The Nikon D7500 features the 20.9 megapixel APS-C (DX) sensor from the Nikon D500 and offers 8fps continuous shooting, a 51-point AF system, 4K UHD video recording, and a tilting 3.2inch touch-screen. The camera is priced at £1299 body only, or £1599 with the 18-140mm lens, and sits above the D7200, which will remain on the market. 

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Nikon D7500 Features

The Nikon D7500 offers the 20.9 megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor from the Nikon D500, but at a more affordable price point, and should offer the same image quality, due to using the same EXPEED 5 image processor. The ISO range goes from ISO100 to ISO51200 natively, and extends to a low ISO of ISO50, and goes all the way up to ISO1,640,000 (Hi 5).

The D7500 offers 8fps continuous shooting with AF/AE tracking. A new AF system features 51 AF points, as well as group area settings, plus Auto AF fine tune as seen on the D500. There is also advanced scene recognition.

2 Years since the Nikon D7200, a lot has changed in this time, with things like 4K video, and Wi-Fi becoming a requirement for high-end cameras. Let's see what the main improvements or differences are between the two cameras:

Nikon D7500 updates over the D7200:

• 20mp APS-C sensor in D7500 (compared to 24mp in D7200)
• ISO range now ISO50 to ISO1640000
• 3.2inch screen now a touch-screen and a tilting screen
• 8fps continuous shooting
• 4K video recording
• Bluetooth added (NFC removed)
• Single SD card slot (compared to 2 on the D7200)
• 720g (with battery and card) compared to 765g

A reduction in megapixels, down to 20mp, may seem a backward step to some, but this has meant that the D7500 now uses the same sensor as the D500, offering best in class noise performance.

Here we look at how the Nikon D7500 fits in between the D7200 and D500:

* Black and white at ISO51200 and above.

Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are built-in, but the camera does not feature NFC. Low-power Bluetooth is compatible with Nikon’s SnapBridge software, which allows the transfer of images even when the camera is switched off.

The D7500 is the first Nikon DSLR to boast a built-in flash that supports radio-controlled Advanced Wireless Lighting. There also a new auto picture control option – for those that may not be familiar with the best image settings, you can let the camera choose for you.

The tilting 3.2inch touch-screen can be used to set the focus point in live view photo and video modes. It can be used in playback mode and can also be used to scroll through and change menu options, making the camera more intuitive to use.  

4K / UHD video recording is at 30/25fps, and the camera can record up to 29 minutes. FullHD video can be recorded at 50/60fps. On the side, you'll find mic and headphone sockets, as well as an HDMI connection. The camera can output clean HDMI, in case you want to record video to an external recorder. 

The camera body is weather-sealed and features a new carbon-fibre reinforced monocoque structure. The camera uses the same battery as the Nikon D7200 and other Nikon cameras, the EN-EL15, and the camera will give up to 960 shots.

Key Features

• 20.9 megapixel APS-C DX CMOS sensor
• EXPEED 5 image processor
• 180K pixel RGB sensor
• 3.2inch tilting touchscreen, 922K dots
• 100% view optical viewfinder, 0.94x magnification
• 51 AF-points, -3EV sensitivity
• 4K UHD video recording, up to 30p, FullHD up to 60/50p
• 4K UHD time-lapse movie creation
• Electronic Vibration Reduction (VR) available in video (FullHD)
• ISO50 (Low) to ISO1648000 (Hi5)
• 8fps continuous shooting with AF/AE (up to 100 JPEG, 50 raw)
• Wi-Fi / Bluetooth built-in 
• Mic and headphone sockets
• Clean HDMI out

Nikon D7500 Handling

The Nikon D7500 has a deeper grip than the D7200, as well as an improved texture on the rubber covering. You can certainly notice the larger area for your hand between the lens and grip, and this makes the camera more comfortable to hold. The rear has a textured rubber area for your thumb to grip, although the protrusion is quite subtle compared to some other cameras.

The 'i' button on the back gives quick access to controls on the rear screen of the camera. The mode dial features a lock, as well as drive mode dial surrounding this, also with a locking button that needs to be pressed before the dial can be changed.

The 3.2inch tilting touch-screen looks good with good colour and clear text. The screen feels solid with a metal hinge and is very quick to tilt out when needed. The screen tilts up and down and is useful for shooting at awkward angles, as well as being useful for video work. The touch-screen is very responsive, making it quick and easy to change settings, and you can use it to scroll through the menus and change settings. 

There are 51 focus points, covering a fairly wide area from the left to right, and a reasonable area vertically. In live-view you can select any area on the screen for focus, using either the 4-way controller or the touch-screen. The optical viewfinder looks good, and is of a decent size, with eye-detection as well as dioptre correction. You can also view an electronic level in the optical viewfinder by pressing the front function button, Fn1 (on default settings). 

Menus – The menus will be familiar to anyone who has used another recent Nikon Digital SLR, with all of the areas split into logical sections, these are: Playback, Photo shooting, Movie shooting, Custom Settings, Setup Menu, Retouch, and MyMenu. There's also a built-in help feature, so if you get stuck you can look at this, without always having to refer to the manual. The "MyMenu" section is where you can add your favourite options and settings. 

There is two customisable Function (Fn) buttons on the front of the camera. For anyone upgrading from the Nikon D7200, the button layout should feel very familiar. There is now a top ISO button, which matches the D500. Although surprisingly, there is only one SD memory card slot, compared to two on the D7200.

The optical viewfinder is large and clear and gives a 100% view. There is a sensor above the viewfinder so that the camera knows when you are holding it up to your eye. This means the camera will automatically switch the screen off when needed.

Live view focusing speeds have been improved, and a dual-axis electronic level can be used to ensure your photos are level. There are two auto white balance options, one is “Normal / Standard” and the other available is “Keep warm colour”.

The camera is the first we know of to feature a carbon-fibre reinforced monocoque body, and despite the camera not being made out of metal, the camera feels extremely solid, with excellent build quality. The D7500 weighs 640g (body only), or 720g with battery and memory card - the body only weight is less than D7200 at 675g. 

Wi-Fi features - With Nikon's SnapBridge app, the initial setup is made using Bluetooth. You get the choice of transferring 2mp images or the full-size images - if you choose full-size images then this can be very slow. If you want to shoot remotely with the camera, you then need to setup a connection with the camera over Wi-Fi. On an Android device, this worked smoothly. There are very few options, the app simply acts as a remote shutter, and AF point selection is also possible. 

In the Bluetooth options, you can choose whether to "Send while off" - if you leave this switched on, then the camera will continue to send photos to your smartphone even when the camera is switched off. This could drain the battery rapidly. 

Battery life - Battery life is rated at 950 shots according to Nikon / CIPA test results, which is very good, although extended use of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth is likely to reduce battery life.