Nikon is aiming for a win with sports and wildlife photographers with a new kit option for the D500. Announced today, the Nikon D500 Sports and Wildlife Kit more or less tosses in a free $450 battery pack and extended warranty over purchasing all the products separately.
The new kit option packages the speedy 10 fps Nikon D500 with the AF-S Nikkor 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR lens, the MB-D17 Multi Battery Power Pack, two Sony 32GB G Series XQD memory cards, an extra EN-EL15 battery, and an extended two-year warranty.
Purchasing the camera with the lens and accessories separately at list price would be a bit over $4,000, but with the release, Nikon is offering the kit for a discounted $3,600, with a full list price of $3,800. With the discount, the kit essentially amounts to getting that $450 battery pack almost free, as well as the additional year of warranty coverage.
The Nikon D500’s fast 10 fps burst speed and APS-C cropped sensor is well suited for sports and wildlife photography, the company says. The APS-C sensor means that 250-500mm lens is like shooting with a 750mm lens on a full-frame camera. Pairing that fast burst speed with a 153 point autofocus system also gives the camera better tracking ability ideal for action as well as photographing birds and other wildlife. Samples shot by Nikon’s Mike Corrado show how the lens pairs with the camera:
The kit’s fast memory cards helps the Nikon D500 keep up that 10 fps burst speed for up to 200 shots, while the battery pack nearly double’s the camera’s original 1,240 shot battery life. The battery pack also doubles as a camera grip, offering a second shutter release and set of control wheels for vertical shots. The battery pack can be used with that extra EN-EL15 battery included in the kit or with eight AA batteries.
Before today’s announcement, the Nikon D500 sold as a body-only option or with a 16-80mm lens. The Nikon D500 Sports and Wildlife Kit is available for orders beginning today, though the product is currently back-ordered on the Nikon website.
