As I come from the NIKON D5200, which I had for 5 years, the review essentially concerns my opinions about the D7500 in relation to the D5200. Someone who has a better camera, such as the 7200, may not read anything they don't already know.
Ergonomics
With the 5200, I would place the screen on the side, so when I approached the viewfinder, there was a little space, in the gap that was created, for my nose. As funny as it may sound, with this screen in the middle, my nose gets squeezed and I can't get close to the viewfinder properly. Not to mention that the screen constantly gets dirty and needs cleaning. Also, in the old camera, the screen closed with the glass protected towards the inside, while here it remains vulnerable.
Another issue is the locking of the left adjustment wheel. Due to the lock switch (supposedly for safety, so that the settings don't accidentally change), it is difficult to use it with one finger. So, it's a waste of precious time...
Inside the grip, they have placed a button that essentially prevents me from enjoying the grip of the camera. With the old one, I could comfortably hold the camera just by the grip. Here, with the button in the middle, I don't know how to position my fingers to have a good grip. Time will tell if I eventually get used to it.
On the positive side, the viewfinder is much brighter and larger, as you can now see the entire optical field. With my old D5200, there was a gap around it and I had to guess what would finally appear in the photo.
It also has a lot of customization options on the buttons.
The LCD screen on the top hasn't been useful to me for anything and I have ignored it for now. Maybe its presence requires getting used to. It would be useful if it showed the battery level while the camera is off, but I haven't found a setting to do that.
Quality and Functionality
The camera works flawlessly with the TAMRON 16-300 and very well with the NISSIN flash (i60a), even with HSS, although I noticed that 1 out of 4 times the flash in HSS didn't fire. I'm looking into it.
The NEF files it produces are around 24 MB.
In a small theater performance, the autofocus worked perfectly, as did the burst of photos. The old 5200 struggled somewhat to cope with AF-C and simultaneous Burst, while the 7500 didn't seem to have any trouble. The images were very clear and the colors vibrant. Although the shutter speed was at 1/350, with a wide open aperture of course, the ISO generally remained at low levels (Auto ISO), which pleasantly surprised me, as with the old one in similar situations, I had to push the ISO to its limits. Also, the AUTO WB worked quite well, as very few times did it require significant intervention for correction with software.
D7500 vs D500. Why I ultimately didn't choose the D500
I saw that there were reviews and there weren't for both cameras. Even in Chinese... So, I was in a crazy dilemma, almost until the moment I entered the store. However, there I finally made the decision for the smaller D7500. For the following personal reasons, of course:
1st... and most importantly in the end.
I am not a professional photographer nor do I plan to pursue photography professionally in the future and make any profit from the photos. I simply want to pursue my hobby and capture the beautiful moments I live with my family as best as possible. The 150-something AF points and the autofocus system borrowed from the D5, which is super-duper, are great for capturing wildlife in their natural environment. But still, the only "wildlife" I have to photograph in its natural environment is my little one! Not to mention that the weight would be too much. It's already somewhat difficult for me, especially when carrying the 16-300 lens. Fortunately, Nikon has taken care of the D500 to lighten the pocket by an additional €600...
If I were a professional and intended to amortize the camera, I would go not for the D500 but straight to the D850.
2. Compared to the camera I come from (D5200), the upgrade, even to the "simple and modest" 7500, is huge.
3. I want a built-in flash. Yes, I have an external one, but I don't always want to carry it with me, and as good as the performance is in low light, a flash, even on camera, is useful. Plus, it also serves as a trigger for the external flash, without me needing to spend (at least for now) another €60 for a radio controller.
4. I'm not so concerned about the presence of a second SD card. In the 5 years I had my old camera, the card worked perfectly. But even if the devil breaks its leg and it fails, there is the option to immediately and continuously send the JPEGs taken by the camera to the connected mobile phone via SNAPBRIDGE. So some, if not all, of the images will be saved (as long as they are not also stored on the mobile's microSD and that one fails too). Since I won't be giving them to any client I just photographed (for their bad luck) their wedding, I'll be fine even with the 2MB JPEGs at a resolution of 1620 x 1080. I already tested it at an event and it sent all the photos I took directly to my mobile.
In conclusion, after two weeks of use, I think I am very satisfied with the upgrade, especially since I got it through NIKON CASHBACK. Because it also has its negatives, I give it 4 stars and time will tell... I will come back at some point with updates...
UPDATE regarding the Nissin i60a Flash
I finally learned how to use the camera in Commander Mode with the Nissin as a Slave, and I can confirm that they work perfectly together in manual or TTL mode and with adjustments through the camera, including HSS. All of this, of course, with Optical Wireless, meaning that the commands are given by the camera's built-in flash. I haven't tried connecting them with radio frequencies yet.
UPDATE for two more things
1. The small LCD screen is actually very good in the sun. Where the regular screen is not visible at all on a sunny day, the small LCD is crystal clear.
2. In Live View Mode, every change in aperture is accompanied by a strange mechanical sound. At first, I thought there was a problem with the lens, but then I realized it also happened with another lens, so I thought the issue was with the camera. However, from what I read on various sites, it is the sound made by the aperture opening or closing to show the live image (depth of field, brightness, etc.). My old camera obviously didn't have this feature. It may be something known to many, but it surprised me, so I thought I'd mention it.
UPDATE SEPTEMBER 2019
Now that I've gotten used to its ergonomic issues, I will upgrade it to 5 stars because it is otherwise flawless. It also works well with the TAMRON 24-70 f2.8 G2 (although the lens required a lot of adjustment) and works perfectly with the new TAMRON 35-150 f2.8-4. The only negative aspect that remains (but all Nikon DSLRs have it) is the focusing in live view, especially when shooting videos. Essentially, it cannot focus quickly enough and often focuses on the wrong point. To overcome this, I bought an eyepiece that attaches to the front screen and now use Manual Focus. However, for my next camera, possibly much later, I might switch to Nikon Z. Unless I find a good deal on a D850.
UPDATE 2: SEPTEMBER 2020
Switched to Nikon Z6. The D7500 was great for photos but very difficult to use for videos. The only way to achieve decent results was with Manual Focus, which was challenging, especially since you have to view the focus on the LCD while holding the camera like a mobile phone, while also keeping it stable. The eyepiece I bought for this purpose was not practical as it had to be constantly removed for video or photo use and was quite cumbersome. As a result, I missed an important moment of my child that I wanted to capture due to incorrect focusing at the most inappropriate moment. So, I changed my rating and give it 4 stars again. However, for those who are not interested in videos, consider it as a 5-star rating. In the Z6, the eye detect feature is very convenient, it locks on immediately and stays fixed, plus I can see through the camera's eyepiece while shooting videos. No more camera-phone combination. These are my thoughts for a future review of the Z6, when I have the opportunity...