Nikon D7000 Overview

The Nikon D7000 represents an evolution of the company's venerable D90 -- the first digital SLR with movie capture capability and the first mid-range model with a high-res 3.0-inch VGA LCD panel. Externally, the Nikon D7000 is similar to its predecessor in terms of size, weight, and much of the controlled layout, but adopts a weather-sealed, magnesium alloy construction like that of the D300S. Nikon emphasizes that the D90 will remain in the lineup.
Graced with a 16.2-megapixel CMOS sensor, the Nikon D7000 is the second consumer Nikon to exceed the 12-megapixel mark. A/D conversion is 14-bit, handled by the new EXPEED 2 image processor.

Capable of shooting up to 100 JPEGs at 6 frames per second, the Nikon D7000 exceeds its predecessor's utility for action shooting, and Nikon also keeps the pressure on in the ISO sensitivity department, with standard ISOs ranging from 100 to 6,400, but reaching to 25,600 in its expanded range.
Metering is also improved in the Nikon D7000, with a new 3D Color Matrix Metering sensor with more than twice the pixels of past sensors at 2,016 pixels instead of the 1,005 in Nikon's pro cameras.
A new Multi-CAM 4800DX autofocus sensor now sports 39 autofocus points, nine of them cross-type. 100 percent viewfinder coverage promises easier image framing as well, a major improvement in the Nikon D7000.
There's a whole lot more new about the Nikon D7000. Check out our Nikon D7000 Review below for more.
The Nikon D7000 digital camera began shipping from October 2010, with pricing set at abo
ut US$1,200 body-only. A Nikon D7000 kit is also available, including the AF-S DX Zoom-NIKKOR 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR lens for around US$1,500. The Nikon D90 remains in the product line.

Nikon D7000 User Report

Nikon is finally updating its flagship consumer SLR, the D90, after more than two years of distinguished service. (And that service isn't over yet, as the D90 will remain in the product line going forward, as Nikon's most affordable "enthusiast" SLR.) The Nikon D7000 looks to be a worthy evolution of the first digita

l SLR to shoot video. Most people I know who shoot and love the Nikon D90 love it more for stills than video, but as always it's good to know you can capture a movie when you need to. With the D90 in their sights, other SLR manufacturers exceeded the D90's capabilities with Full HD video, so the D7000 is Nikon's answer, and then some, creating a formidable competitor in more ways than one.
Nimble is the word that comes to mind when I think of the Nikon D7000 and its predecessors in this prosumer category. While the D300S speaks to the working photographer in me, the Nikon D7000 appeals to the Dad side: It's a casual camera that's also serious enough for any type of work or play. Equip it with a lens like the 18-105mm, and you're ready for a day out with the kids; add a decent telephoto lens and you can capture a day at the race track or an airshow, thanks to the D7000's six frame-per-second top speed.
Just the right blend of big and small, the Nikon D7000 fits in the hand well, and yet packs away into a small space with ease (depending on the lens in use). The grip is tall enough for all four fingers, with a nice indent for the fingers to get a good purchase.
Weight is also good, if just a little heavier than the D90. The Nikon D7000 body comes in at 27.7 ounces (1.73 pounds, 786g) with battery, and the D90 is 25.2 ounces (1.58 pounds, 713g). Just like its predecessors, the Nikon D7000 feels balanced and solid, a pleasure to hold and shoot.

On the top deck, the main change starts with the Mode dial, which now groups scene modes into a single position, freeing up space for two new user modes. It sits on top of a new Release Mode dial, which is used to select functions such as continuous burst shooting, self-timer, remote, mirror lock-up and quiet shutter mode. Drive mode and Autofocus mode buttons are removed from the right of the monochrome LCD.
The D90's wide metal camera strap lugs are replaced with the smaller lugs that require D-rings to accept a cloth camera strap. This is more a liability than an improvement, as the Nikon D7000's D-rings make noise that is picked up by the camera's microphone while you shoot video. The D90's cloth-to-metal design makes more sense for a video-capable camera.

The D7000's Live view mode is now activated by a new selector lever on the camera's rear, which features a dedicated movie record button at its center. There's also a new button positioned centrally in the Focus Mode lever, which is used in concert with the camera's dials to change autofocus-related settings. The Playback button has also moved up to sit logically alongside the Delete button, allowing a little more room between the remaining four buttons that line the left of the LCD panel.

Dual slots. That card door on the right of the Nikon D7000 is noticeably bigger than the SD-card door on the D90. Did they bring back the CF card slot? Not exactly; instead, they included two SD card slots. That, my friends, is what we call an upgrade. Both slots are compatible with SDHC and SDXC cards, and it's possible to configure the camera to use the secondary slot as an overflow when the first card is filled; as a backup of everything written to the other card slot; or to have Raw files routed to one card, and JPEGs to the other. In addition, you can select which card movies should be written to, and copy data between cards in-camera.

 


Sensor. On the inside, the Nikon D7000 is based around a newly developed DX-format (23.6 x 15.6mm), CMOS image sensor with 16.2 effective megapixel resolution, from a total resolution of 16.9 megapixels. The D7000's imager has a pixel size of 4.78µm, and yields maximum image dimensions of 4,928 x 3,262 pixels. Two lower-resolution options are also available -- either 3,696 x 2,448, or 2,464 x 1,632 pixels.
The Nikon D7000 can capture still images as .NEF-format raw files, JPEG compressed files, or as both types simultaneously. To combat the effects of dust on the image sensor, Nikon has included its sensor cleaning function, which uses piezoelectric vibration at four different frequencies to shake dust from the low-pass filter.

Processor. The Nikon D7000 uses 14-bit analog/digital conversion, and output from the CMOS sensor is handled by a new EXPEED 2 image processor. Compared to the original EXPEED CPU in the D90, EXPEED 2 offers improvements in processing speed, image quality, and power consumption.
The EXPEED 2 CPU's claimed improvements look to be borne out by the camera's specifications. In its Continuous High mode, the Nikon D7000 can shoot as many as 100 JPEG-compressed still images at a rate of 6 frames per second -- a significant improvement over its predecessor, which was limited to 23 JPEG frames at 4.5 fps. When lesser burst speed is required, the Continuous Low mode provides anywhere from one to five frames per second shooting. Another hint of the power on offer from EXPEED 2 can be seen in the Nikon D7000's shutter lag, rated at just fifty milliseconds -- a worthwhile improvement over the 65ms lag of the Nikon D90.
Sensitivity. The Nikon D7000's sensitivity range is also greatly expanded, with standard limits of ISO 100 to 6,400 equivalents, while ISO 12,800 and 25,600 equivalents are available when ISO expansion is enabled. By comparison, the Nikon D90 offers a standard range of ISO 200 to 3,200, while its expanded range was ISO 100 to 6,400. The Nikon D7000 is the company's first DX-format (APS-C sensor size) camera model to offer a maximum sensitivity of 25,600 equivalent, reaching into territory formerly occupied only by the company's FX-format (full-frame) models. With that said, Nikon was pipped to the post in this department by Pentax's K-r and K-5, other APS-C models to offer single-shot ISOs of up to 25,600 and 51,200 respectively, while several recent Sony interchangeable-lens models can offer ISO 25,600, but only in a multi-frame mode.

New metering sensor. Perhaps an even more significant change is to be found in the Nikon D7000's metering system, where the company has increased the resolution of its 3D Color Matrix Metering sensor to 2,016 pixels. That's a huge leap forward from the 420-pixel sensor used in the D90. Even when compared to the 1,005 pixel sensor used in Nikon's professional D3-series cameras (among others), it's still just slightly more than a doubling of the metering sensor resolution. Not only does this new sensor allow more accurate exposure metering in the Nikon D7000, but it also provides improvements in other areas of the camera that rely on information from the metering sensor when making operating decisions. For example, the new metering sensor will also improve performance of the Nikon D7000's Scene Recognition System, which considers a database of around 31,000 different scene types, and then uses the information to assist in calculating optimal focus, exposure, and white balance variables.
As well as Matrix metering, the Nikon D7000 provides center weighted (75% weight for circle) and spot modes. The center-weighted circle defaults to 8mm, but can be changed to 6, 10, or 13mm. The spot metering circle is 3.5mm, or about 2.5% of the image frame at center. Working range for the D7000's metering system is from 0 to 20 EV for matrix and center-weighted metering, or 2 to 20 EV for spot metering (ISO 100, f/1.4 lens, 68°F / 20°C).

Autofocus is another area that's received significant attention from the Nikon D7000's designers. The company has developed a new Multi-CAM 4800DX autofocus sensor, which includes 39 AF points, including nine cross-type sensors at the center of the image frame, operable with every autofocus Nikkor lens. The 39 focus points cover much of the image frame, and the Nikon D7000 includes 3D tracking capability that follows moving subjects from point to point as they traverse the frame. For manual point selection, when a 39-point system might prove overly complex, it's possible to restrict the number of manually selectable points to a subset of 11 points throughout the frame. Nikon has also improved AF control in the D7000, with a new button positioned centrally in the Focus Mode switch used to select the AF point in concert with the camera's control dials to select autofocus mode, active points, etc. Detection range for the D7000's AF system is -1 to +19 EV (ISO 100, 68°F / 20°C). The Nikon D7000 also supports AF fine-tuning to address back- or front-focusing lens issues, a feature previously only found on higher-end models such as the D300 and up.

Exposure modes in the Nikon D7000 include Auto, Program, Aperture-priority, Shutter-priority, Manual, Flash Off, and Scene, as well as two new User modes. As mentioned previously, the Scene mode position on the camera's Mode dial now groups the D7000's scene modes together, rather than their meriting individual positions on the dial. Scene mode choices have been increased from the D90's Portrait, Landscape, Child, Sports, Close-up, and Night Portrait settings to include Night landscape, Party/indoor, Beach/snow, Sunset, Dusk/dawn, Pet portrait, Candlelight, Blossom, Autumn colors, Food, Silhouette, High key and Low key. The two User positions are used to store and quickly recall camera setups for later use. Available shutter speeds range from 1/8,000 to 30 seconds in 1/3 or 1/2EV steps, plus a bulb position for longer exposures. The Nikon D7000's shutter mechanism has a rated lifetime of some 150,000 cycles. Exposure compensation is available within a +/-5.0 EV range, in 1/3 or 1/2 EV steps. The Nikon D7000 also offers two or three frame exposure bracketing, with a step size between exposures of 1/3, 1/2, 2/3, or 1EV.
White balance. The Nikon D7000 provides no less than 20 white balance modes, including two Auto modes, 12 presets, 5 manual positions, and a direct color temperature setting. The secondary Auto white balance mode, known as Ambient Auto, uses information from the new color metering sensor to allow a warm color rendering, as might be desirable for shooting sunsets, golden hour photos, and the like. The function seems similar to that of Pentax's Color Temperature Enhancement (CTE) setting, which was introduced in the K-7 model.

Flash. For shooting in difficult lighting conditions, the Nikon D7000 includes both a built-in popup flash strobe, and an ISO 518 intelligent hot shoe for external strobes. There's no built-in PC sync connector, but Nikon offers an optional hot shoe mounted sync connector adapter for use with studio strobes. The built-in flash has 16mm coverage, and will pop up automatically as needed in Auto and most Scene modes, while in other modes it can be deployed manually. The Guide number is 12 meters / 39 feet at ISO 100, 68°F / 20°C. Flash metering modes include i-TTL, auto-aperture, non-TTL auto, and distance-priority manual, with availability of these modes depending on the flash model. -3 to +1 EV of flash exposure compensation is available, and the Nikon D7000 also offers two or three frame flash exposure bracketing, with a step size between exposures of 1/3, 1/2, 2/3, or 1EV.
The Nikon D7000 includes in-camera support for Nikon's Creative Lighting System with the built-in strobe, and with compatible external strobes, as well as Auto FP high-speed sync and modeling illumination support for all Creative Lighting System-compatible strobes except the SB-400. Flash X-sync is at 1/250 second, but can be increased to 1/320 second at the expense of flash range.

Viewfinder. The Nikon D7000's glass pentaprism optical viewfinder has also been refined from that in the D90. While the 0.94x magnification and 19.5mm eyepoint are unchanged, the Nikon D7000's viewfinder now boasts 100% rated coverage, easing accurate framing of images. It also provides a wider diopter adjustment range of -3 to +1m^-1. The rear-panel super density 3.0-inch LCD panel, used for playback and live view framing of images and movies, looks to be unchanged from that of the D90. Resolution is still 921,000 dots, roughly equating to a VGA (640 x 480) pixel array, with each pixel comprising three adjacent red, green, and blue dots. The D7000's LCD panel has a wide 170 degree viewing angle, making it somewhat more useful for shooting from the hip, low to the ground, or overhead, although the tilt or tilt/swivel types on some competing cameras can make these tasks rather easier.

 
Live view and Movie. The Nikon D7000 retains the live view and movie functionality of the D90, but with some important tweaks. The D90 uses a dedicated button to start and stop Live view mode, while the OK button in the center of the four-way controller functioned as a Movie record button when Live view was active. In the D7000, the Live View mode is now triggered with a dedicated selector lever, and a button centrally located in the lever's pivot point is used as a dedicated movie record button. The Nikon D7000's Live view mode retains the face detection and tracking capability of the D90, but can now locate many more faces within the image frame -- as many as 35 faces can be detected simultaneously, seven times as many as in the previous model.

Full-time AF. Perhaps more significantly for consumer videographers, the Nikon D7000 now offers full-time contrast detection autofocus during movie capture, including support for the face detection and tracking functionality. With Nikon F-mount lenses having been designed for still image shooting, it's likely that autofocus drive noise will be picked up on the audio track when using the Nikon D7000's internal microphone, but this is likely a worthwhile tradeoff for many consumers, given the difficulty of learning to pull focus manually.

Movie record modes. Where the D90 is limited to a maximum of 720p (1,280 x 720 pixel) video recording at 24 frames per second, the Nikon D7000 is now capable of Full HD (1,920 x 1,080 pixel) movie capture at the same 24 frames per second rate. If this much resolution is overkill for your purposes, there are still options for both 720p and VGA video capture in the D7000, with a choice of either 24 or 30fps at 720p, and VGA movies being fixed at 30 frames per second. (These rates all apply in NTSC mode; for PAL mode the 30fps rates are replaced with 25fps rates.)
Another important difference between the video modes of the D90 and Nikon D7000 can be found in their choices of file type and compression format. The D90 uses older, less efficient, Motion JPEG compression in an .AVI container, where the Nikon D7000 now uses H.264 / MPEG-4 AVC in a .MOV container. While this will lead to smaller file sizes, the change of video format will also necessitate a reasonably modern PC for editing and (to a lesser extent) playback -- perhaps the main advantage of Motion JPEG is that its computer requirements are more modest thanks to the less advanced compression used. Audio is recorded as linear PCM, from either an internal monaural microphone, or a standard 3.5mm external stereo microphone jack. Maximum clip length is 20 minutes, regardless of recording resolution. The Nikon D7000 includes not only the ability to perform basic movie editing in-camera, specifying crop points at the start or end of a movie clip, but also allows photographers to extract still frames from within a recorded video -- potentially a useful feature for small prints, given that the highest resolution Movie mode would yield a two-megapixel still.

Editing. The Nikon D7000 retains the in-camera Raw file processing and image retouching capabilities of its predecessor, and adds a couple of new tricks. Among these are a perspective control function that provides the miniature effect that's been particularly popular of late, adding graduated blurs at the top and bottom edges of an image to simulate reduced depth of field. There's also a new color sketch filter that provides output intended to look like a hand-drawn sketch.

Ports. The Nikon D7000 includes a range of connectivity options. For data transfer to a computer, there's a standard USB 2.0 High Speed port. Videos can be shown on standard or high-definition displays using either the NTSC / PAL switchable composite port, or Type-C Mini HDMI port, respectively. While in use, the standard-def composite port allows the camera's LCD to remain active, but the HDMI port overrides the camera's LCD display. It also supports the Consumer Electronics Control (HDMI-CEC) standard, allowing remote control of certain playback functionality through the HDMI cable, from an attached display's remote control unit. There's also an accessory terminal on the Nikon D7000 that's compatible with the MC-DC2 remote cable release, and the GP-1 GPS unit, both available as optional extras. Finally, the Nikon D7000 has the aforementioned 3.5mm stereo microphone input jack.

Battery. The Nikon D7000 draws power from a new EN-EL15 lithium-ion battery pack, rather than the previous EN-EL3e type. The new pack is more compact, and is rated at a 1,900 mAh capacity. Battery life to CIPA testing standards should be approximately 1,050 shots. The Nikon D7000 is also compatible with an optional MB-D11 portrait battery grip, which can accept either one EN-EL15 lithium-ion battery pack, or six standard AA cells. For longer-term power, such as in a studio, Nikon also provides an optional EP-5B power supply connector, essentially a dummy battery to which the company's EH-5 AC adapter can be connected.

  Price and availability. The Nikon D7000 digital camera
began shipping from October 2010, with pricing set at about US$1,200 body-only. A Nikon D7000 kit is also available, including the AF-S DX Zoom-NIKKOR 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR lens for around US$1,500.