Adam Scorey, editor of Digital SLR User Magazine plays with cars as he reviews the Nikon D7000.

The D7000 is typically Nikon; well made, well balanced and with more spec than most will need in their everyday shooting ­ and aimed at the more enthusiast photographer than the complete beginner.

Features

Headline spec is the new 16.2-megapixel DX sensor that is coupled to a new EXPEED II image processor. The ISO range is now nine stops, ranging from 100 to 25,600 in expanded mode, and there is also a new 2016-pixel Scene Recognition System that optimises both exposure and focusing. You have a 39-point AF system that has Single-point, Dynamic-area, 3D-tracking and Auto-area modes ­ 9 of which are the cross-type, which are more sensitive and cover the more frequently used selections ­ and these are customisable depending on the shooting conditions.

Inside, the magnesium alloy body is built to take semi-pro use, being both moisture and dust-resistant, but the shutter is designed to cope with over 150,000 releases. There are the twin SD/SDHC/SDXC card slots that can be utilised for overflow, backup or even Raws to one and JPEGs to the other. You can copy between the two and send your movie clips to the card with most capacity. Neat.

Handling and ease of use

Existing Nikon owners will fall into step with the D7000 immediately. The body feels both light and strong ­ it’s typically Nikon. Buttons are well weighted and feel that they’ll go the distance. The 3-inch, 920k dot LCD screen is beautifully detailed and sharp for both image playback, editing and menu navigation.

Two very neat functions on the Nikon D7000 are the ‘?’ mode and the ‘Info’ button. In any of the menus, press and hold the ‘?’ and a complete description of that function is displayed. The ‘Info’ button allows rapid navigation to key exposure/metering/quality etc options. This allows a novice to purchase, explore and grow with the D7000 without feeling overwhelmed or daunted by the amount of information or functions.

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