Nikon D7000 18-105 VR Kit review

The improvements for photography aren’t as dramatic as for video, but they build on an already superb foundation. Continuous shooting is now a claimed 6fps – and we measured 5.7fps in our tests. We’ve seen faster cameras costing half as much, but the D7000’s large buffer and fast processor meant it kept going at 5.7fps for 100 shots. Raw continuous performance was less impressive, slowing to 1.4fps after 10 shots. Otherwise, the camera was extremely responsive, and never kept us waiting – except for the autofocus issues described above.

Automatic exposures were excellent, with digital processing handling shadows well and Nikon’s subtle tendency towards warmer tones flattering most subjects. Noise barely registered at ISO 1600 and remained reasonably unobtrusive at ISO 6400, allowing handheld shooting in low light with the kit lens. The much cheaper Canon EOS 550D matches it for noise levels, though.

The 16-megapixel sensor and 18-105mm lens captured stunning details, and in-camera chromatic aberration correction worked wonders (see the trees in our sample gallery). However, we found that shutter speeds below 1/100s often resulted in small amounts of camera shake. Tests using a tripod suggested that the lens’s optical stabilisation actually added some shake, particularly at 1/30s. That’s annoying, but this is still a worthwhile kit lens that’s in a different class to the 18-55mm lenses bundled with cheaper SLRs.

If photography is a hobby rather than a profession, £1,200 is a lot to spend, especially when the Canon 550D offers comparable photo and video quality. There are plenty of reasons to consider the D7000, though: faster performance, more tactile controls, a bigger viewfinder, more sophisticated autofocus. The Canon 60D offers similar features, though – we’ll have our full review up shortly. As an upgrade to the D90, the D7000 is both extremely tempting and unnervingly expensive in exactly equal measure.