Nikon D7000 16.2 Megapixel Digital SLR Camera with 18-105mm Lens (Black)

Family man with kids, D70 was getting limited usage (portrait use only) while the point-n-shoot (with HD video, Pana LX3) was getting more usage. D7000 came in as a great upgrade (the cost part was the most painful one, $1500 with lens) option and I pulled the trigger wheh Amazon had it in stock momentarily last week. Have played with it for a brief 3 days and here are some additional info some of you might be interested in. I debated the kit lens (18-105) vs what I already had from D70 (18-70). The 18-70 is slightly faster, the 18-105 starts at 3.5 max open apperture, and quicks turns to 4.5 at 35mm equivalent. So that was a little bit of an issue I thought. But teh longer zoom range (105mm, which is more like 157mm with 1.5x DX factor) did provide an upgrade option without much weight (18-200 would have been better but is heavier, slightly more $$). But the super silent motor on the lens made it worth the upgrade - as for video taking, the slient motor does play a very useful role. It is just as sharp for a kit lens as you can get. My 18-70 didn't have VR. This one does and I think that is another positive if video shooting is important particularly if you are walking and recording video. So I justified myself with buying the kit lens. I already have the 50mm 1.8 (75mm with DX), for those portrait sessions. Might buy the 35mm 1.8 as my standard lens somepoint in the future. So my lens list would be: 1. 35mm/1.8 for most indoor people/kid photo/video. 2. 50mm/1.8 for portrait sessions. 3. 18-105 (or 18-200) would be for travel/outdoors. The video: With kids around, video shooting is very important. And D7000 delivered that with great results actually - to my surprise. Videos are bright, audio is clear even with the built-in microphone. The kit lens aperture (3.5 max) didn't impact the video quality to be any dark - with ambient light, the quality was great. Photos with kit lens (18-105): The indoor photos came our very very colorful and bright - despite what I had thought of. I realized that D7000 was moving to ISO3200 (my max level under Auto config in the menu) to compensate for the low light. I was worried that ISO3200 would render the picture quality low - grainy. But I must admit - my jaws dropped when I saw that even at ISO3200, the quality is GREAT (16MP do help here), for most print situations (letter size or slightly more). I think, this is really where the D7000 shines the most compared to other prosumre DSLRs of today. I went ahead and changed the AUTO ISO setting to max of 1600, and teh results are still great with the kit lens. With my 50mm or 35mm 1.8 lens, I will move ISO to at most 400, and I am sure I will be more than happy. I will add in more comments as I play with it more. Just one line on the memory cards I am using: I bought two 8GB transcend Class10 SD cards and configured 'duplication' of all photos. So the 2nd card is used by D7000 as a backup (automatic copy). This is a great feature. So far, no issues or delays recording video or photos to these cards. These Class10 cards are not as fast as the SanDisk 30MB/s cards, but I don't see issues in my situations. Combined, they were much cheaper than the SanDisk equivalents. with 8GB at full resolution and FINE JPEG setting, I think the total photos one can take are in the 700-800 range (sorry don't have details in front of me at this time). The default on D7000 was full resolution and 'NORMAL' JPEG, which was yielding higher total photo capacity (1,100 I think). cheers PN

Well, I'm still discovering a lot of functions... but here 10 key points. 1) In terms of QUALITY is amazing for its price. Everything is very professional, good materials, looks pro, feels pro. 2) PHOTO, I always loved Nikon and I still prefer Nikon over other brands. They keep on improving. 3) VIDEO, the HD quality is amazing, my only complain is that it has no 30 FPS in 1080p, only in 720p. I use it often in 24 FPS so I don't mind, but it's a flaw if you want to shoot content for TV in the highest quality/size. I hope they can upgrade it some day through firmware. 4) It's a little HEAVY with the 18-200 lens, but it's ok for its size/functions. It's average. 5) It's one of the few cameras in the market with a built-in INTERVALOMETER. A few days ago I was shooting a time lapse and it came out perfect, very easy to set from the menu. 6) I love the TWO CARDS slot for back up. Very convenient. Or you can also use it for JPG + RAW. 7) The TWO WHEELS system is fantastic and very customizable. For example, you can define that in (A)perture mode, you will use one wheel to set aperture (shutter speed comes automatically), and the second wheel to set ISO, or something else. 8) It has many customizable functions in different buttons (virtual horizon, same use than the bubble in the tripods), a new button: preview the depth-of-field, etc. 9) They compare it with the Canon 60D but I'd say it's comparable with the 7D. In some things the 7D is a step above, but in others the Nikon is way better. 10) Lots of alternatives for metering and focus, combinations from a single spot to a 3D tracking, from one point of focus to 39 points. Depending on photo/video, what kind of scene, how many subjects and how fast they move, you have a bunch of combinations. Or just do it completely manual. It's a great alternative to Canon 60D/7D/5D for pro level HD movies. I compared it to the 7D for a long time, and I finally chose the D7000 for quality and similar functions, but much cheaper. The rest of the money just save it, buy audio stuff like the Zoom H4n @ $299, or put it in more lenses (like the new 50mm 1.8/G @ $219. I don't regret and I'm loving it!

The D7000 produces great image quality and feels very responsive in most shooting situations. It shines especially in low light. From a specification point of view a 16.3 MP resolution sensor, 6 frames per second continuous shooting, 1080p full HD video and an abundance of customization options place this camera at the upper end of the mid-range segment of the market. My main points to recommend D7000: - It's very practical, all commands are available quickly using the buttons and wheels. The displays provide all necessary information. - The 39 AF points and 9 cross-type sensors makes your job easier. - Compatibility: I could use my old Nikkor AF lens (10 years old!!!) and Sigma lens also automatically. - Battery: I shot more than 1200 pictures before emptying the batteries, 1/3 using built-in flash (my SB-700 was not delivered yet).