The coverage of the new Nikon D500 has got me with a super bad case of camera lust. My D750 has done a great job of fending this feeling off for the past year, but it was inevitable that it wouldn’t last, right? My backup body is a D7200 and has really seen little use aside from a one-day outing at an air show paired with my Tamron 150-600mm. The D500’s low-light performance, continuous shutter speed, huge memory cache, touch-sensitive tilting screen, pro controls, etc. have all been enticing me to get one. I’ve actually had it in my shopping cart twice now, only to be removed after further consideration. It’s not solely a money issue. I can easily afford it and with the recent sale of my Nikon 14mm 2.8 and likely sale of my D7200–it’s a financial no-brainer. So why the hesitation?
My hesitation stems from my D7200 being good enough and my preference for my D750. Despite what anyone says, the D750’s full frame sensor is just luscious and it has served me well. The fact that I often take pictures of dogs in action (SlyDog.com) is the probably the sole reason I’m even leaning towards replacing my D7200 with the D500. The D500 would also be great for wildlife–something I’d like to do, but rarely get the chance. However, when I retire in a few years, that should change.
After writing this post, I think I’ve convinced myself that I should stay pat with what I have. I also have this “rule” regarding tech purchases: Don’t buy tech until you really need it and will use it. Tech changes too fast and before you know it the next big thing is out and you’ve spent money on something sitting in a drawer. After the shine wore off, I’m pretty sure that’s where my D500 would be. I suppose if I were a wildlife or sports photographer, the D7200 would be my go-to and the D750 would be the backup. If that were the case, I would definitely upgrade to the D500.
I tell you what I would really love though is an upgraded D810 with the bells and whistles of the D750. Hopefully, such a beast is next on Nikon’s to-do list. That all said, don’t be surprised if I post announcing the arrival of the D500 sometime soon…it would be just like me ;-P
On a somewhat related note, I just sent my D750 in for repairs for the ERR shutter problem. It just started happening a few months ago and has gotten worse over time. My warranty was about to expire and I didn’t want to hope and wait for a service recall. My camera wasn’t affected by the shadow shutter problem thankfully. I will also add “Dang! Insured UPS shipping is expensive!”
Update: The Buy button was finally clicked and boy, was I wrong about the differences!