Nikon's new D7100 is not intended to replace the Nikon D7000, instead it will sit alongside it as the flagship camera in the company's DX format range.
At the heart of the camera is a 24.1 million pixel APS-C format sensor, which Nikon says has been newly developed, despite sharing the same resolution as last year's Nikon D5200. There's also an Expeed 3 processor, the same as found in the company's top of the line DSLRs.
The new camera shares the same autofocusing system as those higher in the range, with the 51 AF point Multi-Cam 3500 DX module on board. The 15 central AF points are cross-type, with phase detection autofocus capable of working down to -2EV.
One of the most interesting specifications of the Nikon D7100 is that the optical low pass filter has been omitted. This should make for sharper and more detailed images, and although it does introduce the risk of moiré pattern, Nikon is confident that this shouldn't be too much of an issue, thanks to the high pixel density.
Ergonomically, the Nikon D7100 sees some improvements over the Nikon D7000. It has magnesium alloy top and rear covers and is now weather-resistant. Textures on the mode dial have been improved, while a lock has also been added to prevent accidentally switching between modes.
Flexibility
Like its predecessor, the Nikon D7100 features dual SD card slots. This means photographers can use one card for JPEGs, and the other for raw format images, or one for stills and one for video, and so on.
A new LCD monitor can be found at the back of the camera. It's slightly larger than the Nikon D7000's device, at 3.2 inches, and now features RGBW (red, green, blue, white) alignment for enhanced brightness.
Accessories such as a WR-1 wireless remote control and MB-D15 battery pack are also compatible with the new camera, as well as the complete range of Nikkor lenses.
The Nikon D7100 price will be £1,099.99 (around US$1,682/AU$1,635) body only, or £1,299.99 (around US$1,988/AU$1,932) as part of the standard kit with an 18-105mm lens. Nikon expects sales to start at the end of March.
