Following hot on the heels of the D5500, Nikon has revealed yet another DSLR upgrade, this time in the form of a higher-end APS-C DSLR. The D7200 is an evolutionary rather than revolutionary upgrade to the D7100, but the 24-megapixel shooter still boasts a number of key improvements such as improved low-light performance, a bigger buffer and the addition of built-in Wi-Fi.
On the face of it, the D7200 is not a massive jump forward from the D7100. However, Nikon has brought the camera up-to-date with this upgrade. The camera uses a 24.2-megapixel DX-format APS-C (23.6 x 15.6 mm) CMOS sensor with no optical low-pass filter, which is now paired with the Expeed 4 image processing system we've seen in flagship models like the Nikon D4S.
Nikon says the new processor is 30 percent faster, and allows for considerably improved performance. The D7200 has a native ISO range of 100 to 25,600 for shooting in any lighting conditions and can fire off six full resolution frames per second (fps), or 6 fps in a 1.3x crop mode. Meanwhile, increased buffer capacity means it can capture 18 consecutive RAW 14-bit lossless compressed images, 27 12-bit compressed shots or 100 JPEG frames before slowing down.
A 51-point autofocus array (15 cross-type sensors) powered by a new Advanced Multi-CAM 3500II DX high-density system is on hand to keep focus snappy and accurate even when available light is scarce (down to -3 EV). The D7200 can also record Full HD 1080p video at 60/50 fps, though that's with the caveat of using a 1.3x image area. Without using the crop mode it's 1080p video at 30/25/24 fps, or 720p video at 60/50 fps.
The Nikon D7200 is the first DSLR from the firm to include both built-in Wi-Fi and NFC for easy wireless connectivity. This allows simple sharing and remote shooting via a smartphone or tablet running the relevant iOS or Android app. The camera will also be compatible with the new wireless ME-W1 microphone which is designed for videographers who want wire free audio.
Measuring 136 x 107 x 76 mm (5.4 x 4.2 x 3 in) and weighing 765 g (1 lb 11 oz) the D7200 is comparable with other cameras of this class, and is dust, weather, and drop resistant thanks to its magnesium alloy top and rear covers. Around back there's a 3.2-inch monitor which has 1,229k dots, though unlike that on its little D5500 sibling, this is fixed and not a touchscreen.
The Nikon D7200 will be available from April priced at US$1,200 body-only, or $1,700 bundled with the AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-140-mm F3.5-F5.6G ED VR lens. The ME-W1 wireless microphone will be in stores from March, for $250.
Product page: Nikon D7200
