Generally camera manufacturers tend to follow a well-defined update path and it's usually pretty clear which model is meant to be replaced by a new one. With the announcement of the D7000 Nikon has - to a degree - broken with this pattern. The new camera is located somewhere between the enthusiast D300S and the (still current) upper entry-level D90. In some areas such as build quality, sensor resolution and video quality it even overtakes the (nominally) semi-pro D300S, but as we've seen in this review, it's much closer to the D90 in terms of ergonomics and general handling. Whilst the jump from D90 up to D7000 might appear to make more sense than that from the D300S down a rung, the D7000 could be considered an upgrade option for both existing D90 and D300S owners alike. The D90 user gets an upgraded body shell, a better, higher-resolution sensor, vastly improved AF system and video modes, whilst the D300S owner gets... well, almost all of that, the only penalties being slightly less advanced ergonomics, a smaller buffer, and reduced AF versatility.
Image Quality : The Nikon D7000 produces high quality output in almost any shooting situation. Default JPEGs are clean of artifacts and with natural colors and tonality. At a pixel level low ISO images are very slightly soft but still show very good detail which can be further increased by shooting in RAW (you'll have to look at a 100% magnification though to see the difference). If you'd like your images to be a little crisper out of the camera you can play a little with the Picture Control parameters and dial in some extra sharpening and/or contrast. The camera's JPEGs also respond well to a touch of extra sharpening in post processing. In any case you should make sure you put some decent glass in front of the D7000's sensor. The 18-105mm kit lens scores points for versatility but it doesn't make the most of the sensor's capabilities.
While at base ISO there is very little between the latest DSLRs, at higher sensitivities the Nikon D7000 arguably offers the best performance of all APS-C cameras that we have seen so far, thanks to its combination of low noise, and sensible noise reduction, which retains an impressive amount of detail. The two highest ISO settings should probably be reserved for emergency situations or web use but we're confident in saying that up to ISO 6400 the D7000's output is perfectly usable at normal print sizes of letter size and smaller, plus of course web use.
At 9.3EV the D7000's JPEG dynamic range gives no cause for complaint either but working with the D7000's RAW files not only gains you some extra detail, but crucially also helps to significantly increase dynamic range. This is thanks to the new generation imaging sensor which produces exceptionally low read noise at base ISO. This lowers the noise floor that usually limits DR and means that you can pull much more dynamic range out of the shadows when processing RAW files. The benefits can be seen in day to day shooting in JPEG mode, especially when using active D-Lighting at higher ISO sensitivity settings, but to get the absolute best out of the D7000's sensor you'll need to spend some time at a computer working on its .NEF files.
All in all the D7000 delivers very good image quality, but there is one negative that we've mentioned in previous pages and have to stress again here. In bright, high-contrast conditions the camera has a tendency to overexpose - unfortunately by quite a large degree. For the past five years we've seen midtones from Nikon DSLRs getting progressively brighter, but overexposures of between between 0.5 and 1.0EV are serious, and can result in missed shooting opportunities. In most cases the exposure can be brought back into line by shooting in RAW mode and spending a little time in post-capure, but nevertheless, when shooting in bright sunshine and/or high contrast conditions we would urge you to keep an eye on the histogram and apply some negative exposure compensation when necessary.
Nikon D7000 Key Features
- 16.2MP CMOS sensor
- 1080p HD video recording with mic jack for external microphone
- ISO 100-6400 (plus H1 and H2 equivalent to ISO 12,800/25,600)
- 39-point AF system with 3D tracking
- New 2016 pixel metering sensor
- Scene Recognition System (see 2016 pixel sensor, above) aids WB/metering + focus accuracy
- Twin SD card slots
- 3.0 inch 921k dot LCD screen
- New Live View/movie shooting switch
- Full-time AF in Live View/movie modes
- Up to 6fps continuous shooting
- Lockable drive mode dial
- Built-in intervalometer
- Electronic virtual horizon
- Shutter tested to 150K actuations
Nikon D7000 Pros (+)
- Good detail and dynamic range (even better in RAW)
- Exceptionally low shadow noise in RAW files
- Arguably the best high ISO performance of any current APS-C DSLR
- Good build quality and handling
- Maximum ISO of 25,600 st full resolution
- 1080p HD video mode with basic editing built-in
- Efficient Active D-Lighting
- Comprehensive customization options
- Large, bright viewfinder with 100% coverage
- Fast contrast detect Auto Focus in Live View
- Useful electronic horizon
- Comprehensive feature set
- AE metering support for up to 9 'non-CPU' Ai lenses (in A, M modes)
- Twin SD-card slots
Nikon D7000 Cons (-)
- Tendency to overexpose in bright sunshine/high contrast situations
- ISO button is poorly positioned, and cannot be assigned to any other control point.
- Ditto white balance: poorly positioned, cannot be re-assigned
- Exposure mode dial slightly loose, and easily knocked
- Shooting mode dial can be awkward to manipulate
- AF can be hesitant in poor light
- Auto ISO function is confusing and poorly implemented (but no worse than any other Nikon DSLR)
- Aperture not adjustable in manual mode in live view (and won't stop up/down in any mode until exposure).
- No live histogram or exposure indicator in live view/movie shooting.
