Nikon D7000

(Credit: Nikon USA)

It's been a long time coming, but Nikon has finally unveiled its new midrange model, the D7000, in one of the most eagerly anticipated announcements of the year. The D7000 doesn't replace the D90; it's launching at a higher price than the D90 did, and the D90 is still widely available. Instead, the D7000 takes on the Canon 60D in the price class up from the D90, with a host of improvements that portend well for the new camera.

What's new? Lots. The D7000 incorporates a new Nikon-designed 16.2-megapixel sensor coupled with its Expeed 2 processor; with this pairing Nikon ups its analog-to-digital conversion to 14-bit processing, which has the potential to produce a noticeably better dynamic range. There's also a new (presumably better) metering sensor, more sophisticated autofocus system that falls somewhere between the D90 and D300s in sensitivity, and a viewfinder with 100 percent scene coverage.

(Credit: Nikon USA)

It's also Nikon's first dSLR to rise to 1080p HD video, with the added bonus (for whatever it's worth) of full-time autofocus during video capture. And the body's construction, though not quite as tanklike as the D300s, incorporates an all-metal chassis with magnesium-alloy covers (the rest is polycarbonate), and is sealed against dust and moisture like the D300s.

There are also some changes from the traditional Nikon body design that I think are great. The D7000 has custom settings available via the mode dial (rather than just through a powerful but confusing menu interface) and a dedicated movie record button. It also provides two card slots in a category that generally only offers one, and uses a new battery grip that supports AA batteries.

Here's where it sits in the product line and the competitive field:

Exceptional image quality
The D7000 includes a range of new features to ensure superior image quality including 16.2 effective megapixels with the newly developed Nikon DX format CMOS image sensor. The camera boasts a new image-processing engine, EXPEED 2, which delivers higher image quality, higher speed processing and multiple functions with more power. And the D7000’s increased ISO sensitivity (100-6400, extendable up to 25600) ensures exceptional detail with minimal noise when capturing fast moving subjects or in poor light situations, even without the flash.
Outstanding reliability
The D7000’s bright Glass Pentaprism Viewfinder with approximate 100% frame coverage and 0.94x magnification gives you the most precise view and focus of any scene, and it is always ready when you are with a shutter speed of 1/8000s, tested to 150,000 cycles. What is more, the camera is protected by magnesium alloy top and rear covers and has durable sealing against dust and moisture so it is prepared for even the most testing of situations.
When it comes to storage, the D7000 again provides you with maximum reliability. The twin SD memory card slots allow for added storage capacity and give you the freedom to manage your images and video in the way you want to either by saving more of them, keeping different formats separate or always having backup space when you need it.
Enhanced performance
The D7000’s newly developed AF system featuring 39 focus points, including 9 cross-type sensors in the centre, gives you the sharpest focus, no matter where your subject is in the frame. And with Nikon’s new 2,016 pixel RGB metering sensor to enhance the effectiveness of the Scene Recognition System, plus High Speed Continuous shooting capability at 6FPS, you can be sure to capture incredibly accurate, high-quality images every time.
 Full-HD D-Movie with AF-F mode 
The D7000 has direct access to a movie record button so you can capture footage in full HD (1080p) with greater ease. The AF-F gives continuous focus during movie recording, which is captured using MPEG4 AVC/H.264 compression, and has a stereo microphone jack for quality sound recording. This means superior image quality and operability when using the D-Movie function.
The D7000s built-in movie editing functions also give you the freedom to chose the start and end points of your footage and switch to selected frames for capturing still images without relying on a computer – letting you edit and share your films quickly and easily.
Optional accessories  
Nikon is also launching the new Speedlight SB-700, a feature-packed yet easy-to-use flash unit. The SB-700 offers lighting benefits that greatly surpass the camera onboard flash, allowing total control over scene or subject lighting to create beautiful, professional looking results.  
To guarantee great performance for longer, the D7000 also has a dedicated Multi-Power Battery Pack MB-D11 (optional) that enables seamless switching of power supply with the in-camera battery, vertical shooting and further stabilizes the body when using a long telephoto lens.
The D7000 is compatible with the GP-1 GPS (Global Positioning System) unit which records location information in the image file and of course, the camera supports a wide variety of NIKKOR lenses.