The D500 is a dream camera. It has a fast, effective autofocus system, 10fps shooting capability and first-rate metering and white balance systems. For the money, this might be the best digital SLR Nikon has ever made.

10fps continuous shooting; Huge raw buffer capacity; Robust; professional build quality

Live View autofocus improved but still hunts; Highest ISO expansion settings show banding; Expensive

The Nikon D500’s range of features and excellent performance make it the best APS-C DSLR you can buy. It’s a chunky camera, designed to produce good images in a range of different conditions. Those experienced enough to be au fait with all the different settings options will love the direct controls on offer, while features such as 4K video recording also appeal to videographers as well as photographers. The only drawback here is cost. While it arguably represents good value for money because it performs so well, it’s still a hefty initial outlay you’ll have to get over. More so if get it with the excellent 16-80mm f/2.8-4 lens, which is also highly recommended. There’s a huge array of things going for the D500, high price or otherwise - if you’re looking for a solid all-rounder that performs well in a range of different conditions, it’s a worthy investment.

Fantastic image quality for a range of subjects; Loads of manual controls; Brilliant autofocus system; Excellent optical viewfinder;

Expensive for an APS-C camera;

After 6 years neglecting the power APS-C action photographer, Nikon released the mostly impressive D500 dSLR, the little sister to the pro full-frame D5. With the same autofocus and metering systems as that model, a high-sensitivity 20.9-megapixel CMOS sensor, a large tilting touchscreen and 4K video, it hits most of the essential targets for a camera in its class. Only a couple of flaws knock it slightly off course.

There's tons to like about the Nikon D500, from its fast shooting and excellent image quality to its broad feature set and streamlined design. But it still falls short with its Live View autofocus and seriously subpar wireless file transfer and shooting operation.

The Nikon D500 is fast with excellent continuous-shooting and autofocus performance; its 4K video support is a welcome novelty for its dSLR price class and; of course; there's the great photo quality.

Terrible wireless file-transfer and remote-control app; and its Live View (contrast) autofocus could use a boost.

The wait for a modern, pro-grade, APS-C Nikon camera is over. The D500 ($1,995.95, body only) is the replacement for the ancient D300S , and as you'd expect with a seven-year increment between releases, the D500 ups the ante considerably. The highlight of the 20.9-megapixel SLR is an autofocus system that covers the sensor horizontally from edge to edge, and is able to track moving action while firing off images at 10 frames per second. Add features like 4K video capture and a tilting touch-screen LCD, and you've got a camera that will make photographers invested in the Nikon system quite happy. The D500 is a top-end performer in almost every regard, replacing the Canon EOS 7D Mark II ($1,499.00 at Dell) as our Editors' Choice for enthusiast and professional APS-C SLRs. DesignWith the rise of affordable full-frame camera models, including Nikon's entry-level D610 and midrange D750 ($1,596.95 at Amazon) , some photographers, especially those who feel they've outgrown starter model...

The Nikon D500 puts the company's finest autofocus system in a tough, compact SLR body that will please demanding enthusiasts and pros alike.

Solid build; Advanced, edge-to-edge autofocus system; 10fps capture with tracking focus; Large buffer for extended shooting; Superb high ISO image quality; Clean HDMI output; Excellent control layout; Tilting touch-screen LCD; Dust- and weather-resistant design; XQD and SD card slots

Snapbridge wireless transfer needs some work; 4K video is cropped; Omits built-in flash

Fantastic image quality for a range of subjects; Loads of manual controls; Brilliant autofocus system; Excellent optical viewfinder;

Expensive for an APS-C camera;

Outstanding quality across the board, the Nikon D500 is fast, feature-packed and takes beautiful photos.

100% optical viewfinder; Tilting screen; Enthusiast-centric controls; Dual memory card slots;

APS-C format sensor; Screen not articulating ;