Been using this for years, no complaints

- +1 to the “fast normal prime on DX” thing folks mentioned — it’s honestly the safest bet in low light cuz you’re not fighting super long shutter speeds as much.
- One small safety/reliability point tho: whatever you pick, make sure it has solid autofocus in dim rooms (some third‑party stuff I tried hunted like crazy and I missed moments… unfortunately). If AF is shaky, you end up cranking ISO or dragging shutter and getting motion blur anyway.
- Also, for night street/events, I’d rather have a sharp-enough prime + higher ISO than a “flexible” zoom that’s slower and forces 1/30s… been there, not as good as expected. good luck!

Seconding the “fast normal prime on DX” idea. For a D7500 I’d prob start with Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 35mm f/1.8G — it’s cheap (usually like $150-200 used), sharp enough at f/1.8, and 35mm on DX feels super natural for indoor events + street.

If you want more subject separation / darker venues, Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 DC HSM Art (Nikon F mount) is kinda the king IMO… constant f/1.8 zoom is huge and it’s realy sharp, but heavier and used prices can creep near your $600 cap.

If you lean street/portraits at night, Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8G is solid too, just tighter on DX. i guess it depends how close you can get to people??

Warning: dont blow cash on an older full‑frame lens “because it’s faster” and then forget DX crop makes it feel tighter… been there, kinda regretted it for events.

For your situation, I’d go with a fast normal prime from Nikon or Sigma—sharp enough wide open, small, and usually well under $600 used. Zooms that are truly “low light” get pricey/huge fast. Lesson learned: pick one focal length you actually shoot at, then lean on higher ISO + good technique.

Totally agree that the 35mm route is the way to go for the D7500, but honestly, after using this setup for like three years, there's one thing I wish I knew sooner. If you're doing night street stuff, you gotta look for a prime that has some kind of stabilization. Most of the cheap primes don't have it, which is fine for faster-moving events, but for street photos at night? It makes a massive difference. I eventually picked up a used Tamron SP 35mm f/1.8 Di VC USD and it’s been a beast for me. Since it has the VC (vibration compensation), I can shoot at way slower shutter speeds than I ever could with the basic Nikon 35mm. It’s a bit heavier, but you can find them used for well under your $600 budget on places like MPB or KEH. Tbh, I'm not 100% sure why more people don't talk about stabilized primes for DX, but for low light, it’s basically like having a cheat code when you wanna keep your ISO a bit lower. Plus, the build quality feels more premium than the plastic-y Nikon DX lenses, so it’s gonna hold up way better in the long run.

Ok so for low light on a D7500, you’re basically choosing between “easy win” prime speed vs “convenient but slower” zooms. I’ve shot Nikon DX at indoor stuff for years and honestly, the prime route is usually the biggest jump per dollar.

If you want one lens that just works for both indoor events + night street, I’d start with Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 35mm f/1.8G. It’s cheap (new is usually way under $600, used is a steal), sharp enough wide open, focuses decently in dim rooms, and on DX the angle of view feels natural—like you can tell a story without backing into a wall.

If you’re more into portraits / subject separation at events, then Sigma 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art for Nikon F is REALLY good wide open… but it’s bigger/heavier and on DX it’s kinda tight for cramped indoor spaces. Alternative that’s smaller and still solid: Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8G.

For zoom flexibility under $600, there’s not much that’s truly “low light” since f/2.8 DX zooms aren’t cheap and f/2.8 still loses ~1.3 stops vs f/1.8. So yeah, I’d go 35/1.8 first, then add a 50 later if you want.

gl!, good luck