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Nikon D7000 18-105 VR Kit review

Our Rating :
Price when reviewed : £1179
inc VAT

The D7000 is a joy to use, and takes breathtaking photos and videos.

Specifications

23.6×15.6mm 16.1-megapixel sensor, 5.8x zoom (27-157.5mm equivalent), 1.2kg

http://www.jessops.com

The Nikon D90 was – and still is – one of our favourite SLRs, with sublime ergonomics and equally alluring photo quality. It was the first SLR to record video, but two years on, its 720p resolution and five-minute maximum recording time look old-fashioned.

Nikon D7000 2

We were looking forward to a successor, but the D7000 reviewed here is something of a surprise. It addresses the D90’s main weakness, recording video at 1080p in up to 20-minute bursts with full manual control. Other expected improvements include a move from 12 to 16 megapixels and an expanded ISO range, now at 100 to 25,600 equivalent. What we weren’t expecting was a magnesium alloy body, dual SDXC card slots, a 2,016-pixel metering sensor and 39-point autofocus. These improvements shift the D7000 into a different class to the D90, aligning it with semi-professional cameras such as the Canon 7D rather than the enthusiast-oriented 550D. The price reflects this shift, too; the D90 Kit is still available for around £800 but the D7000 costs £380 more.

The autofocus system is seriously sophisticated, even at this price. With 39 points, there’s little chance that the subject will fall between the gaps, and the centre nine points are cross type for improved accuracy. The 3D Tracking mode tracks moving subjects to keep them in focus – something that’s incredibly useful for continuous shooting. In practice, autofocus was extremely accurate but the kit lens’s focus motor sometimes struggled to keep up with fast-moving subjects.

Nikon D7000 5

The D7000 inherits some excellent features from the D90. The viewfinder is significantly bigger than on more modestly priced SLRs, which makes manual focus much easier and is generally far more pleasant to use. Dual command dials give direct access to exposure settings. When used in conjunction with various buttons dotted around the camera, the dials control white balance, JPEG quality, exposure compensation, AE bracketing, flash mode, metering mode and focus options. There’s also a dial to select the drive mode – a new feature over the D90. The passive LCD screen on the top of the camera means that the main 3in, 921,000-pixel LCD screen can just get on with image review duties, and there’s rarely any need to visit the menus during normal operation.

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Basic Specifications

Rating*****
CCD effective megapixels16.1 megapixels
CCD size23.6×15.6mm
Viewfinderoptical TTL
Viewfinder magnification, coverage0.94x, 100%
LCD screen size3.0in
LCD screen resolution920,000 pixels
Articulated screenNo
Live viewYes
Optical zoom5.8x
Zoom 35mm equivalent27-157.5mm
Image stabilisationoptical, lens based
Maximum image resolution4,928×3,264
Maximum movie resolution1920×1080
Movie frame rate at max quality24fps
File formatsJPEG, RAW; QuickTime (AVC)

Physical

Memory slot2x SDXC
Mermory suppliednone
Battery typeLi-ion
Battery Life (tested)1,050 shots
ConnectivityUSB, AV, mini HDMI, microphone, GPS
HDMI output resolution1080i
Body materialmagnesium alloy
Lens mountNikon F mount
Focal length multiplier1.5x
Kit lens model nameAF-S DX Nikkor 18-105MM F/3.5-5.6G ED VR
AccessoriesUSB and AV cables, neck strap
Weight1.2kg
Size105x132x150mm

Buying Information

Warrantytwo-year RTB
Price£1,179
Supplierhttp://www.jessops.com
Detailswww.nikon.co.uk

Camera Controls

Exposure modesprogram, shutter priority, aperture priority, manual
Shutter speed30 to 1/8,000 seconds
Aperture rangef/3.5-22 (wide), f/5.6-36 (tele)
ISO range (at full resolution)100 to 25600
Exposure compensation+/-5 EV
White balanceauto, 6 presets with fine tuning, custom, 5 manual
Additional image controlscontrast, saturation, sharpness, brightness, hue, noise reduction, dynamic range, colour space
Manual focusYes
Closest macro focus45cm
Auto-focus modes39-point
Metering modesmulti, centre-weighted, centre, face detect (live view only)
Flashauto, forced, suppressed, slow synchro, rear curtain, red-eye reduction
Drive modessingle, continuous, self-timer, AE bracket, WB bracket, flash bracket

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Reviews | DSLRs