Nikon D7500 review: flagship DX image quality in a lighter DSLR

Nikon's enthusiast DX DSLR, launched in 2017 at $1,249.95 (body only). Who it suits: enthusiasts who want an optical finder and F-mount lenses for sport, wildlife and low light.

October 23, 2026 · Camera · Review

A Nikon D7500 body from the front with no lens, showing the mirror — Nikon D7500 body.
Photo: Ato 01 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)

HIGHLIGHTS

Why it exists. Nikon took the flagship D500's 20.9MP DX sensor (no optical low-pass filter) and EXPEED 5 engine and put them in a smaller, lighter monocoque body for enthusiasts. Kosuke Kawaura, Director of Marketing and Planning at Nikon Inc., said: "The Nikon D7500 was engineered to be as versatile as the photographer using it, and excels whether shooting fast-action sports, stunning low-light landscapes, distant wildlife, glamorous portraits or multimedia content… This is a camera for the photographers who are serious about their passion, infatuated with the next frame and above all else, want speed, small size and an excellent value."

Nikon launched the D7500 in April 2017 at $1,249.95 body-only. You get ISO up to 51200 (1,640,000 expanded), 8 fps bursts of up to 50 RAW frames, a 180K-pixel RGB metering sensor feeding 51-point AF with Group-area mode, 4K UHD 30p video, a 3.2-inch tilting touchscreen and SnapBridge. Battery life is rated at about 950 shots per charge (CIPA).

The caveats: it has a single SD slot, and the 51-point AF system is a step below the D500's. Who should buy it? Enthusiasts who still want an optical finder and F-mount lenses for sport, wildlife and low light. Our gallery comes from five photographers: the Kaohsiung skyline, garganey ducks in Kannur, two views over Aachen from the Haarener Kreuz, a road bridge at Adamov and the Al Muttaqin Mosque in Lancok.

The story

Nikon announced the D7500 on April 12, 2017, at a suggested retail price of $1,249.95 for the body or $1,749.95 with the AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-140mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR, available in summer 2017 (Nikon Inc. release, reproduced by Nikon Rumors).

Nikon Corporation's global release explains the idea: the D500's sensor and processing in a lighter monocoque body, with ISO up to 1,640,000 equivalent, 8 fps bursts and about 950 shots per charge (Nikon Corporation).

Nikon's D7500 product page carries the full spec table, including the sensor size, AF module, card slot and weight (Nikon D7500 specifications).

Specifications

Key specs for the Nikon D7500, from Nikon's D7500 specifications, Nikon Corporation's April 12, 2017 release and Nikon Inc.'s release. Source for each row in brackets.

Sensor	DX CMOS (23.5 × 15.7 mm), 20.9MP, no optical low-pass filter; EXPEED 5 [Nikon specifications, Nikon release]
ISO	100–51200; expandable to Lo 1 (ISO 50 equiv.) and Hi 5 (ISO 1,640,000 equiv.) [Nikon specifications, Nikon release]
Autofocus	Multi-CAM 3500 II, 51 points (15 cross-type), with Group-area AF; 180K-pixel RGB metering [Nikon specifications, Nikon release]
Bursts	About 8 fps; up to 50 14-bit lossless-compressed RAW or 100 JPEG frames [Nikon release]
Video	4K UHD 3840 × 2160 at 30/25/24p (up to 29 min 59 s); MOV/MP4 [Nikon specifications, Nikon release]
Screen	3.2-in. tilting touch LCD, approx. 922k dots [Nikon specifications]
Cards	Single SD slot (UHS-I SDHC/SDXC) [Nikon specifications]
Body	Weather-sealed monocoque; SnapBridge (Bluetooth and Wi-Fi) [Nikon release]
Battery	EN-EL15a; approx. 950 shots or approx. 80 min of movies (CIPA) [Nikon release]
Weight	Approx. 720 g with battery and card (640 g body only) [Nikon specifications]
Announced / price	Apr 12, 2017; $1,249.95 SRP body only (US); $1,749.95 with 18-140mm [Nikon Inc. release]

Sample photos

Six photos taken with the Nikon D7500 by five photographers, shared on Wikimedia Commons under Creative Commons licenses. Select a photo to enlarge it. More samples from Wikimedia Commons