The only real drawback to overall quality is the new 2016 pixel RGB metering sensor which, despite a high number of zones to conclude final exposure value, had a tendency to plump for overexposing the highlights. Attach a faster lens and it’s clear to see that D7000 body is more capable than the lens it comes boxed with and, although the 18-105mm is adequate, there’s plenty of room to expand up the Nikon range without the need to fork out more cash on another camera body. Continuous autofocus continues to work well when burst shooting too, though this is one area where the 18-105mm kit lens finds its comeuppance. Using a Class 10 card it was possible to shoot 8 RAW + JPEG frames before there was any form of delay, showing that the buffer isn’t as big and accommodating as it perhaps could be.
The Nikon D300s, above the D7000 in the Professional range, provides a 7fps burst mode, so the difference between the two cameras is relatively slight.
It’s not just the D7000’s autofocus that’s fast, as a 6fps burst mode means shots can be reeled off rapidly at full resolution.
Using live view for movie shooting can be adjusted between AF-S and AF-F (full time) depending on your preference of a fixed focal point or continuous re-assessment - the latter can be problematic due to ever so slight under- and over-focusing. As a contrast-detection system is employed for live view work it’s not nearly as fast as shooting through the viewfinder, yet is successful in its ability to focus and the fact the focus-area can be shifted right to the very edges of the frame proves very versatile. Flick the switch to the top right of the LCD screen to enter the mode and accessing the menu will open up four possible focus types: face detection, wide-area, normal-area and subject tracking AF. The viewfinder is very good indeed and fills a large area thanks to its 0.94x magnification, though the eyecup itself could do with being a spot larger to encompass around the eye more significantly.Īnd this is before considering live view’s focus options which, as it happens, is altogether less detailed by comparison. Although the screen doesn’t have the highest available resolution out there, it’s still more than ample for providing good preview and playback of detail and the readily available zoom buttons to the left side of the camera can be pressed for zoom in and quick assessment of sharpness as required. This produces a halfway house between extra sturdiness and more standard construction, so it isn’t quite as weighty, sturdy or fully weather-sealed as a pro-spec camera would be, but it’s a tougher build than many others, including its clear-cut competitor, the Canon EOS 60D.Ī 3-inch screen on the rear has a 920k-dot resolution, and a 100 per cent field-of-view optical viewfinder is located above this. The D7000’s body is an amalgamation of part magnesium alloy on the top and base, and part polycarbonate for the rest of the body.