Nikon D7200: A needed update to a value performer

Introduction

The Nikon D7200 is Nikon’s latest flagship DX-format camera, and builds on the D7100 by adding a larger buffer, improved autofocus performance, Wi-Fi with NFC capabilities, better battery life, and 60p video. As mentioned in our earlier coverage, the D7200 is also be the first DX-format camera to get in-built time-lapse capabilities, and it also inherits certain features from the D750 before it, like Nikon’s EXPEED 4 image-processing engine, and the Advanced Multi-CAM 3500 II autofocus sensor, which is sensitive to -3EV.



Also new to the D7200, is the way Nikon is handling higher ISO levels - instead of listing them as expanded settings, Nikon is now only offering the ISO 51,200 and ISO 102,400 settings as options in black and white. This solves the problem of excessive color noise (as all colors are reduced to black and white), and may make for what seems to be more acceptable images as we’re used to black and white images having a bit more grain.

While the D7200 and the D7100 both have sensors that boast about 24-megapixel resolution, the D7200’s sensor has 24.2 million pixels compared to 24.1 million on the D7100. That’s significant not because of the slight resolution jump, but because it means the D7200 is using a newer sensor, which would probably explain the two-stop increase in sensitivity.

Design and Handling

The D7200 looks very much the same as the D7100 before it, with the exact same layout, size and weight. Which means you will get the same weather sealing, build and overall weight as the D7100 (and actually the D7000 before it too). That’s not a bad thing, but we honestly were hoping that this camera would get the monocoque treatment a la the D5500 and the D750 too, as that would mean at least one traditional DLSR company is seriously moving all their DSLRs to newer designs that counter or negate the perceived advantages of mirrorless cameras.

There’s also no change to the LCD display behind. Unlike the D5500 and the D750, this is a fixed LCD and it isn’t touch sensitive, so you don’t get the advantage of being able to tilt your screen for awkward angles, nor do you get to navigate menus via touch. Again, we do feel like this is a missed opportunity as we really did like the implementation of touch to quickly adjust settings in the D5500, as well as the flexibility that Touch Fn brings.

That said, this is a tried and tested design so we suppose Nikon is just focusing on the internals for this update. On that note, the D7200 takes full advantage of Advanced Multi-CAM 3500 II to offer Dynamic Area AF, 3D-Tracking AF, and Auto Area AF, which acts like Face Detection AF systems if a G- or D- type lens is mounted on the D7200.

The D7200 also seems to have taken the needs of movie makers into greater consideration though, as there is now an additional menu specifically for movie options like highlight display, microphone sensitivity, frequency response, and the option to enable wind noise reduction. As with the D7100 before it, all the needed ports are easily found behind rubber covers on the right side of the body, with stereo microphones found in front of the camera’s hotshoe.

The other noteworthy change to the D7200 would be the inclusion of Wi-Fi and NFC capabilities. Where the Nikon D7100 required the use of a Wu-1a adapter for wireless capabilities, the D7200 now offers it right out of the box. NFC capabilities are also new for the D7200, and is a welcome sight as these technologies simply speed up the entire pairing process greatly.

Sample Photos

These are sample photographs shot with the Nikon D7200. The photos were shot in JPEG (Large), and no other processing has been applied to the images. The pictures are copyright to SPH Magazines and are provided for your reference only, so we ask that you do not reproduce them elsewhere. Click for the full-resolution images. 

Some images taken with the AF-S DX NIKKOR 55-200MM F/4-5.6G ED VR II:

Compared to the 7D Mark II at ISO 6400

Performance Analysis

Start taking pictures and you’ll feel the difference between the D7200 and the D7100. The buffer on the D7200 is much increased, being able to take up to 18 shots in RAW (14-bit compressed) and 100 in JPEG compared to just six RAW and 50 JPEG in the D7100. That’s a much more reasonable duration of capture for people shooting sports and action, so this a is very much needed update.

Also improved is the autofocus performance of the D7200 thanks to the new Multi-CAM 3500DX II system. This looks to be a DX version of the autofocus module found in the recent D810 and D750 cameras, and has 15 cross-type sensors with 11 that are sensitive up to f/8. The focus points are now sensitive beyond -2 EV (to -3EV), while the central focus point is sensitive up to -3 EV. All that means is that you can now focus in conditions a full stop darker than what was possible with the D7100.

We put both of these to the test along with Nikon’s new AF-S DX Nikkor 55-200mm f/4-5.6G ED VR II lens and found that the combined autofocus speed of both lens and camera was just about adequate to keep up with fast moving subjects, and the larger buffer of the D7200 certainly helped when we were shooting in Continuous High mode. We also liked how the AF-S DX Nikkor 55-200mm f/4-5.6G ED VR II retracted away neat and compact when not in use. We'd say the small size and relatively light weight (it weighs about 300g) certainly makes it a great complement to DX-format cameras.

As seen from the sample photo images, we took the D7200 out for a shoot in Gardens by the Bay to give us a better idea of the color reproduction tendencies of the camera, as well as an idea of how the camera performed at higher ISOs. It seems the D7200 can deliver accurate color reproduction but has a slight tendency to underexpose by about half a stop, presumably to preserve highlight information. There's a good amount of detail captured, and we feel like images should be usable up to ISO 12,800 easily.

Compared to the Canon 7D Mark II, the D7200 seemed to be slightly smaller in size and lighter. AF speeds seemed to be about even, but the 7D Mark II has a definite advantage in terms of buffer size and continuous shooting rate. However, it does seem like images from the D7200 are slightly sharper straight out-of-camera, with a touch more contrast. The D7200 images also hold up better at higher ISO settings as Canon’s noise reduction algorithms seem to remove noise at the expense of detail. Of course, part of it can be attributed to the difference in rated resolution of the image sensors - the D7200 has a resolution of 24.2 megapixels, while the 7D Mark II has a resolution of 20.2 megapixels.

Conclusion

The D7200 represents a slight upgrade over the D7100 which was quite a good performer in itself. The increase in buffer size was most needed, and while it still lags behind the 7D Mark II in the speed aspect, the images captured have better detail and overall sharpness. Autofocus performance is good, and the camera is very responsive, making it a great upgrade for consumers looking to move up from an entry-level DSLR (or ILC).

At just S$1,869 with the AF-S 18-140mm VR DX Lens, we’d say the camera represents great value for the performance it brings, especially when compared to the 7D Mark II that it’s going to be compared against (that costs S$2,499 for just the body alone). That said, we do wish Nikon had added in their latest innovations from the D750 and D5500 before it, as that would have made it a truly compelling camera in its own right.

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