Nikon D7200 DX-format DSLR Body (Black)

A really nice camera and a good deal used. If you go used, you can get the D7500 for about $200 more. I don't know if the new D7200 is a US or "grey market" camera; I bought mine used. I don't think the D7200 is made any more although there are new units available apparently. Note that the D7200 seems to be more money new than the D7500. If you want to buy new then I say get the D7500. Things I like about this camera (D7200) vs D7500 1. Works with old manual focus AI-S lenses (a big deal for me as I have some very nice old Nikkor lenses). 2. Two SD card slots (7500 only has one). 3. Depth of field preview (on the D7500 live mode does show depth of field however) 4. 24 MP (megapixel) sensor while the 7500 has a 20 MP. What I like about the D7500 (I also have a D7500 I bought new) 1. Faster continuous shooting 2. Touch screen 3. Tilting screen 4. I like the control placement a bit better 5. Has the same sensor as the pro-quality Nikon D500. If you want to "shoot the moon", the D500 is probably the best DX format DSLR Nikon made (or perhaps ever made period). There are new and used Nikon D500's available new on Amazon (the D500 is no longer produced). For what you pay for a new D500, a used full frame FX camera starts to become attractive. But FX lenses are bigger, heavier, and more money. It's worth researching whether or not you might want to go for a FX set of gear instead of DX. The D7200 is a great value used and will leave you with some cash to put towards a nice lens. My used D7200 was very clean with no obvious signs of wear. It did need however a rubber eye cup (not all accessories are included). However, if you want to buy new, the D7500 is a better deal unless you like the features on the D7200 better.

I did a lot of research before deciding to purchase the D7200, so I knew exactly what I was getting. When it comes to cameras and lenses, I highly recommend that you do the same as well. Every photographer's needs are different, and every camera is different. So, you'll need to consider your budget, what you are shooting, what your future plans are, and your current lenses before making a choice. The D7200 is a highly capable DSLR and I cannot go into all its features here. What I will try to do is explain why I chose the D7200 over its newer siblings in Nikon's DX lineup, and hopefully that will help make your choice clearer. The D7200 is perfect for my needs. I wanted a camera that offered me enough control so I could experiment in any way I wanted to. It needed to be reliable and rugged. It needed to be capable enough to let my creativity go wild. While not as rugged as the more professional Nikon DSLRs, the D7200 checked all the right boxes for me. I chose it over the D7500 because I really wanted the dual card slots. For me, the other improvements the D7500 offered could not justify the additional cost of the newer body. The other camera to consider is the D500 (if you are looking for DX cameras), but that was beyond my budget. The money I did not spend by going for one of the more expensive cameras, I spent on a better 70-300mm lens. I shoot still life, children and landscapes most of the time. The D7200 gives me everything I need for these scenarios. The sensor is sharp and the resolution amazing, and as I found out, can bring to light any deficiencies in your shooting methods. It really forces you to learn how to improve technique if you want super-sharp images. I find this a welcome challenge, but others may not. I paired the body with a Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 35mm f/1.8G Lens with Auto Focus for Nikon DSLR Cameras . For a medium zoom, after much agonizing, I finally went with the Sigma 17-50mm f/2.8 EX DC OS HSM FLD Large Aperture Standard Zoom Lens for Nikon Digital DSLR Camera . Lastly, I added the new Nikon AF-P NIKKOR 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6E ED VR f/34-8 Fixed Zoom Digital Slr Camera Lens, Black for a tele zoom. The reason I spent the extra money for the FX version of this lens instead of the much cheaper DX version is because the FX version includes a hardware VR switch. In the DX version, VR can only be controlled from the body, and the D7200 does not offer that control so you can never turn the VR off. This may be an issue in situations where you do not need VR, so I spent the money saved on the body here, on the better lens. The D7200 is a great camera, and with the current discounts, I highly recommend getting a new body before they go out of stock. Unless you are a pro who needs the super-fast continuous shutter speed and tougher body of the D500, or someone who prefers a larger sensor FX camera, the D7200 will not in any way stop you from capturing the images you envision. However, if video is your primary focus, the newer bodies may be a better choice. I highly recommend Thom Hogan's Complete Guide to the Nikon D7200 and Steve Perry's (of Back Country Gallery) Secrets to the Nikon Autofocus System (for any Nikon DSLR) to help you get the most out of the sophisticated tool that the D7200 is. These books are available directly from the authors' sites.

In other reviews I have told how much I dislike Nikon and their products. I think I have had problems with every thing I have bought from them!!! So why stay with a bad company??? Because Canon does not make a good travel lens.. I have Nikon's 18-200 and latest 18-300.. I wanted the lens, and had to buy a body to go with it/them.. So, that is how it goes.. I have a very low opinion of Nikon and their products these days.. In the 70s when I started in photos, Nikon was the best!!! Now, they are just hanging on, by my standards.. If it were not for the long zooms they have, I would be gone!!! But, it is the lens that hold me here.. When I bought the 18-300, a few months ago, I needed a new body for it as my D7000 had 100.000 clicks on it.. I do a lot of travel photos and needed to start my next trip with a less used body, so I bought the D7200.. The D7000 was a total pain in the butt, and I feared this one would be no better, but I just got back from Scotland with it, and while there, I shot nearly 7000 images.. It worked outstandingly well.. Was that an accident or has Nikon chosen to get their head out of dark places! But, there were no issues with the camera, and with the expanded sensitivity of the sensor, I was taking good photos in some very dim places, and they were sharp! For this trip, I had the D7200, the grip, the newest 18-300, and a SB600 flash.. It all travels as one unit.. I could have upgraded the flash to the SB700, but I do not like the idea of having the sliding switches on a big flash.. It is just tooooo easy for them to be changed by bumping or rubbing against something.. I suggest everyone avoid the SB700, and any other flash piece of equipment that has switches that can be easily changed by mistake.. When you are shooting on the run, you want everything locked down tight.. Those easy change switches will get you in way toooooo much trouble. Bottom line, the D7200 worked great on the Scotland trip. I used two Sandisk 128GB Extreme Pro cards in it and together I had a good working unit.. Could shoot like John Wayne and just keep on going!!! Shot over 6,000 images, most all were good. The bad ones were my fault. I strongly suggest the user of this body set it as I do. Set the focus to the 3D mode, set it to the exposure to the A setting, set the F-Stop to F-11, then go get the job done.. If you need more speed that you are getting, increase the ISO.. Start with 1600 and work your way up. If you reach the top, start bringing the A down to 8 or 7.1, or lower if really needed, which does happen, but rarely. As a travel photog, I find that large basic on this camera is great for all my needs.. Nearly 100 percent of my images will be seen on the internet only, so Poster size RAW files are not needed.. I find that RAW is hardly ever needed by most people, truth being known.. It is the right thing, for a few people, but a very few... If you are interested in this quality camera, then you are most likely looking for a better camera strap as well.. Based In ken Rockwell's suggestion, I got the UPSTRAP for this body. In fact I got the Kevlar strap, to make it harder for people to cut it.. The strap works great for me.. The pad on the neck part is so NON_STICK that is almost too good!!!! Costs 45 or 50 dollars, and I love it... But, it would be great if it came in a shoulder supported model.. Carrying a lot of camera weight for 8-10 hours a day on a strap around your neck is crippling.. I think my neck is now deformed... Back to the camera.. The short comings on this body is that the buttons and switches on the body cannot be locked. Just by bumping them on your shirt or jacket will cause unwanted things to happen.. It would be great if all these multi-task bodies had TOTAL LOCK options on them. They work great for studio work, but when you are riding, roping, swinging, paddling, jumping, sliding, and trying to take photos at the same time, things on this body go wrong, bad wrong.. The switched features are tooooo easily changed. If you are going to shoot 1500 action photos a day, be careful.. If you are just going to take 5 or 10 memory photos at a birthday party, no problem...

My DSLR jouney: D80 -> D90 -> D7000 -> D7200. Impetus per upgrade has always been for improvement in the cleaner low light high ISO area. First, fell in love with night photography which I can take long exposures on tripod. This worked fine with D90 for the most part. Upgraded to D7000 when my kid popped out. Needed to shoot handheld in low light during mornings and evenings in the nursery. Now that the kid can run, I needed to up my shutter speed while maintaining a high or higher ISO for keeping up with the kid when she's running around. So, the search began for a new body. I've been eyeing the D600/D610 since it was released but could never press the "place my order" button. The oil leak is one issue. The 6400 ISO max natives doesn't seem to be much of an upgrade. Want full frame as but don't need it as I am perfectly happy with my 17-55mm 2.8 for 90% of my photos. So, it came down to D750 and D7200. After reading Ken Rockwell's faux review of the D7200, I thought I was going to bypass the D7200 as Ken thought it's not worthwhile to go from D7000/D7100 to the D7200. But, I beg to differ. After playing with the camera for a few hours, I found the new sensor to be a big upgrade. I don't like to shoot above 400 ISO and never go above 640 on the D7000. For me, 1,000 ISO on the D7200 looks probably equal to 400 ISO on D7000. This means I can punch up the shutter speed to above 1/100 sec for most my shots even hand held in dimly lit indoor locations with my 17-55mm 2.8. I can also take pics free of blurs of my fishes in my fish tank easily. Uploaded shot is ISO 1,000 at 1/100 sec. I left all the settings in default so far with only the mode in manual. So, the fish picture is taken in jpeg with no altering in photoshop. I did take pics of my D7000 for posting it on ebay. I found the jpegs to be very easy to edit. I hardly ever use the "auto color/contrast/level" functions with my other cameras, but the files taken with the D7200 looked great when even using the auto edit functions on photoshop cs3. And, I punched up the exposure quite a bit before I start seeing any noise. So, it's safer to under expose with the D7200 as exposure can be boosted post edit even in jpeg format. Haven't tried the raw format yet. Second pic uploaded is of my D7000. Pic taken straight into jpeg. Only editing done is auto contrast/level/color and upped the exposure by .5. ISO 500 at f5.6 with a flash on the side. Better detail and contrast with D7200 than D7000 too. So, the low light/high ISO is what I wanted to improve on over the D7000. But, as bonus, color accuracy/saturation looks even better on the D7200 too. When I upgraded from D80 to D90, I felt what I gained in higher/cleaner ISO was at the cost of better color accuracy. D80 had the CCD sensor which I thought produced better colors. Color wise, D90 and D7000 was about the same to me. D7200's color is much improved over these two bodies, in my opinion. 4/7/2015 update: I do a lot of long exposure shots for night photography. Back when I used the D7000, I dabbled with wifi cards such as Eyefi, Transcend Wi-Fi, and Toshiba AirFlash because I wanted to be able to view pics I took in long exposure mode on a tablet in order to see whether I got the exposure and focus right. Often I am happy with a shot when viewing it on the 3" screen but to find something to be off later on when viewing on laptop. However, these wifi cards didn't solve my issue. I wasn't able to get the EyeFi up because they didn't send me a pairing code. And, the Transcend and Airflash both have connection issues. With the D7200, I could use the Wifi Mobile Utility app found on Google Play to not only view pics on my tablet but also take pics with without any connection issues. So, being able to take pics with my tablet is an added bonus. However, since I cannot either or both view or change camera settings via the tablet, this sorta defeats the purpose of taking pics via the tablet. However, it still is a bonus to be able to see what you're shooting at on a tablet before you take the pic rather than after. And, exif data is not viewable via this app. It would be immensely helpful if I could also see the settings data on the photo I am viewing on the tablet. Overall, I am OK with the wifi capability. Would be happy if it can allow me to view and set camera settings. So, for wifi capability, I give it a 4 stars. Someone asked me why I only gave the D7200 a 4 star. Here's why: 1) I want a better view finder for the DX body something akin to the D700's. 2A) I want better high iso performance. Yes, D7200 improved quite a bit over the D7000. However, it's still only marginally better than my Sony NEX3N with kit lens that I bought brand new for about half of it's MSRP. I am going to fit this body with a better lens, the 20mm f2.8 prime, and think performance between the two will be even steven for most pics. 2B) I don't want to use a mirrorless camera as my main camera body not even the Sony A7 which is now priced the same as the D7200 but with a better sensor for high iso. This is because I much rather use an optical viewfinder than using the LCD screen or an EVF. However, Nikon is not giving me the better optical viewfinder in DX format option. Granted, some might not think I should b*tch about it, but Nikon isn't coming out with a higher end DX body. They are already marketing this as the "Top of the Line DX". So, the buck has to stop somewhere. So, because of both 1 and 2, I have to knock 1 star off. Update 4/20: I returned the camera and will either get a D750 or a Sony A7S. I want better low light capability and need something with raw support as I am going on a trip in a few weeks where I will be taking a massive number of pictures and can't wait for an adobe update.

As of May 19, 2015: OK...I love this camera. Now that I'm past the lack of RAW software options, I can legitamately say I feel badly for my D300. The D300 has been my workhorse for nearly eight years now and it's been relegated to my secondary body with various zoom telephotos on it "just in case." The D7200, possibly because of the lack of an anti-aliasing filter, takes superb photographs. I'll admit that I'm using it mostly with a very nice Sigma 17-50 mm f2.8, but I'm thinking that it's the camera, as I've tried multiple lenses on it. I had a chance to use it in a darkened theater at a blues concert last weekend and the shots at ISO 6400 are amazing. I've also taken it on several scenic shoots and am delighted with the results. One really nice feature is the ability to assign a button (I use the movie release) to quickly further crop down the sensor to 18x12 for a 1.3 more crop factor. On a sensor with 24+ MP this is very handy as there is an insignificant loss of pixels and just that little more reach that's sometimes needed for a lens. Love, love, love this camera! Not sure what other posters are using to view their photos on this camera. Received the camera yesterday and put it through it's paces today. Not one of the RAW images I took are viewable in Apple's Aperture (I know, I know, it's been discontinued, but read on), Apple's brand new Photos, or Adobe CS6 or Lightroom. Reading the Adobe forums for the past month, it's not readable on Adobe Cloud, either. My only work around has been to download a copy of Nikon's Capture NX-D, import the photos manually and then export them to a folder as 16-bit TIFFs. Only then can I import them into the program I need to process them. In the case of Aperture, at least, I have to add things like keywords manually. I had the camera all packaged to send back to Amazon when I figured out the kludgey work around. Since I have a month to get it back to Amazon I'll be evaluating for the next couple of weeks if the camera is worth all the effort. Shame on Nikon and Adobe for their respective non support. Update as of May 7, 2015: I understand that some may have issues with my review not covering the camera itself, but I was trying to slow folks down by telling them that if they shoot RAW they'll run into problems. That said, in just the past couple of days there have been updates to various RAW converters and the D7200 is among them. I upgraded my Apple iOS to cover the 7200 last night and am just getting around to putting the camera through it's paces. I'm really liking it so far. One of the really neat thinkgs available on this is that you can further decrease the effective sensor size quickly (I've set up the movie button to do that) to an additional 1.3x crop factor. On a 24 MP sensor this isn't an issue and gives your telephotos even greater reach. Very nice. Still getting used to the slight difference in use over the D300, my other DX camera, but all in all I'm very positive on the 7200. More to come after I've had a few more days with it.

This camera is a powerhouse with a price point suitable for anyone and features usable by everyone. I use the D7200 for everything from personal family photos to professional photo shoots and events. This cameras has everything I need to get the job done and produces crisp, clear photos. The build quality is superb. It is on the heavy side, but not so heavy that it cannot be carried around all day or held steady for great shots. All the buttons, dials, and switches are tight and provide just the right amount of resistance to give the feedback needed to ensure you know when you have pressed the button or flipped the switch. Switches are tight enough that they do not flip on their own, but not so tight as to make it difficult to flip them in an instant. The menu is very straightforward and user focused. There is a user menu that allows to to customize many very specific aspects of the camera and a custom menu that allows you to favorite menu settings. By setting favorites, you can quickly access those settings at any time. Most of the user buttons can be reprogrammed to perform different functions, though the options are limited per button. However, this is a very nice feature to allow you to set certain button to do what you need them to do and have quick access to those functions. One of the best features of this camera that Nkon has removed from the newer model is the dual SD card. Having a Dual DS card allows you to have overflow, which is nice for many reasons, but more importantly, dual SD cards allows you to save duplicates of your photos. This means that if one of your SD cards happens to fail, you still have a second SD card with backups of your pictures. I use the backup feature for the very important shoots I do, such as weddings, as I don't ever want to have to tell a new married client that I lost their photos due to hardware failure. Overall, this camera is one of the best crop frame DSLR cameras Nikon makes and I would and do recommend it for everyone.

What Happened to Nikon's quality control??? This had the potential to be a great camera. Unfortunately, my D7200 had constant issues with back focusing and AF issues. At first I thought it was one of the new lenses I purchased with the camera. Despite the 7200's confirming AF lock, I was getting slightly to moderately out of focus pictures. I was also running into many instances where the camera confirmed AF in one part of the frame. When I viewed the pics in Lighrroom, the 7200 had focused on an entirely different part of the frame. This held true regardless of what lens I used. I tried six different lenses-some Nikon some not. I should make it clear that I ttied all these lenses on my D7100 and had no issues. What really made me realize there was a problem was when I was shooting my kids with my trusty 50mm 1.8. Even then I was getting soft images. So sadly the 7200 is on its way back to Amazon. I'm glad Amazon has a good return policy. Looks like I'll be looking at going to Canon. 6/11/2015 Update My second body arrived from Amazon. This copy exhibits exactly the same AF issue as the previous unit but to a larger degree! I'm very disappointed! I'm returning this unit. I love Nikon, so maybe I'll take my chances with the 5500 once I get my refund.

NIKON D7200 REVIEW I have always appreciated it when others, especially early adopters/buyers, take the time to write a thoughtful review of their own experiences with cameras and other equipment that I am interested in, here on Amazon. Thus, my motivation for this review is to- pay it back. My photo interests are photographing wildlife, birds (especially hummingbirds), people & groups- pretty general stuff. While I do not make my living at photography, I have been studying and working at improving my photography for many years. Presently, I have and use the Nikon D300 & D600. Generally, I keep a long lens on the D300 (a DX-crop-sensor body) for immediate use if/when wildlife wanders by, as we live in a rural setting. The D600, (a FX or full-frame body) is my workhorse camera that I carry with me just about all the time. I had a D7000 (DX body), but gave it as a gift to my wife when upgrading to the D600. I really enjoyed using the D7000, but no getting a gift back once given! (If interested, you can view examples of my photography at: www dot flickr dot com/photos/pms_swim/ -- You will need to replace dot with a period (.) Amazon still strips out web addresses in reviews, I think). Anyway, I decided to get a newer DX body, as I have been using the D600 (FX) exclusively & would like to experience just a tad more reach a DX body provides with birds in flight with the lenses I use. Initially I purchased a refurbished D7100 (DX) -it seems like a nice camera, but the copy I got had a very dirty sensor & I returned it. Thus, I decided to buy a new body, but could not find a great deal to warrant the expenditure, at that point. This was before I heard about the D7200. So,that is how I came to pre-order a D7200, after reading about features, and so forth. I was attracted to the fast shutter speeds up to 1/8000 sec (my D600 only goes to 1/4000 sec), the faster frame rate & relatively larger buffer, the upgrade with auto-focus (AF). I am not into video yet, but note that the D7200 seems capable. Likewise, I am not sure I will use the wireless feature, but hope to explore it, soon. One obstacle I had to accept when ordering the D7200 is the lack of software support. In preparation for arrival of new camera, I updated my Nikon software on one computer: switching from View NX to the just released View NX-I, and from Capture NX2 to the new Capture NX-D so I would have software on hand to read the D7200 NEF (RAW) photo files. You probably have noticed that there always seems to be lag time in getting upgrades to photo software (e.g. Adobe) that accommodates the photo files produced by new cameras. I also purchased an inexpensive OP/TECH USA SUPER CLASSIC uni-loop camera strap (here on Amazon) to replace the gaudy NIKON camera straps. In addition to appearing more low-key when out & about with the camera, it allows for easy switching to / from a wrist strap, and for the temporary removal of the neck strap when placing camera on a tripod, if desired. Another plus/factor in buying this camera is that it uses the same Nikon battery as the D600, so I have spares already on hand. Likewise, the SD/SDHC memory card slot(s) use the same memory cards I have a supply of. AND THE CAMERA ARRIVED TODAY! I was a tad concerned to see that Amazon only packed the camera box inside another box without any additional packaging (air space) materials, otherwise the out of the box experience was pretty great. I slipped a charged battery in place & 2 SDHC cards & formatted them, placed the 24-120mm, F/4 Nikon AF-S lens on. Then, I walked around the pond on a rare (of late) sunny day here in southwest Arkansas. (see photos). I was adjusting menus as I went. The AUTO setting produced nice photos in the shade, but was trying to POP UP the flash with bright backgrounds, so I switched to aperture priority & set the ISO about 500. Also, I am used to setting the AE-L/AF-L button on back as my AF on button, and use the shutter only for metering & shutter release. I had some initial confusion in doing this as the AUTOFOCUS menu scrolls up into MOVIE settings & I kept missing that detail. I eventually remembered how to set the AE-L/AF-L button & shutter release button correctly. Fortunately, one of the cats accompanied me on the stroll around the pond & proved to be a great model for trying AF with & without 3d tracking AF on. Using 3d tracking AF, II was able to fire away & capture most of the shots in sharp focus, as the cat rushed toward me. Without 3d tracing AF, II would only get the initial photo in focus. The autofocus is very quick. I also took photos of bees in front of their hive, birds in flight, fish on the surface of the pond and several flowers. The exposure and colors on the back of the camera (saving both NEF to card 1, JPG to card 2) look great. Now, over exposed several photos on this very bright day, but that was more camera operator error. I will want to try the AF later near dusk to see how camera operates in lowlight. I will try to post these examples (cat, fish on pond, daffodils, birds in flight, honey bees, peach blossoms) for your viewing. Note,I still need to open & review the camera manual. Nor have I loaded the photos into the computer to see what ViewNX-I or Capture NX-D do with the NEF (RAW) files. I will try to update if there is any interest. I will also try to answer any questions. UPDATE: for past couple of days, I have tried to strip the non-characters" from this review, but they keep showing back up, so i nuked review & tried to redo. We will see. sorry. best intentions gone astray. Using the 300mm, f/4 AF-S Nikor prime lens gives me hope that the autofocus will perform admirably. I took some photos of birds about bird feeder & will try to post them here, also. (NOTE: photos that I am attaching are from NEF files, converted via VIEW NX-I at about 60% balance quality/compression to jpgs. trade off size of file vs. helping you view details. I will also post to my FLICKR site at 100% (see address above in review). Also, I am having to learn how to use new Nikon Capture NX-D & View NX-I.