Nikon D7100 Camera Review - Nikon's APS-C Prince

Introduction

Coming two years after the Nikon D7000, the D7100 is quite the beast on paper. It's the latest in Nikon's APS-C DSLR cameras to get a high-resolution 24MP sensor, and the first to come without an optical low-pass filter, which promises to increase the amount of detail captured in its images.

Almost every other digital camera today has an optical low-pass filter (also known as an 'anti-aliasing' or AA filter) which helps reduce the appearance of moiré artifacts appearing in the images taken. Unfortunately, the cost of having this low-pass filter is that small details are smudged, reducing the overall fidelity of the photograph. The D7100 is quite different from the D800E, the alternate model of the D800. That camera comes with a different physical filter than the low-pass filter found in the D800 and allows light to pass straight through to the D800E's sensor to capture even greater resolution. The D7100 simply has no optical low-pass filter.

The D7100 also comes with the leading-class 51-point Advanced Multi-CAM 3500 auto-focus system, the same used on Nikon’s highest-end full-frame cameras like the D800 and D4. It also gets the new Auto ISO mode which we first saw on the D800 that automatically sets the minimum shutter speed based on the focal length of the lens. The rear LCD monitor - finally - gets a 1.2 million dot resolution and is 0.2-inch slightly larger measuring in at 3.2-inch diagonal. Video shooting ability has increased, the D7100 offers frame-rates of 30p and 25p as well as the previous 24p, and it has built-in stereo microphones.

There's a new 1.3x crop mode, which increases the crop factor to 2x instead of the usual 1.6x. Thanks to the 24MP sensor, doubling the focal length still yields a 15MP image, and increases the frame-rate of the D7100 to seven versus the standard six frames per second. When compared together, the D7000 and the D7100 are virtually identical in size and weight, with the D7100 being an imperceptible 15g lighter.

Read on as we present more handling and performance details over the next few pages.

Design & Handling

Outwardly, very little has changed from the D7000 to the D7100, which isn’t a problem as the D7000 handled quite nicely. The body’s front is made of polycarbonate, while the top and rear are made of magnesium alloy. The camera certainly feels solid in the hands. The D7100 looks more muscular in comparison, and while it’s not weather-resistant, Nikon says that the D7100 is dust and moisture-resistant equivalent to the D600 and D800, so it offers some sort of protection against external elements.

Nikon’s usual ergonomics shine through in the D7100, with a couple of notable exceptions. The D7100’s controls are similar to those in the full-frame line-up, with twin control dials, Locked Mode and Release Mode dials, and LED control panel among other features. The camera is comfortable to hold, fast to operate and easy to get from powering on to shooting. The large 3.2-inch LCD is rich and vivid, thanks to the 1.2 million dots resolution.

Now on to the exceptions; Nikon has added a new ‘i' button to the left row of buttons beside the LCD monitor. The Info button to the right brings up an information screen of current settings, on cameras like the D800 you just press the Info button again to open up the settings for change. On the D7100, you have to press the new ‘i' button, which simply feels extraneous.

The level of control is also rather limited, while you can change things like image area and HDR mode, the other commands like ISO aren’t available, even though you can see them sitting on the screen. To get to those, you’ll need to use the dedicated buttons, which means that when you’re in the dark you’ll need to get to those buttons by muscle memory, even though you have a brightly lit screen right in front of you.

The ‘i' button is also used in Live View mode to bring up a list of settings, and here again the list is severely limited, for example you can change image quality settings but you can’t switch ISO. It’s disappointing, as even the most basic of Canon’s DSLR cameras, the EOS 100D, offers much more options in the Quick menu both in Live View and in non-Live View modes.

The AF mode switcher is still in an unmarked, inconspicuous position below the lens release button. We didn’t like it when it debuted on the D7000, we grew used to it on the D800, and now we’re back to not liking it on the D7100. It’s just difficult to hunt for, and makes switching AF modes difficult. To switch AF points, you can use the d-pad on the back, which seems like it has shrunk in size and feels a little cramped.

Even though the D7100 looks similar to the D7000, the insides have been completely overhauled and given a major boost. For one, the D7100 comes with the 51-point Advanced Multi-CAM 3500 auto-focus system, the same used on Nikon’s highest-end full-frame cameras like the D800 and D4. Paradoxically, it means the D7100 has a more comprehensive AF system than the higher-end full-frame D600, which only has 39 AF points bunched in the center, while the D7100’s AF points are spread out over the frame.

While the auto-focus is fast and responsive - as Nikons are known to be - focusing in Live View is still rather primitive and slow, when compared - again, regrettably - to the newest Canon DSLR camera, the entry-level EOS 100D. Canon’s hybrid AF has improved much since its introduction and has made Live View on a DSLR camera actually usable. The D7100 however, still needs to catch up.

To be sure, the D7100 doesn’t handle badly; it’s a well-made camera with most controls quickly available under your fingertips. It just feels like it could be better, especially when you look across the other side and see how Canon is innovating on their DSLR cameras with touch-screens, hybrid AF, a better Quick menu and Live View shooting experience.

Image Performance

The D7100 offers plenty of performance under the hood. The high 24MP resolution offers plenty of space to crop and print, although it can tax lesser computers with the large file sizes (a single JPEG can range from seven to 20MB). If you're looking for great images from an APS-C sensor though, the D7100 certainly delivers that in spades.

Because of the lack of an optical low-pass filter, the amount of detail coming through the D7100's images is rich. On our resolution chart, we're seeing results of 2600-2800 LPH, which is in the very high range. As DP Review has found however, because the sensor is now so good, you'll need the best quality glass in order to get the best results from it.

Image noise is well controlled, especially when compared to its predecessor the D7000. The new D7100 can reach up to ISO 3200 with little impunity, and even JPEGs at ISO 6400 look relatively clean of image noise, even though image details are definitely reduced at this point. However, you do start to see the effects of noise on fine detail relatively early on, but it's faint and you're likely not to notice if you don't pixel-peep.

The following are sample photographs shot with the Nikon D7100. The photos have not been post-processed, are saved in AdobeRGB, and are copyright to SPH Magazines. They are provided for your reference only and we ask that you do not reproduce them elsewhere. Click for full-resolution images.

Conclusion

On the face of it, the Nikon D7100 hits a lot of the right buttons with very little to complain about. The camera comes with Nikon's outstanding ergonomics which makes it easy for you to power on the camera, adjust your settings and just start shooting (well, except the out-of-the-way placement of the AF mode switcher).

Auto-focus is speedy and responsive, as expected since the D7100 gets the same leading-class AF system found on the high-end D4. Thanks to that, the D7100's AF points actually cover a larger area of the shooting frame than even the full-frame D600. The high-resolution 24MP images are crisp and clear, full of fine detail without the mushiness of pictures affected by an optical low-pass filter - you will need high quality glass to see the difference though.

In fact, it wouldn't be hyperbole to say that the D7100 is the best APS-C DSLR you can get from Nikon right now, until the fabled D400 gets released - if it even exists.

Across the Pond

But what if you're not yet a dedicated Nikon user? One glace across the pond and it's illuminating to see how differently Nikon and Canon are playing the DSLR game. Whereas Nikon has upped the megapixel count across the board (even the entry-level D3200 shoots 24MP), Canon has focused on improving usability in Live View. The 650D, 700D and the 100D all feature Canon's Hybrid AF technology, which improved auto-focus speed and accuracy in Live View (to varying degrees), and now the new Dual Pixel AF technology found in the upcoming 70D promises to take Live View AF to the next level.

While auto-focus in Live View has only been getting better on Canon's new DSLR cameras, AF remains as slow as it ever was on Nikon's Live View. Canon's Live View menus are also vastly more user-friendly than Nikon's sparsely populated menus, and Canon has had touch panels on its LCD screens for three DSLR cameras now (four if you count the 70D). Nikon has yet to release a DSLR camera with a touch-sensitive screen.

Whether it matters or not depends on how much of an enthusiast you already are. If you're familiar around DSLR cameras, you might prefer the purity of Nikon's D7100 and how it doesn't try to be both a DSLR and a compact camera at the same time. However, if you're new to the DSLR world and prefer a soft landing, Canon's newest might prove to be more user-friendly and comforting. Amateur videographers especially might want to look towards the 70D and how the new Dual Pixel AF technology with smooth AF tracking and touch to focus in video can negate the need for painstaking focus pulling.

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