Nikon D7500 verdict
Summary
The Nikon D7500 was in many ways a somewhat odd successor to the much-loved D7200. Launched in 2017, it brought a drop in resolution and a single card slot, but also came with 4K video and a tilting touchscreen. It is perhaps a better all-rounder, but how does it stack up in 2026 as a used buy or, if you can still find it, a new camera?
The Nikon D7500 arrived towards the end of Nikon’s golden era of DSLRs. At this time Nikon made the decision to drop to a lower resolution 20.9MP APS-C sensor from the 24MP sensors it had used previously, in pursuit of more rounded performance – better high-ISO image quality, faster burst rates and 4K video.
With the D7500, Nikon also dropped to a single card slot. The sensor choice was perhaps reasonable, but this seems like cost-cutting for a DSLR aimed at enthusiasts and budding filmmakers. It did get a tilting touchscreen, though.
The 20.9MP sensor was to prove a long-term strategic decision for Nikon. Variants are still used today in the Nikon Z30, Z50/II and Z fc models.
Nikon D7500 specifications
| Type: | DSLR |
| Sensor: | 20.9MP APS-C |
| Autofocus: | 51-point MultiCAM 3500, contrast AF in live view |
| Viewfinder: | Optical pentaprism, 100% coverage, 0.95x magnification |
| LCD: | 3.2-inch tilting touchscreen, 922k dot, top status panel |
| ISO range: | 100–51,200, exp. ISO 50-1,640,000 |
| Video: | 4K 30p, 1080 60p |
| Continuous shooting: | 8fps, up to 50 RAW |
| Storage: | 1x SD UHS I |
| Battery: | EN-EL15a, 950 shots |
| Size: | 135.5 x 104 x 72.5mm |
| Weight: | 640g body only |
Nikon D7500 features
Photography commentators today are so tied up with mirrorless cameras and hybrid shooting capabilities that the performance of older cameras is often completely overlooked. The D7500 has many limitations as a video camera, but as a stills camera it’s highly competitive, even today.
20MP is the lowest resolution of current APS-C cameras, but it’s not so far behind the 24MP norm and in real-world use it’s unlikely anyone will notice much difference. The payback is decent high-ISO performance, so you can push up the ISO when you need to keep. the shutter speed up and still get great image quality.
There’s no IBIS (only Pentax made DSLRs with IBIS) but many DX Nikkor lenses had VR image stabilization to make up for that. At shorter focal lengths the stabilization effect is probably not as good, but at longer focal lengths lens stabilization is often more effective.
The 51-point AF system is one of Nikon’s best, though as usual with DSLR designs it doesn’t cover the whole image area. For live view shooting it’s a different story. Here, the D7500 switches to slower (much slower) contrast AF. It works well, but not quickly. It’s fine on a tripod when you’ve got a little more time to be precise, but for video you’ll want to stick to relatively static subjects where you’re not having to track anything moving.
The 8fps burst rate is not the fastest by today’s standards, but it’s quick enough for most sports and comes with a 50-shot RAW buffer. If you want anything faster than this you’ll need to shop for a Nikon D500. Being a DSLR, the D7500 doesn’t have any viewfinder lag – the mirror action gives a ‘flickering’ effect, but you get to see and follow moving subjects in real-time. It’s quite a revelation if you’re used to mirrorless EVFs.
The 3.2-inch touchscreen has a tilting meachanism. Some might prefer a flip-out vari-angle screen, but plenty more like the simpler tilting approach that keeps the screen on the optical axis and doesn’t stick out to one side.
Only one memory card slot though? That is a bit of a bother for those who like security and back up of a twin-slot design. It’s also a disappointment after the D7200.
Nikon D7500 handling
I’ve used no end of mirrorless cameras in all sizes since my DSLR days, but picking up the D7500 – well, without wishing to sound sentimental – it’s like coming home. I’d missed the size of the camera in my hand, the rounded contours, the soft-to-touck materials, chunky controls and the optical viewfinder.
Optical viewfinders are often regarded as old-fashioned. The argument is that EVFs show you the actual digital image, complete with exposure and white balance and any in-camera effects or film simulations.
Much of that is true, up to a point. However, EVF panels are no more accurate than any other. They actually show you what that tiny panel thinks a JPEG rendering of your image looks like it. They typically have so much contrast you can’t really judge how much shadow detail you’re going to get and, compared to an optical view, they still feel just a little ‘laggy’.
My point about optical viewfinders is not that they are technically superior. I simply find it more natural to switch from a naked-eye view of the world past the camera to a naked-eye view THROUGH the camera. I can see the digital version on the rear screen as soon as the picture has been captured, so it’s not like I’m shooting blind.
I like the status panel on the top plate, where you can see and adjust the camera settings without putting it to your eye or holding it up to see the rear screen. I like to be unobtrusive if possible when taking pictures and it’s a lot easier with a top panel.
The D7500 is definitely worse than a mirrorless camera for low-angle shootng or for video, but that’s not what I’m doing most of the time. For 90% of my stills photography, the D7500 is easy and fast to use.
Nikon D7500 performance
It is possible to see the difference between this 20MP sensor’s results and those from 24MP rivals, but you have to zoom right in and look hard to see it. It really doesn’t make a lot of difference. The D7500’s high-ISO performance is really good and, while later cameras may have improved incrementally in noise control, the D7500 really is not far behind. It’s results look like those from any modern camera.
It could be my imagination, but I think these Nikon sensors also have a bit more dynamic range in the RAW files, which really are very forgiving. I’ve seen reports that suggest otherwise, but that’s not my experience. I can’t make any claims about the Nikon Z APS-C models since I haven’t used them extensively, but the RAW files from the D7500 are as good as I’ve seen, full frame cameras included.
The live view contrast AF is painfully slow, but the 51-point phase detect viewfinder AF is fast and positive. For single-shot photography I’d say it’s as good as any modern mirrorless camera, though it doesn’t have the same coverage across the full image area. There’s no subject detect AF or AI tracking, but Nikon’s Dynamic Area AF was mature and effective by this point and very good at keeping moving subjects in focus as you track them – there’s also a 3D Tracking mode for objects moving across the frame. The D7500 isn’t designed specifically for action and sports, but it handles them pretty well.
We have to talk about battery life. The D7500’s claimed 950 shots is not unusual for a DSLR but is of course in a different league to a mirrorless camera’s. Last night I went out for an hour’s walkaround shooting with the battery showing half power. When I got home it was still on half. With my mirrorless cameras, I don’t even leave the house if the battery isn’t at 100%
Nikon D7500 Verdict
I like the Nikon D7500 a lot. I wish it had twin card slots, not just one, and perhaps the 24MP sensor previously used by Nikon, but it’s easy and comfortable to handle, not too heavy despite its size and the controls are clear and direct. It’s true that DSLRs are bulkier than mirrorless cameras, but this gives your hands space to grip them properly and space for larger and better-spaced controls.
Don’t forget, too, that the size of any camera-lens combo comes from the lens as well as the body, and lenses for sure have not got any smaller since the DSLR era – quite the reverse. A by-product of the DSLR design is intrisincally better balance and grip with bigger lenses.
Is the D7500 a good buy? Definitely – whether you buy it new or used. Yes, it’s a DSLR, what most would consider an ‘old’ design, but its tech is modern and its results stack up well even today. If you haven’t shot with a DSLR before, this is the perfect introduction to a classic camera design that still has many fans, even if the camera makers have given up, If you are a mirrorless refugee wishing cameras were like they used to be, the D7500 will give you just what you need.