Nikon D7500 vs D7200

Now that the Nikon D7500 has been officially announced, it is a good time to see how it compares to its predecessor in terms of features and specifications. While Nikon definitely improved the D7500 on a number of different areas, whether it is the faster 8 fps continuous shooting, a larger buffer, better metering system or other ergonomic and firmware improvements, there are some definite drawbacks one needs to be aware of before deciding to upgrade. Let’s take a look at these changes in more detail and see how the two cameras tack up against each other.

First, let’s go over the bare specifications:

Nikon D7500 vs D7200 Specification Comparison

Camera Feature	Nikon D7500	Nikon D7200
Sensor Resolution in Pixels	20.9 Million	24.2 Million
Sensor Type	CMOS	CMOS
Sensor Size	23.5×15.6mm	23.5×15.6mm
Sensor Pixel Size	4.22µ	3.92µ
Low Pass Filter	No	No
Sensor Dust Reduction	Yes	Yes
Image Size	5,568 x 3,712	6,000 x 4,000
Image Processor	EXPEED 5	EXPEED 4
Viewfinder Type	Pentaprism	Pentaprism
Viewfinder Coverage	100%	100%
Viewfinder Magnification	0.94x	0.91x
Built-in Flash	Yes, with flash commander mode	Yes, with flash commander mode
Nikon CLS Radio Flash Control	Yes	No
Storage Media	1x SD	2x SD
Memory Card Support	UHS-I only	UHS-I only
Continuous Shooting Speed	8 FPS	6 FPS, 7 FPS in 1.3x Crop Mode
Buffer Size (RAW, 14-bit Lossless Compressed)	50	18
Max Shutter Speed	1/8000 to 30 sec	1/8000 to 30 sec
Shutter Durability	150,000 cycles	150,000 cycles
Exposure Metering Sensor	180,000-pixel RGB sensor 3D Color Matrix Metering III	2,016-pixel RGB sensor 3D Color Matrix Metering II
Base ISO	ISO 100	ISO 100
Native ISO Sensitivity	ISO 100-51,200	ISO 100-25,600
Boosted ISO Sensitivity	ISO 102,400-1,640,000	ISO 51,200-102,400 (B&W only)
Autofocus System	Advanced Multi-CAM 3500DX II	Advanced Multi-CAM 3500DX
Focus Points	51-point, 15 cross-type AF system	51-point, 15 cross-type AF system
AF Detection	Up to f/8	Up to f/8
AF Detection Range	-3 to +19 EV	-3 to +19 EV
Auto AF Fine-Tune	Yes	No
Group AF Mode	Yes	No
Face Detection	Yes	Yes
Flicker Detection	Yes	No
Exposure Bracketing	9 frames in steps of 1/3 or 1/2 EV	9 frames in steps of 1/3 or 1/2 EV
Video Output	MOV, H.264/MPEG-4	MOV, H.264/MPEG-4
Video Maximum Resolution	3,840×2160 (4K) up to 30fps	1920×1080 (1080p) up to 60 fps
Video Recording Crop (in 35mm Equivalent)	2.25x	1.5x
Number of intervals in Time-lapse	Up to 9,999	Up to 9,999
4K Time-lapse Recording	Yes	No
LCD Size	3.2″ diagonal TFT-LCD	3.2″ diagonal TFT-LCD
LCD Resolution	922.000 dots	1,228,800 dots
Tilting LCD	Yes	No
Touchscreen LCD	Yes	No
Built-in GPS	No	No
Built-in Bluetooth	Yes	No
Built-in Wi-Fi / NFC	Built-in, no NFC	Built-in, with NFC
Battery Grip Accessory Option	N/A	Nikon MB-D15 Multi-Battery Power Pack
Battery	EN-EL15a Lithium-ion Battery	EN-EL15 Lithium-ion Battery
Battery Life	950 shots (CIPA)	1,110 shots (CIPA)
Battery Charger	MH-25a Quick Charger	MH-25a Quick Charger
Weather Sealed Body	Yes, Improved Sealing	Yes
USB Version	2.0	2.0
Weight (Body Only)	640g	675g
Dimensions	135.5 × 104 × 72.5mm	135.5 x 106.5 x 76mm
MSRP Price	$1,249 (as introduced)	$1,199 (as introduced)

Nikon used the same sensor as on the D500, so there is a small difference in both resolution and pixel size, with the D7500 losing a bit of resolution in exchange for a slightly better image quality at high ISOs. It should not make a huge difference for most photography needs, so I do not look at it as a negative. Where there is a definite improvement is in the newer EXPEED 5 processor, which is what helps the D7500 push much faster 8 fps continuous shooting speed, along with the ability to shoot 4K video. But the biggest welcome change on the D7500 is its buffer size – it went up from a very small buffer capable of holding only 18 images to a much more respectable buffer that can accommodate 50 14-bit losslessly compressed RAW images. This means that one can continuously shoot for over 6 seconds without slowing down the D7500 – a big change compared to the 3 second burst shooting on the D7200.

Although the number of focus points remain the same at 51, it is now a more improved Multi-CAM 3500DX II version that is capable of more accurate subject tracking and accuracy, with the aid of the amazing 180K-pixel meter from the Nikon D500. The Nikon D7500 also gains the Auto AF Fine-Tune feature from the D500 and D5 cameras, which allows the camera to be able to calibrate lenses in Live View mode. In addition, there is now a Group AF focusing mode from the higher-end DSLRs.

The Nikon D7500 can shoot 4K videos, but as can be seen from the above table, the video footage has a 2.25x combined crop (relative to 35mm / full-frame cameras). While the crop can be useful for recording videos of far subjects such as wildlife and sports, one needs to be very careful when shooting video with standard lenses due to this video crop. The crop is also an indication that Nikon is utilizing pixel-level data instead of down-sampling so there is no sensor size advantage unfortunately.

The viewfinder magnification went up from 0.91x to 0.94x, which is definitely a welcome change. The D7500 is now able to control radio-controlled Nikon flashes, which is another great addition compared to the D7200 that cannot. The camera also gains a tilting, touchscreen LCD, which is a definite plus, although I wish it was a fully articulating LCD screen instead. The resolution of the LCD screen also went down a little, which is not that big of a deal in my opinion. The size and the weight of the camera also went down, making the D7500 a very lightweight DSLR and Nikon has moved up to a slightly different EN-EL15a battery. Although CIPA numbers state that the battery life has decreased from 1,110 shots to 950, I would not worry about the numbers too much, since CIPA testing takes into account 4K video recording, LCD viewing and other CPU-intensive tests that can drain the battery quickly. If you just take pictures, you should be able to yield about the same number of shots from both cameras.

Ergonomically, the D7500 is slightly improved compared to its predecessor. It has a deeper grip and its ISO button is positioned near the shutter release, similar to the D500. The tilting LCD screen will also be great for shooting at high and low angles, adding to more comfort and versatility in the field.

Now let’s talk about the negatives. Nikon sadly decided to move down from dual SD slots to a single SD slot, which is a huge drawback in my opinion, especially for those who shoot critical jobs. It is clear that Nikon wants to re-position the D7500 as a lower-end camera when compared to its competition and the D500, and it does not want the two cameras to compete with each other for sports and wildlife photography. Another clear disadvantage of the D7200 is the inability to mount a battery grip, which is going to be a deal killer for many photographers out there that prefer to use a battery grip for improved ergonomics and ability to use more than one battery.

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