The Nikon D7100 was launched last week and has slotted into the
upper end of the entry-level category to give Nikon market leaders in
every section of the category. The Nikon D7100 price is extremely
competitive, being about the same price as its predecessor, the Nikon
D7000. The D3200 and D5200 have trounced their rivals in the novice and
intermediate sections and now the D7100 leads the way for the serious
enthusiast market. Although just short of full frame Pro-level, the
D7100 will be pushing its Pro siblings and, I think, beating some of
them in the reviews that will be coming out shortly. Remember, the D5200
fell only a few points short of the D3x in the DxOmark review.
The
headline improvements are the 24MP sensor (another brand new one
according the Nikon), 51 AF points, taken from the D800 and, for movie
makers, 30FPS at 1080p. It shoots 6FPS burst speed full frame, has
nearly 100% through the viewfinder, is weather sealed up to D800 level
and is built like a tank. It is one tough cookie, designed to complete
150,000 actuations. The ISO range goes from 100 to 25,600 and it keeps
its dual memory card slots and 1/8000 top shutter speed. The D7100 also
has a new i button, which has proved very useful on the D5200 - it
allows you quick access to the more obvious settings on the viewing
screen.
Whilst adopting some functions from other cameras, it does
have a few of its own. Crop mode will extend the length of a lens on
top of the usual x1.5 for DX cameras. The additional x1.3 actually
doubles the length of the lens for both stills and video. Because this
automatically crops the image, this means that the 51 AF points extend
to the edge of the frame. In Crop Mode, you can shoot 7 frames per
second, though the image size is smaller. Interestingly, because the
D7100 has an internal motor, new owners are in an excellent position to
take advantage of the good short or medium length quality Nikkor lenses
from the past, which are currently so cheap on eBay. A new viewing
screen is both larger and higher definition. The smaller screens are
pretty good, so this should be excellent. Offering a spot white balance
function is a nice touch as it is sometimes a pain to scroll through the
menu, and artificial light is so ubiquitous. HDR photographers will be
moderately pleased to learn that the D7100 offers a 5 frame HDR option.
This
is not a video camera in the same way the Nikon D5200 is a video
camera. The viewing screen is larger, but not articulated, which is
really handy for movie making. Whilst it does improve on frame rates,
offering 30 frames per second at 1080p and 60 FPS at 720p, the lack of
low pass filter does leave it vulnerable to moire in video. It will
record video for just under 30 minutes at a time. The stereo Mic is
welcome and the out socket for headphones does enable you to check sound
levels before you record. There is no doubt that it will produce
excellent quality video.
It is fair to say that the Nikon D7100 is
a step up from the D7000. However, those who expected a revolution
might be disappointed. This camera builds on the superb quality of its
predecessor, adding and improving where required. I am confident that,
when reviewed by the big boys, it will be shown to be a remarkable
camera. And the price of the Nikon D7100 is so good that it will easily
sell as well as the D7000. But it is for serious enthusiasts or
semi-pros who aren't dazzled by trivia and don't want to hang a show
pony around their necks.
Jeremy Bayston has worked in the photography industry for over
two decades. He has a particular interest in digital photography and has
written on the subject for many websites. Learn more about the new
Nikon D7100 from http://www.d7100.net. The site also has some great deals for the D7100 and accessories.
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