By now the news about the D500 should have had time to sink in. And what a great piece of news it was! Nikon users who loved the D300s and remained faithful to the APS-C format begged, shouted and demanded a successor for that legendary camera. After years that ended with a lot of them abandoning hope, CES 2016 brought the most exciting piece of news in years Along with the new flagship, the D5, the company proudly presented the Nikon D500 camera. No one really cares what happened to the D400 anymore because this new DX DSLR is every bit as exciting as we expected.
Table of Contents:
- Nikon D500 vs Canon 7D Mark II Specs
- Head to Head: Nikon D500 vs Canon 7D Mark II
- Nikon D500 vs Canon 7D Mark II: There's a Clear Winner
NIKON D500 vs Canon 7D Mark II Specs
It is clearly designed to be a workhorse that can handle professional demands admirably. In terms of competition, it finally looks like there is a direct competitor for the Canon 7D Mark II. The Nikon D7200, while still an excellent camera is not quite in the same class with Canon’s popular 7D II. Let’s have a look at some of the most important specs of these two cameras and put them side by side to see if we have a clear winner that could tilt the balance for users who are not yet committed to one system or the other.
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Resolution |
20.9 MP |
20.2MP |
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Magnification |
1.5x |
1.6x |
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Sensor type |
CMOS |
CMOS |
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Low Pass Filter |
No |
Yes |
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Image processor |
EXPEED 5 |
Dual Digic 6 |
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Viewfinder coverage |
100% |
100% |
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Built-in Flash |
No |
Yes |
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Storage |
1x XQD, 1xSD |
1xCF,1xSD |
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Continuous High Speed |
10fps |
10fps |
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Buffer size (RAW) |
200 |
31 |
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Native ISO |
ISO 100-51,200 |
ISO 100-16,000 |
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Boosted ISO |
ISO 102,400-1,160,000 |
ISO 25,600 |
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AF |
153 points, 99 cross-type |
65 point all cross-type |
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Video Resolution |
4k at 30p |
1080p up to 60p |
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Articulated LCD |
Yes |
No |
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Weather sealing |
Yes |
Yes |
Head to Head: Nikon D500 vs Canon 7D Mark II
It only takes a quick look to realize these cameras are intended for almost identical purposes. They’re both top of the line crop cameras designed to work in tough environments and they’re both extremely fast. However, the fact that the D500 is a newer camera and that it borrows a lot of the technology found in the brand new D5 flagship is something that gives it an edge. While both the 7D II and the D500 shoot at an amazing 10fps, the buffer size of the D500 is an astonishing 200 shots (just like the D5), whereas the 7D II can only shoot 31 RAW files before it freezes.
The AF system of the D500 is also more advanced with 153 total focusing points.
The video capabilities of the D500 make it clear that Nikon wants to focus on the part of the market that wants to shoot both stills and video professionally. The camera has native 4K recording and the ability to record uncompressed footage via HDMI. With this in mind, you can’t really compare the two when it comes to shooting video.
The articulated LCD screen of the D500 comes in very handy and although not every photographer needs it, it’s just better to know it’s there. While both cameras are rugged machines and there’s an obvious tie in terms of build quality, you can’t say the same for battery life. The D500 lets you take twice as many shots on one charge- approximately 1,240 vs. 670 on the 7DII.
Nikon D500 vs Canon 7D Mark II: There's a Clear Winner
Even from a simple run through the spec sheet, it’s quite clear the D500 is the better camera. Whether or not it’s worth switching systems is something that each photographer has to decide for himself. We have to admit we love the D500 already and it’s hard not to take its side in the battle. After all, it kind of brought back an entire category in Nikon’s lineup. But without doubt, both of these cameras are excellent tools and while the newer model might be a little better, the difference in real life use is far from being significant.