D7100... wonderfully versatile

[Jorgen Udvang]

Nikon D7100 Hands-on Preview: Digital Photography Review

I can't help being fascinated, impressed etc. The new D7100 that will probably sooner or later replace my D300 is so packed with features that it makes me wonder why other cameras are needed at all. Admittedly, the D800 offers a tiny bit more resolution, the D4 does everything a bit better (at 5 times the price and twice the weight) and the D5200 packs the same number of pixels in an even smaller package. Still, except for the lack of an articulated LCD, I can't see a single photographic application that cannot be done at to at least 90% perfection with this little wonder.

I will still use m4/3 for many things (size and quality of lenses, better, more functional video). But the D7100 is destined to become a winner, and I question seriously if I will ever take the step up to 35mm digital. It would be nice, but not really necessary.

 

[Steen]

and no blurring filter :thumbup:

 

[ptomsu]

I must say I am impressed.

I was very tempted by the Pentax K5IIs as it was one of the first really compact DSLRs which did not have an AA filter on their 16MB sensor and produces exceptional images, but still with a very basic AF system and a somehow limited lens lineup.

Now the D7100 with clearly NO AA filter and a stunning 51 point AF system, covering almost the complete image area, as well and all the other wonderfull improvements over the D7000 (which I owned for a while and only sold because the D800E became available with no AA filter) is really one of the best news - at least for me!

I might over time abandon m43 not because its bad but just because the way APSC from Nikon is evolving especially with the D7100 (24MP, no AA, 100% OVF which after all usage of EVFs I still prefer) and the much wider range of lenses! Plus the much larger sensor allows for more freedom in sensor design, higher MP with higher ISO and I really wonder if m43 will ever come close towards 24MP. Plus so far I am not aware of any m43 (or 43) camera without AA filter. And I am slowly getting tired of further waiting .....

The D7100 is somehow larger than the OMD, but hey - either I do photography seriously, then I can carry something still small, which is easy to hold and operable and not so tiny I start getting issues with operation, or I go for a really small advanced P&S - my favorite (system) here currently the Pentax Q. So m43 at least for me is becoming kind of not necessary.

FF (D800E) on the other side I will continue using for really demanding high quality and high resolution, mainly instead of my Hasselblad (I know MFD can never be replaced, but simply too big for my purposes.

So finally I am really happy with the direction Nikon is going lately! One wish I would have that they update some of their DX lenses to meet the requirements of a 24MP non AA filter sensor.

 

[Jorgen Udvang]

So finally I am really happy with the direction Nikon is going lately! One wish I would have that they update some of their DX lenses to meet the requirements of a 24MP non AA filter sensor.

A 15 or 16mm DX prime would be nice, thank you, but it will be interesting to see how the Tokina 11-16mm performs on this camera.

 

[Jorgen Udvang]

But there's a catch: Max buffer size in RAW is 7 (lossless compressed) or 9 (compressed) frames. Unfortunately, that makes it a no go for me :cussing: :banghead:

D400? Hello, Nikon??

 

[Guy Mancuso]

With no AA filter this makes you wonder if the D600 is worth the extra cost in a way. As long as FF is not a big deal to you , I would buy this instead.

 

[ptomsu]

But there's a catch: Max buffer size in RAW is 7 (lossless compressed) or 9 (compressed) frames. Unfortunately, that makes it a no go for me :cussing: :banghead:

D400? Hello, Nikon??

What are you looking for to shoot?

And does the OMD better? If you manage to get the shot in C-AF with the OMD?

 

[ptomsu]

With no AA filter this makes you wonder if the D600 is worth the extra cost in a way. As long as FF is not a big deal to you , I would buy this instead.

Hm ... I wonder why they did not make the D600 without AA filter ????

I am looking for a really compact DSLR with high IQ, while the K5IIs would be nice, it means another system for me, plus Nikon offers definitely the more wide and versatile lens range.

This makes the D7100 so interesting for me

 

[Vivek]

The new stuff- "Spot white balance with liveview". I would be interested to see how that works.

I hope the AA less sensor and such will come to a mirrorless cam (Sony or even Nikon). It is not worth the bother for me to be lugging a DSLR with an APS-C sensor. Been there, done that and won't do it again.

 

[thedruid]

I don't shoot sports so the buffer does not bother me, the lack of AA filter and a comfortable 24MP is a plus. What worries me is QC as I bought the D600 early and have had to deal with a lot of crap on the sensor. Then the fact that 3 months after introduction they literally drop the price $500-600 by offering a kit for less than the $2100 I paid for the body.

 

[Jorgen Udvang]

What are you looking for to shoot?

And does the OMD better? If you manage to get the shot in C-AF with the OMD?

Motor sports. EVF is out of the question, since the viewfinder only shows the shots I've taken until the buffer is empty. That makes pan shots very tricky, and pan shots are where the money is, preferably with the sponsor logo sharp and in focus.

That leaves me with Nikon, Canon, Pentax and Olympus. Pentax would be nice, but I'm not sure about their AF and they don't have a proper distributor here. Canon works fine, but the 7D isn't exactly great for low light work. The same can be said for the D300s. 35mm would be nice (D700) but paying the price (and carrying the weight) of 500mm reach on full frame would cut too much of my profit. That leaves me with Olympus and the E-5, a camera I have decided against more times than I care to think about. Interestingly, the E-5 is still selling for nearly as much as what it went for at launch

 

[ptomsu]

Motor sports. EVF is out of the question, since the viewfinder only shows the shots I've taken until the buffer is empty. That makes pan shots very tricky, and pan shots are where the money is, preferably with the sponsor logo sharp and in focus.

That leaves me with Nikon, Canon, Pentax and Olympus. Pentax would be nice, but I'm not sure about their AF and they don't have a proper distributor here. Canon works fine, but the 7D isn't exactly great for low light work. The same can be said for the D300s. 35mm would be nice (D700) but paying the price (and carrying the weight) of 500mm reach on full frame would cut too much of my profit. That leaves me with Olympus and the E-5, a camera I have decided against more times than I care to think about. Interestingly, the E-5 is still selling for nearly as much as what it went for at launch

Maybe this increases with the additional grip? For the D800E I think it does.

 

[Jorgen Udvang]

Maybe this increases with the additional grip? For the D800E I think it does.

No it doesn't and it wouldn't have helped. It isn't the speed that is the problem, it's the small buffer.

 

[ptomsu]

No it doesn't and it wouldn't have helped. It isn't the speed that is the problem, it's the small buffer.

For the D800/D800E the battery grip increases speed from 4 to t FPS according to Nikon Website:

"Attach the MB-D12 to the camera body to extend battery stamina. The pack accommodates a variety of batteries (see specifications) and utilizes the same integral magnesium alloy construction and weather sealing as the D800/D800E body itself. You also get approx. 6 fps continuous shooting speed* in DX format. The MB-D12 has its own dedicated shutter-release button and command dials for vertical composition shooting."

I know that does not help for buffer size but just wanted to clarify.

 

[Steen]

D7100 ... wonderfully versatile

(...) Max buffer size in RAW is 7 (lossless compressed) or 9 (compressed) frames (...)

I believe that detail strongly indicates that there will actually be something like a D400 in the very near future.

 

[Jorgen Udvang]

Re: D7100 ... wonderfully versatile

I believe that detail strongly indicates that there will actually be something like a D400 in the very near future.

That would be nice

I do also consider buying another D2X(s). I'm very happy with that camera and it works excellently for motor racing in daylight.

 

[ptomsu]

Re: D7100 ... wonderfully versatile

That would be nice

I do also consider buying another D2X(s). I'm very happy with that camera and it works excellently for motor racing in daylight.

But it is not really pocketable

 

[Jorgen Udvang]

Re: D7100 ... wonderfully versatile

But it is not really pocketable

At the races, having a big, heavy camera is a great help when shoveling amateurs with plastic cameras off the edge of the press photo platform. Having two is twice as efficient

 

[ptomsu]

Re: D7100 ... wonderfully versatile

At the races, having a big, heavy camera is a great help when shoveling amateurs with plastic cameras off the edge of the press photo platform. Having two is twice as efficient

I see, using them as a hammer kind of ....

 

[glenerrolrd]

When the D7000 came out I bought one for our family ready camera . Carolyn my wife uses it daily as its always at the ready on a table in our family room . When I received the camera ...I tested it with both the well regraded DX primes and the Zeiss ZF lenses I was using . The files had more bite,edge sharpness than we had on the D3S,D3x on the screen and with small enlargements ..the files were really quite good up to about 1600 .

The sensor that Nikon used on the D800/E is the FX equivalent(of the D7000 sensor) ..at the pixel level they were similar . I realize that its more than the sensor thats at work ....but the look at the pixel level was a good preview of the D800/E.

One of the big advantages of the DX format was DOF and for family photographs and club events ...thats important . This should be a great all around camera if you don t expect to need large enlargements . I am happy that Nikon is stressing high IQ in a camera at less than $1200. 51AF points and no AA filter caught my eye .

It could also provide a preview into a 50+ MP FX sensor . . Personally I don t need that much 40MP is the sweet spot for me and I know that the 23MP on the new M will be quite enough . But I expect that a 50+MP sensor targeted at IQ at base ISO would be quite attractive in a D4X body .