Nikon is one of those companies that waits. Nikon waits for perfection and doesn’t follow new trends. In the camera world, waiting is a good thing. It took Nikon a few years to release the new D7100, but the wait was worth it.

At first glance, it doesn’t appear as though Nikon has made many adjustments – at first glance. After spending some time going over the specs, though, it’s clear that Nikon has put a lot of thought into the design and performance of the D7100.

Adjustments and Refinements

The D7100 has the same resolution as the D5200, but the newer version comes with a different sort of sensor. Nikon has dropped the OLPF filter from this camera completely. The result is sharper images that appear to be better focused. In addition to a dropped filter, Nikon has drastically increased readout speeds. The company claims that increased readout speeds are a result of a better all-around design and improved image processor (Expeed 3).

You will also notice an improved LCD (higher resolution) and viewfinder. Nikon’s main goal with the D7100 is to increase sharpness, and the company has succeeded in this task. Telephoto enthusiasts will love the new center-point sensitivity that this camera has, which is amazingly faster than its predecessor (f8 instead of f5.6). And, if you like to crop things, this new addition to the Nikon lineup comes with a 1.3x crop mode. Style-wise, the D7100 has some nice new curves.

Style, Price, and Other Details

Nikon’s cameras tend to waver between feeling too much like cheap plastic and being of the hard and stable sort that true photographers love. The D7100 is of the latter sort. This is a sturdy camera that comes with all the bell and whistles you’d expect in a high-end camera. That said, the $1300 price tag may turn off some people. Then again, if you’re in the market for a serious camera, you might be expected to pay something along those lines. The D700 is priced competitively when compared with other cameras in its class.

If you can’t wait to get your hands on the new D700, you can order the camera from a number of online retailers including Amazon. For more specs and details, check out the Nikon homepage. While Nikon is releasing its new camera at a rough time (competing with Samsung’s big press showdown), Nikon fans to be die-hard fans. If you happen to be one of those fans, it’s time to check out what Nikon has come up with this time around.

Nikon may have taken three years to improve about its D700 camera, but the company has made positive improvements. It’s nice to see a company as large as Nikon get it right with a new addition to a camera family that may not be show-stopping, but is a solid and worthy update. I recommend visiting any camera shop that carries the new D7100 and testing out this camera for yourself. I think you’ll find that Nikon has done an excellent job this time around.