Nikon D7100 Evaluation: Detailed Analysis of Nikon's Powerful DSLR Camera
The Nikon D7100 has emerged as a preferred choice for underwater photographers, offering significant improvements over its predecessor, the D7000. Here's a breakdown of why the D7100 is making waves in the underwater photography community.
Improved Autofocus System
The D7100's autofocus system is a major upgrade from the D7000. With 51 auto-focus points, the D7100 offers better subject tracking underwater. However, it's crucial to turn off the built-in AF-assist illuminator (Menu -> Custom Settings -> a. Autofocus -> a7. Built-in AF-assist illuminator -> OFF) to prevent slow focusing underwater. This feature can significantly slow down autofocus in underwater conditions [1].
Enhanced Sensor and Image Quality
The D7100 boasts a 24MP sensor, an improvement over the D7000's 16MP sensor. This upgrade offers better resolution and image quality, particularly beneficial for cropping underwater shots.
Suitability and Recommendations
Underwater photographers find the D7100 a recommended choice, thanks to its improved autofocus system, once properly configured. The D7000 remains a competent option, but it is slightly older. Managing the D7100's autofocus settings carefully is key to achieving the best underwater results [1][3].
Pricing and Availability
The Nikon D7100 is available now, with the body priced at $1200 and the body with the 18-105mm lens at $1600.
Other Key Features
- The D7100 focuses well in low-light conditions, even with a subject illuminated by a sola 800 red light.
- For wildlife photography, the 80-400mm VR lens is a staple, and the 200-400 F4 VR lens is excellent for wildlife with great bokeh.
- The Sea & Sea YS-D1 strobes are the go-to strobe for most people, but the Ikelite DS-160 strobe is a second contender due to its superior recycle rates and TTL capabilities.
- The D7100 has a 6000 x 4000 pixel resolution, a 3.2-inch LCD, and uncompressed HDMI video output.
- The D7100 has a 1/250 sync speed for stills and 1/320 in auto-fp mode.
- The D7100 has excellent ergonomics, similar to D800 housings in Nauticam housings.
- The D7100 has SPOT white balance in live view mode for more convenient and accurate white-balancing.
- The D7100 has a CIPA-rated battery life of 950 shots.
- The D7100 has dual SD card slots and a removal of the low-pass filter for sharper images.
- The Ikelite D7100 housing will ship around April 19th for $1,500.
- The D7100 has improved auto-ISO capability for quicker reactions to changing light conditions.
- The D7100 has a 1.3 crop factor for stills and video, useful for changing the field of view.
- The D7100 appears to have similar high ISO performance as the D7000.
For landscape photography, the Nikon 10-24mm or Sigma 10-20mm are recommended, depending on budget. For indoor events or street photography, fast F4 or F2.8 zoom lenses in the 16-35, 17-55, or 24-70 range are preferred. For portraits, an inexpensive 50mm F1.8 lens is a must. Underwater photographers focused on wide-angle may also consider the Canon 5D Mark III or the Nikon D600 for improved dynamic range [2].
[1] DPReview: Nikon D7100 Review [2] Underwater Photography Guide: Nikon D7100 Review [3] Nikon Rumors: Nikon D7100 Underwater Photography Tips
