Roughly
two years have elapsed between the introduction of the D7100 and the
arrival of its successor, and on the surface the new D7200 seems more
like an incremental update than a major overhaul.
The
D7200 is built around a sensor with a resolution of 24.2 million
pixels, a tiny increase on the D7100's 24.1 million pixels, and the body
is identical, with the same weight and dimensions, and the same
viewfinder.
There
are some significant improvements over the D7100, however, the first of
which is the upgrading of the camera's internal processor from the
Expeed 3 to the newer and more powerful Expeed 4. The frame rate remains
the same as the D7100 – 6fps at full resolution, or 7fps when using the
1.3x crop mode – but the faster processor delivers improved buffering
capacity, which was one of the biggest let-downs in the previous model.
The
D7200 has the same 6fps continuous shooting speed as its predecessor,
but a larger buffer capacity so that you can take more shots in a row.The D7200 is Nikon's top DX format (APS-C) DSLR.Nikon
claims the D7200 is capable of capturing 100 JPEGs in a burst or 27 RAW
files, although it should be noted that these figure relate to smaller
12-bit NEF files, and not the 14-bit files favoured by those looking for
maximum image quality.
Aside
from increasing the frame rate, the 1.3x crop mode has a couple of
other useful applications. It extends the reach of your lenses if you
need to get closer to a subject, such as when shooting sports or
wildlife, and with 24 million pixels of resolution, there's plenty of
scope for cropping in on subjects while still being able to produce
large, high quality prints. Secondly, it means that the 51 autofocus
points cover the whole of the frame, rather than being grouped around
the centre.
Speaking of autofocus, in what is a first
for a DX format (APS-C) camera, the D7200 is capable of focusing at down
to -3EV, thanks to the improved Multi-CAM 3500-II 51-point autofocusing
system inherited from full-frame models higher up the Nikon range.
You
won't see it from the outside, but the D7200 has an autofocus system
with improved sensitivity and a more powerful Expeed 4 processor, and
offers higher ISO settings than its predecessor.The
autofocus module has 15 cross-type sensors, and one central sensor
which is sensitive down to f/8. This makes the autofocus system usable
with telephoto lenses and teleconverter combinations where the maximum
available aperture is f/8 – the lens's maximum aperture falls when you
use a teleconverter.
Another improvement is in the
camera's sensitivity range. The D7200 has a native range of ISO
100-25600, up from the D7100's native top end of ISO 6400. There are
also Hi BW1 and Hi BW2 expansion settings, which take you up to a
whopping ISO 102400 (equivalent); however, these two options are only
available in JPEG mode and produce monochrome images.
The
D7200 comes with Picture Control 2.0, which we've already seen in other
Nikon cameras such as the D750 and the D5500. That means that there are
seven different Picture Controls, including the new Flat mode, which
produces images with reduced contrast and maximum dynamic range –
videographers are more likely to use this than photographers, as it
makes grading and enhancing footage easier.
Speaking
of video, the D7200 shoots full HD 1080p footage at 30/25p, and you can
also shoot at 60p/50p when using the 1.3x crop mode. The camera is also
compatible with a new Nikon ME-W1 wireless mic, which it is claimed can
capture sound up to 50 metres away. Video footage can be saved to one
of the D7200's dual SD card slots, or you can transfer it via HDMI to an
external recorder.
Wi-Fi is built in, as is NFC – for the first time on a Nikon DSLR. You can get an optional battery grip, though the battery life has been increased to 1,100 shots, so you may not need it.The
D7200 introduces both Wi-Fi and NFC (Near Field Communication)
connectivity within the body itself, both of which are becoming more
prevalent on D-SLRs. While it's not the first Nikon to feature Wi-Fi
(the D5500 and D750 also have it), it is the first to include NFC, which
should make connecting to an Android phone or device even quicker
(though more on this later).
Nikon has also managed to
improve the already impressive battery life, which is increased from 950
shots (CIPA standard) to 1,100 shots - or 80 minutes of video
recording.
Another thing that stays the same is the
3.2-inch, 1229k-dot LCD screen, which is fixed and not touch-sensitive,
and they eye-level pentaprism optical viewfinder, which offers 100%
coverage.
As it stands, the D7200 competes most closely
with the Canon EOS 70D. Higher still in the Canon APS-C range is the EOS
7D Mark II, but to date Nikon has yet to replace the D300S, which once
sat at the top of its own APS-C format line-up.
