Nikon D7500

The Nikon D7500 is a DSLR released in 2017. It uses an APS-C CMOS sensor and takes lenses through the Nikon F DX mount.

It suits photographers who like framing a scene through an optical pentaprism viewfinder and who shoot outdoors, since the body carries weather sealing. That sealing resists dust and moisture rather than making the camera waterproof.

This is a mid-sized DSLR. The body weighs 720g and measures 136 x 104 x 73mm, so it is noticeable in a bag.

A 20.9-megapixel APS-C sensor, paired with the Expeed 5 processor, gives resolution with some room to crop. The Optics score of 68 is good, and the D7500 sits around the middle of cameras in our database for Optics.

Sensitivity spans ISO 100 to 51200, giving a broad range to work with as light levels change.

For moving subjects, the camera fires at up to 8fps. The 1/8000s maximum shutter speed can freeze fast action or help hold apertures wide in strong light, and 51 autofocus points are available for focus placement.

One thing to plan around is the absence of in-body stabilisation, so steady handheld results in dim light depend on faster shutter speeds, a stabilised lens or careful technique. Framing is through an optical pentaprism viewfinder, which shows the scene directly with no electronic delay.

The D7500 records video at up to 4K resolution. Its highest frame rate is 30fps, which produces standard-motion footage; the camera does not offer the high frame rates that slow-motion work requires. Resolution and frame rate are separate maximums, so each figure describes its own ceiling rather than a combined recording mode.

A built-in timelapse function saves you carrying an intervalometer, because the camera handles the shooting intervals itself. That removes one accessory from the kit list for time-compressed sequences.

Footage records in MOV or MP4, two widely used video formats. The video score of 70 is good, reflecting capable core recording, with the main gap sitting at the frame-rate field rather than resolution.

Features score 83, which is very good. The centrepiece is the 3.2-inch touchscreen with 922,000 dots, detailed enough for reviewing shots closely. Live view lets you frame on the screen, and because the screen can be angled away from the body, low or overhead positions become comfortable to shoot from.

Both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are built in, giving the camera short-range wireless connectivity.

Lighting is covered from both ends: a built-in flash for quick fill, and support for an external flash when you want more power or control.

Weather sealing protects the internals against dust and moisture in the field, though it does not make the camera waterproof. There is no GPS, so location tagging has to happen outside the camera.

Storage and battery is the weakest area, with a modest score of 43. The single card slot accepts SD, SDHC and SDXC cards, and because there is no second slot you cannot record to two cards at once.

Battery life is the strong point here. The EN-EL15a is rated at 950 shots, the best result among this section's scored elements. Real-world endurance will vary with settings and usage.

There is no USB charging, so batteries go back in a dedicated charger and you cannot top the camera up from a power bank. Anyone planning long shoots away from mains power should budget for a spare EN-EL15a.