Nikon D7200 vs Nikon D7500

Introduction

Whenever you used to search about DSLR cameras or talk to some professional about one, I believe the immediate response was, Nikon DSLRs. It’s actually something common, you can go ahead and search the internet right now for best DSLR cameras, and you are going to end up with three or more Nikon DSLRs suggested.

However, that didn’t grow over a day, in fact, Nikon has released dozens of DSLRs over the years, while most of them were widely purchased by photography enthusiasts, hobbyists, and professionals.

This was all achieved due to the fact that Nikon DSLRs have built-in technology, easy-of-use operation, an exceptional set of features that make the camera special. I’ve had the chance to use a plethora of Nikon DSLRs, where in most cases, I couldn’t find anything bad about the camera.

Therefore, today, I’m going to try to compare and review two midrange DSLRs, well, you can call them that if you want, but either way, they’ve been a top-option for quite some years now, but lately I noticed that people are still asking about these cameras, more precisely, the Nikon D7200 and the Nikon D7500.

They are highly-rated cameras in the camera industry, as well as in Amazon, so, let’s just get into the details and see what these cameras have to offer.

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Head To Head Comparison

Nikon D7200

The Nikon D7200 is a uniquely constructed DSLR camera that also comes at a fair and reasonable price with plenty of features and exceptionally good performance. At the time of the release, this camera was really something, well, it still is, to be honest, but of course, there are more premium models available. Although, the D7200 is the top-of-the-DX-line DSLR, with improved AF-system, the EXPEED 4 processor, and some other interesting features for which we’ll talk later in this review.

Okay, first, we’ll start this review by saying a few words about the design, and then after, we’ll talk a bit about the performance.

Design-wise, this particular camera comes with a durable built construction, however, it still has a decent weight. Both parts the front and the rear grip are covered with a textured soft coating which not only delivers comfort in your hand, but it also gives a great look to the overall appearance of the camera. There’s a place for your middle finger as well, which fits neatly underneath the protrusion for the shutter release button, while the forefinger and thumb have a natural spot on the shutter release and rear scrolling dial. All and all, there’s nothing bad about the design, mostly I guess. The button layout is also decently placed, where everything is reachable and the camera can be optimized and used one-handed.

As we move on, there’s also an LCD screen for which we’ll have to say some words.

The LCD screen is mostly the same as found in the 7200’s predecessor, having a size of 3.2-inches, 1229-dot LCD screen, but there’s something that really disappoints me though, it’s the fixed design, and not having touch-sensitive capabilities. For some users, in fact, for most people, this is a must-have feature because a flip-out designed screen can help for shooting from different angles and viewing positions, as well as a touchscreen, can be very useful for changing settings, manual autofocusing, scrolling through images, and so on.

This is all I have about the design since the most part of it is still the same as its predecessors.

Now, let’s get more into the specifics and see how can these cameras truly perform.

To start off, the Nikon D7200 has a 24.2MP APS-C CMOS sensor, while this model comes with plenty of improvements if you compare it to its previous models. For starters, it has a better image processor, the EXPEED 4, while the continuous shooting rate remains the same, 6fps at full resolution, and you get an extra 1fps if you use the 1.3x crop mode.

What more appealing for this camera is the autofocus system, which in fact is one of the best in its category and price range. In other words, this camera boasts a 51-point AF system that covers the entire frame, unlike some other DSLRs that have AF points grouped around the center.

Regarding the ISO range, the Nikon D7200 has a native range of 100-25600, but that’s not all since it can also be expanded to 102,400 in B&W. This makes it a great camera for macro.

What I like the most about this camera is the Picture Control 2.0 feature which basically brings along 7 Picture Controls, without leaving the new Flat mode out. More precisely, this particular mode produces images with reduced contrast and maximum dynamic range, which makes this camera more suitable for videographers rather than photographers due to the fact that it makes grading and enhancing footage easier.

Since we mentioned video, the D7200 can shoot full HD 1080p at 30/25p, but there are other options available, for instance, you can also shoot 60p/50p if you use the 1.3x crop mode. For those who use mics, they’ll be happy to know that the D7200 is also compatible with a new Nikon ME-W1 wireless mic, while you can save video footage in one of the dual SD card slots, or simply transfer using HDMI connection straight to an external recorder.

Nonetheless, there are other connection options available, such as the built-in Wi-Fi and NFC which means that you can connect the camera with a compatible smartphone or tablet device to successfully share or transfer all your work or images. It’s the most common method for transferring images, however, you can choose whatever suits you the most.

Overall, there’s really nothing bad about this camera except the lack of flip-out designed touchscreen, but that’s just my personal opinion since I’m used to having that, and it doesn’t have to affect your opinion or thoughts about this product.

Nikon D7200 Sample Footage:

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Nikon D7500

Now, just by the version name, you can already imagine that this particular camera comes with plenty of improvements if you compare it to the D7500. However, take in mind that it always depends for what you need the camera for, not the price or model, for example, you might get better performance for still photography or portrait photography in one model, while in the other, you might get better performance for videography, and so on. Nonetheless, the D7500 is a mid-range camera that delivers a dazzling image quality along with fast performance.

So, let’s first start with the design and see what follows next.

To be precise, the D7500 comes with a 5% more lightweight construction than the D7200, while it feels solid in the hand, mostly due to the soft-texture coating on the front and rear of the grip which ensures that you have a comfortable and secure holding experience. However, I’ve said it before, these textured spots that most cameras have, they also give a stylish look to the camera, not only comfort but again, it’s your opinion what matters in the end.

Now, same as the D7200, the D7500 is also weather-proofed, so you won’t have to worry if you find yourself in different weather conditions, whether it is rain or snow. Now, as for the button layout, there are some changes made, for example, you won’t find the metering mode button on the top plate as it was on the D7200, it is replaced with a dedicated ISO button. Everything else is pretty much the same.

Now, the most appealing change from the D7200 is the 3.2-inch tilt-angle touchscreen. As we said, the D7200 doesn’t have a tilting LCD screen, nor touchscreen capabilities, but that’s long gone in this model because you get both. Therefore, you can always change controls and optimize things in the interface using the touchscreen, while you can also tilt the screen to the desired position for shooting from different angles and viewing positions.

In terms of performance, the D7500 uses the same 20.9 MP DX-format image sensor and EXPEED 5 image-processing engine as the D500. It captures with phenomenal sharpness and tonality, while it is also great in low-light situations like concerts, sporting events, parties, and events.

The autofocus system is something that really needs to be acknowledged, having a 51-point AF system with 15 cross-type sensors and group area AF paired with up to 8fps continuous shooting capability, you can already tell what this camera is capable of.

Another advantage over the Nikon D7200 is the 4K Ultra HD video recording. Now, as we mentioned, the Nikon D7200 could only record at Full HD 1080p, but this is not the case with the 7500, because not only that you have 4K video capture, you can also use 4K UHD Time-Lapse with auto ISO, power aperture control, and stereo sound.

Since we mentioned the ISO, the D7500 offers a native ISO range of 100-51,200, which is wider than the D7200 ISO range of 100-25,600, while you can also extend the ISO down to ISO 50 and up to a whopping ISO 1,640,000 equivalent. The specs speak for itself really, this D7500 is a state-of-the-art DSLR, while in my opinion, it is the best in its category and price range.

Before we end, let’s also mention the fact that this camera has a built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, which means that you can easily connect your devices for image transferring. There is also another option available, to connect through the Nikon SnapBridge App, which also allows for remote camera control, pretty impressive right?

All and all, the Nikon D7500 is a very popular mid-range DSLR camera, and it will remain as such even in the years to come because it has remarkable specs with an impressive performance and image quality.

Nikon D7500 Sample Footage:

 

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Nikon D7200 vs Nikon D7500 Feature Comparison

	Nikon D7200	Nikon D7500
Camera Type	DSLR	DSLR
Megapixels	24.2	20.9
ISO Range	100-25600(102,400)	100-51,200(1,640,000)
Flip-Out Screen	No	Yes
AF Points	51 AF points	51 AF Points
Viewfinder	Yes	Yes
Touchscreen	No	Yes
Video Recording	Yes	Yes
Sensor Size	CMOS	CMOS

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Conclusion

As we saw during the review, both cameras are great, but when it comes to dividing them and comparing them, the Nikon D7500 is so far ahead of the D7200.

However, that doesn’t necessarily mean that you shouldn’t get the Nikon D7200 if you’ve already made up your mind, it’s still a great DSLR that delivers great value for the money, while it especially great for videographers.

On the other hand, the Nikon D7500 is a well-rounder DSLR which comes with plenty of premium features, as well as an impressive performance and image quality, so if you were to choose between these two cameras, and you had the budget for the Nikon D7500, this is the camera to go with. I would recommend this camera to everyone looking for a DSLR for sports, weddings, events, portrait photography, still photography, landscapes, etc.

I hope this article was helpful to you, and if you have any questions regarding this topic, make sure you contact me and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible.

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