Nikon D500 Body Only Information
Flagship Power, DX Agility.
Meet the new DX flagship, the Nikon D500. At first glance, it may seem unimposing—but contained within a streamlined camera body is a veritable powerhouse of processing power and technological advances. The D500 is ready to go wherever your passion leads you, capturing everything with stunning clarity, speed and resolution. From busy, low-light cityscapes to thrilling wildlife scenes and fast action shots, the D500 is the ideal companion to your wanderlust. Marvel at the clarity of its cinematic 4K UHD video. Be amazed at its ruggedness and versatility. And, once you’ve captured your gorgeous photos, admire them on the D500’s high resolution tilt touchscreen display and share them via the built-in SnapBridge (Wi-Fi® + Bluetooth) capabilities. No matter what you shoot, you can be sure that the D500 will be up to the task, time and time again.
DX
Format
20.9
Megapixels
10 FPS
Continuous Shooting
100-51,200
ISO Expandable to 1,640,000
4K UHD
3840 x 2160 at 30/25/24p
Small, Yet Powerful
Your favorite travel companion
The sleek and beautiful D500 goes anywhere you go, bringing along stunning resolution and performance. Packing a lot of power into a smaller camera body thanks to its DX sensor means you can take advantage of the smaller and lighter DX lenses in the NIKKOR line—and when you’re travelling, every ounce counts. The best part is, there’s no need to sacrifice image quality to gain portability. The D500 strikes the perfect balance with its 20.9 megapixel CMOS sensor, and is ready to capture the exquisite details, colors, and textures this world has to offer. With the D500 at your side—whether you’re hiking through the lush landscapes of New Zealand or on safari in Africa—it will be ready to go, effortless and unobtrusive.
The NIKKOR Legacy
Unleash the full potential of the D500
Like every Nikon DSLR, the D500 is best paired with legendary NIKKOR lenses which provide unequalled clarity and versatility. The NIKKOR legacy is unmatched—there's a reason over 95 million have been sold to date. Each lens offers a different view from which to capture your memories. Shooting landscapes or portraiture? The fast AF-S DX NIKKOR 16-80mm f/2.8-4E ED VR could prove to be your best friend. Or, extend your range with the lightweight AF-S DX NIKKOR 55-200mm f/4-5.6G ED VR II, ideal for shooting sports, parades or distant architecture. No matter your choice, pairing the Nikon D500 with renowned NIKKOR lenses is a recipe for success.
A Peek Under the Hood
Bursting with new technology
The new D500 is a technical marvel, the fruit of Nikon’s tireless strides towards producing the world’s greatest cameras. To preserve life’s most fleeting moments, you need a camera with incredible speed. The EXPEED 5 processor in the D500 opens up a world of possibilities, processing images fast enough to allow up to 10 frames per second so you don’t miss a moment of the action. The new Multi-CAM 20K autofocus system provides 153 AF points including 99 cross type points, which together enable you to create images that match your vision. It is also the first Nikon DX camera to utilize the new XQD memory card technology, which provides faster read/write and transfer speeds to fully take advantage of the D500's speed. Not quite ready to upgrade to XQD? That’s no problem, as the D500’s dual memory card slots can accept SD media as well. Although compact in size, the D500 certainly packs a punch.
Not Afraid of the Dark
There’s so much more to see
Not much light to go around? The D500 makes the most out of every bit of available light, giving you the flexibility to produce high quality images in dark environments. With a native ISO range of 100 - 51,200, expandable to Lo 1 and Hi 5 (50 – 1,640,000 equivalent), the versatile D500 is not intimidated by difficult low-light conditions, down to -4 EV. Rich details emerge from the shadows to produce unrivaled quality found only with Nikon cameras and lenses.
Laughs in the Face of Danger
As tough as you need it to be
They say that good things come in small packages, and the D500 is no exception. A powerful but smaller sibling of the D5, the D500 features the same durable, rugged build and ergonomics you’ve come to associate with Nikon DSLRs. Built with rugged magnesium alloy and carbon fiber materials, and featuring dust and water-drop resistance you'll have peace of mind even when shooting in extreme environments. The D500 also leverages a 3.2-inch 2,359k-dot tilting RGB LCD touchscreen, making it easy to get the shot even from high or low angles.
Your images. The world. Connected.
Don’t wait to show off your best shots
Now, sharing your amazing photos is easier than ever—the D500’s SnapBridge functionality enables multiple built-in connectivity options. Liberated from the constraints of connecting wires, you can transfer your images to a compatible smart device from anywhere in the world using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) technology to eliminate the barrier between your camera and smart device. As an added benefit, the D500’s built-in Near Field Communication (NFC) capability makes it a breeze to connect the camera to your compatible smart device. For those looking for an even faster transfer solution, the D500 is also compatible with the optional WT-7A, enabling transmission of files to an FTP server or computer at speeds of up to 866.7 Mbps.
Cinematic 4K UHD Performance
For the first time in a Nikon DX DSLR, you can harness the power of 4K UHD video recording. Capture every moment in cinematic, ultra high definition detail at up to 30 frames per second, and take advantage of a format that is quickly becoming the gold standard for video recording the world over. Other features include a built-in interval timer and 4K UHD quality time-lapse function, which allows you to easily create 4K UHD time-lapse movies in-camera that are sure to impress.
Lighting the shadows
Built into the D500 is compatibility with Nikon's new radio controlled Advanced Wireless Lighting system. Using radio control technology, when combined with the optional WR-A10/R10 transceiver (requires firmware version 3.0 or later), the D500 can control and wirelessly fire the SB-5000 Speedlights from another room, around corners or outdoors in bright sunlight. Access controls are easily accessed from the D500's menu and will let you shine light on even more shooting opportunities.
± WI-FI COMPATIBILITY
This camera’s built-in Wi-Fi® capability can only be used with a compatible iPhone®, iPad®, and/or iPod touch® or smart devices running on the Android™ operating system. The Nikon SnapBridge application must be installed on the device before it can be used with this camera.
Using the SnapBridge App System Requirements Android 5.0 or later or 6.0.1 or later A device with Bluetooth 4.0 or later (i.e., a device that supports Bluetooth Smart Ready/Low Energy) is required.
Specifications
CollapseAt a Glance
Effective Pixels (Megapixels)
20.9 million
Sensor Size
23.5 mm
x 15.7 mm
Image Sensor Format
DX
Storage Media
SD
SDHC
SDXC
XQD Type Memory
Top Continuous Shooting Speed at full resolution
10 frames per second
ISO Sensitivity
ISO 100 -
51,200
Can also be set to approx. 0.3, 0.5, 0.7, or 1 EV (ISO 50 equivalent) below ISO 100 or to approx. 0.3, 0.5, 0.7, 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 EV (ISO 1,640,000 equivalent) above ISO 51,200; auto ISO sensitivity control available
Movie
4K UHD 3,840x2,160 / 30 fps
4K UHD 3,840x2,160 / 25 fps
4K UHD 3,840x2,160 / 24 fps
Full HD 1,920x1,080 / 60 fps
Full HD 1,920x1,080 / 50 fps
Full HD 1,920x1,080 / 30 fps
Full HD 1,920x1,080 / 25 fps
Full HD 1,920x1,080 / 24 fps
HD 1,280x720 / 60 fps
HD 1,280x720 / 50 fps
Actual frame rates for 60p, 50p, 30p, 25p, and 24p are 59.94, 50, 29.97, 25, and 23.976 fps respectively
High quality available at all frame sizes, normal quality available at all sizes except 3,840 x 2,160
Monitor Size
3.2 in. diagonal
Monitor Type
TFT touch-sensitive LCD with 170° viewing angle
Battery / Batteries
EN-EL15 Lithium-ion Battery
Optional MB-D17 multi-power battery pack with one rechargeable Nikon EN-EL18a or EN-EL18 Li-ion battery (available separately), one rechargeable Nikon EN-EL15 Li-ion battery, or eight AA alkaline, Ni-MH, or lithium batteries. A BL-5 battery-chamber cover is required when using EN-EL18a or EN-EL18 batteries.
Approx. Dimensions (Width x Height x Depth)
5.8 in.
(147 mm)
x 4.6 in.
(115 mm)
x 3.2 in.
(81 mm)
Approx. Weight
26.9 oz.
(760 g)
camera body only
Collapse all specs
CollapseType
Type
Single-lens reflex digital camera
Lens Mount
Nikon F bayonet mount
CollapseImage Sensor
Picture Angle
Nikon DX format
Effective Pixels (Megapixels)
20.9 million
Sensor Size
23.5 mm
x 15.7 mm
Image Sensor Format
DX
Image Sensor Type
CMOS
Total Pixels
21.56 million
Dust-Reduction System
Image sensor cleaning
Image Dust Off reference data (optional Capture NX-D software required)
Dust-Off Reference Photo
Yes
Image Area (pixels)
DX-format
(L) 5,568 x 3,712
(M) 4,176 x 2,784
(S) 2,784 x 1,856
1.3x Crop Mode
(L) 4,272 x 2,848
(M) 3,200 x 2,136
(S) 2,128 x 1,424
Photographs taken during movie recording at a frame size of 3,840 x 2,160: 3,840 x 2,160
Photographs with image area of DX taken during movie recording:
(L) 5,568 x 3,128
(M) 4,176 x 2,344
(S) 2,784 x 1,560
Photographs with image area of 1.3x taken during movie recording:
(L) 4,272 x 2,400
(M) 3,200 x 1,800
(S) 2,128 x 1,192
CollapseFile System
File Format Still Images
JPEG: JPEG-Baseline Compliant with Fine (approx 1:4), Normal (approx 1:8) or Basic (approx 1:16) Compression
NEF (RAW) + JPEG: Single Photograph Recorded in both NEF (RAW) and JPEG Formats
NEF (RAW): 12 or 14 bit, lossless compressed, compressed, or uncompressed; large, medium, and small available (medium and small images are recorded at a bit depth of 12 bits using lossless compression)
TIFF (RGB)
Storage Media
SD
SDHC
SDXC
XQD Type Memory
Card Slot
Either card can be used for primary or backup storage or for separate storage of NEF (RAW) and JPEG images; pictures can be copied between cards.
File System
Compliant with DCF (Design Rule for Camera File System) 2.0
EXIF 2.3 (Exchangeable Image File Format for Digital Still Cameras)
PictBridge
CollapseViewfinder
Viewfinder
Eye-level Pentaprism Single-Lens Reflex Viewfinder
Viewfinder Frame Coverage
DX (24x16): 100% Horizontal and 100% Vertical (Approx.)
1.3x (18x12): 98% Horizontal and 98% Vertical (Approx.)
Viewfinder Magnification
1.0x (50 mm f/1.4 lens at infinity, –1.0 m–1) (Approx.)
Viewfinder Eyepoint
16mm (-1.0 m¯¹)
Viewfinder Diopter Adjustment
-2.0 to + 1.0m¯¹
Focusing Screen
Type B BriteView Clear Matte Mark II with AF Area Brackets (grid lines can be displayed)
Reflex Mirror
Quick-return type
Mirror Lock Up
Yes
CollapseLens
Lens Aperture
Instant-return type
Electronically Controlled
Depth-of-field Control
Pressing Pv button stops lens aperture down to value selected by user (A and M modes) or by camera (other modes)
Lens Compatibility at a Glance***
AF-S or AF lenses fully compatible
Metering with AI lenses (exposure modes A and M only)
Compatible Lenses
AF NIKKOR lenses, including type G, E, and D lenses (some restrictions apply to PC lenses) and DX lenses, AI-P NIKKOR lenses, and non-CPU AI lenses (exposure modes A and M only).
Electronic rangefinder can be used with lenses that have a maximum aperture of f/5.6 or faster (the electronic rangefinder supports 15 focus points with lenses that have a maximum aperture of f/8 or faster, of which 9 points are available for selection).
IX NIKKOR lenses, lenses for the F3AF, and non-AI lenses cannot be used.
CollapseShutter
Shutter Type
Electronically controlled vertical-travel focal-plane mechanical shutter
Electronic front-curtain shutter available in mirror up release mode
Shutter Speed
1/8000 to 30 sec. in steps of 1/3, 1/2, or 1 EV, Bulb, Time, X250
Fastest Shutter Speed
1/8000 sec.
Slowest Shutter Speed
30 sec.
Flash Sync Speed
Up to 1/250 sec.
Synchronizes with shutter at 1/250s or slower
Bulb Shutter Setting
Yes
Shutter Release Modes
Continuous low-speed [CL] mode
Continuous high-speed [CH] mode
Mirror-up [Mup] mode
Quiet Shutter Release
Quiet Continuous Release
Self-timer Mode
Single-frame [S] mode
Frame Advance Rate
Up to 10 fps (manual focus, mode M or S, shutter speed 1/250 sec or faster, and other settings at default values)
Continuous Shooting Options
DX-format
CH: Up to 10 frames per second
CL: Up to 1-9 frames per second
Quiet Continuous Mode: Up to 3 frames per second
Top Continuous Shooting Speed at full resolution
10 frames per second
Self-timer
2, 5, 10, 20 sec.; 1 to 9 exposures at intervals of 0.5, 1, 2, or 3 sec.
Timer duration electronically controlled
CollapseExposure
Exposure Metering System
TTL exposure metering using approximately 180K (180,000) pixels RGB sensor
Metering Method
Center-weighted: Weight of 75% given to 8 mm circle in center of frame. Diameter of circle can be changed to 6, 10, or 13 mm, or weighting can be based on average of entire frame (non-CPU lenses use 8-mm circle)
Matrix: 3D Color Matrix Metering III (type G, E, and D lenses); Color Matrix Metering III (other CPU lenses); Color Matrix Metering available with non-CPU lenses if user provides lens data
Spot: Meters 3.5 mm circle (about 2.5% of frame) centered on selected focus point
Highlight-weighted: Available with type G, E, and D lenses; equivalent to center-weighted when non-CPU lens is used
Metering Range
-3 ± 20 EV (Matrix or center-weighted metering)
0 to 20 EV (Highlight-weighted metering)
Exposure Meter Coupling
CPU
AI
Exposure Modes
Aperture-Priority (A)
Manual (M)
Programmed auto with flexible program (P)
Shutter-Priority (S)
Exposure Compensation
±5 EV in increments of 1/3, 1/2 or 1 EV
Exposure Bracketing
2 to 5 frames in steps of 2 or 3 EV
2 to 9 frames in steps of 1/3, 1/2, 2/3 or 1 EV
Exposure Lock
Luminosity locked at detected value with AE-L/AF-L button
Picture Control
Flat
Landscape
Monochrome
Neutral
Portrait
Standard
User-customizable Settings
Vivid
CollapseSensitivity
ISO Sensitivity
ISO 100 -
51,200
Can also be set to approx. 0.3, 0.5, 0.7, or 1 EV (ISO 50 equivalent) below ISO 100 or to approx. 0.3, 0.5, 0.7, 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 EV (ISO 1,640,000 equivalent) above ISO 51,200; auto ISO sensitivity control available
Lowest Standard ISO Sensitivity
100
Highest Standard ISO Sensitivity
51,200
Lowest Expanded ISO Sensitivity
Lo-1 (ISO 50 equivalent)
Highest Expanded ISO Sensitivity
Hi-5 (ISO 1,640,000 equivalent)
Expanded ISO Sensitivity Options
Lo-1 (ISO 50 equivalent)
Hi-1 (ISO 102,400 equivalent)
Hi-2 (ISO 204,800 equivalent)
Hi-3 (ISO 409,600 equivalent)
Hi-4 (ISO 892,200 equivalent)
Hi-5 (ISO 1,640,000 equivalent)
Long Exposure Noise Reduction
Yes
High ISO Noise Reduction
Low
Normal
High
Off
Active D-Lighting
Auto
Extra High
Normal
Low
Off
D-Lighting Bracketing
2 frames using selected value for one frame
3–5 frames using preset values for all frames
CollapseFocus/Autofocus
Single-Point AF Mode
Yes
Dynamic AF Mode
Number of AF points: 25, 72 and 153 (3D-tracking)
Auto-Area AF Mode
Yes
Autofocus System
Nikon Advanced Multi-CAM 20K autofocus sensor module with TTL phase detection and fine-tuning, and 153 focus points (including 99 cross-type sensors and 15 sensors that support f/8), of which 55 (35 cross-type sensors and 9 f/8 sensors) are available for selection
Detection Range
-4 to +20 EV (ISO 100, 68°F/20°C)
Lens Servo
Autofocus (AF): Single-servo AF (AF-S); Continuous-servo AF (AF-C); predictive focus tracking activated automatically according to subject status
Manual focus (MF): Electronic rangefinder can be used
AF-area Mode
25, 72, or 153 point Dynamic-area AF
Auto-area AF
Single-point AF
3D-tracking
Group-area AF
Focus Lock
Focus can be locked by pressing shutter-release button halfway (single-servo AF) or by pressing the center of the sub-selector
Focus Modes
Continuous-servo (AF-C)
Face-Priority AF available in Live View only and D-Movie only
Full-time Servo (AF-F) available in Live View only
Manual (M) with electronic rangefinder
Normal area
Single-servo AF (AF-S)
Wide area
Maximum Autofocus Areas/Points
153
Autofocus Sensitivity
-4 to +20 EV (ISO 100, 20°C/68°F)
Autofocus Fine Tune
Yes
CollapseFlash
Flash Bracketing
2 to 5 frames in steps of 2 or 3 EV
2 to 9 frames in steps of 1/3, 1/2, 2/3 or 1 EV
X-Sync Speed
1/250
Top FP High Speed Sync
Up to 1/8000
Flash Control
TTL: i-TTL flash control using RGB sensor with approximately 180K (180,000) pixels; i-TTL balanced fill-flash for digital SLR is used with matrix, center- weighted, and highlight-weighted metering, standard i-TTL fill-flash for digital SLR with spot metering
Flash Sync Modes
Auto FP High-Speed Sync supported
Front-curtain sync (normal)
Rear-curtain sync
Red-Eye reduction
Red-Eye reduction with slow sync
Slow rear-curtain sync
Slow sync
Flash Compensation
-3 to +1 EV in increments of 1/3, 1/2 or 1 EV
Flash-ready Indicator
Lights when optional flash unit such as SB-5000, SB-910, SB-900, SB-700, SB-400, SB-300 or SB-R200 is fully charged
Accessory Shoe
Yes
Nikon Creative Lighting System (CLS)
CLS Supported
Flash Sync Terminal
Yes
CollapseWhite Balance
White Balance
Auto (3 types)
Choose color temperature (2500K–10000K)
Cloudy
Direct Sunlight
Flash
Fluorescent (7 types)
Incandescent
Preset manual (up to 6 values can be stored, spot white balance measurement available during live view)
White Balance Bracketing
2 to 9 exposures in increments of 1, 2 or 3 EV
CollapseLive View
Live View Shooting
Photography Live View Mode
Movie Live View Mode
Live View Lens Servo
Autofocus (AF): Single-servo AF (AF-S); full-time-servo AF (AF-F)
Manual focus (MF)
Live View AF-Area Mode
Face-priority AF
Wide-area AF
Normal-area AF
Subject-tracking AF
Live View Autofocus
Contrast-detect AF anywhere in frame (camera selects focus point automatically when face-priority AF or subject-tracking AF is selected)
CollapseMovie
Movie Metering
TTL exposure metering using main image sensor
Movie Maximum Recording Time
4K UHD up to 29:59 min; 1,080 60/50/30/25/24p up to 29:59 min; 720 60/50p up to 29:59 minutes
Movie File Format
MOV
Movie Video Compression
H.264/MPEG-4 Advanced Video Coding
Movie Audio Recording Format
Linear PCM
Movie
4K UHD 3,840x2,160 / 30 fps
4K UHD 3,840x2,160 / 25 fps
4K UHD 3,840x2,160 / 24 fps
Full HD 1,920x1,080 / 60 fps
Full HD 1,920x1,080 / 50 fps
Full HD 1,920x1,080 / 30 fps
Full HD 1,920x1,080 / 25 fps
Full HD 1,920x1,080 / 24 fps
HD 1,280x720 / 60 fps
HD 1,280x720 / 50 fps
Actual frame rates for 60p, 50p, 30p, 25p, and 24p are 59.94, 50, 29.97, 25, and 23.976 fps respectively
High quality available at all frame sizes, normal quality available at all sizes except 3,840 x 2,160
Movie Audio
Built-in microphone, stereo
External stereo microphone (optional)
Microphone sensitivity can be adjusted
CollapseMonitor
Monitor Size
3.2 in. diagonal
Monitor Resolution
2,359,000 Dots
Monitor Type
TFT touch-sensitive LCD with 170° viewing angle
Monitor Angle of View
170 -degree wide-viewing angle
Monitor Adjustments
Brightness, 5 levels
Virtual Horizon Camera Indicator
Yes
Also visible in LiveView Modes
Also visible in Viewfinder
CollapsePlayback
Playback Functions
Auto Image Rotation
Full-Frame and Thumbnail (4, 9, or 72 images or calendar)
GPS data display
Highlights
Image Rating
Image Rotation
Image Slideshow
IPTC information embedding and display
Movie Playback
Movie Slideshow
Photo Information
Playback with Zoom
In-Camera Image Editing
Color Balance
D-Lighting
Distortion Control
Edit Movie
Filter Effects
Image Overlay
Monochrome
NEF (RAW) Processing
Perspective Control
Red-Eye Correction
Resize
Side-by-Side Comparison
Straighten
Trim
Image Comment
Yes
CollapseInterface
Interface
10-pin RemoteTerminal
HDMI output: Type C mini-pin HDMI connector
Headphone Connector
NTSC
Stereo Microphone Input 3.5mm
SuperSpeed USB (USB 3.0 Micro-B connector); connection to built-in USB port is recommended
Wi-Fi Functionality
Built-in Wi-Fi with NFC and Bluetooth
Bluetooth
Yes
GPS
GP-1A GPS unit (optional)
Save/Load Camera settings
Yes
CollapseMenus
Total Custom Settings
52
My Menu
Yes with customization
Recent Settings
Yes
Supported Languages
Arabic
Bengali
Brazilian Portuguese
Bulgarian
Chinese (Simplified and Traditional)
Czech
Danish
Dutch
English
Finnish
French
German
Greek
Hindi
Hungarian
Indonesian
Italian
Japanese
Korean
Marathi
Norwegian
Persian
Polish
Portuguese
Romanian
Russian
Serbian
Spanish
Swedish
Tamil
Telugu
Thai
Turkish
Ukrainian
Vietnamese
Date, Time and Daylight Savings Time Settings
Yes
World Time Setting
Yes
CollapsePower
Battery / Batteries
EN-EL15 Lithium-ion Battery
Optional MB-D17 multi-power battery pack with one rechargeable Nikon EN-EL18a or EN-EL18 Li-ion battery (available separately), one rechargeable Nikon EN-EL15 Li-ion battery, or eight AA alkaline, Ni-MH, or lithium batteries. A BL-5 battery-chamber cover is required when using EN-EL18a or EN-EL18 batteries.
Battery Life (shots per charge)
1,240 shots (CIPA)
AC Adapter
EH-5b AC Adapter; requires EP-5B Power Connector (available separately)
Battery Charger
MH-25a Quick Charger
CollapseMiscellaneous
Tripod Socket
1/4 in.
Approx. Dimensions (Width x Height x Depth)
5.8 in.
(147 mm)
x 4.6 in.
(115 mm)
x 3.2 in.
(81 mm)
Approx. Weight
26.9 oz.
(760 g)
camera body only
Operating Environment
0–40 °C (+32–104 °F)
Less than 85% (no condensation)
