I have been using a D500 + Sigma 150-600 Contemporary combination for the last 3 years. Given the DX crop factor they make a fantastic pairing for wildlife photography. They have helped me to capture many shots that I could not have easily achieved otherwise

I have been shooting Nikon since Nikon F. Had all the cameras Nikon has produced. From the Nikon F to the Z9. My passion? BIF (Birds In Flight) photography. I have the Nikkor AF-S 300mm f/4D IF-ED. Amazing lens! So much they still produce and sell brand new. This lens with the TC-14II is another pearl combination. Not image loss or autofocus speed. Snap to the point in no time. Nikkor AF-S 500mm F/4.0 VRII another amazing pearl. Works the same way with TC-14 III, Nikkor AF-S 600mm F/4.0 FL. This is a beast! Works great with all the TCs. Nikkor AF-S 800mm F/5.6 FL is slow. I sold it. Not worth a penny for BIF. My Sigma 150-600mm is auto-focus faster than that lens. Let me tell you this: Nikon has the best autofocus system ever developed in the D500 (Same on the D5 and D850). I shoot more keepers with this camera then with the Z9. Believe it or not, the camera is faster to acquire the bird in flight at any background including the busy ones. It locks on it and does not let go, keeps tracking head on to you at speeds of 60 miles an hour or more. It is more sensitive to low light than the Z9 despite the fact that in theory the Z9 shows better sensitivity on the specs. I like the camera so much that I purchased another brand new one in January 2023. the camera is out of production in February and now B&H is selling brand new again. Noise? what is that? with Photolab 6, noise is not an issue anymore. I regret that I purchased the Z9 and the Z 800mm. The workflow is terrible. if you shoot 20, 30, 60 or 120 FPS you will have tons of photos and how long it will take you to download? I don't like to spend hours behind the computer. I could write a book about this matter. Don't sell your D500. keep it and learn all the camera does for BIF you will love it. You will not learn overnight what the camera is capable of. However, persisting in finding all the camera does relentlessly you will be great at BIF. Sure lots of "experts" will start "attacking" what I just said. Believe me. My best shots I take with my D500. A lens I don't have it and will purchase soon is the Nikkor AF-F 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR it is small and super light and snappy at autofocus. Together with the D500 it will be the KILLER!

I love my D500 and the Nikon 200-500mm f5.6...awesome combo for under $3k, I don't think a mirrorless can touch the D500 for bif unless you spend $3500 + for the body

Great video Robert! Definitely a day for ducks. Speaking of, that in-flight duck shot at 3:05 was the shot of the video for me. Incredible capture that one! And definitely a lot of other really good images despite the conditions. Nice to have that hide to keep you a bit more dry. Great stuff as always mate! Really enjoyed it. Have a great week over there!

Great Video, Loved 02:02 the coot looked wetter than you! much improved light in 03:04, brilliant "in flight" shot, 04:28 a magnificent image of a Canada goose? 07:27 a fantastic "takeoff" of an "egret"? love the duck in 09:14 . 09:23 is a cracking shot as is 09:33 . I use Canon a 2x L series extender with my canon EF f4L 300mm lens, I also find the extender works well with the Canon 70-200 mm L lens, The extender very compact and very sharp with great contrast. Great Video, thanks for sharing

I hope you're happy. I'm about to spend 1000€ on a D500. I just can't get rid of my DX lenses and the Z50 is meh. My D90 has served me well. Maybe I'll leave her with the 35mm f/1.8 attached. I've got an old Sigma 150-500 that'll work nicely with the D500 along the Atlantic coast of France this summer (birds and surfers mostly).

Absolutely great video !!! Thanks for sharing 👍

You did say on my recent Bird Photography video that the conditions in your video were a bit different, you weren't kidding! Cracking shots throughout, even in the less favourable light.

Great video, thanks for sharing. I have the D500 and the Sigma 150-600 Contemporary. Have only used it for garden birds and one trip to Bempton for the gannets. Like you I have found that unless the light is good the images tend to be softer and noisier. Hoping to get out next week to try out the combination on water fowl, just praying for some brighter conditions.

Hello Robert . Considering the conditions you did extremely well there. The Duck in flight was exellent, I shoot with the D7500 with the Sigma 100-400mm C and find that a very good combo for my run and gun style of wildlife , that must be a big old unit to carry . You mentioned tents try looking at the Polish Lavvu it a canvas teepee style and makes for a great hide. Great watch Atb. Joe

Awesome video! I recently subscribed to your channel having an interest in purchasing this lens, and after seeing you pair it with the D500, I'm completely sold on it!

I use the Nikkor 200-500mm f5.6 and as you say, even with these big telephoo lenses you need to get really close to the birds to capture that detail. A lot of times the birds are that far away, that you only manage to put them in the middle of your photos, because the water or something else limits you. But if the weather is bright and you get close to the birds, the lenses capture these nice details in the feathers, which is just gorgeous to see.

Great photos Robert, I love the bird blind, I have come across a couple of those they put in parks here and there. They are so nice to shoot from :)

Great video Rob, really like the image at 07:30. You're absolutely right as well, even with a huge zoom lens the closer you are to the subject the more detail can be captured!

Nice video and useful as thinking of picking up a used D500 to go with my Sigma lens and that’ll be the wildlife combo with the Z7 remaining for landscapes etc.

Good on ya mate for getting out when the weather was terrible, glad it picked up for you later. Quite right though, we don’t always have choice on when we can go out and so you either go and get a drenching or stay at home and get nothing - always the right choice to get out imo…..I’d have a bet to say you were the only tog there that morning?

Very very good 👍🙏❤️

This lens is not a low light lens right ? Cloudy or early or late in the day, are probably difficult?

Hi Robert just found your channel find it very interesting. I don't find D500 very good in low light, I notice quite a few shots fairly fast shutter speed, and 1000 iso, was just wondering how much editing you do and do you use noise reduction soft ware.

I am looking at getting the Sigma lens and I was wondering if you had an idea of the distances you took the shots in either good or bad light. I am looking at shot up to 500m. I have a d3500 with the 70-300mm and i am looking for the next step, love the video.

Great work 👏👏👏 How will Sigma 150-600mm perform with Nikon D7500 ? Or Suggest me some budget camlens combo

Amazing pictures I was wondering which camera bag do you prefer for that Gear?

The lens is 225-900 on the crop sensor camera which I believe the D500 is. Does not make sense using a teleconverter. That is a very heavy lens to hand hold all day.

Nice vid. Thankyou. I use a Canon 7D2 with an original Canon 300mm F2.8 L with a 1.4 teleconverter. A game changer for me has been DXO Pure RAW which allows me to shoot at very high ISO setting if needed and still end up with clean, detailed shots. I was wondering if you had tried it at all and what you think of it?

Blinds can be ueed. Duck. Tree stands too.

Estimo que la D500 seguirá vigente hasta el año 2050.

Aldo do you think the D500 creates sharper images than the D7500?

Fo you think it's safe to have thevldnse out in the rain? I have a D7500 & Sigma 150-600 contemporary. I've nervous about getting them too wet.

This lens needs tons of light. I would of chosen another lens

Don't take it wrong way, but these pics doesn't do justice to this lens and camera... you should go lower when shooting birds especially that are on land.. I know it's been raining.

Your image references indicate you're using the sport version of this lens but you'er not headlining the video with the lens you're using. You don't speak about which lens you're actually using. That might help. Steve Perry has a bad review about using the lens hood because it causes soft images do to heat trapped in the hood.