Nikon d7000

When it was announced in September the D7000 took a lot of people by surprise. Although a D90 successor had been on the horizon for some time, what wasn't expected was how close in specification terms the new camera would turn out to be to the D300S. In some respects, in fact, the D7000 actually outguns its (supposedly) semi-pro cousin, and offers a compelling upgrade option to both D90 and D300S owners, whilst nominally sitting between the two in Nikon's current lineup.

Although ergonomically, the D7000 is a very close match for the D90, its overall 'feel' is considerably more serious, thanks to a magnesium alloy body shell and slightly thicker rubber coating on the hand grip and rear of the camera. At 16.2Mp the D7000 offers the second highest resolution of any Nikon DSLR, behind only the 24Mp D3X. All of these pixels are packed onto a newly developed CMOS sensor, which is almost certainly the same or very similar to that in the Sony Alpha SLT-A55. As well as extra resolution, the new sensor also offers a higher 'standard' ISO span of 100-6400, expandable up to the equivalent of ISO 25,600.

The D7000's AF and metering systems are also new, and represent a significant upgrade to those used in the D90. The new camera boasts a 39-point AF array with 9 cross-type AF points and works in collaboration with a new 2016-pixel RGB metering sensor to allow 3D AF tracking (essentially tracking by subject color, explained here). Other changes include the same combined live view/movie switch control as the 3100, and a significantly upgraded movie specification, up to 'full HD' - 1920x1080 resolution at 24fps. Unlike the D90, the D7000 can also maintain AF during live view and movie shooting, thanks to its AF-F ('full time') AF mode.

D90 owners have been waiting for a replacement camera for a while, and although the D90 isn't set for retirement quite yet, the D7000 certainly represents a compelling upgrade. It took longer than we'd hoped for a production D7000 to be supplied to us, but now that we've had one for a a few weeks we've been able to produce an in-depth review. Read on to find out what we think of Nikon's newest DSLR...

Nikon D7000 Key Features

• 16.2MP CMOS sensor
• 1080p HD video recording with mic jack for external microphone
• ISO 100-6400 (plus H1 and H2 equivalent to ISO 12,800/25,600)
• 39-point AF system with 3D tracking
• New 2016 pixel metering sensor
• Scene Recognition System (see 2016 pixel sensor, above) aids WB/metering + focus accuracy
• Twin SD card slots
• 3.0 inch 921k dot LCD screen
• New Live View/movie shooting switch
• Full-time AF in Live View/movie modes
• Up to 6fps continuous shooting
• Lockable drive mode dial
• Built-in intervalometer
• Electronic virtual horizon
• Shutter tested to 150K actuations

Positioned alongside the D90 and D300S, the D7000 is clearly a lot closer to the former than the latter in terms of its size and control layout. The similarities between the D90 and D7000 don't run much deeper than the surface level though - where specifications are concerned, on paper, the D7000 at least matches and frequently surpasses the abilities of the D300S in several key areas.

Nikon D7000 and Nikon D90: Key differences

The D7000 sits above the D90 in Nikon's current lineup, and as befits its new position in the range, the D7000 combines elements of the D90 with elements of the D300S - Nikon's current APS-C flagship. The most obvious physical clue to its new position is a magnesium alloy body shell, which up to now has been reserved for Nikon's top-end APS-C and full frame cameras.
'Under the hood' though the differences are legion - a new 16.2MP CMOS sensor, dual card slots, a new 39-point AF array, 'true' HD movie mode with full-time AF and more customization options, some of which are inherited from Nikon's professional DSLRs. Like the D90, the D7000 supports AF with Nikon's older AF and AF-D lenses (lower-end models are limited to compatibility with AF-S and AF-I optics only) but additionally, because the D7000 has an Ai indexing tab on its lens mount, up to 9 'non-CPU' lenses can also be registered with the camera.
This allows the use of virtually any Ai specification or later lens to be used in aperture priority or manual mode with the D7000, with almost no loss of functionality (apart from AF). Novice DSLR users might never look beyond the horizons offered by their kit lenses, but for the enthusiast, legacy support like this could well be a deal-clincher.

The overall dimensions of the D7000 are very similar to the older D90, but the heavier, magnesium alloy body shell and thicker rubber on the hand grip lend it a noticeably more 'serious' feel.

• Higher resolution sensor (16.2MP vs. 12.3MP)
• Choice of 12-bit or 14-bit NEF (RAW)
• 1080p HD movie mode
• Limited movie editing functionality
• AF possible during video shooting
• Live View switch (basically the same as D3100)
• Faster AF in live view mode.
• Twin SD card slots
• Non-CPU lens data function (allows registration of up to 9 non-G lenses with manual apertures)
• Magnesium alloy body shell
• Wider ISO span (100-25,600 including 'H1' and 'H2')
• Newly developed 39-point AF system
• 'Quiet' single frame advance mode
• 'Proper' mirror lock-up (as distinct from 'exposure delay mode')
• Lockable drive mode dial
• Higher maximum frame rate (6fps) with a Continuous Lo shooting option (1-5fps)
• 100% viewfinder
• Choice of 12-bit or 14-bit NEF (RAW) recording in compressed or lossless compressed formats
• Up to 9 'non-CPU' lenses can be registered (same as D300s/D3s/D3X)
• New EN-EL15 lithium-ion battery
• New MB-D11 battery pack (magnesium alloy construction)
  
  

  Ergonomically, the D7000 and D90 are quite similar, and as you can see from this view of the back of the two cameras, in terms of its control layout, the D7000 is very close to the D90. Some controls have changed slightly (the D90's 'Lv' button becomes a spring-loaded switch for example) but the number of control points is the same and everything is basically in the same place.

Compared to the D90 and D300S: core feature and specification differences

	Nikon D7000	Nikon D90	Nikon D300S
Construction	Magnesium alloy body	Polycarbonate	Magnesium alloy body
Sensor	• 23.6 x 15.6 mm CMOS sensor • RGB color filter array • Built-in fixed low-pass filter (with self-cleaning unit) • 16.2 million effective pixels • RGB Color Filter Array • 14-bit A/D converter	• 23.6 x 15.8 mm CMOS sensor • RGB color filter array • Built-in fixed low-pass filter (with self-cleaning unit) • 12.3 million effective pixels • RGB Color Filter Array • 12-bit A/D converter	• 23.6 x 15.8 mm CMOS sensor • RGB color filter array • Built-in fixed low-pass filter (with self-cleaning unit) • 12.3 million effective pixels • RGB Color Filter Array • 14-bit A/D converter
ISO range	• Auto ISO (100-Hi2) • ISO 100-6400 in 0.3 or 1.0 EV increments • H1 and H2 (ISO 12800 and 25600) expansion • Adjustable Auto ISO limit	• Auto ISO (400-H1) • ISO 200 -3200 in 0.3 or 1.0 EV increments • L1 (ISO 100) and H1 (ISO 6400) expansion • Adjustable Auto ISO limit	• Auto ISO (400-H1) • ISO 200 -3200 in 0.3 or 1.0 EV increments • L1 (ISO 100) and H1 (ISO 6400) expansion • Adjustable Auto ISO limit
Movie resolution*	• 1920 x 1080p (24fps) • 1280 x 720p (30, 25, 24fps) • 640 x 424p (30, 25fps)	• 1280 x 720p (24 fps) • 640 x 424p (24 fps) • 320 x 216p (24 fps)	• 1280 x 720p (24 fps) • 640 x 424p (24 fps) • 320 x 216p (24 fps)
AF sensor	• 39 AF points • 9 cross-type sensors	• 11 AF points • 1 cross-type sensor	• 51 focus points • 15 cross-type sensors
Metering sensor	• TTL exposure metering using 2016-pixel RGB sensor • Metering range: EV 0 - 20 EV	• TTL exposure metering using 403-pixel RGB sensor • Metering range: EV 0 - 20 EV	• TTL exposure metering using 1005-pixel RGB sensor • Metering range: EV 0 - 20 EV
Viewfinder	• Eye-level pentaprism • 100% frame coverage • Magnification: 0.94x • Eyepoint: 19.5 mm • Type B BriteView Clear Matte screen Mark II with AF area brackets • Built-in diopter adjustment (-3 to +1.0m-1)	• Eye-level pentaprism • 96% (horizontal and vertical) frame coverage • Magnification: 0.94x • Eyepoint: 19.5 mm • B-type BrightView Clear Matte Screen II with AF area brackets • Built-in diopter adjustment (-2 to +1m-1)	• Eye-level pentaprism • 100% frame coverage • Magnification: 0.94x • Eyepoint: 19.5 mm • B-type BrightView Clear Matte Screen II with AF area brackets • Built-in diopter adjustment (-2 to +1m-1)
Continuous shooting rate	• Approx 6 fps max	• Approx 4.5 fps max	• Up to approx 8fps with AC adapter or MB-D10 pack and batteries other than EN-EL3e
Memory format	• SD/SDHC/SDXC (dual slots)	• SD/SDHC	• Compact Flash (type I and UDMA) (dual SD/CF slots)
Dimensions	Approx 132 x 105 x 77mm (5.2 x 4.1 x 3.0in)	Approx 132 x 103 x 77 mm (5.2 x 4.1 x 3.0 in.)	Approx 147 x 114 x 74 mm (5.8 x 4.5 x 2.9 in)
Weight (inc battery)	780 g (1.7 lb.)	704 g (1.5 lb.)	918 g (2.2 lb.)

*In movie mode, 30fps is actually 29.97fps, 24 is actually 23.976fps.

 Nikon D7000 specifications

Price (Body only)	US: $1199 UK: £1099 EU: €1189
Price (with 18-105mm VR Lens)	US: $1499 UK: £1299.99 EU: €1399
Body color	Black
Sensor*	• 23.6 x 15.6 mm CMOS sensor • Nikon DX format (1.5x FOV crop) • 16.2 million effective pixels* • RGB Color Filter Array • 14-bit A/D converter*
Anti-dust measures	• Image sensor cleaning system • Image dust off from reference frame (using optional Capture NX software)
Image sizes*	• 4928 x 3264 (L)* • 3696 x 2448 (M)* • 2464 x 1632 (S)*
Image quality	• NEF (12/14-bit compressed RAW) • JPEG fine (1:4) • JPEG normal (1:8) • JPEG basic (1:16) • NEF (RAW) + Fine JPEG
Movie sizes*	• 1920 x 1080 24fps* • 1280 x 720 30fps* • 1280 x 720 25fps* • 1280 x 720 24fps* • 640 x 424 24fps*
Movie format	• MOV, H.264, mono sound recording (PCM)
Color space	• sRGB • Adobe RGB
Lens mount	Nikon F mount (with AF contacts)
Lens compatibility*	• AF-S, AF-I, Type G or D AF Nikkor • Other AF Nikkor/AI-P Nikkor • Type D PC Nikkor • Non-CPU • IX Nikkor/AF Nikkor for F3AF • AI-P NIKKOR -All functions supported - All functions supported except 3D Color Matrix Metering II - All functions supported except some shooting modes - Can be used in exposure modes A and M; electronic rangefinder can be used if maximum aperture is f/5.6 or faster; Color Matrix Metering and aperture value display supported if user provides lens data. Up to 9 lenses can be registered. - Cannot be used -All functions supported except 3D color matrix metering II
Autofocus*	• 39 area (9 cross type) TTL phase detection with AF fine tuning* • Nikon Multi-CAM 4800DX focus module • Detection range: EV -1 to +19 (ISO 100 equivalent, at normal temperature) • Manual focus [M], Electronic range finding supported
Lens servo*	• Single-servo AF (AF-S) • Continuous-servo AF (AF-C) • Automatic AF-S/AF-C (AF-A) • Full time AF (AF-F)* • Manual focus (MF)
AF Area mode	• Single Point AF • Dynamic Area AF (9, 21 or 39-point) • Auto Area AF • 3D Tracking (39 points)
Focus tracking	Predictive focus tracking automatically activated according to subject status in continuous-servo AF
Focus area	Can be selected from 39 focus points
Focus lock	Focus can be locked by pressing shutter-release button halfway (single-servo AF) or by pressing AE-L/AF-L button
AF Assist	White light lamp
Exposure mode*	• Auto     - Auto     - Flash off • Scene Modes Portrait Landscape Child Sports Close up Night portrait Night landscape Beach/snow Sunset Dusk/dawn Pet portrait* Candlelight* Blossom* Autumn colors* Food* Silhouette* High Key* Low key* • Programmed auto (P) with flexible program • Shutter-priority auto (S) • Aperture priority auto (A) • Manual (M) • U1 (custom) • U2 (custom)
Metering*	TTL exposure metering using 2016-pixel RGB sensor* • Matrix :3D color matrix metering II (type G and D lenses); color matrix metering II (other CPU lenses) • Center-weighted: Weight of 75% given to 8-mm circle in center of frame; diameter of circle can be changed to 6, 10 or 13 mm, or weighting can be based on average of entire frame (fixed at 8 mm when non-CPU lens is used) • Spot: Meters 3.5 mm circle (about 2.5% of frame) centered on active focus area (on center focus point when non-CPU lens is used)
Metering range	• EV 0 to 20 (3D color matrix or center-weighted metering) • EV 2 to 20 (spot metering)
Meter coupling	CPU coupling
Exposure comp.	• +/- 5.0 EV • 1/3 EV steps
AE Lock	Exposure locked at detected value with AE-L/AF-L button
AE Bracketing	2 to 3 frames in 1/3, 1/2, 2/3 1 ,1,1/3, 1,2/3 or 2EV increments
Sensitivity*	• Auto • ISO 100 • ISO 200 • ISO 400 • ISO 800 • ISO 1600 • ISO 3200 • ISO 6400 • ISO 12800 (Hi1)* • ISO 25600 (Hi2)*
Auto ISO options*	• On/Off • Maximum ISO (100 to Hi2)* • Minimum shutter speed (1 to 1/8000 sec)
Shutter	• Electronically-controlled vertical-travel focal-plane shutter • 30 to 1/8000 sec (1/3 EV steps) • Flash X-Sync: up to 1/250 sec (up to 1/320 sec in Auto FP) • Bulb
White balance*	• Auto (TTL white-balance with 2016 pixels RGB sensor) • Auto2 keep warm lighting colors* • Twelve manual modes with fine-tuning     • Incandescent     • Fluorescent Sodium-vapor lamps Warm-white fluorescent White fluorescent Cool-white fluorescent Day white fluorescent Daylight fluorescent Daylight fluorescent Mercury-vapor lamps     • Direct sunlight     • Flash     • Cloudy     • Shade • Preset white balance (up to 5 presets can be stored)
WB fine tuning	Yes, (except preset manual)
Image parameters	• Picture controls: Standard, Neutral, Vivid, Monochrome, Portrait, Landscape • Quick Adjust: 5 settings (adjusts Sharpening, Contrast and Saturation by preset amounts) • Sharpening: Auto, 10 levels • Contrast: Auto, 7 levels • Saturation: Auto, 7 levels • Hue: 7 levels
Viewfinder*	• Optical fixed eye-level • Pentaprism type • Built-in dioptre adjustment (-1.7 to +0.5 m-1) • Eye point: 18 mm (at -1.0 m-1) • Frame coverage 100% (approx.)* • Viewfinder magnification approx. 0.94x with 50mm lens at infinity; -1.0 m-1 • Type B BriteView Clear Matte screen Mark II with AF area brackets (framing grid can be displayed)
LCD monitor	• 3.0" TFT LCD • 921,000 dots
Built-in flash	• Auto, Portrait, Child, Close-up, Night portrait, Party/indoor, • Auto flash with auto pop-up, • Manual pop-up in P, S, A or M modes • Guide number approx. 12/39 at ISO 100 (am/ft) • Guide number approx. 13/43 at ISO 100 (m/ft) in manual mode
Sync contact	X-contact only; flash synchronization at shutter speeds of up to 1/250 sec
Flash control	• TTL flash control by 2016-segment RGB sensor. i-TTL balanced fill-flash for digital SLR and standard i-TTL fill-flash for digital SLR available when CPU lens is used with built-in flash, SB-400, SB-800, and SB-600 • Auto aperture with SB-800 and CPU lenses • Non-TTL auto with SB-800, 80DX, 28DX, 28, 27 and 22s • Range-priority manual with SB-800
Flash mode	• Auto, Portrait, Child, Close-up: Auto, auto with red-eye reduction; fill-flash and red-eye reduction available with optional Speedlight • Night portrait: Auto, auto slow sync, auto slow sync with red-eye reduction; slow sync and slow sync with red-eye reduction available with optional Speedlight • Landscape, Sports: Fill-flash and red-eye reduction available with optional Speedlight • P, A modes: Fill flash, rear-curtain with slow sync, slow sync, slow sync with red-eye reduction, red-eye reduction • S, M modes: Fill flash, rear-curtain sync, red-eye reduction
Flash compensation	• -3 to +1 EV • 1/3 steps
Nikon Creative Lighting system	• Advanced Wireless Lighting supported with built-in flash, SB-900, SB-800, SB-700 or SU-800 as commander and SB-900, SB-800, SB-700, SB-600 or SB-R200 as remotes; Auto FP high-speed sync and modeling illumination supported with all CLS-compatible flash units except SB-400; Flash Color Information Communication and FV lock supported with all CLS-compatible flash units
Shooting modes*	• Single frame shooting (S) mode • Continuous shooting (CH) mode: approx. 6.0 frames per second* • Continuous shooting (CL) mode: selectable from 1-5 frames per second* • Self-timer • Quick-Response Remote • Delayed Remote
Continuous buffer	• Unknown
Self-timer	• 2, 5, 10 or 20 sec
Remote control	• Using optional MC-DC2 cable via GPS socket
Text input	Up to 36 characters of alphanumeric text input is available with LCD monitor and multi-selector; stored in EXIF header
Playback functions	• Full frame • Thumbnail (4, 9, or 72 images or calendar) • Playback with Playback zoom • Slide Show • Histogram Display • Highlights • Auto Image Rotation • Image Comment (up to 36 characters)
Orientation sensor	Yes (Rotates user interface when using camera in portrait orientation)
Storage *	• SD / SD HC / SDXC (dual slots)* • FAT / FAT32 • Supports firmware update via SD card
Video output	NTSC or PAL selectable
Connectivity	• USB 2.0 (Hi-Speed) • Mass storage / PTP selectable • A/V out • HDMI out • DC-IN (optional AC adapter and adapter connector)
Languages	Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish
Power	Rechargeable Li-ion Battery EN-EL15
Working environment	• 0 to 40°C (32 to 104°F) • Less than 85% humidity
Dimensions	132 x 105 x 77 mm (5.2 x 4.1 x 3.0 in.)
Weight (no batt) *	690g (1.5 lb)*
Weight (inc. batt) *	780g (1.7 lb)*
Supplied accessories*	• Rechargeable Li-ion Battery EN-EL15 • Quick Charger MH-25 • Eyepiece Cap DK-5 • Rubber Eyecup DK-21 • USB Cable UC-E4 • Audio Video Cable EG-D2 • Camera Strap AN-DC1 • Accessory Shoe Cover BS-1 • LCD monitor cover BM-11 • Body Cap BF-1B, Software Suite CD-ROM
Optional *accessories	Remote Control MC-DC2, Multi-Power Battery Pack MB-D11, Capture NX2, Camera Control Pro, Power Connector EH-5a, AC Adapter EH-5a, Speedlight SB-900/600/400/T041/R1C1
Flash THe D7000's flash is the usual, relatively modest affair, and boasts a pretty low guide number of 13 (m/ISO 100) in manual mode, which is pretty standard. The metering does a good job ensuring a simple portrait is fairly well lit but for most situations more demanding than this one, it's worth considering investing in one of Nikon's external Speedlight flashguns. Metering / Highlight clipping The D7000's metering system is generally reliable but in certain situations (bright sunshine, high contrast) we got more overexposed shots than we are used to from other recent DSLRs. Despite the fact that all of the active AF points were positioned in the highlight areas of the image, the scene below was clearly exposed for the shadow area on the right and could have done with at least one stop negative exposure compensation to prevent the highlights from blowing out. Fortunately, a lot of the lost detail can be recovered when converting RAW files. In this example a negative digital exposure compensation of 1.05 EV would approximately get you a 'correct' exposure and brings back some of the texture on the weathered wood of the boat. A more extreme adjustment of -3.0EV reveals even more detail. However, as the second example below demonstrates sometimes not all of the color information can be recovered. JPEG - Metered Exposure RAW - Metered Exposure, -1.05EV correction RAW - Metered Exposure, -3.0EV correction This is another sample shot where the metered exposure is a little too bright and some of the highlights are overexposed. Pulling the exposure down by 1.5 EV in Adobe Camera RAW brings back a lot of the texture in the woodwork but we have lost some degree of color accuracy. Much of the recovered detail is gray which indicates that one or more color channels have clipped. ACR - Metered Exposure ACR - Metered Exposure, -1.5EV correction 100% crop 100% crop Overall Image Quality / Specifics Unsurprisingly for a enthusiast DSLR in 2010 the Nikon D7000's image quality gives very little cause for complaint. At lower sensitivities the camera produces detailed JPEG output with a natural color response. At a pixel level the images are just a tad soft but respond well to a touch of additional sharpening in post processing. You can squeeze some extra detail out of your images by converting the RAW files but the difference to the out-of-camera JPEGs is only really visible at a 100% magnification. No matter if you shoot JPEG or RAW, the D7000's combination of a high pixel count and good per-pixel sharpness means that you need good lenses to get the most out of the camera. We did the majority of our shooting on the bundled 18-105mm kit lens, and comparing results shot with other lenses it is clear that the 18-105mm is the limiting factor in this combination. So if you like to 'pixel-peep' you might want to put a couple of premium Nikkors or prime lenses on your wish-list as well. The D7000's excellent balance of noise reduction and retention of fine detail means that the D7000's high ISO performance is very good indeed. The two highest ISO settings should probably be reserved for emergency situations or web use of the images but up to ISO 6400 the D7000's output is perfectly usable at normal print sizes, especially when shooting in RAW mode, where you have more control over noise reduction and sharpening. All in all the Nikon D7000 arguably offers the best high ISO image quality out of all APS-C cameras that we have seen so far. There's one negative point though that we have to mention. As you can see from the examples on this page, the camera has a tendency to overexpose, particularly in bright conditions. During our tests we shoot hundreds of real-life samples and with any camera there are usually a few incorrectly exposed images. On the D7000 however the correct/incorrect ratio is a little higher than usual which suggests that the camera's 3D matrix metering could do with a bit of a tweak. The overexposure is usually in the region between 0.5 and 1.0EV and can in most cases be corrected in RAW conversion. Nevertheless, when shooting in bright sunshine and/or high contrast conditions you might want to keep an eye on the histogram and apply exposure compensation where necessary. More adventurous users might also consider using the 'Fine Tune Optimal Exposure' control in the custom menu, but we'd urge caution here - this control is a universal bias, irrespective of scene type. In our experience, it is only in bright lighting conditions where the D7000 tends to struggle.  Shadow noise The Nikon D7000's imaging sensor is of a new generation which produces exceptionally low read noise at base ISO. This lowers the noise floor that usually limits DR and means that you can pull much more dynamic range out of the shadows in RAW conversion than with 'conventional' sensors. To illustrate this we have taken the base ISO RAW shots of our studio test scene and developed them in Adobe Camera RAW with a +3.0EV digital exposure compensation to lift the shadows. We've then taken crops in the darkest areas of our scene to compare the level of shadow noise on the D7000 and the Canon EOS 60D which features a more conventional imaging sensor. Applying the digital exposure compensation makes shadow noise more visible and at 100% magnification it becomes clear that the Nikon D7000 produces noticeably less shadow noise than the Canon. Take a look at the sample shot below to see how this low shadow noise translates into a real-life advantage. Nikon D7000 - ACR+3.0EV Canon EOS 60D - ACR+3.0EV 100% crop 100% crop 100% crop 100% crop In real life this means that, due to the exceptionally low shadow noise in the D7000 output, the shadows in a scene can be lifted in RAW conversion to create a high dynamic range image without sacrificing highlight detail or getting excessive noise in the shadows. To illustrate this we've produced four different images of the same scene. The first image is the metered exposure which, at a shutter speed of 1/50 sec has blown highlights. The second image was taken with a 3.0EV negative exposure compensation. This helped to protect the highlights but blocked up the shadows at 1/200 sec. We've then taken the RAW file of the underexposed image and lifted the shadows areas in Adobe Camera RAW. In order to do this we increased a range of parameters including recovery, fill-light and brightness. and reduced the blacks. The results is a version of our underexposed image that pulls up the shadows a couple of stops while retaining the highlights. However, the image looks rather flat with low contrast. To convert it into a more 'life-like' image with normal contrast we've done some more post processing and produced a second ACR conversion. It's similar to the first version but we have additionally applied a touch of perspective correction in the raw conversion, a masked curves adjustment layer to boost the overall contrast and a masked warm-up filter. This little exercise shows two things: firstly you can pull a lot of dynamic range out of a D7000 file, and secondly it does take quite a bit of extra work to put all this extra tonal information into an image file that looks reasonable. JPEG - metered exposure JPEG - metered exposure -3.0EV ACR conversion 1 ACR conversion 2 The 100% crops below give you a better idea of the results. In the metered exposure a lot of the highlights in the sky and on some of the buildings have blown out and detail has been lost. On the plus side there is still some detail in the dark areas of the foliage towards the bottom right of the frame. When we captured the same scene with a negative exposure compensation of 3.0EV we managed to protect the highlights but there is very little detail left in the shadow areas. In our Adobe Camera RAW conversion we've been able to lift the shadows and significantly increase the shadow detail without sacrificing the highlights or increasing the shadow noise. In the second ACR conversion we have applied additional post processing steps to get closer to a ‘finished’ file of normal contrast but the highlight and shadow detail of the previous conversion have been maintained. JPEG - metered exposure - 100% crop JPEG - metered exposure -3.0EV - 100% crop ACR conversion 1 - 100% crop ACR conversion 2 - 100% crop Active D-lighting has been a standard feature on Nikon DSLRs for a while now. The system modifies metering and adjusts contrast at a local level in order to maximize the amount of dynamic range information squeezed into the JPEG file. A positive 'side-effect' of the increased shadow noise levels of the new sensor is that high A-DL settings are now much less likely to introduce noise into the shadow areas of the JPEG output. See the examples below for a comparison between the A-DL 'Off' and 'Extra High' settings. A-DL Off A-DL Extra High 100% crops - Highlight area 100% crops - Shadow area

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