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Nikon D7000 Comparison Review

The Nikon D7000 is a DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) camera that was announced in September 2010 and is equipped with an APS-C sensor. It offers a resolution of 16.1 megapixel.

camera

Is the Nikon D7000 a good camera? The D7000 has a Camera Elo of 1708. This rating puts the D7000 among the top 50 percent of all digital single lens reflex cameras. In terms of its sensor size category (APS cameras), the D7000 ranks below average. Based on its within category standings, the camera earns a 3-star performance rating.

Headline Specifications
Nikon D7000
Digital single lens reflex
Nikon F mount lenses
16.1 MP, APS-C Sensor
1080/24p Video
ISO 100 - 6 400 (100 - 25 600)
Optical viewfinder
3.0 LCD, 921k dots
Fixed screen (not touch-sensitive)
6 shutter flaps per second
Weathersealed body
1050 shots per battery charge
132 x 105 x 77 mm, 780 g

Read on to find out more about the camera's size, sensor, features, reception by expert reviewers, and how it compares to other digital cameras.

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Body comparison with a credit card

The physical dimensions of the Nikon D7000 relative to a credit card are illustrated in the side-by-side display below. Three consecutive views from the front, the top, and the rear side are shown. All size dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

Nikon D7000 vs credit card front
D7000 versus credit card top view
D7000 and credit card rear side

The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the Nikon D7000 alongside a set of similar cameras. If you want to review a particular camera pair side-by-side, just move across to the CAM-parator tool and choose from the broad selection of possible comparisons there.

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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 D7000 132 mm 105 mm 77 mm 780 g 1050 Y Sep 2010 1,499ebay.com
2.
 
Canon 60D 145 mm 106 mm 79 mm 755 g 1100 Y Aug 2010 1,399ebay.com
3.
 
Canon 7D 148 mm 111 mm 74 mm 860 g 800 Y Sep 2009 1,699ebay.com
4.
 
Nikon D7500 136 mm 104 mm 73 mm 720 g 950 Y Apr 2017 1,299 amazon.com
5.
 
Nikon D7100 136 mm 107 mm 76 mm 765 g 950 Y Feb 2013 1,199ebay.com
6.
 
Nikon D5100 128 mm 97 mm 79 mm 560 g 660 n Apr 2011 749ebay.com
7.
 
Nikon D3100 124 mm 96 mm 75 mm 505 g 550 n Aug 2010 599ebay.com
8.
 
Nikon D300S 147 mm 115 mm 81 mm 938 g 950 Y Jul 2009 1,799ebay.com
9.
 
Nikon D90 132 mm 103 mm 77 mm 703 g 850 n Aug 2008 1,299ebay.com
10.
 
Nikon D300 147 mm 114 mm 74 mm 925 g 1000 Y Aug 2007 1,799ebay.com
11.
 
Nikon D200 147 mm 113 mm 74 mm 920 g 400 Y Nov 2005 1,699ebay.com
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.
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The listed prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The Nikon D7000 was launched in the US market at a price of $1,499. 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. Then, after the new model is out, very good deals can frequently be found on the pre-owned market.

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Sensor comparison with a 35mm slide

The imaging sensor is at the core of digital cameras and its size is one of the main determining factors 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. Furthermore, a large sensor camera will give the photographer more possibilities to use shallow depth-of-field in order to isolate a subject from the background. On the downside, larger sensors are more costly to manufacture and tent to lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.

The Nikon D7000 features an APS-C sensor and has a format factor (sometimes also referred to as "crop factor") of 1.5. Within the spectrum of camera sensors, this places the Nikon D7000 among the medium-sized sensor cameras that aim to strike a balance between image quality and portability.

Nikon D7000 sensor measures

Since 2007, DXO Mark has published sensor performance measurements that have been derived using a consistent methodology. 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 following table provides an overview of the physical sensor characteristics, as well as the sensor quality measurements for a selection of alternatives.

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Sensor Characteristics
#   Camera
Model
Sensor
Class
Resolution
(MP)
Horiz.
Pixels
Vert.
Pixels
Video
Format
DXO
Portrait
DXO
Landscape
DXO
Sports
DXO
Overall
1.
 
Nikon D7000 APS-C 16.1 4928 32641080/24p23.513.9116780
2.
 
Canon 60D APS-C 17.9 5184 34561080/30p22.211.581366
3.
 
Canon 7D APS-C 17.9 5184 34561080/30p22.011.785466
4.
 
Nikon D7500 APS-C 20.7 5568 37124K/30p24.314.0148386
5.
 
Nikon D7100 APS-C 24.0 6000 40001080/60p24.213.7125683
6.
 
Nikon D5100 APS-C 16.1 4928 32641080/30p23.513.6118380
7.
 
Nikon D3100 APS-C 14.2 4608 30721080/24p22.511.391967
8.
 
Nikon D300S APS-C 12.2 4288 2848720/24p22.512.278770
9.
 
Nikon D90 APS-C 12.2 4288 2848720/24p22.712.597773
10.
 
Nikon D300 APS-C 12.2 4288 2848none22.112.067967
11.
 
Nikon D200 APS-C 10.0 3872 2592none22.311.558364
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Many modern cameras cannot only take still pictures, but also record videos. The D7000 indeed provides movie recording capabilities. The highest resolution format that the D7000 can use is 1080/24p.

Feature comparison

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. For example, the D7000 has an optical viewfinder that provides a field of view of 100% and a magnification of 0.63x. The following tables report on some other key feature differences and similarities of the Nikon D7000 and comparable cameras.

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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 D7000optical Y3.0 / 921 fixed n 1/8000s 6.0/s Y n
2.
 
Canon 60Doptical Y3.0 / 1040 swivel n 1/8000s 5.3/s Y n
3.
 
Canon 7Doptical Y3.0 / 920 fixed n 1/8000s 8.0/s Y n
4.
 
Nikon D7500optical Y3.2 / 922 tilting Y 1/8000s 8.0/s Y n
5.
 
Nikon D7100optical Y3.2 / 1229 fixed n 1/8000s 6.0/s Y n
6.
 
Nikon D5100optical n3.0 / 921 swivel n 1/4000s 4.0/s Y n
7.
 
Nikon D3100optical n3.0 / 230 fixed n 1/4000s 3.0/s Y n
8.
 
Nikon D300Soptical Y3.0 / 920 fixed n 1/8000s 7.0/s Y n
9.
 
Nikon D90optical Y3.0 / 920 fixed n 1/4000s 4.5/s Y n
10.
 
Nikon D300optical Y3.0 / 922 fixed n 1/8000s 6.0/s Y n
11.
 
Nikon D200optical Y2.5 / 230 fixed n 1/8000s 5.0/s Y n
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.
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One convenient feature of the D7000 is the presence of an on-board flash. While this built-in flash is not very powerful, it can at times be useful as a fill-in light to brighten deep shadow areas.

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Connection 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 D7000 and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

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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 D7000Ymono / monoY-mini2.0---
2.
 
Canon 60DYmono / monoY-mini2.0---
3.
 
Canon 7DYmono / -Y-mini2.0---
4.
 
Nikon D7500Ystereo / monoYYmini2.0Y-Y
5.
 
Nikon D7100Ystereo / monoYYmini2.0---
6.
 
Nikon D5100Ymono / monoY-mini2.0---
7.
 
Nikon D3100Ymono / mono--mini2.0---
8.
 
Nikon D300SYstereo / monoY-mini2.0---
9.
 
Nikon D90Ymono / mono--mini2.0---
10.
 
Nikon D300Y- / ---mini2.0---
11.
 
Nikon D200Y- / ----2.0---
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It is notable that the D7000 has a microphone port. Such an external microphone input can help to substantially improve the quality of audio recordings when a good external microphone is used.

Further information on the features and operation of the D7000 can be found in the free online Nikon D7000 Manual or on the Nikon support site.

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Expert reviews

While the specs-based evaluation of cameras is instructive in revealing their potential as photographic tools, it says nothing about, for example, the handling, responsiveness, and overall imaging quality of the D7000 in practical situations. At times, user reviews, such as those published at amazon, address these issues in a useful manner, but such feedback is on many occasions incomplete, inconsistent, and unreliable. This is why hands-on reviews by experts are important. The following table reports the overall rankings of the cameras as published by some of the major camera review sites (amateurphotographer [AP], cameralabs [CL], digitalcameraworld [DCW], dpreview [DPR], ephotozine [EPZ], photographyblog [PB]).

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Review Scores
#    Camera 
 Model 
 AP 
 score 
 CL 
 score 
 DCW 
 score 
 DPR 
 score 
 EPZ 
 score 
 PB 
 score 
Camera
Launch
Launch
Price (USD)
Street
Price
1.
 
Nikon D70004/5....80/1004.5/54.5/5 Sep 2010 1,499ebay.com
2.
 
Canon 60D5/5+..79/1004/54.5/5 Aug 2010 1,399ebay.com
3.
 
Canon 7D5/5+ +..84/1004.5/54.5/5 Sep 2009 1,699ebay.com
4.
 
Nikon D75004.5/5+ +4.5/586/1005/54.5/5 Apr 2017 1,299 amazon.com
5.
 
Nikon D71005/5+ +..85/1004.5/54.5/5 Feb 2013 1,199ebay.com
6.
 
Nikon D51005/5+ +..76/1004.5/54.5/5 Apr 2011 749ebay.com
7.
 
Nikon D31005/5+ +..72/1004.5/54.5/5 Aug 2010 599ebay.com
8.
 
Nikon D300S5/5+ +..82/1004/54.5/5 Jul 2009 1,799ebay.com
9.
 
Nikon D90..+ +..+ +4/54.5/5 Aug 2008 1,299ebay.com
10.
 
Nikon D300..+ +..+ +5/54.5/5 Aug 2007 1,799ebay.com
11.
 
Nikon D200..+ +..+ +o.. Nov 2005 1,699ebay.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.
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The above review scores should be interpreted with care, though. The ratings were established in reference to similarly priced cameras that were available in the market at the time of the review. Hence, a score should always be seen in the context of the camera's market launch date and its price, 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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Nikon D7000 FAQ

Below are some additional questions and answers concerning some particular features of the D7000.

What type of imaging sensor is used in the Nikon D7000?

The camera is build around a CMOS (Complementary Metal–Oxide–Semiconductor) sensor.

Which image processing chip is used in the Nikon D7000 to convert the raw signal into an image file and perform noise reduction and image sharpening?

Nikon equipped the D7000 with the EXPEED 2 image processor.

What is the ISO sensitivity range of the Nikon D7000?

The camera has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 6400.

What is the life expectancy of the shutter in the Nikon D7000?

Nikon mentions a shutter rating of 150 000 actuations for the D7000. This number represents a Mean Time before Failure, that is an average value. The shutter might fail earlier, or it might last longer. Anyway, in order to exhaust the expected shutter life of the D7000 over, say, three years, one would have to take about 150 pictures each and every day.

How do I find the shutter count on my Nikon D7000?

Nikon embeds the number of shutter actuations in image metadata. You can check the number of shots that your D7000 has taken up to now by uploading a recent image to the free online shutter count finder app.

Do I need to purchase an external camera trigger to shoot time-lapse sequences with the Nikon D7000?

No, the Nikon D7000 has an intervalometer built-in, so that low frequency shooting (for example, flower blooming, sunset, moon rise) can be undertaken without the need to purchase a separate external intervalometer and related software.

Does the Nikon D7000 feature an autofocus assist light?

Yes, the camera has a lamp built-in that can illuminate the subject and improve autofocus in low-light settings.

What is the fastest shutter speed that can be used with the Nikon D7000 for flash photography?

The D7000's flash sync speed is 1/250 sec.

Which battery does the Nikon D7000 use?

The camera gets its power from the EN-EL15 (here at amazon), which is a rechargeable Lithium-Ion power pack.

Is there a vertical grip available for the Nikon D7000?

Yes, Nikon offers the MB-D11 as an optional accessory to facilitate shooting in portrait orientation and to provide additional battery power.

Camera to camera comparisons

In case you are interested in seeing how this camera compares to another one, just make your choice using the following search menu. Alternatively, you can follow any of the listed hyperlinks for comparisons that others found interesting.

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    Specifications Summary
    Camera Model Nikon D7000
    Camera Type Digital single lens reflex
    Camera Lens Nikon F mount lenses
    Launch Date September 2010
    Launch Price USD 1 499
    Sensor Specs
    Sensor Technology CMOS
    Sensor Format APS-C Sensor
    Sensor Size 23.6 x 15.7 mm
    Sensor Area 371 mm2
    Sensor Diagonal 28.3 mm
    Crop Factor 1.5x
    Sensor Resolution 16.1 Megapixels
    Image Resolution 4 928 x 3 264 pixels
    Pixel Pitch 4.80 μm
    Pixel Density 4.34 MP/cm2
    Moiré control Anti-Alias filter
    Movie Capability 1080/24p Video
    ISO Setting 100 - 6 400 ISO
    ISO Boost 100 - 25 600 ISO
    Image Processor EXPEED 2
    DXO Sensor Quality (score) 80
    DXO Color Depth (bits) 23.5
    DXO Dynamic Range (EV) 13.9
    DXO Low Light (ISO) 1167
    Screen Specs
    Viewfinder Type Optical viewfinder
    Viewfinder Field of View 100%
    Viewfinder Magnification 0.63x
    Top-Level Screen Control Panel
    LCD Framing Live View
    LCD Size 3.0 inch
    LCD Resolution 921k dots
    LCD Attachment Fixed screen
    Touch Input No touchscreen
    Shooting Specs
    Focus System Phase-detect AF
    Manual Focusing Aidno Peaking Feature
    Maximum Shutter Speed 1/8000s
    Continuous Shooting 6 shutter flaps/s
    Shutter Life Expectancy150 000 actuations
    Silent Shootingno E-Shutter
    Time Lapse PhotographyIntervalometer Built-in
    Fill Flash Built-in Flash
    Storage Medium SDXC cards
    Single or Dual Card Slots Dual card slots
    UHS card support no
    Connectivity Specs
    External Flash Hotshoe
    USB Connector USB 2.0
    HDMI Port mini HDMI
    Microphone Port External MIC port
    Wifi Support no Wifi
    Body Specs
    Environmental SealingWeathersealed body
    Battery Type EN-EL15 power pack
    Battery Life (CIPA)1050 shots per charge
    Body Dimensions 132 x 105 x 77 mm
    (5.2 x 4.1 x 3.0 in)
    Camera Weight 780 g (27.5 oz)

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