Nikon D500 Samples

The Nikon D500 offers the best-in-class ISO range among APS-C digital cameras, covering ISO 50 to a stellar 1,638,400! No APS-C sensor before it could reach above ISO 204,800, although the Pentax K-P offers a maximum of ISO 819,200 now.

All images below are 100% unmodified crops from the Nikon D500. ISO, aperture and Custom White-Balance were fixed in-camera and noise-reduction was turned off. As usual, the camera was calibrated to produce the highest and most realistic image quality it can achieve.

Here the Nikon D500 is compared to the current low-light champion of APS-C cameras, the already 5-year old Pentax K-5 IIs. Newer models have come but the increase of megapixels means smaller pixels and that translates into increased noise until technology gains cancel the difference out.

These crops help determine which ISO settings can be acceptably used on this camera. As image noise increases, most cameras compensate with noise reduction which introduces softness. The point at which a print become unacceptably noisy is a matter of personal taste.

Nikon D500	Pentax K5 IIs
ISO 50	ISO 50
ISO 100	ISO 100
ISO 200	ISO 200
ISO 400	ISO 400
ISO 800	ISO 800
ISO 1600	ISO 1600
ISO 3200	ISO 3200
ISO 6400	ISO 6400
ISO 12800	ISO 12800
ISO 25600	ISO 25600
ISO 51200	ISO 51200
ISO 102400	The Nikon D500 and Pentax K5 IIs started even in terms of image noise but as ISO increases, the Nikon D500 is slowly taking the lead. By ISO 51200, it has a full-stop advantage. Note that even with Noise-Reduction turned off, there is softness creeping into images from the D500, probably reduced at the sensor-level.
ISO 204800	Sensitivies starting at ISO 204,800 are just for bragging rights. Images are useless from here on. Even the previous ISO 102400 is of limited use.
ISO 409600
ISO 819200
ISO 1638400