Nikon D500
Real Sensor Data
- Brand
- Nikon
- Sensor Format
- APS-C (1.5x)
- Resolution
- 20.9 MP
- Pixel Pitch
- 4.19 microns
- Circle of Confusion
- 0.0188 mm
- Crop Factor
- 1.53x
- Announced
- 2016
Released in 2016, the D500 was Nikon's professional APS-C DSLR flagship, built around a 20.9-megapixel sensor and marketed specifically toward wildlife and sports photographers who wanted the extra reach a 1.5x crop factor provides alongside genuinely fast, professional-grade continuous shooting and autofocus performance.
Nikon D500 sensor specs
- Sensor
- APS-C (1.5x)
- Resolution
- 20.9 MP
- Pixel dimensions
- 5,599 × 3,733 px
- Aspect ratio
- 3:2
- Pixel pitch
- 4.19 µm
- Crop factor
- 1.53x
- Circle of confusion
- 0.0188 mm
APS-C sensor · DoF & Hyperfocal Calculator · Astro 500/NPF Calculator
The D500's buffer could sustain over 200 raw frames in a single continuous burst, a genuinely enormous figure for its era that let sports and wildlife photographers shoot extended sequences without the camera stalling to clear memory mid-action.
Nikon also gave the D500 a genuinely rugged magnesium-alloy body with extensive weather sealing, construction quality matching its positioning as Nikon's professional-grade APS-C flagship. A genuine construction-quality commitment. A construction choice matching its target audience.
See these numbers used live in the DoF & Hyperfocal Calculator by selecting the APS-C (1.5x) sensor format.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the D500 still competitive with modern mirrorless wildlife cameras?
Its sensor and depth-of-field math remain just as valid today as at release, though modern mirrorless bodies generally offer faster, more sophisticated subject-detection autofocus that many wildlife photographers now consider a meaningful advantage.
Why did wildlife photographers favor the D500 specifically?
Its APS-C sensor's 1.5x crop factor extends telephoto reach compared to full frame at the same real focal length, and its professional-grade continuous shooting and autofocus tracking made it a genuinely capable dedicated wildlife and sports body, distinct from Nikon's more general-purpose APS-C DSLRs.