never ever get too caught up with the technical details. click the photo, seize the moment and later you can dissect as to whats right and whats wrong with photos. just keep rule of third in mind for time being till it becomes habit
2. never be too shy to click a photo even if nobody around is clicking it.
3. since its too early for you in this field, avoid dutch shot/ crooked angle photography, i find it extremely unhealthy for the art.
4. i would have suggested to go with 50mm irrespective of full frame or crop sensor. i think the stock lens limits your imagination. the zoom is totally unimaginative and neither it pushes you like a prime lens. but since you have bought one take a weekly exercise. for one day a week just keep your length fixed and click the photo from that length only. try all lengths on weekly basis.
6. last but not the least, for few days after you bought the lens, take the photos in monochrome. you will learn the lighting aspect like no other tutorial and believe you me, the satisfaction is immense.

[nilanjanray]

Originally Posted by Torque123

Now I have decided to go for the Nikon D500 (new) or D7200 (new/used) with Nikon 200-500 (new).

which one would you prefer between Nikon D500 & D750 for shooting mammals as the latter is in the same price range as the former?

D7200 and D500 image quality are more or less the same, including high ISO performance. I haven't used a D7200 (have used D7100, D750, D810, D610), but there are plenty of comparisons on the web, including on DPReview where you can compare images side by side at various ISOs.

D750 has much better image quality over any crop sensor, including the D500.

AF of D500 is better than that of the other two cameras, but unless one is shooting serious action, that kind of AF (and buffer/FPS) performance is overkill. D7200 and D750 have excellent AF.

IMO the premium of the D500 isn't worth it unless you know exactly why you need it, and have reached a stage where the other cameras are not getting the job done for you.

I am gonna wait for the D810 replacement, not buying the D500 in the near future.

Some of my favourite shots were taken with an old D90. That camera had its limitations, but served me well, even when I was using a 70-300mm VR.

Above Munsiyari


Peeping cub


Sunset through a leaf


The haunting Sitabani forest

Originally Posted by josejoseph

My 2 cents -

I have the D750 and my friend just got the D500.

If your preference is shooting mammals, get the D500. Reasons are

1. Due to cropped sensor you have longer FL
2. D500 has higher FPS
3. D500 has more AF points
4. Noise at higher ISO is better in D500 compared to D750.

#4 is incorrect. Sensor tech hasn't evolved that far that a cropped sensor has better high ISO performance than a pretty recent full frame sensor, especially the excellent D750 one. But one needs to know how to get the best out of a sensor through shooting technique and processing. The D500 jpeg engine is more advanced, that is why the shots look so nice. But a properly shot and processed D750 raw file will look better than a D500 one, at same ISO settings.

This is a ISO 3200, 1/60s handheld shot with a D7100. An evening shot in Satpura National Park. The original RAW image was dark and noisy, but it could be salvaged - somewhat - after processing. A similar D750 shot can be taken at ISO 9600+ IMO.

Originally Posted by dinesh6481

I have been fan of nilanjanray photography and i think he has taken some of the best landscape shots. I would like to contribute my two cents for photography guidelines.
1. never ever get too caught up with the technical details. click the photo, seize the moment and later you can dissect as to whats right and whats wrong with photos. just keep rule of third in mind for time being till it becomes habit

Thanks for the kind words. I am not much of a landscape shooter, I shoot wildlife. But nowadays I like shooting animalscapes (a few shots below) - shot of animals in their environment, especially in interesting light.

Your point # 1 is very valid. Basic technical mastery is just the starting point, at least for most types of photography. Best is to follow the ''shoot - analyze - read/learn/get inspired - shoot' cycle.

Learning to see, and imagining a shot (especially the final output of the shot) before even taking it, are far more difficult than technical mastery of gear IMO. One can figure out the latest camera in a few days, at least well enough to shoot in the field. But seeing and imagining take a lifelong to master, if at all.

For wildlife photographers, most important thing is to just go out on enough number of trips Since luck plays such an important role, and things are not in one's control one, has to maximize the chances of good sightings.

[dinesh6481]

I started my photography after been a bird watcher for long. But once I bought my first Dslr I somehow couldn't follow up the Bird Photography the way I thought I would. I guess it was due to gear, or rather lack of it. Finally when I decided to bump up the lens collection I skirted the zoom and telephoto zoom and went with Portrait one. The decision was partly due to the fact that I always wanted good portrait lens for my newborn son and then it was this portrait photography bug. I still go for long solitary walk in Jungles with Salim Ali Bible on Indian Birds. I still find it difficult to believe that I bought Crop sensor for bird photography and now clicking Portraits with it. Anyway if my recent trips to Pong dam and Ranjit Sagar Dam are anything to go by then probably by this year end would buy a suitable lens before the Migration season begins. Yeah I didn't put it correctly by saying Landscape photography, but you are one of the most exciting photographer of wildlife.

[Torque123]

Originally Posted by josejoseph

My 2 cents -

I have the D750 and my friend just got the D500.

If your preference is shooting mammals, get the D500. Reasons are

1. Due to cropped sensor you have longer FL
2. D500 has higher FPS
3. D500 has more AF points
4. Noise at higher ISO is better in D500 compared to D750.

Originally Posted by nilanjanray

D7200 and D500 image quality are more or less the same, including high ISO performance. I haven't used a D7200 (have used D7100, D750, D810, D610), but there are plenty of comparisons on the web, including on DPReview where you can compare images side by side at various ISOs.

D750 has much better image quality over any crop sensor, including the D500.

AF of D500 is better than that of the other two cameras, but unless one is shooting serious action, that kind of AF (and buffer/FPS) performance is overkill. D7200 and D750 have excellent AF.

IMO the premium of the D500 isn't worth it unless you know exactly why you need it, and have reached a stage where the other cameras are not getting the job done for you.

I am gonna wait for the D810 replacement, not buying the D500 in the near future.

Thank you Jose & Nilanjan for the feedback. Superb images you have posted there Nilanjan. I did go for a new cropped sensor body (D7200) & not the D500 as I am getting it for half the price of D500. I will miss the ergonomics of the D500 which I liked the most as there are dedicated buttons which helps in changing the settings faster without looking at the LCD screen. The only other thing I might miss is the slight AF advantage that D500 has over the D7200. FPS is something I am not worried about. Hoping to get the delivery of the D7200 by Saturday.

Read Nilanjan's review of Nikon 200-500 F5.6 lens on Nikon rumors. Its a well written and unbiased review. Helped me a lot in deciding to go for it as I was contemplating on buying the older 300 f/4 with 1.4 TC. Will get the Nikon 200-500 lens in a few days too. The itch to hit the forest is being controlled terribly

[HydroFuel]

what about Pentax DSLRs? They don't seem to be popular here. Are they comparable to Nikons and Canons in quality?
Has anyone used here? It has sealed body for dust and water at price where it is not available with other two popular brands.
What is opinion here in India?

[dinesh6481]

Originally Posted by HydroFuel

what about Pentax DSLRs? They don't seem to be popular here. Are they comparable to Nikons and Canons in quality?
Has anyone used here? It has sealed body for dust and water at price where it is not available with other two popular brands.
What is opinion here in India?

Pentax have made some of the best SLR during its heyday. However they lost out on the R&D and with the barrage of lenses as offered by Canon and Nikon they faded away. however Pentax still make some of the better cameras like K3 and K50 and users swear by it. The only issue is the lack of choice for compatible lenses. even the third party lens makers like Sigma, Tamron and Tokina have also not launched a Pentax compatible lens for a long time. Apparently Pentax also make affordable point and shoot cameras for emerging markets by the name of Ricoh, though the onslaught of Mobile cameras has dented its prospect in that field too. off Late pentax has invested a lot in Medium Format Dslr; though i hardly follow that field so can't comment.

[Aroy]

Originally Posted by HydroFuel

what about Pentax DSLRs? They don't seem to be popular here. Are they comparable to Nikons and Canons in quality?
Has anyone used here? It has sealed body for dust and water at price where it is not available with other two popular brands.
What is opinion here in India?

They have limited range of lenses and lack large repair infrastructure in India. Their DSLR are technically brilliant, so if you are satisfied with their lens range they make an excellent buy if you want to keep it for a long time.

[nilanjanray]

Originally Posted by Aroy

They have limited range of lenses and lack large repair infrastructure in India. Their DSLR are technically brilliant, so if you are satisfied with their lens range they make an excellent buy if you want to keep it for a long time.

+1

The other point- Pentax AF is lagging behind Canikon

[Torque123]

Got the Nikon D7200 & Nikkor 200-500 f/5.6 last week. The entire set up cost came up to 1.43 lakhs. Played around with them during the weekend for sometime. Very happy with the image quality . I moved from a mirror-less set up as there is a lack of native Telephoto lens with a reach of 300 mm+. This Nikkor 200-500 mm f/5.6 monster is VFM & its performance just blew my top off . The VR is great at any shutter speeds less than 1/250 (where we actually need it more) and stands good as per what Nikon claims. I am talking about the normal mode here as I did not even try the Sport mode.

The lens is heavy but needs some getting used to. Using this lens hand held for shooting mammals while doing jeep safaris is very much possible. But using it in a crowded canter/bus safari is a big task as you do not have much room to move around. Hats off to Nilanjan for taking awesome images with this lens while he did a couple of canter safaris in Ranthambore. Trust me, it is not easy with this heavy lens. I am not into birding but I have my doubts if it can be used hand held for extended periods for bird photography. The case/cover provided for this lens by Nikon is a Joke. They could have charged 1K more or so and provided a good lens case.

Carrying the additional weight compared to my older gear is worth it. Overall I am very happy & impressed. Waiting to head out to the Jungles now for the real action.

Am looking for a backpack which can hold this new gear & should hold bigger and longer equipment when I upgrade in future. Also looking for a good 32/64 GB SDHC/SDXC memory card with 90-100+ mbps read/write speeds & a 95 mm filter which will not affect the image quality. The memory card I got with the camera was a Sandisk 8 GB one with 45 mbps read/write speed which I feel is not good enough. Suggestions are welcome.

[Torque123]

Few images that I took yesterday to get a feel of the Nikon D7200 & 200-500 f/5.6. Thanks to the neighbour's pet cat, I got a chance to experiment a bit. All images were shot in raw format and have been posted here after converting them to Jpeg format without any PP. The images were taken around 5.45 PM in not so great light. I am pleased with the IQ & performance of the new gear.

The exif data for the first 2 images is manual mode, 220 mm, f/5.6, shutter speed 1/200 ISO 800.

The exif data for the rest of the images is manual mode, 390 mm, f/5.6, shutter speed 1/200 ISO 800.

[M35]

Originally Posted by Torque123

Got the Nikon D7200 & Nikkor 200-500 f/5.6 last week..... Suggestions are welcome.

Welcome to the 200-500 club. Am sure you will start to enjoy your wildlife/birding trails even more with this little gem.

Hand-holding this lens is rather fun, at least for me. I usually handhold this mounted on my D810 with/without TC 1.4E III for as long as 6 hours with no issues at all. For perched birds 1/50s is a breeze with this lens.

Don’t stick anything on the glass. Yes, I meant ‘filters’. Stick the hood all the time and use the cap when not in use.

You may find my birds here. Almost all were captured with this lens !

A recent shot with the lens !

[nilanjanray]

Originally Posted by Torque123

Few images that I took yesterday to get a feel of the Nikon D7200 & 200-500 f/5.6.

Congratulations. And nice cat shots

Originally Posted by M35

A recent shot with the lens !
Attachment 1533492

Great shot, and lovely gallery. I love the D810 metering, DR and colours (the files have a different feel). The 200-500mm is sharper on the D810 than on a crop sensor, the combo is great.

An old photo taken with a D90. Since I can't travel to the mountains right now, am satisfying myself by looking at old folders, and processing a few shots.

[Torque123]

Originally Posted by M35

Welcome to the 200-500 club. Am sure you will start to enjoy your wildlife/birding trails even more with this little gem.

Hand-holding this lens is rather fun, at least for me. I usually handhold this mounted on my D810 with/without TC 1.4E III for as long as 6 hours with no issues at all. For perched birds 1/50s is a breeze with this lens.

Don’t stick anything on the glass. Yes, I meant ‘filters’. Stick the hood all the time and use the cap when not in use.

Great image there M35. Wow. Am eager to do a quick and short jungle trip soon. Have Tadoba & Umred lined up for Nov. Want to get used to the new gear fully by then . I too read online about not using filters but I am scared of the accidental scratch that may occur on the front element of the lens. Will have to be very careful and use the hood and lens cap religiously.

Originally Posted by nilanjanray

Congratulations. And nice cat shots

Thank you Nilanjan!