Nikon Goes Action-Cam

These needs are addressed with a complete overhaul of the D5’s AF system with an adoption of the Multi-CAM 20K autofocus sensor module. The new Nikon’s DSLR is expected to come in March and few of us will be able to justify the cost of the beast, but that’s not going to stop anyone of us from desperately wanting one.

The D500 uses a similar cropped APS-C sized sensor (DX format) that has slightly less megapixels though it’s still just as sensitive as it’s big brother. In addition, equipping the camera with a dedicated AF engine capable of high-speed calculation and collaboration with the 180K-pixel RGB sensor have ensured that extremely reliable AF performance is demonstrated with a variety of scenes. Consequently the D500 doesn’t have quite the same insane sensitivity range as the D5 – its standard range is ISO 100-51,200 and there are five expansion settings taking it up to the equivalent of ISO 1,640,000 – a stop lower than the D5’s insane maximum.

We’re guessing Nikon may be saving this information for when they have more cameras in the range to announce. The first camera announced is a rugged, portable unit that captures 360-degree videos in 4K Ultra High Definitiion (UHD). Matching to the pace is the accessibility of capturing up to 200*6 12-bit lossless compressed RAW images with a single burst. It adds up to a pretty enticing package for sports photographers. The D5 is built for accuracy and speed. Since even the cheapest Chinese action cameras are now shooting in FullHD, it was only natural that Nikon upped the ante and delivered 4K recording right from the start.

The D500 also features a 3.2-inch 2,359,000-dot tilting RGBW LCD touchscreen monitor which facilitates Live View shooting from high or low angles. Versatile image storage options: Two versions of the D5 are available.

As befits a camera aimed at professional and serious enthusiasts, the D500 has two card slots, one accepts SD type media while the other is for the faster XQD cards. Wireless control over the camera from a computer is also possible using Camera Control Pro 2 (available separately).