Nikon D500 vs Nikon Z6 II

Below is a complete assessment of the Nikon D500 vs Nikon Z6 II, one being a Advanced DSLR and the other is a Pro Mirrorless and both of them are built by Nikon. The resolution of the D500 (21MP) and the Z6 II (25MP) is fairly close but the D500 (APS-C) and Z6 II (Full frame) boast different sensor size.

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The D500 was released 5 years earlier than the Z6 II and that is a fairly sizable gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of these cameras have different body design with the Nikon D500 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Nikon Z6 II being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before delving into a full comparison, here is a simple summation of how the D500 matches up versus the Z6 II for portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Nikon D500 and Nikon Z6 Mark II. The complete galleries are available at Nikon D500 Gallery and Nikon Z6 II Gallery.

When you are planning to lug around your camera frequently, you will want to think about its weight and volume. The Nikon D500 offers outside dimensions of 147mm x 115mm x 81mm (5.8" x 4.5" x 3.2") having a weight of 860 grams (1.90 lbs) and the Nikon Z6 II has sizing of 134mm x 101mm x 70mm (5.3" x 4.0" x 2.8") with a weight of 705 grams (1.55 lbs).

Contrast the Nikon D500 vs Nikon Z6 II in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you have attached at the time. Here is a front view measurement comparison of the D500 and the Z6 II.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability grade of the D500 and Z6 II is 56 and 61 respectively.

Generally, it's tough to visualize the gap in sensor measurements simply by researching specifications. The visual below will help provide you a more clear sense of the sensor sizes in the D500 and Z6 II.

Plainly, both cameras provide different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The D500 featuring a smaller sensor is going to make getting shallow DOF tougher and the Nikon Z6 II will result in greater detail as a result of its extra 4MP. Greater resolution can also let you crop pics more aggressively. The older D500 will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor tech.