Pixiq

For the second time in less than four weeks the Nikon Corporation have announced another new D-SLR, the D7000. However, that is not all! Also announced today are a new Nikon Speedlight, the SB-700, plus a new battery pack, the MB-D11 to complement the D7000, plus two new professional grade lenses, the AF-S Nikkor 200mm f/2G ED VR II and the AF-S Nikkor 35mm f/1.4G.

Key Specifications of the D7000

• 16.2MP CMOS sensor (DX)
• Expeed 2 image processing
• 2,016-pixel RGB TTL metering sensor
• Multi-CAM4800DX AF sensor with 39-point AF system
• Viewfinder with 100% frame coverage and 0.94x magnification
• 3-inch 921,000-dot LCD monitor screen
• 1/8000s shutter speed and 50ms shutter lag time 
• 6fps continuous shooting speed
• Mirror lock-up on release mode dial
• Front and rear IR sensors for ML-L3 IR remote release
• Dual SD memory card slots
• ISO sensitivity range of 100-6400 (extendable to 25,600 in Hi2 setting)
• HD 1080p (24 fps) / 720p(30/25/24 fps) D-Movie mode (video)
• One-touch video and/or live view button (as per D3100)
• Full manual control of exposure during video recording
• Continuous AF during video recording
• 20-minute maximum clip length at all video resolutions
• Frame grab from video (similar to the D3s)
• External stereo microphone input 
• HDMI output terminal (Type-C mini-pin)
• Remote accessory terminal (MC-DC2 remote release/GP-1 GPS)
• Built-in Speedlight (16mm coverage and CLS Commander mode)
• Advanced Wireless Lighting flash control
• Virtual Horizon display (single axis only)
• Flicker control for shooting under fluorescent light
• Magnesium-alloy body shell and chassis
• Shutter tested to 150,000 cycles
• Durable sealing against ingress of dust and moisture
• EN-EL 15 battery (7.0V, 1900mAh) and MH-25 AC charger
• Optional MB-D11 battery pack with controls for vertical shooting

I have highlighted in bold what I consider to be the standout features of the D7000, starting with its all new Nikon designed 16.2 Megapixel CMOS (23.6 x 15.6 mm) sensor (it has a pixel pitch of 4.78µm), so the camera now has the highest pixel count (4,928 x 3,262) of any Nikon DX D-SLR, overhauling the 14MP D3100, announced last month.

The D7000 offers both Live View and video capabilities with options for full HD 1080p resolution at 24 fames per second (fps), as well as HD 720p at frame rates of 24 / 25/ 30 fps, and uses the MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 compression codec to provide broad compatibility with popular post-production video editing software, plus the camera has an input for an external stereo microphone.

The new 2,016-pixel RGB TTL metering sensor is a significant development, as it represents more than a doubling in the number of the sampling points on this key component compared with the venerable 1,005-pixel sensor that was first introduced way back during 1996 with the launch of the Nikon F5 film camera, and which has served in every mid and top of range Nikon D-SLR camera ever since. By adopting a new sensor with more sampling points the camera will have the benefit of more information, which should not only enhance the capabilities of the 3D Color Matrix (TTL) metering system but also those of the Scene Recognition System to provide improved AF tracking performance and automatic white balance control. 

Closely allied to the 3D Color Matrix metering system is the autofocus system with the new Multi-CAM4800DX AF sensor that provides the D7000 with an array of 39 AF points (the central nine AF points are cross-type). It is fully integrated with the Scene Recognition System enabling the camera to plot subject location within the frame area to enhance automatic exposure control. Another new aspect of the autofocus system is the Full-time servo AF (AF-F) mode, which performs continuous autofocus in both Live View and D-Movie mode.  

The D7000 has a very wide ISO sensitivity range (100 - 6400) that will provide plenty of flexibility regardless of the shooting conditions, and if necessary it can be expanded up to an ISO equivalent of 25,600. The optical viewfinder provides a 100% (approx.) view of the frame area, a first for a Nikon camera in this class. The camera has dual SD memory card slots for increased shooting capacity, which should satisfy even the most prolific shooter, even when the shutter is chattering along at the camera’s fastest 6 fps rate! Alternatively, the user can specify storage of different file formats to separate cards, so for example stills images can be saved to one card, while video files can be saved to the other.

The D7000 uses Expeed 2, which is the enhanced version of Nikon’s in-camera image processing regime, which in the D7000 includes 12 or 14 bits per colour analog-to-digital conversions and 16 bits per colour digital image processing. Expeed 2 not only helps to support the video functionality of the camera, including its HD (1920 x 1080 pixel) resolution and use of the H.264/MPEG-4 codec but is also claimed to deliver improvements to stills picture recording in respect of better noise reduction, smoother tonal graduation and greater color fidelity. As you might expect the speed of image has also been boosted with Expeed 2, although at this time I have no definitive answer as to by how much.

There are several aspects of the D7000 design that look as though they will enhance camera handling and operation over the D90 including, the arrangement of a release mode selector dial with dedicated lock button, set below the exposure mode dial on the top left of the body, and the “flick” style one-touch switch to active Live View and its central on/off button for video recording, which has been migrated directly from the D3100. The optional MB-D11 battery pack will not only extend shooting capacity by providing additional power for the camera but it also has a full array of controls to facilitate vertical shooting, to further improve handling characteristics. Another innovation on the D7000 is the new U1 and U2 settings on the mode dial that allow the user to assign frequently used settings, including ISO sensitivity and exposure compensation, to these positions for instant recall of the registered settings by simply rotating the mode dial.

Finally, the D7000 has clearly been built to last, with its magnesium-alloy body shell and chassis, extensive sealing against the ingress of dust and moisture and robust shutter mechanism that is tested to at least a 150,000 cycles.

The D7000 will be available as either a body only option, or as a kit with the Nikkor AF-S DX 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6G VR lens. Prices will be as follows: 

D7000 (body only)                    £1,099.99 / €1,303.00 / $1199.00 (U.S.)

D7000 + DX 18-105mm VR           £1,299.99 / €1,540 / $1499.00 (U.S.)      

The SB-700 Speedlight

Also announced today is the latest Nikon Speedlight, the SB-700; think SB-900 but on a smaller scale! It looks as though everything that is so good about the SB-900 handling has been carried over to its new sibling, with more besides!

The large, clear LCD screen dominates the rear panel. Set immediate below it is the ‘click-wheel’ style command dial for selecting setting values, and beside it the single on/off switch that allows selection of control modes when the unit is used as part of a multiple flash set up in the Nikon Advanced Wireless Lighting (AWL) system. The SB-700 can be used as either a master, or remote flash (the SB-600 can only operate as a remote flash). A sliding switch to the left side of the rear LCD screen replaces the mode button of the SB-900; it is used to select TTL, manual, or GN (Guide Number) flash modes. On the opposite side of the screen a similar style switch set the lighting pattern: Standard, Center-weighted, or Even (this is an improvement over the SB-900, as this control is buried in its menu system). Like the SB-900 the SB-700 has a thermal cut out to prevent the unit from overheating and the unit is aware of the camera sensor format, so it adapts its output coverage to match the DX, or FX format of the camera it is attached to accordingly.

For further details please see my first impressions of the SB-700.

Key Specifications of the SB-700

More information, comments, and pictures will follow soon!