The D500 looks amazing!
http://www.dpreview.com/news/8529664044 ... unces-d500Nikon has announced the much-anticipated followup to its D300S, the 20.9MP D500 which the company calls its 'best enthusiast DX offering.' It features the same 153-point AF system and EXPEED 5 processor as the D5. It can shoot continuously at 10 fps with a 200 shot buffer for Raw images. It can also capture 4K/UHD video and also features 'SnapBridge', a constant connection to a smartphone using Bluetooth, similar to what Samsung did with its NX1. The D500 will be available from March at a cost of around $2000.
The camera has a 100% coverage viewfinder offering 1.0x magnification. It also makes use of the XQD high speed memory format first used in the D4. It also has a flip up/down 3.2" touchscreen LCD with 2.4 million dots.
The camera's relationship to the D5 matches that shared between the D3 and original D300, with the APS-C format camera offering the same AF system and similar feature set with only a slight drop in continuous shooting speed and a much small body. An AF module developed for full-frame means unprecedented frame coverage on the APS-C D500, in this case with cross-type sensors available out to the literal edges of the frame. Furthermore, Nikon is introducing Auto AF Fine-Tune, which appears to use Live View (focus at the image plane) to automatically calibrate (at least the center point of) the Phase Detect AF module for any given lens 'with a few button operations'. This should help address arguably one of the biggest shortcomings of DSLRs relative to mirrorless cameras: the fact that the AF module is only a proxy for focus and, therefore, prone to inaccuracy.
We were pretty impressed with the similar low power Bluetooth option on the NX1 as way of keeping a constant line of communication open between the camera and a smart device, meaning that images can quickly be pushed or pulled across from device to device. This continuous connectedness should make Wi-Fi much easier to use and consequently more appealing.
http://www.dpreview.com/news/2370616853 ... de-d5-dslr
