Nikon D7000 DSLR (Body Only)

Comment

I am a photography teacher in NYC and online. (See my Amazon profile for my website.) I teach beginner and intermediate photography students every week. Ive also been a professional photographer for the last five years with images published in The New York Times, GQ, New York Magazine, Womens Wear Daily, The New York Observer, The Village Voice and Time Out New York. (This review is for beginner photographers.) If youre a beginner, youre most likely asking yourself: Nikon or Canon? Really, I feel confident in saying that you cant go wrong with either. Ive used both brands cameras extensively and find that they both offer amazing image quality with well-built, solid cameras that, if taken care of, will last decades. There are two differences between the cameras, though, that can be taken into consideration. The user-interface: If cameras were computers, Nikons would be PCs and Canons would be MACs. PCs are built for people not afraid of technology whereas Macs are built for people who want things super-easy. Nikons excel at customization options which means youll see so many more options with the Advanced features of a Nikon than you will with a Canon. Canons, on the other hand, excel at ease-of-use for beginners. Canons offer less advanced options and can be easier to learn on. This can be frustrating down the line, though, once youve learned a lot about photography. At that point you may want all of the options that Nikon offers and be frustrated with your Canon. If youre someone who really likes to delve deep into your hobbies or if youre intent on becoming a professional photographer, Id say a Nikon would be your best bet. If youre someone who wants to learn the basics of photography and only imagine yourself being a hobbyist, Canon would be a better option for you. Where Nikon excels: Flash photography. I often find myself in situations where Im shooting event photography (weddings, movie premiers, benefits and galas) where I need to use a lot of flash. For this kind of photography, Ill always prefer to be shooting with a Nikon. Nikons flash metering (how the camera magically decides how much light to fire out of the flash) is much more consistent than Canons. You can take a Canon and shoot the same scene three times in a row with flash and all three images will be at different brightness levels. You can do the same thing with a Nikon and all three images will be wonderfully the same. If youre somebody who plans on shooting a lot with flash (indoor photography, event photography, etc.) youll want to consider going with Nikon. Where Canon excels: Richness of colors. Ive been in numerous situations where Ive been on the red carpet taking the exact same picture as the photographer next to me. Ill have a Canon and the person next to me will have a Nikon. This has provided quite a few opportunities to compare the images side-by-side. What Ive found is that the colors on the Canons images look richer and make the image pop more. If Im doing fine art photography (anything Id like to someday hang in a gallery), Ill always want to be shooting with a Canon for this reason. If youre set on Nikon, there are three cameras you should be considering and it all comes down to what your budget is: D7000 $1,400 without lens D5100 $750 without lens D3100 $600 only available with lens (current prices as of 2/19/11) Heres what you get for spending extra money (each camera compared to the one below it): D3100 vs. D5100: The D3100 is an EXCELLENT camera so if you only have $550 to spend total on camera and lens then go out and buy this camera. You wont regret it. If youre considering spending more money, heres what youll get from the D5100 in comparison: -Better performance in low light situations. -A higher resolution screen on the back of the camera so you can see your images more clearly and make out if they actually turned out well. -An external mic jack. (If youre planning on shooting video with an external mic, youll want the D5100 over the D3100.) -A flip out screen (handy if you want to put your camera anywhere but at your eye level and be able to see what your camera is about to capture before you shoot it) -Faster continuous shooting. If youre often shooting sports or any fast moving subject, continuous shooting allows you to capture multiple images in a single second. The D3100 shoots at three frames per second whereas the D5100 shoots at four frames per second. -Higher ISO options. The D5100 offers one more stop of ISO than the D3100 does. If you dont know what ISO means (or what a stop is) just know that this allows you to more easily shoot images in low-light situations. -Longer battery life. The D5100s battery will last 20% longer than the D3100 The two advantages of the D3100 over the D5100 are: less expensive and less weight. Whenever a camera is less expensive, it means youll have more in your budget for the lens. The D3100 weighs 10% lighter and is 10% smaller than the D5100. D5100 vs. D7000: The D5100 is Nikons latest and greatest and is even newer than the D7000. Phenomenal camera! If youre stuck, though, between the D5100 and the D7000, heres what youll get by spending more money on the D7000: -More focus points. When using auto-focus, the D7000 will have an easier time focusing on what you want it to focus on. -60% longer lasting batteries. -Faster continuous shooting. If youre often shooting sports or any fast moving subject, continuous shooting allows you to capture multiple images in a single second. The D5100 shoots at four frames per second whereas the D7000 shoots at six frames per second. -Weather sealed. This means you can shoot with the D7000 in the rain. -Two memory card slots. This is really a cool feature. The D7000 has two memory card slots which means youll be less likely to find yourself standing in front of a gorgeous scene with no more memory left. -Faster shutter speed. The fastest shutter speed on the D5100 is 1/4000th of a second; on the D7000: 1/8000th of a second. To be honest, I cant think of any practical reason why this would benefit you unless youre planning on shooting some really bright scenes like directly into the sun. Advantages of the D5100 over the D7000: -A flip out screen (handy if you want to put your camera anywhere but at your eye level and be able to see what your camera is about to capture before you shoot it) -Smaller and lighter: The D5100 is 10% smaller and 30% lighter than the D7000. This is something to consider if you plan on carrying your camera around with you a lot. -Less expensive so you can spend more on your lens! If I can clarify any of this, please email me! -JP Pullos, photography teacher, NYC and online (see my Amazon profile for my website)

Show more

Comment

Thought Id chime in after 3+ years of use. Still cranking out some great images. Ive had mine in Alaska several times as well as Iceland, Africa, Nepal and its never let me down. Im thinking of going FF but this is still getting the job done. This is a great camera at 1/2 the price I paid for it. If you on the fence buy it you wont be disappointed.

Show more

Comment

If you look carefully through the DSLR offer from all major brands, there are very few things that might make you buy a different one than the D7000. You might say its a subjective point of view, but since Ive been shooting film too (with the great F5) and has my share of digital compact experience (Lumix LX3K), Ive been wanting to upgrade to a different, (presumably) better DSLR only a few months after I bought this one, thinking that it was obsolete. It has now been over a year, within which new, amazing DSLRs have been launched. The fact that this one sells for under $900, makes it a no brainer for anyone whos been doing (or wants) a bit more than just snap shooting with a do-it-all-good-for-nothing compact camera. Of course, if a few hundred buck is no problem, get the D7100, or if DX is not good enough for you, by all means get the Canon 6D, the best, cheapest full frame to date. But if you want the SAME picture quality (as seen on any computer screen), flexibility and ease of use as a professional FX body, for a lot less money, THIS is still the best choice. With the money you pay for a 6D with kit lens you can get a new D7000 + a new Tokina 12-28, f/4 (best DX wide in my opinion) + a new Nikon 35mm, f/1.8 DX (most versatile DX prime) and a spanking brand new Nikon 80-200D-ED, f/2.8, a great FX zoom lens that gives you the best portrait focal length (120mm) and goes all the war to 300mm at a constant, professional aperture of f/2.8. But thats just me :)

Show more

Comment

Absolutely loved it, I use to have a D7000 few years ago and ended up selling it so I was excited to have that model again but unfortunately I had to return it because I completely forgot to see if my previous owned lenses would be compatible with this model and they were not and right now I don’t have couple thousand dollars to go buy all new lenses again and that was completely my fault. BUT this camera looked brand new!! I was very skeptical about buying a DSLR camera off of Amazon but I would definitely do it again when the time comes. You won’t be disappointed if you purchase a camera. The package showed up perfectly fine no damage and the camera was packaged very well!

Show more

Comment

I went a little crazy last year and bought a D700. I learned that camera pretty well and absolutely loved shooting with it. But I am an amateur and always felt a little guilty having spent that much money on a hobby. Whats more, the D700 is big and heavy compared to amateur cameras (its an awesome size for pros), and I actually found myself leaving it at home on occasion because of that size and weight. So when the D7000 was out for a bit and received such good reviews, I jumped. I fell in love with the D7000 immediately and sold the D700. Of course, I would have kept both if I could justify the cash, but the D7000 is so good that I usually dont feel like Im missing much. There are quite a few interesting points to be made comparing the two cameras, but I recognize that the average shopper would not be considering the two in the same class, so Ill just say Id be happy to answer questions in the comments. The short version is that while the D700 produces slightly better images and generally handles better, the D7000 is at least 90% the camera for the half the price and is better suited to the amateur shooter in several respects. So why do I like it so much? -Beautiful images, of course. -Low light performance is extremely admirable for a DX sensor. -100% viewfinder -Flash commander mode for using flash off-camera -The right amount of heft and size for my taste. Build feels excellent, and its got weatherproofing! -Dual SD cards are a nice touch. -Handling is great. U1 and U2 modes are a wonderful addition. Nikons command dials have a nice feel and are extremely useful. -I didnt buy this camera for video, but the video looks great IF you handle it right. Think movie camera rather than family video cam. What I dont like as much? -Buffer is a bit small when shooting NEF (RAW). It doesnt affect me because I dont shoot much action, but heavy sport shooting could be difficult in NEF. -SD cards still arent as fast as CF cards. -Viewfinder is a nice size for DX, but its still nowhere near the size of an FX viewfinder. -I think I prefer the AF selector on the D700 by a hair. One finger vs two. Not that big a deal. -See above, but video is obviously not as easy as a dedicated video camera. Who cares? I mentioned the D5100 in my title because I think many people are wondering if the D7000 is worth the extra cost over the D5100. The short answer is that it depends on how serious of a shooter you are. Do you understand the relationship between shutter speed, aperture, and ISO? If the answer is "No, and I dont care," stop reading and buy the D5100, or even the D3100. Do you want to film your kids playing soccer? The D5100 is better suited for that, although Id really suggest you buy a dedicated video camera. These are primarily still cameras after all. If youre a more advanced shooter, or youd like to become one, consider the following: Some people say the D5100 has the same sensor and the option to shoot video at 30 fps, so why would you possibly want a D7000 instead? There are several very important upgrades that the D5100 does NOT have, some of which I could not live without: -Flash commander mode: Enables you to shoot your external flash or flashes off camera. Huge capability. -Continuous shooting speed is 6 fps vs 4 fps. -Battery life is far superior -Dual SD cards. Not critical, but a very nice feature for backup especially. -Lossless compressed 14-bit NEFs. Probably not a deal breaker, but I want every bit of quality available from that sensor! -100% viewfinder vs 95%. I didnt know I wanted it until I got it. -Non AF-S lens compatible (for autofocusing), Will meter with AI lenses. Another huge feature. I can use my 30-year-old 85mm f/2 lens. -Faster shutter -Better AF system. Another big deal for dynamic shooting situations. -Flash bracketing The D5100 is cheaper, lighter, has a swiveling screen, and shoots video at 30 fps. At $300 more, I think the D7000 is an excellent value compared to the D5100 when you consider the extra features it has. What else can I say that hasnt already been said elsewhere? The D7000 is the camera to beat in this class, if you know how to shoot, and often, even if you dont.

Show more

Comment

This is not a professional review but over the decades I have shot several hundred thousand pictures and have always upgraded my equipment to keep up with the improvements in technology. This is my latest upgrade and a very happy one at that. Recently I shot several hundred sports action shots with this camera with just the silly sport pre-set. I always thought that was just for point and shoots. And I still cant believe the resulting pictures of athletes moving full speed with direction changes and changing background with twenty sequence shots in about three seconds in each set. Every shot properly exposed, the action stopped dead in the air and everything in sharp focus using an AF-S Nikkor 18-200mm 1:3.5-5.6 zoom. Over the decades I have used Kodak, Minolta, Canon with every kind of telephoto and zoom lens available. Never had one that could do what this thing does. Of course the lens helps. And for those older people who remember that at one time the ultimate portrait was a Life Magazine cover, this set up can match that too.

Show more

Comment

This is my first digital SLR after 40+ years of using Nikon film cameras (FE, F2a, and F3), and so this review is geared toward that change; sorry, I dont have useful insights into comparisons to other digital SLRs. I had a brief run as a professional photographer and shot a lot of film over the years with manual focus cameras, so I was a bit uncertain about auto-focus (not-so-affectionately called "ought-to-focus" back in the day). Overall, this camera rewards my faith in Nikon and in the technological improvements (e.g. autofocus, built-in winder, built-in flash, and of course the convenience of instant feedback with digital images) that have been added over the years. Feels sturdy and substantial in the hand (just like the F series), without nearly so many additional components (flash, winder) to be juggled. I find that with the recording media being almost free compared to film, I spend less time getting things perfect and more time just shooting. Also, this camera has so many pre-programmed shooting modes, I also end up fiddling with exposure settings rarely. One really important feature for me is that this camera is fully backward-compatible with old Nikor lenses, and I have a bunch of specialty lenses that I can still use; you lose auto-focus of course, but the rest of the automatic functions do work. I still need to learn how to transfer darkroom skills to Lightroom, but at least for getting the images taken, this is a huge step up in convenience.

Show more

Comment

My name is Doug Ward and I am a Professional Photographer. I have been using my Nikon D7000 for four years now. It is a really great camera. It has many features like the high end Nikons do, but at a much lower price tag. Here is what I really like about this camera. Separate controls for f/stop and shutter speed. Backside controls for White Balance, ISO Film Speed, and Image Quality. It also has the Nikon Creative Lighting System, which means it is able to control multiple Speedlights. But most of all, it takes clear and clean, sharp, photos that you will admire for a lifetime. Doug Ward Doug Ward Photography, LLC

Show more

Comment

Just like a lot of others, I too got a camera with the notorious back focus problem! . But I was not worried because, before deciding on D7000 I did a search and found that back focus or front focus issue is not a specific D7000 (or Nikon) issue. Canon, Pentax, Sony, Olympus...they all have similar issues and most of their prosumer or high-end cameras come with an in-camera option to address this, just like the one there is present in D7000. (They use different terminology though..Nikon calles it AF Fine tune; Canon/Sony - AF Micro Adjustment; Olympus - AF Focus Adjust; Pentax - AF Fine Adjustment etc). Also, I understood that there are a lot of kits available in the market to help this calibration/fine tuning (Datacolor SpyderlensCal for example). So, fine tuning looked like something that is not uncommon with pro-prosumer type camera bodies. I do not know whether this is to be seen/called as a problem or not....Because this also could be viewed as having more control over our gear, at some point. I did not face any back focus issue with my D5100 (or my Canon T2i), so, there indeed was a moment of frustration when I got a camera that looks somewhere else when I ask it to look there. Personally, I find this as a pain than a problem because I had to fine tune two of my lenses (a 35mm 1.8 and a 16-85mm (both were bought used)...third one, a 55-300 mm auto focuses just fine without any fine tuning). So, should one stay away from D7000 because of this terrible back focus problem? Nope... D7000 might back focus when paired with some lenses but at the same time, the camera comes with a built-in feature to address this concern. If that fails to resolve the issue, then, ONLY then, it becomes a problem. There are more than enough blogs/videos related to how to do AF fine tuning hence I am skipping how I fixed it part...but I would like to mention that checking/enabling the Focus Point (that can be found under Disply Mode in PLAYBACK MENU) before taking the fine tuning test shots makes it bit easy (because, at the time of playing it back, it would show where exactly we had focused). A few things (among the many) I liked about D7000: 1. Excellent, durable build quality 2. Great picture quality 3. More direct controls 4. Brighter view finder with 100% coverage 5. Long battery life 6. Two memory card slots 7. Decent video 8. User control over fps (personal preference. I have one of the shakiest hands in the world and hence I often shoot more than one frame whenever I shoot critical shots. Many a time, 6fps is wasting memory by filling the card with similar shots, especially considering D7Ks low buffer) What I did not like: 1. Position of the ISO button (I wish it was on the top, just like my (wonderful) Canon T2i) 2. Low buffer 3. Plasticky LCD cover (It is to be noted that this is neither a beginner camera nor designed for people with no patience and hence one should not expect great shooting experience straight out of the box with any lens attached to it. Being said that, if a beginner is patient, not intimidated by some extra buttons, ready to read the boring user manual (this is very important) and want to learn photography, then D7000 has everything one need to learn photography or even make a living). Overall, I am pretty happy that I bought this camera...Awesome camera. (Wish to give 4.5 stars but that is not possible hence giving 5 stars)

Show more

Comment

Overall this is a good camera body. I moved to this from a D90 and the similarity of controls was nice. This greatly reduced the learning curve. I like the added pixels as compared to the D90. This helps when I do 22" X 17" prints. However, when I did tight shots at F2.8 on both my main lenses - Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II AF-S Nikkor Zoom and the Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8G ED AF-S Nikkor Wide Angle Zoom Lens (These are both VERY good lenses.) I noticed the focus looked shifted back from the indicated focus point. Example: I set the focal spot on an eye and the really sharp focus was located several inches further back on the head. Fortunately, the D7000 has an AF "calibration" function that permits you to shift the AF focus either closer to or further away from the camera (+ or - 20 positions) on both a global basis for all lenses or for each lens individually. I executed some tests and sure enough, I had to do a "-4, global" to get the focal plane to align with the focal spot on both lenses. Now things are fine but Im surprised that a higher level body like this required this adjustment.

Show more