Is it worth upgrading to D7000?

[kate_compton]

<p>Last year I upgraded to D5100 from D80 and very happy with its performance (especially indoors). The only thing I really miss from D80 is the view finder, D5100 view finder is horrible. After playing with friend's D7000 this past weekend, I got the itch to upgrade to D7000. So my question is, do I really gain anything from this upgrade? I shoot kids and landscape mostly. My lenses are 16-85mm, 70-300mm VR, 35mm 1.8G and 85mm 1.8G.<br /> <br />Thank you!</p>

[tony_demonte]

<p>If you do any sports/wildlife (BIF) photography, then yes, the D7000 would be a very nice upgrade. I barrowed the D5100 for a month from a neighbor cause I wanted to test it out. I found it to be a very nice camera. but, when I got my hands on the D7000, there was no comparison. the D7000 won hands down. kids move a lot, so using the continuous AF from the D7000 with the 39 AF points would help a lot. the approx viewfinder frame coverage and magnification would help with landscape photography.</p>

<p>seems to me that you really enjoyed using the D7000. buying a used D7000 would be around $700 now. and new would be $900. so, not bad for one of the best DX cameras out there. </p>

[wgpinc]

<p>Refurbished D7000 $744. http://www.adorama.com/INKD7000R.html</p>

[wgpinc]

<p>Refurbished D7000 $744. http://www.adorama.com/INKD7000R.html</p>

[frank_skomial]

<p>Upgrade to D7100.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.nikonusa.com/en/Nikon-Products/Product/Digital-SLR-Cameras/1513/D7100.html">http://www.nikonusa.com/en/Nikon-Products/Product/Digital-SLR-Cameras/1513/D7100.html</a></p>

<p> </p>

[Wouter Willemse]

<p>Well, you already know that you'll gain something with this upgrade: the viewfinder. To me, would be easily worth it. Sounds like it would for you too.</p>

[mike_halliwell]

<p>+1 Wouter. Viewfinders don't get enough attention in my opinion.</p>

<p>I picked up my old FM2N yesterday and simply marveled at how big and bright the view was compared to most of the lesser DSLRs made today. Most of them feel like a bad case of tunnel vision.....a small picture a long way away.</p>

<p>I guess the D7*** series uses a PentaPRISM rather than the poorer PentaMIRROR?</p>

[ShunCheung]

<p>The D5100 and D7000 use very similar sensors, so essentially the electronics are from the same generation. With the D7000 you gain a better viewfinder, improved AF (9 cross-type AF points) generally better construction and weather sealing, dual memory cards ...., but you lose the swivel LCD.</p>

<p>If you are going to upgrade from the D5100, instead of upgrading every year, you might as well jump to the latest D7100 and be done with upgrades for a while. The D7100 is 24MP so that the image files are going to be larger, but you are getting Nikon's current "flagship" DX-format DSLR with the current best AF system (15 cross-type AF points), built-in stereo microphones.</p>

<p>If you capture a lot of children in action, you may like the improved AF.</p>

[bob_h]

<p>There are some great deals to be had on the D7000 these days, with all of the people who need the latest and greatest who have upgraded to the D7100, the price of the D7000 has come down a bit. It is still a fine camera, the viewfinder is very nice to work with. It will be heavier than your D5100, but the better viewfinder makes the little extra weight worth carrying. Try one, you will like it.</p>

[richard_driscoll]

<p>Kate,<br /> I have just upgraded from a D40 to a D7000 (how many generations is that jump I wonder!). I though long and hard about the D5100 because of the lower price, essentially the same image quality, and lower weight but in the end decided that the lack of buttons and knobs while OK on a D40 was going to be a handicap on a D5100 - only one programmable Fn button etc ....<br /> You don't actually mention the need to use the menus as a disadvantage (in fact rather the reverse) so I'd be inclined to stick with what you've got unless you want even more pixels and slightly better high ISO performance in which case the D5200 or D7100 might perhaps suit you.<br /> My D7000 is a Nikon refurb. by the way and seems fine so far. Here in the UK for some reason the refurb. costs about the same as in the US (at 1.52 $ to the pound UK) while new D7000s and D7100s cost more.<br>

Oh, and although the D40 viewfinder is smaller and a bit dimmer than the D7000's I never found it too bad so I guess we differ here. I guess the D5100 and D40 finders are similar.</p>