Nikon appears to have taken this challenge to heart with the D7100 looking, on paper, like a very significant upgrade. The D7100 becomes the first Nikon DSLR to omit an optical low-pass filter (OLPF), a move we've seen rival Pentax take with its K-5 IIs. In theory, removing the OLPF altogether should result in a higher resolution than the filtered 24MP sensors found in the D5200 and D3200 can produce. We saw Nikon test the waters in this regard with the 36MP D800E, in which the effect of the OLPF was 'cancelled out'. Based on our test results with that camera, we suspect that realizing benefits of the OLPF's omission will require some very good optics at optimum apertures. The downside is, of course, greater potential for moiré-induced artifacts when shooting stills of objects with fine patterned detail.
Other D7100 upgrades over the D7000 include a significantly upgraded AF system, with focus algorithms borrowed from the top-end Nikon D4, 51 AF points (15 cross-type) and the stated ability to focus in light as low as -2EV. The D7100 gains a slightly larger 3.2-inch 1.2M dot rear LCD that features an RGBW display. The additional white dots allow the screen to either be run at lower power or noticeably brighter than the RGB panels found on previous Nikons for increased brightness or efficiency, depending on need. Owners of multiple Speedlights can also make use of Nikon's wireless remote operation (dubbed 'Advanced Wireless lighting') of up to three separate groups of flash units. And, as with the D7000, the camera's built-in flash can be used in Commander mode to trigger remote flashes.
 |
The D7100's 24.1MP CMOS sensor does not include an optical low-pass filter (OLPF). While the flagship D800E had the effect of its OLPF 'cancelled out', this is the first time Nikon has done away with the filter altogether. |
The D7100 supports Nikon's WU-1a Wi-Fi unit, which plugs into the camera's accessory terminal and allows images to be transmitted wirelessly to a smartphone or tablet for uploading to social networks. The device also allows remote control of the camera from your smartphone, complete with live view, which can be a fun way of setting up self-portraits or group shots.
Nikon D7100 key features
- 24.1MP DX format CMOS sensor, with no OLPF
- EXPEED 3 processing
- ISO 100-6400 standard, up to 25600 expanded
- Max 6 fps continuous shooting in DX mode, 7fps in 1.3X crop mode
- 51 point AF system, 15 sensors cross type
- 2016 pixel RGB metering sensor
- Spot white balance in live view mode
- 1080 60i/30p video recording, built-in stereo mic, mic jack and audio monitoring jack
- Pentaprism with 100% coverage and 0.94X magnification
- 3.2", 1.2m-dot LCD screen (640 x 480 X RGBW)
- Front and rear IR receivers
- Equivalent water and dust resistance to D800/D300S
Key specs compared to the Nikon D7000
In the table below you can see how the major specifications of the D7100 compare against the D7000.| Nikon D7100 | Nikon D7000 | |
|---|---|---|
| Sensor resolution (type) | 24MP CMOS (no OLPF) | 16MP CMOS |
| Autofocus System | 51-points with 15 cross-type | 39 points with 9 cross-type |
| ISO sensitivity range |
100-6400 (H1 and H2 expansion up to 25,600 equiv)
|
|
| Display size / resolution | Fixed 3.2", 1.2m-dot LCD | Fixed 3", 920k-dot LCD |
| Maximum framerate (DX mode) |
6 fps
|
|
| Movie Mode | 1080 60i/30p | 1080/24p |
| Battery life (CIPA) | 920 shots | 1050 shots |
| Dimensions | 136 x 107 x 76 mm (5.3 x 4.2 x 3.0 in) |
132 x 103 x 77 mm (5.2 x 4.1 x 3.0in) |
| Weight (with battery) | 765 g (1 lb, 11 oz) | 780 g (1 lb, 11.5 oz) |
Compared to the Nikon D7000
 |
 |
| Price | |
|---|---|
| MSRP | Body only: $1199.95/£1099.99/€1179, With 18-105mm F3.5-5.6 VR lens : $1,599/£1,299/€1399 |
| Body type | |
| Body type | Mid-size SLR |
| Sensor | |
| Max resolution | 6000 x 4000 |
| Other resolutions | 6000 x 3368, 4800 x 3200, 4800 x 2696, 4494 x 3000, 4496 x 2528, 3600 x 2400, 3600 x 2024, 2992 x 2000, 2992 x 1680, 2400 x 1600, 2400 x 1344 |
| Image ratio w:h | 3:2, 16:9 |
| Effective pixels | 24 megapixels |
| Sensor photo detectors | 25 megapixels |
| Sensor size | APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) |
| Sensor type | CMOS |
| Image | |
| ISO | ISO 100 – 6400, Lo-1 (ISO 50), Hi-1 (ISO 12,800), Hi-2 (ISO 25,600) |
| Boosted ISO (minimum) | 50 |
| Boosted ISO (maximum) | 25600 |
| White balance presets | 12 |
| Custom white balance | Yes |
| Image stabilization | No |
| Uncompressed format | RAW |
| File format |
|
| Optics & Focus | |
| Autofocus |
|
| Manual focus | Yes |
| Number of focus points | 51 |
| Lens mount | Nikon F |
| Screen / viewfinder | |
| Articulated LCD | Fixed |
| Screen size | 3.2″ |
| Screen dots | 1,228,800 |
| Touch screen | No |
| Screen type | Wide Viewing Angle TFT-LCD monitor |
| Live view | Yes |
| Viewfinder type | Optical (pentaprism) |
| Viewfinder coverage | 100% |
| Viewfinder magnification | 0.94× |
| Photography features | |
| Minimum shutter speed | 30 sec |
| Maximum shutter speed | 1/8000 sec |
| Exposure modes |
|
| Scene modes |
|
| Built-in flash | Yes (Pop-up) |
| Flash range | 12.00 m (at ISO 100) |
| External flash | Yes (Hot-shoe, Wireless) |
| Flash modes | Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Slow sync, Rear curtain |
| Flash X sync speed | 1/250 sec |
| Drive modes |
|
| Continuous drive | 6.0 fps |
| Self-timer | Yes (2 or 10 seconds) |
| Metering modes |
|
| Exposure compensation | ±5 (at 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV steps) |
| AE Bracketing | (2, 3, 5 frames at 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV, 2/3 EV, 1 EV, 2 EV steps) |
| WB Bracketing | Yes |
| Videography features | |
| Resolutions | 1920 x 1080 (60, 50, 25, 24 fps), 1280 x 720 (60, 50 fps), 640 x 424 (30, 24 fps) |
| Format | MPEG-4, H.264 |
| Videography notes | 1080i60, 1080p25 in NTSC countries, 1080i50, 1080p24 in PAL countries |
| Microphone | Stereo |
| Speaker | Mono |
| Storage | |
| Storage types | SD/SDHC/SDXC x 2 slots |
| Connectivity | |
| USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
| HDMI | Yes (Mini Type C) |
| Wireless | Optional |
| Remote control | Yes (Optional, wired MC-DC2 or wireless WR-1 and WR-R10 ) |
| Physical | |
| Environmentally sealed | Yes (Water and dust resistant) |
| Battery | Battery Pack |
| Battery description | Lithium-Ion EN-EL15 rechargeable battery & charger |
| Battery Life (CIPA) | 950 |
| Weight (inc. batteries) | 765 g (1.69 lb / 26.98 oz) |
| Dimensions | 136 x 107 x 76 mm (5.35 x 4.21 x 2.99″) |
| Other features | |
| Orientation sensor | Yes |
| Timelapse recording | Yes |
| GPS | Optional |
| GPS notes | GP-1 |
Nikon's DSLRs have gained a well-deserved reputation for outstanding
noise performance. And with 24MP now becoming common among enthusiast
DSLRs, we thought it would be interesting to see how the D7100 performs
against both a full frame and APS-C rival. In the comparison below we've
drastically opened up the shadows using Adobe Camera Raw 7.4 with
sharpening and noise reduction turned off, to shine a light on the
sensors' inherent capabilities. We've compared the D7100 with two
24MP rivals, the APS-C Sony SLT-A77 and the full frame Nikon D600. All three cameras were shot at ISO 100.
As you can see, the D7100 keeps chroma noise impressively well
under control. As expected, its output is not quite as clean as that
of the larger sensor D600. But the D7100 does not suffer by much in
terms of retaining detail in the spools of thread. See the high ISO comparison page
of this review for a low light comparison of the D7100 and D600. The
D7100 provides noticeably cleaner results and more visible detail than
the Sony SLT-A77.
Looking at these examples, it's obvious that by exposing for
the highlights, the default conversion blocks significant shadow detail.
In the second conversion we were able to boost exposure and open the
shadows substantially with no meaningful noise penalty and maintain a
pleasing compromise between image contrast and shadow detail. In the
third attempt we purposefully made an extreme adjustment to open the
shadows as much as possible. Despite such an aggressive move, you only
see a marginal amount of chrome noise, even with ACR's NR slider set to
0. While this HDR-like result may not be to everyone's taste, the point
here is that at base ISO, the D7100 provides enough headroom in shadow
detail to create this effect from a single exposure.
In short, the D7100's raw file shows an impressive ability to withstand luminance boosts in the shadows, revealing usable detail while keeping noise at very low levels. We've seen this in other current generation Nikon DSLRs like the D600 and D800 and it represents a significant improvement in sensor performance compared to older cameras like the D300S and D90.
As we've come to expect from Nikon DSLRs, the default JPEG settings of the D7100 produce files that lean more towards a more natural, 'unprocessed' look, avoiding sharpening-induced edge halos and overly aggressive smearing at high ISOs. This means that at high ISO settings, JPEGs tend to be gritty - compared to those from Canon and Sony, for example - but relatively detailed. The camera's raw files deliver excellent detail and can tolerate a fair degree of low-radius sharpening for crisp-looking results without prominent edge halos. Chroma noise is also kept well under control - though not at the level of the D600 - throughout high ISO settings.
The D7100's Auto white balance setting is consistently accurate. And if the images look a little too neutral for your taste, the Auto2 setting can be used to give a slightly warmer result. As we demonstrated in our Nikon D800 review, Nikon's matrix metering can be biased according the brightness of the object on which it locks focus. While this makes sense, as most times you do want to give priority to the subject on which you're focusing, it is something to be aware of when shooting high-contrast scenes.
Even taking AF point bias into account though, in real-world shooting we regularly found ourselves boosting exposure compensation by about 0.3 EV above the matrix metering setting for more pleasing results when shooting indoor scenes of moderate contrast. We don't want to make too much of this, as a conservative approach to metering is preferable to clipping data and the D7100 does a very good job of protecting highlight information.
Nikon has chosen well-considered default JPEG settings but if you're interested in tweaking these to taste, the D7100 offers a comprehensive range of color, contrast and sharpening settings that can be adjusted with a minimum of fuss. For the greatest degree of editing flexibility, however, you'll want to edit the raw files of course, which can withstand more extreme exposure edits like the ones we've demonstrated here.
 |
 |
| Nikon D7100 - ACR +3.0EV | 100% crop |
|---|---|
 |
 |
| Nikon D600 - ACR +3.0EV | 100% crop |
 |
 |
| Sony SLT-A77 - ACR +3.0EV | 100% crop |
Real world sample
While the results of our studio scene reveal interesting information about the sensor's maximum capabilities, it's important to place those results in the context of real-world photography. Below is an image shot outdoors at ISO 100. The high contrast in this scene required an exposure compensation adjustment of -2.3 EV below the camera's matrix metering in order to hold detail in the sky. We've taken the same file .NEF raw file and converted it in ACR 7.4 three times - once at ACR's default exposure settings, and twice more with the Basic Panel adjustments detailed below. Noise reduction was disabled in all three examples. This example was shot with the 18-105mm kit lens. |
 |
| ACR default settings with NR off | 100% crop |
|---|---|
 |
 |
| ACR with Exposure +.60, Highlights -30, Shadows +30 and Blacks +60 with NR Off | 100% crop |
 |
 |
| ACR with Exposure +1.00 Highlights -70, Shadows +95, Blacks +60 and Clarity +50 with NR Off | 100% crop |
In short, the D7100's raw file shows an impressive ability to withstand luminance boosts in the shadows, revealing usable detail while keeping noise at very low levels. We've seen this in other current generation Nikon DSLRs like the D600 and D800 and it represents a significant improvement in sensor performance compared to older cameras like the D300S and D90.
Overall image quality
The D7100's image quality is very impressive across its standard ISO sensitivity span of 100-6400. From an image detail standpoint, there is precious little separating the D7100 from the lower-spec'd D5200, though this really speaks to just how good the latter is rather than being a criticism of the former. At high ISO sensitivities the D7100 does a good job of retaining fine detail while minimizing chroma and luminance noise, falling just a bit shy in this regard to the larger sensor full frame D600. And after a few weeks of real-world shooting with the camera we've not found the D7100's lack of an OLPF to produce moiré to any meaningfully greater degree than its APS-C rivals which do use a filter.As we've come to expect from Nikon DSLRs, the default JPEG settings of the D7100 produce files that lean more towards a more natural, 'unprocessed' look, avoiding sharpening-induced edge halos and overly aggressive smearing at high ISOs. This means that at high ISO settings, JPEGs tend to be gritty - compared to those from Canon and Sony, for example - but relatively detailed. The camera's raw files deliver excellent detail and can tolerate a fair degree of low-radius sharpening for crisp-looking results without prominent edge halos. Chroma noise is also kept well under control - though not at the level of the D600 - throughout high ISO settings.
The D7100's Auto white balance setting is consistently accurate. And if the images look a little too neutral for your taste, the Auto2 setting can be used to give a slightly warmer result. As we demonstrated in our Nikon D800 review, Nikon's matrix metering can be biased according the brightness of the object on which it locks focus. While this makes sense, as most times you do want to give priority to the subject on which you're focusing, it is something to be aware of when shooting high-contrast scenes.
Even taking AF point bias into account though, in real-world shooting we regularly found ourselves boosting exposure compensation by about 0.3 EV above the matrix metering setting for more pleasing results when shooting indoor scenes of moderate contrast. We don't want to make too much of this, as a conservative approach to metering is preferable to clipping data and the D7100 does a very good job of protecting highlight information.
Nikon has chosen well-considered default JPEG settings but if you're interested in tweaking these to taste, the D7100 offers a comprehensive range of color, contrast and sharpening settings that can be adjusted with a minimum of fuss. For the greatest degree of editing flexibility, however, you'll want to edit the raw files of course, which can withstand more extreme exposure edits like the ones we've demonstrated here.