Nikon D7000 - The Professional Quality Mid-Range DSLR

Nikon Corporation is a multinational corporation specializing in optics and imaging. The company has produced cameras, binoculars, measuring instrumentation, microscopes and photo-lithography equipment since its founding in 1917.

The company has long been known for its excellent single lens reflex (SLR), but in the early days produced range finder cameras that were direct competitors to Leica and Karl Zeiss cameras.

Rather than cave-in to the threat of digital image recording, Nikon embraced the technology by producing some of NASA's first digital recorders in 1991.

Their first consumer digital offering was the Nikon D1 (see photo below) introduced in 1999.

They also partnered with Kodak for a time producing some of Kodak's first digital cameras.

Though this is not really marketed as a professional camera it is certainly beyond the realm of hobbyist offerings. With an effective pixel range of 16Megapixels it is one of the few hobbiest priced cameras out there that can go head-to-head with professional models.

It is also loaded with features that make the camera easy to operate while producing professional quality results.

The camera typically ships with a 18-105mm kit lens. The D7000 also has a no-nonsense vibe that shouts professional origins. With a serious looking black body and plethora of controls the camera body says anything but "point-and-shoot."

The camera's dimensions are five point two (5.2") by four point one (4.1") by three (3") inches in width, height, and depth. It weighs one point five (1.5lb) pounds without the battery, card or lens.This is pretty hefty.

The D7000 has the trademark red accent on the grip and the usual assortment of logos sprinkled here and there. But looking closer at the finer points of the camera you'll see two LCD screens; one as a viewfinder and the other on the back. The rear-facing LCD is three inches diagonal and can display nine hundred fifty (950,000) thousand pixel.

Front of Body
The most notable feature is the Nikkor F-bayonet lens mount. This makes the camera body compatible with a large assortment of lenses that Nikon has been making for decades. This bayonet mount has been used by Nikon since 1959 which means that long-time Nikon customers can continue to use lenses they've had for the better part of a life-time.

The D7000 comes with a 5.8x kit lens (18-105mm, 27-157.5mm 35mm equivalent). This particular lens has built-in vibration reduction for improved photo-shoots.

The D7000 also has an auto-focus assist lamp along with buttons for function, depth-of-field preview and lens release (see image right). The front of the body also has a monaural microphone. It can also record stereo sound with optional equipment.

Top of Body
On the top is the Main Mode dial. This allows you to select auto, full manual, aperture priority, auto exposure, auto flash (on/off), and shutter priority.There are also two custom settings called U1 and U2 that allow you to set shutter and aperture settings permanently.

Next to that is a control called the Release-Mode Dial. This dial allows you to change the shooting frame rate (shooting speed) or continuous high speed (6 fps); also called burst mode.

The dial is easy to access, but it requires you to hit a lock release button to turn it. Apparently this was designed in to prevent accidental changes. This dial also turns on the self-timer, noise level of the shutter release and "mirror up" mode.

Also arrayed along the top are the flash, hot-shoe, and control panel LCD to apprise you of settings. You can also changed the metering type and exposure compensation.

Right Side of Body
On this side of the D7000 body is a door to access the SDHC/SDXC card slots. Because there are two card slots you can select one for stills and the other for video if you wish. Or simply switch between the two slots as you fill up one card or the other. The D7000 also boasts the distinction of being the first camera to use the Ultra High Speed system (UHS-1) for super-fast reads and writes to the cards.

Left Side of Body
This side of the camera is devoted to connectivity with a compartment for A/V, USB and mini-HDMI outs. An additional compartment has input jacks for microphones and GPS units.

Bottom of Body
The bottom of the body has a compartment for battery and a metal tri-pod mount. There is also a contact cover for an optional external battery pack.

For a full list of specifications refer to the table below.

This is not a cheap camera at over $1,200 retail, but if you are a serious hobbyist or a professional looking for a back-up camera the D7000 is worth serious consideration. As a Nikon owner I can attest to the ruggedness and high quality these cameras continue to be made with.

The fact that Nikon continues to produce cameras that use the F-Series bayonet mount is certainly a big plus and the D7000 is no exception.

Please note that this camera body got exceptional reviews for still images. It did not fare so well with video recording.

The author was not compensated in any way, monetarily, with discounts, or freebies by any of the companies mentioned.

Though the author does make a small profit for the word count of this article none of that comes directly from the manufacturers mentioned. The author also stands to make a small profit from advertising attached to this article.

The author has no control over either the advertising or the contents of those ads.