Home > News > Nikon Reinvents The Meaning Of 'Mid-Level' With The D7000

Nikon Reinvents The Meaning Of 'Mid-Level' With The D7000

By Matt J. Weiss, September 15, 2010 @ 09:05 AM (EST)

There have been a lot of camera releases recently, and many major models have seen upgrades. However, a lot of these upgrades have been evolutionary, not revolutionary (See Canon 60D). Nikon put out something revolutionary today with the D7000.

The successor to the D90 is supposed to be a mid-level digital SLR, and it's price point of $1,200 certainly suggests this to be true. However, if this is a mid-level SLR, that middle bar just get a great big lift.

At first the D7000 physically looks like the D90, but a quick glance at the specs under the hood, and you soon realize there is a whole lot more to this camera.

So what has Nikon brought to the mid-level? Try this on for size:

A 16.2 MP sensor , full 24fps 1080p HD video with continuos autofocus, a 39-point autofocus system with 3D tracking, and a body made of magnesium alloy. If you ask me, Nikon just put a lot of pro into the mid-level.

The 16.2 MP sensor for the D7000- Nikons second highest resolution sensor on the market

But the fun doesn't stop there. The D7000 features an extended ISO range of 100-6400, twin SD card slots, the choice of shooting 12 or 14-bit RAW, 100 % viewfinder and 6fps continuos shooting for up to 100 frames.

Magnesium alloy body in a mid-level SLR!

There are a few cosmetic changes as well. The biggest two are that Live View is now a switch rather than button and the continuos shooting option button has now been turned into a secondary dial on the top left under the scene selection dial.

Sadly, of course, this and some other changes means a new housing will be in order. In fact, it will be interesting to see how companies deal with these extra switches and dials which are more complicated than push buttons. However, if you are a D90 owner looking to upgrade it's hard to be sad today.

Full press release below and full specs in the Equipment Section.

Press Release

Nikon Corporation is pleased to announce the release of the Nikon D7000, a model that introduces a new line of mid-class Nikon DX-format digital-SLR cameras. The camera is equipped with a new CMOS image sensor and a new image-processing engine, EXPEED 2, that enable capture of high-definition images exhibiting superior image quality. It also offers a number of advanced high-performance features packed into a compact, elegant body.

The D7000 is a new mid-class DX-format camera with a compact body loaded with a number of advanced functions.

As the D-SLR market expands, D-SLR users are becoming more diverse to include those who demand the ability to capture images with greater definition and image quality, those looking for more advanced shooting functions, and those looking for the ability to record movies with the rich power of expression that is only possible with SLR cameras. The D7000 is a high-quality mid-class D-SLR that responds to user demands with a variety of the latest camera technologies and functions for high-quality, high-definition shooting, all in a durable, high-performance, yet compact body. Among its features are a new DX-format CMOS image sensor, Nikon's latest image-processing engine, EXPEED 2, a new 2,016-pixel metering sensor, a new AF system that utilizes 39 focus points, and the D-Movie function that enables recording of full HD movies.

D7000 primary features

1. A new DX-format CMOS image sensor and new image-processing engine, EXPEED 2, both developed by Nikon enable capture of high-definition images with superior image quality

The D7000 is equipped with a new Nikon DX-format CMOS image sensor and a new image-processing engine, EXPEED 2. The camera offers an effective pixel count of 16.2-million pixels and enables capture of high-definition images exhibiting superior image quality with extremely detailed rendering and rich tones with smooth gradations. With standard sensitivity range of ISO100 - 6400 and additional increases up to Hi 2 (ISO 25600 equivalent), the camera offers improved capability with shooting under dim lighting, such as in the evening or indoors, and also expands possibilities for expression with rapidly moving subjects.

EXPEED 2 is Nikon's latest image-processing engine developed with the ideas, know-how and technologies regarding digital images that Nikon has cultivated over the years. EXPEED 2 enables faster image processing, a high level of noise reduction, better color reproduction characteristics, and reduced power consumption.

2. A compact, elegant body that offers both authenticity and flexibility

A magnesium alloy has been adopted for the top and rear covers for increased durability in a size equivalent to that of the D90. All joints on the camera body have also been sealed to ensure a greater level of water and dust resistance.

3. A new 2,016-pixel RGB metering sensor

With 2,016 pixels, the new metering sensor developed for the D7000 offers twice the metering pixels as our previous high-end metering sensor. Prior to shooting, the 2,016-pixel RGB sensor acquires accurate information regarding the scene. That information is then reflected in autofocusing, automatic exposure, i-TTL balanced fill-flash, and auto white balance control for extremely faithful images.

4. A new 39-point AF system
An AF sensor module with 39 effective focus points
39-point AF system

Adoption of the new Multi-CAM4800DX autofocus sensor module enables certain acquisition and tracking of the intended subject with 39 focus points.
Nine cross-type sensors at the most frequently used center of the frame allow for certain acquisition of the intended subject.
In addition, the number of active focus points can also be limited to 11.
Superior subject acquisition and tracking performance

Depending upon the scene or subject, the AF-area mode can be selected from Single-point AF, Dynamic-area AF, 3D-tracking and Auto-area AF. Wide focus areas containing a large number of focus points work together to accurately acquire and track the subject

5. D-Movie for recording and editing of full HD movies

The D7000 is equipped with the D-Movie function that enables recording of high-definition movies (1920 × 1080p, 24 fps) exhibiting superior video quality. Autofocusing during movie recording is possible using contrast-detect AF. When the focus mode is set to Full time-servo AF (AF-F) and the AF-area mode to Subject-tracking AF, the camera automatically maintains focus on a subject moving throughout the frame in three dimensions. The D7000 also offers in-camera movie editing functions that allow users to save a single frame as a still JPEG image or delete unnecessary portions from the beginning or end of movie files.
Recording of stereo sound via an external microphone is also supported.

Other functions and features new to the D7000

    * A glass pentaprism for viewfinder frame coverage of approximately 100% and magnification of approximately 0.94×
    * High-speed continuous shooting of up to 100 shots at approximately 6 fps, and a very precise and durable shutter unit that has passed testing for 150,000 cycles
    * New U1 and U2 settings on the mode dial allow users to assign frequently used settings, including ISO sensitivity and exposure compensation, to these positions for instant recall of the registered settings by simply rotating the mode dial
    * Live view function that can be smoothly enabled with the dedicated live view switch
    * Double SD memory card slot that enable use of two SD memory cards (SDHC, SDXC also supported)
    * The Rechargeable Li-ion Battery EN-EL15, which enables capture about 1,050 shots when fully charged
    * Support for the new Multi-Power Battery Pack MB-D11 (sold separately), which holds not only Rechargeable Li-ion Batteries EN-EL15, but also AA batteries
    * Nikon's image browsing and editing software, ViewNX 2, supplied with purchase

Comments

Sep 15, 2010 4:20 PM

Jason Bradley wrote:

Interesting you're calling this a D90 successor as it could easily be a D300 replacement with all it's new features. I wonder what the D400 type camera will bring. Anyone want to buy a D300?? : )

Sep 15, 2010 4:26 PM

Matt J. Weiss wrote:

I know! it out shines the D300s in most areas. D300s still has it beat with its 51 focus points, but it still doesn't use the their new speedy Expeed 3 processor that from all reports is super fast. However, Nikon is still marketing it as mid-level. They better have something special for the DX00 upgrade.

Sep 16, 2010 1:01 PM

Joseph Tepper wrote:

this kinda hurts that it has full 1080p while my d300s is stuck with 720! not fair

Sep 16, 2010 11:50 PM

terry goss wrote:

these are really nice features in a very sweet pricepoint, but it still comes down to the image - will the same shot look as good as (or better than) my D300, or is this a pretty box full of marketing? I'm very wary of pixel cramming into small sensors - the results are often quite bad......

Sep 19, 2010 2:59 AM

Hergen Spalink wrote:

It all looks great, but why did they cut the bracketing to only 3 frames?!? With the increased popularity of shooting HDRs this choice doesn't make sense to me...Other than that I can't wait to play with one ;-)

Sep 20, 2010 12:13 PM

Jason Heller wrote:

Hergen - i didn;t even catch that until now. That was SUCH a competitive advantage for HDR over Canon (albeit obviously little underwater photography relevance). Bad move as so many photographers are getting into HDR!

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