Nikon D3300 vs D7000

The Nikon D3300 and the Nikon D7000 are two digital cameras that were revealed to the public, respectively, in January 2014 and September 2010. Both are DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) cameras that are equipped with an APS-C sensor. The D3300 has a resolution of 24 megapixels, whereas the D7000 provides 16.1 MP.

Below is an overview of the main specs of the two cameras as a starting point for the comparison.

Headline Specifications

Nikon D3300		Nikon D7000
Digital single lens reflex		Digital single lens reflex
Nikon F mount lenses		Nikon F mount lenses
24 MP – APS-C sensor		16.1 MP – APS-C sensor
1080/60p Video		1080/24p Video
ISO 100-12,800 (100 - 25,600)		ISO 100-6,400 (100 - 25,600)
Optical viewfinder		Optical viewfinder
3.0" LCD – 921k dots		3.0" LCD – 921k dots
Fixed screen (not touch-sensitive)		Fixed screen (not touch-sensitive)
5 shutter flaps per second		6 shutter flaps per second
not weather sealed		Weathersealed body
700 shots per battery charge		1050 shots per battery charge
124 x 98 x 76 mm, 430 g		132 x 105 x 77 mm, 780 g

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Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Nikon D3300 and the Nikon D7000? Which one should you buy? Read on to find out how these two cameras compare with respect to their body size, their imaging sensors, their shooting features, their input-output connections, and their reception by expert reviewers.

Body comparison

The side-by-side display below illustrates the physical size and weight of the Nikon D3300 and the Nikon D7000. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three successive views from the front, the top, and the rear are shown. All size dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

The D3300 can be obtained in three different colors (black, grey, red), while the D7000 is only available in black.

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Nikon D7000 is notably larger (14 percent) than the Nikon D3300. Moreover, the D7000 is substantially heavier (81 percent) than the D3300. It is noteworthy in this context that the D7000 is splash and dust-proof, while the D3300 does not feature any corresponding weather-sealing.

The above size and weight comparisons are to some extent incomplete since they do not consider the interchangeable lenses that both of these cameras require. In this particular case, both cameras feature the same lens mount, so that they can use the same lenses. You can compare the optics available in the Nikon Lens Catalog.

Concerning battery life, the D3300 gets 700 shots out of its EN-EL14a battery, while the D7000 can take 1050 images on a single charge of its EN-EL15 power pack.

The adjacent table lists the principal physical characteristics of the two cameras alongside a wider set of alternatives. If you would like to visualize and compare a different camera combination, you can navigate to the CAM-parator app and make your selection from a broad list of cameras there.

Body Specifications

		Camera Model	Camera Width	Camera Height	Camera Depth	Camera Weight	Battery Life	Weather Sealing	Camera Launch	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price
1.		Nikon D3300	124 mm	98 mm	76 mm	430 g	700	n	Jan 2014	499	ebay.com
2.		Nikon D7000	132 mm	105 mm	77 mm	780 g	1050	Y	Sep 2010	1,499	ebay.com
3.		Canon 200D	122 mm	93 mm	70 mm	453 g	650	n	Jun 2017	549	ebay.com
4.		Canon M3	111 mm	68 mm	44 mm	366 g	250	n	Feb 2015	679	ebay.com
5.		Canon 7D	148 mm	111 mm	74 mm	860 g	800	Y	Sep 2009	1,699	ebay.com
6.		Nikon D3500	124 mm	97 mm	70 mm	415 g	1550	n	Aug 2018	429	amazon.com
7.		Nikon D7500	136 mm	104 mm	73 mm	720 g	950	Y	Apr 2017	1,299	amazon.com
8.		Nikon D5600	124 mm	97 mm	70 mm	465 g	970	n	Nov 2016	699	amazon.com
9.		Nikon D3400	124 mm	98 mm	76 mm	445 g	1200	n	Aug 2016	499	ebay.com
10.		Nikon D5500	124 mm	97 mm	70 mm	470 g	820	n	Jan 2015	899	ebay.com
11.		Nikon D7200	136 mm	107 mm	76 mm	765 g	1110	Y	Mar 2015	1,199	ebay.com
12.		Nikon D7100	136 mm	107 mm	76 mm	765 g	950	Y	Feb 2013	1,199	ebay.com
13.		Nikon D5300	125 mm	98 mm	76 mm	480 g	600	n	Oct 2013	799	ebay.com
14.		Nikon D3200	125 mm	96 mm	77 mm	505 g	540	n	Apr 2012	599	ebay.com
15.		Nikon D300S	147 mm	115 mm	81 mm	938 g	950	Y	Jul 2009	1,799	ebay.com
16.		Nikon D90	132 mm	103 mm	77 mm	703 g	850	n	Aug 2008	1,299	ebay.com
17.		Sony A6000	120 mm	67 mm	45 mm	344 g	360	n	Feb 2014	599	ebay.com
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.
Convert to Imperial

Any camera decision will naturally be influenced heavily by the price. The listed launch prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The D3300 was launched at a markedly lower price (by 67 percent) than the D7000, which puts it into a different market segment. Usually, retail prices stay at first close to the launch price, but after several months, discounts become available. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down.

Sensor comparison

The size of the imaging sensor is a crucial determinant of image quality. All other things equal, a large sensor will have larger individual pixel-units that offer better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and richer color-depth than smaller pixels in a sensor of the same technological generation. Further, a large sensor camera will give the photographer additional creative options when using shallow depth-of-field to isolate a subject from its background. On the downside, larger sensors tend to be more expensive and lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.

Both cameras under consideration feature an APS-C sensor, but their sensors differ slightly in size. The sensor area in the D7000 is 1 percent bigger. They nevertheless have the same format factor of 1.5. Both cameras have a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 3:2.

In terms of chip-set technology, the D3300 uses a more advanced image processing engine (EXPEED 4) than the D7000 (EXPEED 2), with benefits for noise reduction, color accuracy, and processing speed.

Despite having a slightly smaller sensor, the Nikon D3300 offers a higher resolution of 24 megapixels, compared with 16.1 MP of the Nikon D7000. This megapixels advantage comes at the cost of a higher pixel density and a smaller size of the individual pixel (with a pixel pitch of 3.91μm versus 4.80μm for the D7000). However, it should be noted that the D3300 is much more recent (by 3 years and 3 months) than the D7000, and its sensor will have benefitted from technological advances during this time that make it possible to gather light more efficiently. Coming back to sensor resolution, it should be mentioned that the D3300 has no anti-alias filter installed, so that it can capture all the detail its sensor resolves.

The resolution advantage of the Nikon D3300 implies greater flexibility for cropping images or the possibility to print larger pictures. The maximum print size of the D3300 for good quality output (200 dots per inch) amounts to 30 x 20 inches or 76.2 x 50.8 cm, for very good quality (250 dpi) 24 x 16 inches or 61 x 40.6 cm, and for excellent quality (300 dpi) 20 x 13.3 inches or 50.8 x 33.9 cm. The corresponding values for the Nikon D7000 are 24.6 x 16.3 inches or 62.6 x 41.5 cm for good quality, 19.7 x 13.1 inches or 50.1 x 33.2 cm for very good quality, and 16.4 x 10.9 inches or 41.7 x 27.6 cm for excellent quality prints.

The Nikon D3300 has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 12800, which can be extended to ISO 100-25600. The corresponding ISO settings for the Nikon D7000 are ISO 100 to ISO 6400, with the possibility to increase the ISO range to 100-25600.

Technology-wise, both cameras are equipped with CMOS (Complementary Metal–Oxide–Semiconductor) sensors. Both cameras use a Bayer filter for capturing RGB colors on a square grid of photosensors. This arrangement is found in most digital cameras.

Consistent information on actual sensor performance is available from DXO Mark for many cameras. This service determines an overall sensor rating, as well as sub-scores for low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and color depth ("DXO Portrait"). The Overall DXO ratings for the two cameras under consideration are close, suggesting that they provide similar imaging performance. The adjacent table reports on the physical sensor characteristics and the outcomes of the DXO sensor quality tests for a sample of comparator-cameras.

Sensor Characteristics

		Camera Model	Sensor Class	Resolution (MP)	Horiz. Pixels	Vert. Pixels	Video Format	DXO Portrait	DXO Landscape	DXO Sports	DXO Overall
1.		Nikon D3300	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.3	12.8	1385	82
2.		Nikon D7000	APS-C	16.1	4928	3264	1080/24p	23.5	13.9	1167	80
3.		Canon 200D	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.6	13.4	1041	79
4.		Canon M3	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/30p	22.8	11.8	1169	72
5.		Canon 7D	APS-C	17.9	5184	3456	1080/30p	22.0	11.7	854	66
6.		Nikon D3500	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.0	13.4	1851	83
7.		Nikon D7500	APS-C	20.7	5568	3712	4K/30p	24.3	14.0	1483	86
8.		Nikon D5600	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.1	14.0	1306	84
9.		Nikon D3400	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.8	13.9	1192	86
10.		Nikon D5500	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.1	14.0	1438	84
11.		Nikon D7200	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.5	14.6	1333	87
12.		Nikon D7100	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.2	13.7	1256	83
13.		Nikon D5300	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.0	13.9	1338	83
14.		Nikon D3200	APS-C	24.1	6016	4000	1080/30p	24.1	13.2	1131	81
15.		Nikon D300S	APS-C	12.2	4288	2848	720/24p	22.5	12.2	787	70
16.		Nikon D90	APS-C	12.2	4288	2848	720/24p	22.7	12.5	977	73
17.		Sony A6000	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.1	13.1	1347	82
Note: DXO values in italics represent estimates based on sensor size and age.

Many modern cameras are not only capable of taking still images, but also of capturing video footage. Both cameras under consideration are equipped with sensors that have a sufficiently high read-out speed for moving images, but the D3300 provides a higher frame rate than the D7000. It can shoot video footage at 1080/60p, while the D7000 is limited to 1080/24p.

Feature comparison

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. The D3300 and the D7000 are similar in the sense that both have an optical viewfinder. The latter is useful for getting a clear image for framing even in brightly lit environments. The viewfinder in the D7000 offers a wider field of view (100%) than the one in the D3300 (95%), so that a larger proportion of the captured image is visible in the finder. In addition, the viewfinder of the D7000 has a higher magnification (0.63x vs 0.57x), so that the size of the image transmitted appears closer to the size seen with the naked human eye. The table below summarizes some of the other core capabilities of the Nikon D3300 and Nikon D7000 in connection with corresponding information for a sample of similar cameras.

Core Features

		Camera Model	Viewfinder (Type or 000 dots)	Control Panel (yes/no)	LCD Specifications (inch/000 dots)	LCD Attach- ment	Touch Screen (yes/no)	Max Shutter Speed *	Max Shutter Flaps *	Built-in Flash (yes/no)	Built-in Image Stab
1.		Nikon D3300	optical	n	3.0 / 921	fixed	n	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
2.		Nikon D7000	optical	Y	3.0 / 921	fixed	n	1/8000s	6.0/s	Y	n
3.		Canon 200D	optical	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
4.		Canon M3	optional	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	4.2/s	Y	n
5.		Canon 7D	optical	Y	3.0 / 920	fixed	n	1/8000s	8.0/s	Y	n
6.		Nikon D3500	optical	n	3.0 / 921	fixed	n	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
7.		Nikon D7500	optical	Y	3.2 / 922	tilting	Y	1/8000s	8.0/s	Y	n
8.		Nikon D5600	optical	n	3.2 / 1037	swivel	Y	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
9.		Nikon D3400	optical	n	3.0 / 921	fixed	n	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
10.		Nikon D5500	optical	n	3.2 / 1037	swivel	Y	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
11.		Nikon D7200	optical	Y	3.2 / 1229	fixed	n	1/8000s	6.0/s	Y	n
12.		Nikon D7100	optical	Y	3.2 / 1229	fixed	n	1/8000s	6.0/s	Y	n
13.		Nikon D5300	optical	n	3.2 / 1037	swivel	n	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
14.		Nikon D3200	optical	n	3.0 / 921	fixed	n	1/4000s	4.0/s	Y	n
15.		Nikon D300S	optical	Y	3.0 / 920	fixed	n	1/8000s	7.0/s	Y	n
16.		Nikon D90	optical	Y	3.0 / 920	fixed	n	1/4000s	4.5/s	Y	n
17.		Sony A6000	1440	n	3.0 / 922	tilting	n	1/4000s	11.0/s	Y	n
Notes: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.

One feature that is present on the D7000, but is missing on the D3300 is a top-level LCD. While being, of course, smaller than the rear screen, the control panel conveys some of the essential shooting information and can be convenient for quick and easy settings verification.

The Nikon D7000 has an intervalometer built-in. This enables the photographer to capture time lapse sequences, such as flower blooming, a sunset or moon rise, without purchasing an external camera trigger and related software.

Concerning the storage of imaging data, both the D3300 and the D7000 write their files to SDXC cards. The D7000 features dual card slots, which can be very useful in case a memory card fails. In contrast, the D3300 only has one slot. The D3300 supports UHS-I cards (Ultra High Speed data transfer of up to 104 MB/s), while the D7000 cannot take advantage of Ultra High Speed SD cards.

Connectivity comparison

For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Nikon D3300 and Nikon D7000 and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

Input-Output Connections

		Camera Model	Hotshoe Port	Internal Mic / Speaker	Microphone Port	Headphone Port	HDMI Port	USB Port	WiFi Support	NFC Support	Bluetooth Support
1.		Nikon D3300	Y	mono / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
2.		Nikon D7000	Y	mono / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
3.		Canon 200D	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	Y
4.		Canon M3	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-
5.		Canon 7D	Y	mono / -	Y	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
6.		Nikon D3500	Y	mono / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	Y
7.		Nikon D7500	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	mini	2.0	Y	-	Y
8.		Nikon D5600	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	Y
9.		Nikon D3400	Y	mono / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	Y
10.		Nikon D5500	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	-	-
11.		Nikon D7200	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-
12.		Nikon D7100	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	mini	2.0	-	-	-
13.		Nikon D5300	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	-	-
14.		Nikon D3200	Y	mono / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
15.		Nikon D300S	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
16.		Nikon D90	Y	mono / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
17.		Sony A6000	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-

Both the D3300 and the D7000 have been discontinued, but can regularly be found used on ebay. The D7000 was replaced by the Nikon D7100, while the D3300 was followed by the Nikon D3400. Further information on the features and operation of the D3300 and D7000 can be found, respectively, in the Nikon D3300 Manual (free pdf) or the online Nikon D7000 Manual.

Review summary

So what conclusions can be drawn? Which of the two cameras – the Nikon D3300 or the Nikon D7000 – has the upper hand? Is one clearly better than the other? A synthesis of the relative strong points of each of the models is listed below.

Advantages of the Nikon D3300:

• More detail: Offers more megapixels (24 vs 16.1MP) with a 22% higher linear resolution.
• Maximized detail: Lacks an anti-alias filter to exploit the sensor's full resolution potential.
• Better jpgs: Has a more modern image processing engine (EXPEED 4 vs EXPEED 2).
• Better video: Provides higher movie framerates (1080/60p versus 1080/24p).
• More compact: Is smaller (124x98mm vs 132x105mm) and thus needs less room in the bag.
• Less heavy: Is lighter (by 350g or 45 percent) and hence easier to carry around.
• Faster buffer clearing: Has an SD card interface that supports the UHS-I standard.
• More affordable: Was introduced into a lower priced category (67 percent cheaper at launch).
• More modern: Reflects 3 years and 3 months of technical progress since the D7000 launch.

Reasons to prefer the Nikon D7000:

• Better moiré control: Has an anti-alias filter to avoid artificial patterns to appear in images.
• More dynamic range: Captures a broader range of light and dark details (1.1 EV of extra DR).
• More complete view: Has a viewfinder with a larger field of view (100% vs 95%).
• Larger viewfinder image: Features a viewfinder with a higher magnification (0.63x vs 0.57x).
• Easier setting verification: Features a control panel on top to check shooting parameters.
• Faster shutter: Has higher mechanical shutter speed (1/8000s vs 1/4000s) to freeze action.
• Faster burst: Shoots at higher frequency (6 vs 5 flaps/sec) to capture the decisive moment.
• Easier time-lapse photography: Has an intervalometer built-in for low frequency shooting.
• Longer lasting: Gets more shots (1050 versus 700) out of a single battery charge.
• Better sealing: Is splash and dust sealed for shooting in inclement weather conditions.
• Greater peace of mind: Features a second card slot as a backup in case of memory card failure.
• More heavily discounted: Has been around for much longer (launched in September 2010).

If the number of relative strengths (bullet points above) is taken as a guide, the D7000 emerges as the winner of the match-up (12 : 9 points). However, the pertinence of the various camera strengths will differ across photographers, so that you might want to weigh individual camera traits according to their importance for your own imaging needs before making a camera decision. A professional wedding photographer will view the differences between cameras in a way that diverges from the perspective of a travel photog, and a person interested in cityscapes has distinct needs from a macro shooter. Hence, the decision which camera is best and worth buying is often a very personal one.

How about other alternatives? Do the specifications of the Nikon D3300 and the Nikon D7000 place the cameras among the top in their class? Find out in the latest Best DSLR Camera listing whether the two cameras rank among the cream of the crop.

In any case, while the comparison of the spec-sheets of cameras can offer a general idea of their imaging potential, it says little about, for example, the shooting experience and imaging performance of the D3300 and the D7000 in practical situations. User reviews that are available, for instance, at amazon can sometimes shed light on these issues, but such feedback is all too often partial, inconsistent, and inaccurate.

Expert reviews

This is why expert reviews are important. The adjacent summary-table relays the overall verdicts of several of the most popular camera review sites (amateurphotographer [AP], cameralabs [CL], digitalcameraworld [DCW], dpreview [DPR], ephotozine [EPZ], photographyblog [PB]). As can be seen, the professional reviewers agree in many cases on the quality of different cameras, but sometimes their assessments diverge, reinforcing the earlier point that a camera decision is often a very personal choice.

Expert Camera Reviews

		Camera   Model	AP   score	CL   score	DCW   score	DPR   score	EPZ   score	PB   score	Camera Launch	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price
1.		Nikon D3300	3/5	+	..	77/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jan 2014	499	ebay.com
2.		Nikon D7000	4/5	..	..	80/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Sep 2010	1,499	ebay.com
3.		Canon 200D	4/5	+ +	4/5	78/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jun 2017	549	ebay.com
4.		Canon M3	4/5	o	..	75/100	4.5/5	4/5	Feb 2015	679	ebay.com
5.		Canon 7D	5/5	+ +	..	84/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Sep 2009	1,699	ebay.com
6.		Nikon D3500	4/5	..	4/5	75/100	4/5	4.5/5	Aug 2018	429	amazon.com
7.		Nikon D7500	4.5/5	+ +	4.5/5	86/100	5/5	4.5/5	Apr 2017	1,299	amazon.com
8.		Nikon D5600	4/5	..	4/5	79/100	4.5/5	4/5	Nov 2016	699	amazon.com
9.		Nikon D3400	4/5	+	4/5	76/100	4/5	4.5/5	Aug 2016	499	ebay.com
10.		Nikon D5500	5/5	+	..	79/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jan 2015	899	ebay.com
11.		Nikon D7200	4/5	+ +	..	84/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Mar 2015	1,199	ebay.com
12.		Nikon D7100	5/5	+ +	..	85/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2013	1,199	ebay.com
13.		Nikon D5300	4/5	+ +	..	79/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Oct 2013	799	ebay.com
14.		Nikon D3200	5/5	+ +	..	73/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Apr 2012	599	ebay.com
15.		Nikon D300S	5/5	+ +	..	82/100	4/5	4.5/5	Jul 2009	1,799	ebay.com
16.		Nikon D90	..	+ +	..	+ +	4/5	4.5/5	Aug 2008	1,299	ebay.com
17.		Sony A6000	5/5	+	4.5/5	80/100	4.5/5	5/5	Feb 2014	599	ebay.com
Notes: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

Care should be taken when interpreting the review scores above, though. The ratings were established in reference to similarly priced cameras that were available in the market at the time of the review. A score, therefore, has to be seen in close connection to the price and market introduction time of the camera, and comparisons of ratings among very different cameras or across long time periods have little meaning. It should also be noted that some of the review sites have over time altered the way they render their verdicts.

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Other camera comparisons

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