Photography Phridays 03.01.2019

HAPPY MARCH!! Today’s look is at my nikon d500 dslr. This beast is Nikon’s flagship APS-C sensor and aside from the reverse lens mount compared to every other camera it is still amazing to this day!

With mirrorless cameras coming in left and right DSLR’s are going to be phased out as some point in the near future. However, this is something special about the way a DSLR feels in the hand. Yes I know I sound like the typical person going from film to digital saying film has this “special feeling” that can be replicated. wanna know something? IT’S TRUE!!

The feel of a DSLR, the ergonomics, and yes the weight are things that are changing in the modern mirrorless camera. I am not going to lie and say THICC and GIRTHY cameras are better. I would much rather be holding my OMD em1 mark ii wtih 12-100m f4 on vacation, doing street photography, or at a crowed wedding venue weaving in and out. Yet, at the same time when I pick up the D500 the olde’mechanical beast it still lives on. Like having a new car that is better than the old family van;But when you need to pick up seven people from the airport or haul a ton of gear the van always can and will get the job done. It will keep running not with the most grace and sophistication,but it wont ever let you down.

Right now I enjoy the D500 with sigma 18-35mm f1.8 ,but at some point I may trade it in for a Fuji Mirrorless with the unique Xtrans sensor or Canons EOS RP for the full frame sensor. I feel with my always on the go lifestyle the D500 is seeing more life on the shelf because I can’t as easily slip it in a bag or conceal it for candid shots.

The D500 still lives to its flagship APS-C name with impressive low light and IQ for having a crop sensor.Plus 21mp isn’t a deal maker compared to mainstream 24mp sensors. Battery life can not be touched by any Mirrorless and the small quality of life touches like a deep grip and illuminated buttons!

Having been a canon shoot for over 3 years then shifting to Nikon and Olympus for almost a year I can say Canon has some catching up to do on the sensor IQ. The amount of detail I can recover from Nikon and Olympus is night and day compared to Canon. Canon definitely has ergonomics and auto focus nailed down tack sharp,but they are slowly falling behind in terms of sensor innovation with Back Side Illuminated sensors (BSI) and Sony’s eye autofocus.

For now I the D500 will a little bit of extra time and effort amazing photos are still produced by this mechanical beast! well see what happens in the future..Fujifilm X-h2 maybe?!