Since its announcement earlier this year, the Nikon D7000 has set tongues wagging from the word go. With brand new autofocus and metering systems this release is the first to see the latest 16.2MP sensor and is far from Nikon resting on its laurels. But just how impressive is the Nikon D7000 and can it set itself apart from the competition to be the ultimate camera in its class?

Nikon D7000 review – Features

The Nikon D7000 is keen to stand apart from the older Nikon range as an all-new camera. Indeed, to dispel the myth of it being a D90 replacement, it’s worth pointing out that both cameras will continue to run in the current Nikon range for the time being and the gap between one and the next is fairly considerable.

The Nikon D7000 adopts a new 16.2-megapixel CMOS sensor, suggesting that the megapixel count for DSLR cameras is clearly still on the rise. The APS-C size of the sensor means the usual 1.5x magnification applies (i.e. 18mm is the same as 27mm in a full-frame 35mm equivalent). Paired up with the Expeed 2 image processing engine, the D7000 also boasts Nikon’s latest hardware for speedy processing and the capability to expand the already well-specified ISO 100-6400 sensitivity to a top-end Hi2 setting – the equivalent of ISO 25,600.

For those looking to reel off bursts of images in continuous shooting mode, the D7000 offers a pleasing 6fps. Considered in the context against the Nikon D300s’s 7fps, and side by side to the Canon 60D’s 5.3fps, this is a well-specified offering that will prove tempting to those enthusiasts looking for speed as well as resolution and all-round capability.

It’s not just still images where the Nikon D7000 comes well equipped either: the ability to capture Full HD 1080p video at 24 frames per second sees off much of the competition thanks to its progressive capture.

Elsewhere there’s an all-new 2,016 pixel RGB metering module and a brand new 39-point AF system with nine cross-type sensors, dubbed the Multi-CAM 4800DX.

The rear of the camera has a fixed 3in, 920k-dot LCD screen and a viewfinder sat above this gives a full 100% field-of-view to ensure that exactly what you frame by eye is what you capture.

To store your images there are twin SD card slots that can be utilised simultaneously or user-defined to operate in an overflow or stills/video format. It’s interesting to see the omission of a CF card slot, which seems to now be exclusively reserved for more pro-grade models.