SnapBridge connectivity
LIKE Nikon’s other recent cameras, the D7500 includes Bluetooth and Wi- Fi connectivity. This is designed to establish an always- on connection to a tablet or smartphone via the free SnapBridge app, and transfer across a 2MP copy of every image you take for sharing. Alternatively, you can choose to send across only your favourite images using the ‘i’ button in playback. There’s also a basic remote- control capability, but with no ability to change any camera settings remotely, it feels terribly outdated. It’s possible to pair the camera with multiple devices, so you can alternate between smartphone and tablet. However, because there’s no option to use a Wi- Fi- only connection, you have to manually switch between them each time using the camera’s Bluetooth menu, which isn’t very intuitive or convenient. I found that the best option was to add the Paired Devices setting to the camera’s My Menu. If you’re happy to work how Nikon thinks you should be doing, SnapBridge functions pretty well, transferring your shots to your smart device with minimum fuss. It’s clever enough to pause transmission when the camera battery gets low to conserve power for shooting, then resume image transfer after recharging. However, if you prefer to work the other way round, taking advantage of the larger, higher- resolution screen of your phone or tablet to browse through your images and then pull your favourites across individually, the process is slow and clunky, with thumbnails taking an age to generate every time.
SnapBridge has improved considerably since I reviewed the D500 a year ago and now seems more reliable, but it’s still not as polished or functional as other manufacturers’ systems. Hopefully, Nikon can improve on this and add more features in future updates.