My first DSLR was a D80 I purchased four years ago. The shutter went out a few weeks back but I had been planning to upgrade to the D7000 anyway so this just hurried things up. I bought the D7000 kit with the 18-105 lens but quickly sold that on Ebay. I was shooting with a Tamron 17-50 2.8 lens on the D80. For low light, it worked pretty well but greater than half the time I needed to use my SB-600 flash to capture my young kids doing what they do (move). The only downside to the Tamron, or combination of the Tamron with the D80, was that the images tended to be soft, especially when opened up. So I also upgraded my lens to the Nikkor 16-85. While this is a variable lens that maxes out at 3.5, it is amazingly sharp combined with the D7000. And the extra reach is great for getting better shots and also providing relatively shallow depth of field that otherwise would be lost with the slower aperture.
The reason I mention the lens change is that I wouldn't have gone to a variable lens had it not been for the amazing ISO performance on the D7000. I am now shooting flashless at very fast shutter speeds. I usually shoot raw and process with Lightroom and I'm seeing amazing results at 800 ISO even when fully blown up (1:1). At ISO 1600, I can see minor noise but Lightroom 3's noise reduction easily eliminates it. 3200 certainly isn't noiseless but again, Lightroom can clean it up very well in most situations. My old D80 had more noise at 400 than the D7000 has at 1600; I'd say 800 on it was equivalent to 3200 on the D7000. I could see printing 1600 shots at smaller sizes with no need for software cleanup. So while my results are preliminary (3 weeks in), I am astonished at the ISO capabilities of this camera. I no longer have d700 envy and am glad I can get great dx lenses for under $700 as opposed to $1500 for fx. Perfect for enthusiasts like me!
You've seen the stat that the D7000 can shoot 6 shots per second. The 6FPS shutter is in some ways overkill. But if you shoot HDR/Bracket shots in quick succession having such a rapid shutter can allow you to do so handheld in a pinch. This is really only possible because of the high ISO capabilities enabling very fast shutter times. And for sporting events and the like, it's nice to have the ability to rapidly fire off shots.
I have also noticed considerably improved metering and white balance on the D7000 compared to my old D80. Of the 350 or so shots I've taken, I am spending much less time adjusting lighting and white balance in Lightroom.
As others have mentioned, the ergonomics/design of the camera are quite good and I really enjoy the many direct access shortcuts for adjusting everything from focus to flash to white balance and much more. The two custom settings are very easy to set and perfect for your two most common profiles (e.g. indoor portrait and outdoor landscape). The screen is beautiful and moving in and around even RAW files is very smooth and fast. I went with two 16GB SD class 10 Transcend cards and while I'm currently using the RAW 1 / JPEG 2 option, I plan to use the second as a backup card once I go to RAW only.
I've only toyed with the video function but that was a part of my consideration since I dislike carrying two cameras, plus chargers and media, on family vacations. The tests I've done in 1080P have been very impressive, albeit large as you would expect. Auto-focusing while video recording is okay, as long as the background isn't too noisy or subjects too many. The biggest downside I have experienced is the built-in microphone picks up lots of auto focusing noise. I have not yet invested in an external mic but probably will need to.
All in all I am very pleased with the D7000 and see no major shortcomings. It's not cheap, but you get a lot for your money if you are in the market for a prosumer class DSLR. For users who won't explore and use the MANY options and capabilities of this camera, I would recommend considering the 3100/5100. For D80/90 users who are ready to step up big time in terms of performance, this is the upgrade you have been waiting for. Some will hold out for a D700 successor (D800 or whatever it ends up being called). I have no doubt it will be an amazing camera but cost wise, you're going to be looking at $2500+ for the body alone and pay roughly double for coverage equivalent lenses. So figure $4K just to get started. Too rich for my non-professional needs but certainly should be considered if your work or wants dictate that level of camera. And there maybe be a D300s replacement in the works too. Still, I'd urge anyone to consider the D7000, which in my opinion is the best cropped sensor DSLR to date.
Nikon D7000 DSLR (Body Only) (OLD MODEL)
4.6 | 1,152 ratings
Price: 839.99
Last update: 10-10-2024
About this item
High Resolution 16.2 MP DX-format CMOS sensor
Body only; lenses sold separately
High Speed 6 frames per second continuous shooting up to 100 shots
Breathtaking Full 1080p HD Movies with Full Time Autofocus
Dynamic ISO range from 100 to 6400
Body only; lenses sold separately
High Speed 6 frames per second continuous shooting up to 100 shots
Breathtaking Full 1080p HD Movies with Full Time Autofocus
Dynamic ISO range from 100 to 6400
Product information
Warranty & Support
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Nikon D7000 DSLR (Body Only) (OLD MODEL)
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Top reviews from the United States
J. Anderson
Best DX (cropped) Camera To Date; Amazing ISO Performance
Reviewed in the United States on October 21, 2010
J. Anderson
Reviewed in the United States on October 21, 2010
The reason I mention the lens change is that I wouldn't have gone to a variable lens had it not been for the amazing ISO performance on the D7000. I am now shooting flashless at very fast shutter speeds. I usually shoot raw and process with Lightroom and I'm seeing amazing results at 800 ISO even when fully blown up (1:1). At ISO 1600, I can see minor noise but Lightroom 3's noise reduction easily eliminates it. 3200 certainly isn't noiseless but again, Lightroom can clean it up very well in most situations. My old D80 had more noise at 400 than the D7000 has at 1600; I'd say 800 on it was equivalent to 3200 on the D7000. I could see printing 1600 shots at smaller sizes with no need for software cleanup. So while my results are preliminary (3 weeks in), I am astonished at the ISO capabilities of this camera. I no longer have d700 envy and am glad I can get great dx lenses for under $700 as opposed to $1500 for fx. Perfect for enthusiasts like me!
You've seen the stat that the D7000 can shoot 6 shots per second. The 6FPS shutter is in some ways overkill. But if you shoot HDR/Bracket shots in quick succession having such a rapid shutter can allow you to do so handheld in a pinch. This is really only possible because of the high ISO capabilities enabling very fast shutter times. And for sporting events and the like, it's nice to have the ability to rapidly fire off shots.
I have also noticed considerably improved metering and white balance on the D7000 compared to my old D80. Of the 350 or so shots I've taken, I am spending much less time adjusting lighting and white balance in Lightroom.
As others have mentioned, the ergonomics/design of the camera are quite good and I really enjoy the many direct access shortcuts for adjusting everything from focus to flash to white balance and much more. The two custom settings are very easy to set and perfect for your two most common profiles (e.g. indoor portrait and outdoor landscape). The screen is beautiful and moving in and around even RAW files is very smooth and fast. I went with two 16GB SD class 10 Transcend cards and while I'm currently using the RAW 1 / JPEG 2 option, I plan to use the second as a backup card once I go to RAW only.
I've only toyed with the video function but that was a part of my consideration since I dislike carrying two cameras, plus chargers and media, on family vacations. The tests I've done in 1080P have been very impressive, albeit large as you would expect. Auto-focusing while video recording is okay, as long as the background isn't too noisy or subjects too many. The biggest downside I have experienced is the built-in microphone picks up lots of auto focusing noise. I have not yet invested in an external mic but probably will need to.
All in all I am very pleased with the D7000 and see no major shortcomings. It's not cheap, but you get a lot for your money if you are in the market for a prosumer class DSLR. For users who won't explore and use the MANY options and capabilities of this camera, I would recommend considering the 3100/5100. For D80/90 users who are ready to step up big time in terms of performance, this is the upgrade you have been waiting for. Some will hold out for a D700 successor (D800 or whatever it ends up being called). I have no doubt it will be an amazing camera but cost wise, you're going to be looking at $2500+ for the body alone and pay roughly double for coverage equivalent lenses. So figure $4K just to get started. Too rich for my non-professional needs but certainly should be considered if your work or wants dictate that level of camera. And there maybe be a D300s replacement in the works too. Still, I'd urge anyone to consider the D7000, which in my opinion is the best cropped sensor DSLR to date.
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Kindle Customer
Wow!!! What do I say!!!
Reviewed in the United States on September 19, 2011
Kindle Customer
Reviewed in the United States on September 19, 2011
I am a hobbyist with a pretty good eye for photograpy that used a D50 for 5 years or so and SLR film user since the early 80's. Early last year I had the opportunity to start shoot at a local charity's events (12-13 per year), HS graduations at their adult high school and program graduations as well. I also really enjoy landscape, macro, wildlife and vacation photography as well. The D50 was OK and worked pretty well in regular light but started to have a lot of problems that several local repair facilities and Nikon all said buy a new camera... My choices were the Nikon D90, D300s and the D7000 and after loosing on an Ebay bid for a new D300s I decided to go for the D7000 from Amazon.... Best price, fast delivery and good support incase something goes wrong... I intend to buy an additional four year warranty extension to support my photography as soon as I recover from sticker shock and get a few new lenses...
I was a little intimidated by the vast ammount of functions that this camera offers but have found that if I am paitent and continue to learn one function at a time that I will have a great tool for a long time in the future... The fears I had about being too complicated to really learn, the strange over manipulated samples from Amazon's pics, FLICKR and several on line forums I belong to and the fear that I would only use about 35% of this camera's actual capabilities have been put to rest by David Busch's book...
I have shot mostly in one of the four modes controlled by the dial so far and have loved them. (Auto, Program, Shutter and Aperature) Even on Auto most of the pics have turned out better than the D50. As I gain a better knowledge of the functions and light readings of this camera I will begin to step away from the mode dial and start to use more of my choices for ISO shutter and ap speed... Don't get me wrong, not every pic has come out calling to be framed and put on my wall at home but I can assure both the novice and the intermediate shooter that you will not regret buying this camera... It will grow with you (and until you become a pro if that is your goal) satisfy your every photographic need... I am happy that I can use my old lenses during the learning curve so that when I am ready I will be able to shell out some buck for the real "Glass" that Nikon makes. These old lenses still are great for a lot of pic taking and will suffice for a time...
The colors are great and actually really close to what the eye sees, I have been surprised time after time by the D7000 and how accurate and sharp the pics are even with Nikon kit lenses. Since I really am not one of the so called artist style photographers but do believe that composition is very important in picture taking I have set the goal to do as little manipulation of the shots as possible. With the old D50 it was pretty much manditory because the CCD was on its way out and when I had an event shoot often the camera (or the operator) was fooled by the types of lighting, a non TTL flash or a background that the camera didn't recognise a focal object and wouldn't get a clear focus on anything.... So far the only problem I have actually experienced withe the D7000 was getting it to pick a clear field of focus on a bunch of wild rice shoots with grain that was ready to be harvested... Operator error not the camera... I also understand that this is a universal problem with autofocus DSLR's...
My advice is if you are willing to put in the work and really learn photography,,,,, Buy it...
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