Do you want to know what's better Nikon D500 or Nikon D800? SpecsPRO has compared Nikon D500 vs Nikon D800: weight, battery, sensor, resolution, ISO, dynamic range and other important specifications.

Nikon D500 vs Nikon D800

  • Main

  • Model

  • Price

  • Advantages

  • launch

  • Announced

  • Body type

  • Camera subcategory

  • Sensor

  • Effective pixels

  • Max resolution

  • Sensor size

  • Sensor type

  • Processor

  • Image ratio w:h

  • Other resolutions

  • Sensor photo detectors

  • Image

  • ISO

  • Boosted ISO (minimum)

  • Boosted ISO (maximum)

  • White balance presets

  • Custom white balance

  • Image stabilization

  • Uncompressed format

  • JPEG quality levels

  • Photography features

  • Minimum shutter speed

  • Maximum shutter speed

  • Aperture priority

  • Shutter priority

  • Manual exposure mode

  • Subject / scene modes

  • Built-in flash

  • External flash

  • Flash modes

  • Continuous drive

  • Self-timer

  • Metering modes

  • Exposure compensation

  • AE Bracketing

  • WB Bracketing

  • Flash range

  • Screen / viewfinder

  • Articulated LCD

  • Screen size

  • Screen dots

  • Touch screen

  • Screen type

  • Live view

  • Viewfinder type

  • Viewfinder coverage

  • Viewfinder magnification

  • Videography features

  • Resolutions

  • File Format

  • Microphone

  • Speaker

  • Optics & Focus

  • Autofocus

  • Digital zoom

  • Manual focus

  • Number of focus points

  • Lens mount

  • Focal length multiplier

  • Physical

  • Weight (inc. batteries)

  • Dimensions

  • Environmentally sealed

  • Battery

  • Battery details

  • Battery Life (CIPA)

  • Storage

  • Storage types

  • Storage included

  • Connectivity

  • USB

  • HDMI

  • Microphone port

  • Headphone port

  • Wireless

  • Wireless notes

  • Remote control

  • Other features

  • Orientation sensor

  • Timelapse recording

  • GPS

  • GPS notes

  • Samples

  • Videos

  • Main

  • Model

    Nikon D500

  • Price

  • Advantages

  • PHOTOGRAPHY FEATURES Continuous drive: 10.0 fps

    SCREEN / VIEWFINDER Articulated LCD: Tilting

    SCREEN / VIEWFINDER Screen dots: 2,359,000

    SCREEN / VIEWFINDER Touch screen: Yes

    VIDEOGRAPHY FEATURES Resolutions: 4K (UHD) 30p/25p/24p, 1080/60p/50p/30p/25p/24p, 720/60p/50p

    VIDEOGRAPHY FEATURES Microphone: Stereo

    OPTICS & FOCUS Number of focus points: 153

    PHYSICAL Weight (inc. batteries): 860 g (1.90 lb / 30.34 oz)

    Go to the Summary

  • Main

  • Model

    Nikon D800

  • Price

  • Advantages

  • SENSOR Effective pixels: 36 megapixels

    SENSOR Max resolution: 7360 x 4912

    SENSOR Sensor size: Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm)

    SENSOR Sensor photo detectors: 37 megapixels

    PHOTOGRAPHY FEATURES Built-in flash: Yes (pop-up)

    Go to the Summary

  • launch

  • Announced

    Feb 2016

  • Body type

  • Camera subcategory

    Mid-size SLR

  • Sensor

  • Effective pixels

    21 megapixels

  • Max resolution

    5568 x 3712

  • Sensor size

    APS-C (23.5 x 15.7 mm)

  • Sensor type

    CMOS

  • Processor

    Expeed 5

  • Image ratio w:h

    3:2

  • Other resolutions

    4176 x 2784, 2784 x 1856

  • Sensor photo detectors

    22 megapixels

  • Image

  • ISO

    ISO 100 - 51200 (expandable to 50 - 1640000)

  • Boosted ISO (minimum)

    50

  • Boosted ISO (maximum)

    1640000

  • White balance presets

    12

  • Custom white balance

    Yes (5)

  • Image stabilization

    No

  • Uncompressed format

    RAW + TIFF

  • JPEG quality levels

    Fine, Normal, Basic

  • Photography features

  • Minimum shutter speed

    30 sec

  • Maximum shutter speed

    1/8000 sec

  • Aperture priority

    Yes

  • Shutter priority

    Yes

  • Manual exposure mode

    Yes

  • Subject / scene modes

    No

  • Built-in flash

    No

  • External flash

    Yes (Hot-shoe, Wireless plus sync connector)

  • Flash modes

    Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Slow sync, Rear curtain

  • Continuous drive

    10.0 fps

  • Self-timer

    Yes (2, 5, 10 or 20 sec)

  • Metering modes

    • Multi
    • Center-weighted
    • Highlight-weighted
    • Spot

  • Exposure compensation

    ±5 (at 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV steps)

  • AE Bracketing

    (2, 3, 5, 7 frames at 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV, 2/3 EV, 1 EV, 2 EV steps)

  • WB Bracketing

    Yes (2 or 9 frames in steps of 1, 2 or 3 mired)

  • Flash range

  • Screen / viewfinder

  • Articulated LCD

    Tilting

  • Screen size

    3.2

  • Screen dots

    2,359,000

  • Touch screen

    Yes

  • Screen type

    TFT LCD

  • Live view

    Yes

  • Viewfinder type

    Optical (pentaprism)

  • Viewfinder coverage

    100%

  • Viewfinder magnification

    1×

  • Videography features

  • Resolutions

    4K (UHD) 30p/25p/24p, 1080/60p/50p/30p/25p/24p, 720/60p/50p

  • File Format

    MPEG-4, H.264

  • Microphone

    Stereo

  • Speaker

    Mono

  • Optics & Focus

  • Autofocus

    • Contrast Detect (sensor)
    • Phase Detect
    • Multi-area
    • Selective single-point
    • Tracking
    • Single
    • Continuous
    • Face Detection
    • Live View

  • Digital zoom

    No

  • Manual focus

    Yes

  • Number of focus points

    153

  • Lens mount

    Nikon F

  • Focal length multiplier

    1.5×

  • Physical

  • Weight (inc. batteries)

    860 g (1.90 lb / 30.34 oz)

  • Dimensions

    147 x 115 x 81 mm (5.79 x 4.53 x 3.19)

  • Environmentally sealed

    Yes

  • Battery

    Battery Pack

  • Battery details

    Lithium-Ion EN-EL15 rechargeable battery & charger

  • Battery Life (CIPA)

    1240

  • Storage

  • Storage types

    SD/SDHC/SDXC (UHS-II compliant) + XQD

  • Storage included

    None

  • Connectivity

  • USB

    USB 3.0 (5 GBit/sec)

  • HDMI

    Yes (mini-HDMI)

  • Microphone port

    Yes

  • Headphone port

    Yes

  • Wireless

    Built-In

  • Wireless notes

    Wi-Fi with low energy Bluetooth

  • Remote control

    Yes (Optional, wired or wireless )

  • Other features

  • Orientation sensor

    Yes

  • Timelapse recording

    Yes

  • GPS

    Optional

  • GPS notes

    GP-1

  • Watch sample photos

  • Watch video reviews

  • launch

  • Announced

    Feb 7, 2012

  • Body type

  • Camera subcategory

    Mid-size SLR

  • Sensor

  • Effective pixels

    36 megapixels

  • Max resolution

    7360 x 4912

  • Sensor size

    Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm)

  • Sensor type

    CMOS

  • Processor

    Expeed 3

  • Image ratio w:h

    5:4, 3:2

  • Other resolutions

    6144 x 4912, 6144 x 4080, 5520 x 3680, 4800 x 3200, 4608 x 3680, 4608 x 3056, 3680 x 2456, 3600 x 2400, 3072 x 2456, 3072 x 2040, 2400 x 1600

  • Sensor photo detectors

    37 megapixels

  • Image

  • ISO

    100 - 6400 in 1, 1/2 or 1/3 EV steps (50 - 25600 with boost)

  • Boosted ISO (minimum)

    50

  • Boosted ISO (maximum)

    25600

  • White balance presets

    12

  • Custom white balance

    Yes (5)

  • Image stabilization

    No

  • Uncompressed format

    RAW

  • JPEG quality levels

    Fine, Normal, Basic

  • Photography features

  • Minimum shutter speed

    30 sec

  • Maximum shutter speed

    1/8000 sec

  • Aperture priority

    Yes

  • Shutter priority

    Yes

  • Manual exposure mode

    Yes

  • Subject / scene modes

    No

  • Built-in flash

    Yes (pop-up)

  • External flash

    Yes (Hot-shoe, Wireless plus sync connector)

  • Flash modes

    Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Slow sync, Rear curtain, High-speed sync

  • Continuous drive

    4.0 fps

  • Self-timer

    Yes (2 to 20 sec, 1 to 9 exposures at intervals of 0.5, 1, 2 or 3 sec)

  • Metering modes

    • Multi
    • Center-weighted
    • Average
    • Spot

  • Exposure compensation

    ±5 (at 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV, 1 EV steps)

  • AE Bracketing

    (2, 3, 5, 7 frames at 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV, 2/3 EV, 1 EV steps)

  • WB Bracketing

    Yes (2 to 9 frames in steps of 1, 2 or 3)

  • Flash range

    12.00 m (at ISO 100)

  • Screen / viewfinder

  • Articulated LCD

    Fixed

  • Screen size

    3.2

  • Screen dots

    921,000

  • Touch screen

    No

  • Screen type

    TFT Color LCD with 170 degrees wide-viewing angle

  • Live view

    Yes

  • Viewfinder type

    Optical (pentaprism)

  • Viewfinder coverage

    100%

  • Viewfinder magnification

    0.7×

  • Videography features

  • Resolutions

    1920 x 1080 (30, 25, 24 fps), 1280 x 720 (60, 50, 30, 25 fps), 640 x 424 (24 fps)

  • File Format

    MPEG-4, H.264

  • Microphone

    Mono

  • Speaker

    Mono

  • Optics & Focus

  • Autofocus

    • Phase Detect
    • Multi-area
    • Selective single-point
    • Tracking
    • Single
    • Continuous
    • Face Detection
    • Live View

  • Digital zoom

    No

  • Manual focus

    Yes

  • Number of focus points

    51

  • Lens mount

    Nikon F

  • Focal length multiplier

    1×

  • Physical

  • Weight (inc. batteries)

    1000 g (2.20 lb / 35.27 oz)

  • Dimensions

    146 x 123 x 82 mm (5.75 x 4.84 x 3.23)

  • Environmentally sealed

    Yes (Water and dust resistant)

  • Battery

    Battery Pack

  • Battery details

    Lithium-Ion EN-EL15 rechargeable battery & charger

  • Battery Life (CIPA)

  • Storage

  • Storage types

    Compact Flash (Type I), SD/SDHC/SDXC UHS-I compliant

  • Storage included

    None

  • Connectivity

  • USB

    USB 3.0 (5 GBit/sec)

  • HDMI

    Yes (Mini Type C)

  • Microphone port

  • Headphone port

  • Wireless

  • Wireless notes

  • Remote control

    Yes (Optional, wired or wireless )

  • Other features

  • Orientation sensor

    Yes

  • Timelapse recording

    Yes

  • GPS

    Optional

  • GPS notes

    GP-1

  • Watch sample photos

  • Watch video reviews

  • Summary

    The D800 highest resolution of 7360 x 4912 pixels (36 megapixels) is better than the Nikon D500 highest resolution of 5568 x 3712 pixels (21 megapixels). The D800 has bigger sensor than the Nikon D500: Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) versus APS-C (23.5 x 15.7 mm). This is very important specification of this model as big sensor lets you to shoot pictures of the better quality. The Nikon D500 offers more focus points in compare with the D800: 153 vs 51. More number of focus points means more convenience while attempting to focus on subjects that are not centred.

    The D500 has tilting LCD that will allow you to take images from any odd perspective. The Nikon D500 display is better as it offers more screen dots 2,359,000 in comparison to 921,000 dots of the D800 display. The higher dot count display is better for reviewing photos on your camera. The D500 has a touch screen.

    The D800 has built-in flash. The D500 weighs 860g that is 140g less than the weight of the D800.

    The D500 has 8 advantages and the D800 only 5 so the D500 will be the best choice. Get the lowest price on Amazon.