Quesiton about buying Nikon D500

[jonathan_bernheimer]

<p>Hi,</p>

<p>I am looking to buy a new camera and I am very interested in the Nikon D500. It seems like a great camera. However, I have read that there are issues with the camera locking up and causing problems.<br>

Does any one have any information about this? Is this a big problem and should I wait until it is sorted out. Or consider a different camera altogether.<br>

Any advice/info would be appreciated.<br>

Thanks,<br>

Jonathan</p>

[ShunCheung]

I have used two different D500 extensively and ran into the lockup exactly once. I switched the camera off and then on,

and it was fine again. That was back in July (2016) and I haven't had that problem again. I wouldn't worry about it. At work, I need to reboot my PC and Mac 2, 3 times

a week.

[nishnishant]

<p>Shun - how do you switch a camera off? It's really a stand-by, is it not? Unless you remove the battery. </p>

[Andrew Garrard]

<p>If it helps, Thom Hogan is maintaining a <a href="http://www.dslrbodies.com/cameras/the-d5d500-blog/">blog page</a> which includes running D500 (and D5) issues. I hope they fix it eventually. For what it's worth, in hiring a D500 and putting a few thousand images through it, I didn't see a single problem. (Well, there was a weird thing where the info display wouldn't go away, but then I realised something had poked it in the camera bag and the info button had got stuck on the case; fortunately I just had to release it.) I'd buy it and not worry too much if I were in the market for one, just knowing it's not 100% solid.</p>

[ShunCheung]

<p>Nish, I don't recall exactly what I did that one time back in July, over 5 months ago. I probably had to remove the battery briefly to turn the D500 off.</p>

<p>I might have done something similar to a couple of my other Nikon DSLRs over the years.</p>

[johne37179]

<p>Do you think the January sales will see further price reductions or the D500 showing up on the refurbished menu?</p>

[chris_lindsey]

<p>I got mine in June. Had the same experience as Shun, one and done as far as lock ups have been concern. Something about it made me wonder if it wasn't operator error. I do love the camera,</p>

[ShunCheung]

<p>As far as I know, there is a certain sequence of button pushes you can perform on the D500, and you can repeatedly lock up the D500. I believe that info is on Thom Hogan's web site that Andrew mentioned above. However, personally, I have no interest in such information. In real life, my experience is that such occurrences are very rare. I would rather spend my time figuring out which AF mode works best under various shooting conditions.</p>

<p>For example, I have never used the Auto Area AF mode until the D5 and D500. That mode can work great on the D500 for birds in flight, as long as you have a clean background such as the key. Auto area won't work that well if there are, for example, trees in the background as AF can lock onto the background instead.</p>

<p>Concerning prices, in the near future, I think you will get the best deal during the holiday shopping season: http://www.photo.net/nikon-camera-forum/00eEHx<br /> IMO the current deal with a "free" MB-D17 vertical grip is very good. If you don't need the grip as I don't, you can probably sell it and pocket a couple hundred dollars.</p>

<p>Most likely these deals will be gone by January and of course whoever wants a D500 would have bought one by then, and sales will crash in the new year. But that is fairly normal in the retail business.</p>

<p>Of course, if you can wait another year, most likely prices will be even lower by then. For me, life is short. I want to get the best tools so that I can get the most out of my photography now.</p>

[Renee Shipley]

<blockquote>

<p>For me, life is short. I want to get the best tools so that I can get the most out of my photography now.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Yes.</p>

[johne37179]

<p>I thought the deal with the MB-?D17 was a pretty good deal and I put grips on all my cameras and like the extra mass for steadiness -- inertia is good as long as I can still carry it. I'm 75 with replaced knees and that has yet to be a problem. I do like buying refurbished gear as a first choice.</p>

[ilkka_nissila]

<p>I think the D500 price at the moment seems very good. Usually there is a rebate/cashback before the year-end holidays (which is now) and sometimes another before end of March. The "normal" price of the D500 may go back up a little after the rebate season is over.</p>

<p><em>I put grips on all my cameras and like the extra mass for steadiness</em></p>

<p>I agree for hand held photography I prefer more mass close to my chest as it makes hand holding more comfortable and steady. If the mass is distributed further away from my body, as in for example some of the fast long lenses, it becomes more difficult to hold steadily and also I start getting neck and knee symptoms after prolonged use, if I don't use a vertical grip. I also like the symmetry of operation between vertical and horizontal shots when the grip is used.</p>