The Sonikon empire strikes back : The Nikon D7200

[xps]

Found at www.dpreview.com

Nikon D7200 boasts low-light AF improvements and increased buffer depth

http://www.dpreview.com/articles/8974568365/nikon-d7200-boasts-low-light-af-improvements-and-increased-buffer-depth

http://www.dpreview.com/articles/0417411489/nikon-d7200-first-impressions-review-posted

" Nikon's D7200 has some big shoes to fill. The D7100 was one of our favorite midrange DSLRs of the past few years, and though it's by no means a radical upgrade, the D7200 presents some notable new features. It has a 24.2MP CMOS sensor with no optical low-pass filter, an updated 51-point AF system sensitive to -3EV, a much larger buffer that can take up to 27 Raw images at 6 fps, and Wi-Fi with NFC.."

 

[Rahul]

only 6 fps? BOO!

 

[candyman]

DPreview: "The real kicker with the D7200 is that all 51 points can focus down to -3EV just like the D750, which is the best of any DSLR in this class. By comparison, the D7100's points focused down to -2EV. While the Canon EOS 7D II has more focus points (65, and all cross-type), only the center point can 'see' at -3EV."

Hopefully this will inspire Canon to bring this to their cameras as well (1D x MKII and 5D MKIV)

 

[Rahul]

DPreview: "The real kicker with the D7200 is that all 51 points can focus down to -3EV just like the D750, which is the best of any DSLR in this class. By comparison, the D7100's points focused down to -2EV. While the Canon EOS 7D II has more focus points (65, and all cross-type), only the center point can 'see' at -3EV."

Hopefully this will inspire Canon to bring this to their cameras as well (1D x MKII and 5D MKIV)

Agree. But what would you be shooting when the light levels are at -3EV?

 

[K-amps]

DPreview: "The real kicker with the D7200 is that all 51 points can focus down to -3EV just like the D750, which is the best of any DSLR in this class. By comparison, the D7100's points focused down to -2EV. While the Canon EOS 7D II has more focus points (65, and all cross-type), only the center point can 'see' at -3EV."

Hopefully this will inspire Canon to bring this to their cameras as well (1D x MKII and 5D MKIV)

Agree. But what would you be shooting when the light levels are at -3EV?

Rahul, yes, there are times especially during Flash or macro photography or even long exposure which do sometimes, that I need to resort to liveview/ MF... I'd rather the PDAF just be there when I want...

 

[lycan]

No optical low-pass filter? Won't that be a problem with birds' feathers?

 

[wyldeguy]

DPreview: "The real kicker with the D7200 is that all 51 points can focus down to -3EV just like the D750, which is the best of any DSLR in this class. By comparison, the D7100's points focused down to -2EV. While the Canon EOS 7D II has more focus points (65, and all cross-type), only the center point can 'see' at -3EV."

Hopefully this will inspire Canon to bring this to their cameras as well (1D x MKII and 5D MKIV)

Agree. But what would you be shooting when the light levels are at -3EV?

Rahul, yes, there are times especially during Flash or macro photography or even long exposure which do sometimes, that I need to resort to liveview/ MF... I'd rather the PDAF just be there when I want...

On the first page DPReview says that "Even in low-light, the D7200 utilizes 15 cross-type sensors to achieve incredible focus on moving subjects, while the center point works down to f/8" so it sounds like it's no better than the 7D2, and potentially worse since it only has 15 cross-type points.

 

[Loswr]

DPreview: "The real kicker with the D7200 is that all 51 points can focus down to -3EV just like the D750, which is the best of any DSLR in this class. By comparison, the D7100's points focused down to -2EV. While the Canon EOS 7D II has more focus points (65, and all cross-type), only the center point can 'see' at -3EV."

An example of -2 EV vs. -3 EV: f/2.8, 1/15 s, ISO 51200 vs. 102400. For the vast majority of applications, 50 more cross-type points with a much wider spread across the frame soundly trumps AF at -3 EV.

 

[Mt Spokane Photography]

No optical low-pass filter? Won't that be a problem with birds' feathers?

Optical low pass filters can be replaced by digital low pass filters. Moire is still a problem, but mostly in portraits, or other photos with lots of closely spaced parallel lines, like the bird feather example, or hair.
Low pass filters are still there, they are stronger in the electronics to partially compensate for removal of the more expensive optical filters.

 

[fragilesi]

"it's by no means a radical upgrade"

Going to ruffle some feathers. What are Nikon thinking here by releasing a camera that doesn't totally revolutionize photography for all?

 

[RLPhoto]

Very Meh compared to the 7D2 but a relative competition to the 70D.

 

[msm]

DPreview: "The real kicker with the D7200 is that all 51 points can focus down to -3EV just like the D750, which is the best of any DSLR in this class. By comparison, the D7100's points focused down to -2EV. While the Canon EOS 7D II has more focus points (65, and all cross-type), only the center point can 'see' at -3EV."

An example of -2 EV vs. -3 EV: f/2.8, 1/15 s, ISO 51200 vs. 102400. For the vast majority of applications, 50 more cross-type points with a much wider spread across the frame soundly trumps AF at -3 EV.

How do you know? Got any solid evidence the cross types of the 7D II is better than nikon non cross types when shooting anything other than bar codes?

 

[Marsu42]

How do you know? Got any solid evidence the cross types of the 7D II is better than nikon non cross types when shooting anything other than bar codes?

Take it from me, after shooting with a non-cross single af point film camera for a decade and now being burdened with the 6d's af system I feel safe to say that the difference is *huge* unless you have the time and patience to select a pattern that happens to match the non-cross point you have selected :-\

But what would you be shooting when the light levels are at -3EV?

This isn't that dark if you use a slow lens or a tc and end up at f8 (if the d7200 can do af at f8, I didn't check). With the latest IS systems, you can still handhold these indoor shots.

Very Meh compared to the 7D2 but a relative competition to the 70D.

Sure, but I don't think it's meant to be a 7d2 killer. Nikon is probably quite content to leave the premium and niche market to Canon while grabbing the mass market with better value, i.e. more features for the same price or the same performance for less €€€.

I'm sure there'll be pages over pages on Nikon service, oil leaks and whatnot - but imho even Canon fanbois might have to ack that Nikon is damn competitive with these crop cameras ... esp. as the 70d doesn't even run Magic Lantern too extend features and boost dynamic range.

After all, we Canon shooters should be happy for a strong competition, or the 70d would still have 9 af points and the 7d2 would have a €3000 price tag

 

[ritholtz]

DPreview: "The real kicker with the D7200 is that all 51 points can focus down to -3EV just like the D750, which is the best of any DSLR in this class. By comparison, the D7100's points focused down to -2EV. While the Canon EOS 7D II has more focus points (65, and all cross-type), only the center point can 'see' at -3EV."

Hopefully this will inspire Canon to bring this to their cameras as well (1D x MKII and 5D MKIV)

Old d7100 doing it to -2EV is also pretty nice. DPReview is actually mentioned about banding with d7100 and expecting a new sensor. First time I have see banding associated with Nikon. May be that is the reason why DPReview compared 7d2 with d7000 sensor and rated it down. ;D

 

[fragilesi]

Sure, but I don't think it's meant to be a 7d2 killer. Nikon is probably quite content to leave the premium and niche market to Canon while grabbing the mass market with better value, i.e. more features for the same price or the same performance for less €€€.

I'm sure there'll be pages over pages on Nikon service, oil leaks and whatnot - but imho even Canon fanbois might have to ack that Nikon is damn competitive with these crop cameras ... esp. as the 70d doesn't even run Magic Lantern too extend features and boost dynamic range.

After all, we Canon shooters should be happy for a strong competition, or the 70d would still have 9 af points and the 7d2 would have a €3000 price tag

I don't think there will be pages and pages about Nikon service or anything but it's patently wrong to try and ignore those aspects of owning a DSLR. Seems to me in terms of what they are aiming at Canon, Sony and Nikon are all "competitive". Canon are just aiming for a quality approach across the whole system rather than trying to put out the best specs sheet for individual bodies.

Without Canon, the Nikons would be much more expensive so the point about competition benefiting Canon users applies equally to the Nikon users or the Sony users.