Nikon D7000 18-105 VR Kit review

The fly in the ointment is that some buttons have alternate functions during image playback, so pressing them while the previous shot is shown on the screen changes playback rather than shooting settings. The Auto ISO settings are clumsy, too. We love the ability to define the behaviour of the Auto ISO function but hate how it’s easy to think you’re adjusting the ISO speed manually when it’s set to Auto elsewhere.

The camera also behaves unpredictably when switching from the viewfinder to live view. In manual exposure mode, the shutter speed jumps to 1/30s if it’s previously set to a slower speed, and the aperture becomes locked. In aperture priority mode, the aperture can be adjusted in live view but the on-screen image doesn’t give a depth-of-field preview.

The video mode is a vast improvement on the D90. Recordings are at 1,920×1,080 at 24fps, and the 21Mbit/s AVC files are largely free of compression artefacts. The full complement of exposure and image-processing controls used for photos are available for videos too. Details were pin-sharp, automatic exposures reacted smoothly to changing light and the narrow depth of field produced sumptuous, film-like footage. Noise levels were extremely low, too. Shooting at ISO 3200, there was a gentle shimmer of noise but details and colours remained crisp and vibrant. Our only criticism with video picture quality is that repeating patterns sometimes resulted in moiré interference.

Continuous autofocus is available for videos, but because it relies on contrast detection rather than the 39-point phase-detection system, it was slow and clumsy. It also obliterated the soundtrack with clicks and whirrs, which were just as loud as people speaking in the room. Thankfully, there’s a microphone input to avoid this problem. The microphone level can be set manually, but with no level meter or headphone output, there’s no way to know if the microphone is distorting or if its battery has run out. The built-in mono microphone is fantastic, with rich high frequencies and warm, detailed bass. Unlike on the D90, the HDMI output is only active during playback and not while recording.