The Nikon D7200 is the latest incarnation of a line of cameras that we've always greatly admired. With big viewfinders, sophisticated autofocus and metering systems, lots of physical controls and superbly thought out ergonomics, they’re ideal for keen photographers who want professional-level features but can’t justify the cost of a full-frame digital SLR.
We’ve always liked that Nikon’s controls lend themselves to two-handed use. Hold down one of the buttons to the left of the screen and the dual command dials are reassigned accordingly. This technique isn't ideal when supporting a heavy telephoto lens but otherwise we find it easier than Canon's approach where everything is done with the right hand, which can get a little fiddly.
We’re surprised that the D7200 no longer uses its top-mounted passive LCD screen to communicate white balance and JPEG/RAW quality settings during adjustment. Instead the rear screen lights up to show the selected setting. Ideally we’d have liked this information to be shown on the passive LCD and in the viewfinder display. The viewfinder can display exposure-related settings, the autofocus mode and selected point and remaining card and buffer capacities. For other settings, you’ll need to take your eye off the viewfinder and onto the rear screen. The Canon EOS 7D Mk II takes a clear lead here with its ability to show a much wider range of settings in the viewfinder.
NEW FEATURES
There's no dedicated Wi-Fi button but it’s not too laborious to enable it in the menu. Phones and tablets that support NFC can simply be held up to the side of the camera to establish a connection. Nikon's iOS and Android apps are simple but effective. Thumbnails are transferred on connection to allow for quick browsing on the connected device, and photos can be transferred at a choice of full, 2-megapixel or VGA resolution. The remote viewfinder mode only offers a shutter release and touchscreen autofocus function, but that's good enough for capturing self-portraits.
There are a few other minor improvements. Bracketing is now in groups
of up to nine frames, which could be handy for capturing very wide
dynamic range shots in preparation for HDR merging. Auto ISO is now
available in Manual exposure mode, which allows the shutter speed and
aperture to be set manually but with the exposure set automatically via
the ISO speed – a particularly useful feature for video capture.
Videographers will also appreciate the ability to display Zebra patterns
to highlight overexposed areas of the frame, as well as the Flat Picture Control preset that provides a useful starting point for colour grading. There's finally a dedicated menu tab for the Movie mode. Not only does it make these settings easier to find, but it also allows various settings and button assignments to be made independently for photo and video capture.
VIDEO, AUTOFOCUS AND SPEED
The introduction of 1080p video at 60fps comes with strings attached. It's only available when a 1.3x crop is selected, and recording time drops from 20 to 10 minutes per clip. The 60p option is simply greyed out until the sensor crop is adjusted elsewhere in the Menu, but there are no clues to help users. We're happy to stick to 24 or 25fps frame rates but would have liked to see a move to 4K capture. Even so, video picture quality remains excellent with flattering colours and crisp details. The clumsy autofocus is only suitable for casual use, though. Keen videographers will prefer to focus manually, but we can't imagine many of them choosing the D7200 over the Panasonic GH4.
The improved sensitivity of the autofocus sensor is hard to test
objectively, but we were extremely impressed with the speed and
precision of autofocus when pointing the camera at gloomy, indistinct
subjects. The time between pressing the shutter button and capturing a
photo was somewhere between 0.1 and 0.3 seconds, except in exceptional
circumstances. This contributed to the D7200's ability to capture a
photo every 0.25 seconds in normal use – almost twice as fast as the
D7100 managed.Continuous shooting was at the same speeds as the D7100 but was sustained for much longer. Whereas the D7100's 6fps mode lasted for 18 JPEGs or five RAW frames (only seven JPEGs when lens distortion correction was enabled), the D7200 captured 48 JPEGs and 13 RAW frames before slowing to the speed of the card. This was the D7100's weakest area so it's great to see it rectified this time around. One slight frustration remains, though. The highest-quality 14-bit RAW files are limited to 5fps capture, with 6fps only available for 12-bit RAW.
Product Features
DX-format CMOS sensor
Captures high-resolution images up to 6000 x 4000 pixels.
Nikon F mount
Allows you to attach a variety of compatible lenses (not included).3.2" TFT-LCD
Makes it easy to review shots.Movie mode
Allows you to record high-definition 1080p footage. A built-in stereo microphone enables crisp sound capture.6 fps (frames per second)
For rapid continuous shooting.ISO 100-25,600
Enables shooting in most lighting conditions.Autofocus
Allows you to bring subjects into clear view.Optical viewfinder
Helps you set up your shots.Integrated flash
Lets you add light to scenes when necessary. A hot shoe allows you to attach an external flash (not included).
EXPEED 4 image processing
Promotes optimal performance.Auto ISO
Plus flat picture control, zebra stripe highlight monitoring and in-camera time lapse for versatility.Scene modes
Include autumn colors, beach/snow, blossom, candlelight, child, close-up, dusk/dawn, food, landscape, night landscape, night portrait, party/indoor, pet portrait, portrait, sports, sunset and more.Built-in Wi-Fi
Allows you to connect compatible wireless devices. NFC (near-field communication) technology simplifies pairing with select devices.Card slots
Accept SD, SDHC and SDXC formats. Store more photos!Find compatible memory cards in our Memory Card Finder.
No comments:
Post a Comment