Upgrade Guide
Nikon D5100→Nikon D500
Is it worth upgrading? Spec analysis, key improvements, and our verdict.
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Strong upgrade
The D500 improves across 5 key areas at a reasonable price gap. Most D5100 owners will notice the difference.
What's new in the D500
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Resolution21MP vs 16MP (+5MP)
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Weather sealingAdded — fully sealed body
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Burst rate10fps vs 4fps
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Battery life~1240 shots (CIPA) vs ~660 shots (CIPA)
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Generation5 years newer (2016 vs 2011)
Suitability by genre
Base scores — computed from verified specs for an enthusiast shooting photo and video. The Upgrade Checker adjusts them for your skill level.
| Genre | D5100 | D500 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portrait | +0.3 | ||
| Street | -0.8 | ||
| Travel | -0.1 | ||
| Wedding & Events | +2.2 | ||
| Vlogging & Video | — | ||
| Documentary | +1.4 | ||
| Sports & Action | +2.0 | ||
| Landscape | +0.9 | ||
| Wildlife | +1.2 | ||
| Casual | +0.1 | ||
| Food | -0.1 | ||
| Macro | -0.2 | ||
| Architecture | +0.2 | ||
| Astrophotography | +0.5 | ||
| Filmmaking | — |
Full spec comparison
| Spec | D5100 | D500 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £35 used | £258 used | |
| Released | 2011 | 2016 | ↑ |
| Sensor | 16.2MP APS-C CMOS | 20.9MP APS-C CMOS | |
| Resolution | 16MP | 21MP | ↑ |
| Video | Full HD 1080p/30 | 4K UHD/30p (1.5× crop), 1080p/60 | |
| Autofocus | 11-point phase-detect (1 cross-type) via viewfinder; contrast AF with face priority in live view | 153-point phase-detect (99 cross-type, 55 selectable) via viewfinder; contrast AF with face priority in live view | |
| Stabilisation | No IBIS (lens-based stabilisation only) | No IBIS (lens-based stabilisation only) | |
| Burst Rate | 4fps | 10fps | ↑ |
| Battery Life | ~660 shots (CIPA) | ~1240 shots (CIPA) | ↑ |
| Weight | 560g (with battery) | 860g (with battery) | ↓ |
| Weather Sealed | Not weather sealed | Yes | ↑ |
| Viewfinder | Optical pentamirror, 95% coverage, 0.78x | Optical pentaprism, 100% coverage, 1.0x | |
| Screen | 3.0" vari-angle LCD, 921k dots | 3.2" tilting touchscreen, 2.36M dots | |
| Mount | Nikon F-mount (DX) | Nikon F-mount (DX) | |
| Memory Cards | Single SD slot | Dual slots: XQD + SD |
Compare side-by-side
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Tell us what you shoot and we'll score the D500 against your specific genres — not just specs.
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