Nikon D7000: A New and Improved D90?

Since 2004, Nikon has consistently renewed its expert SLR just before the Photokina trade show. It's therefore no real surprise to see the D7000 announced today, due to replace the well-liked D90 that was, two years ago, the first SLR to film 720p HD video. And with Canon's new EOS 60D also just released, it looks like the race to the top could be a tough one.

Two years after its initial release, the D90 is still one of our favourite dSLR bodies: it's well-balanced, pleasant to handle and picture quality is decent too. It's definitely a hard act to follow. However, the D90 is set to remain in Nikon's product range for the time being, with the D7000 slotting in just above it to face the EOS 60D head-on.

Big ambitions

The D7000 takes several features from its higher-end counterpart, the D300s. On the outside, one notable change is that the drive-mode selector (self-timer, burst etc.) is now located to the left of the prism. Another small change is the inclusion of two custom modes for saving your preferred settings.

The D7000 has two SD memory card slots so you can spill over onto a second card when the first gets full or save Jpeg and Raw (NEF, 14 bits) files on separate cards. You can also use one card to back up the other.

As soon as you bring your eye to the viewfinder you'll notice plenty of new features in the D7000. First of all, the prism has been upped to 100% coverage with 0.94x magnification. Second, the autofocus system has been improved, and now has 39 focusing points (including 9 cross-type), bringing it much closer to a pro model than the 11 focusing points of the D90.

Boosted technology

The D7000 boasts plenty of improved technology too. The sensor is still APS-C format but has been increased to 16 Megapixels. This places it just slightly above the D3100, another Nikon dSLR from which the D7000 gets several of its design and handling features (e.g. Live View switch with integrated video record button), as well as its video mode.

The D7000 can be used with two SD cards for overspill, backup or Raw/Jpeg separation.

The D7000 records 1080p HD footage at 24, 25 or 30 frames per second and with stereo sound. There's an external microphone socket, but no headphones socket for playing back recordings. There's a continuous autofocus function in video mode, as well as ASM modes. However, you can't change the aperture while you're filming. What's more, Nikon claims to have totally eliminated rolling shutter effects (straight lines deformed by movement), an endemic problem with CMOS sensors, and we'll be sure to check that out as soon as we get our hands on a D7000.

The burst mode has been increased to 6 fps, and Nikon has also designed the D7000 to reach up to a 6400 ISO natively or 25600 ISO with Hi-2. The new shutter is faster at 1/8000ths, and fans of older lenses will be pleased to hear that, unlike its predecessor, the D7000 has a mount for lens diaphragm rings, which should allow compatibility with some older or second-hand lenses.

All in all, the D7000 looks like it'll shape up to be a pretty good camera, and could be more interesting in certain fields than the D300s. Plus, it has plenty of tricks up its sleeve to please expert users. It's due for launch in October and is likely to cost around £900 (TBC) for the body only or just over £1,000 (TBC) with an 18-105 mm lens. Although UK prices are still to be confirmed, Nikon is likely to price the D7000 in line with its main rival, the Canon EOS 60D.

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