Category Archives: Nikon D7100

Nikon D7100 Black Friday Deals

Nikon D7100 cameraThe Nikon D7100 is available with special discounts starting on Black Friday. Nikon is offering a combination of discounts on both the D7100 as well as with extra lenses that can save hundreds of dollars. The D7100 camera body is available with $100 instant discount, while the D7100 with 18-105mm lens kit is now $200 off. The best deal is on the D7100 with 18-140mm lens which is now $400 off. But the deals get even better when you add in extra Nikkor lenses with your Nikon DSLR purchase.

Lenses are now offered with discounts up to $300 each when purchased with a Nikon DSLR including the D7100. A total of 30 lenses, two Speedlights and two teleconverters are available at discounted prices with camera purchase. Lenses range from primes, to macro, to fixed aperture zooms, and superzooms. There has never been a better time to get the Nikkor lenses you have dreamed of owning.

Examples of some available lenses and discounts:
70-200mm f/2.8G VR $300 off
24-120mm f/4G VR $300 off
70-200mm f/4G VR $300 off
18-300mm f3.5-5.6G VR $300 off
18-140mm f/3.5-5.6G VR $300 off

18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G VR $250 off

24mm f/1.4G $200 off
35mm f/1.4G $200 off
85mm f/1.4G $200 off
14-24mm f/2.8G $200 off
24-70mm f/2.8G $200 off
70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G VR $200 off

105mm f/2.8G Macro $135 off

50mm f/1.4G $100 off
60mm f/2.8 Macro $100 off
10-24mm f/3.5-4.5G $100 off
16-85mm f/3.5-5.6G $100 off
85mm f/3.5G VR Macro $100 off
28mm f/1.8G $100 off
85mm f/1.8G $100 off
18-35mm f/3.5-4.5G $100 off
55-200mm f/4-5.6G $100 off

To sweeten the deal, many Nikon dealers also include free accessories, ranging from camera bags to memory cards. Amazon is offering a 32GB Sandisk Extreme SDHC card and DSLR camera backpack to store your camera, lenses and accessories.

Check out the offers and available lens disounts here: Nikon D7100 and Lens deals on Amazon

Nikon D7100 Camera and Lens Instant Rebate Discounts for September 2013

D7100 DiscountsNikon is offering instant rebates on the D7100 body, body and lens kit and additional discounts on lenses when purchased with a Nikon DSLR. Lens discounts are up to $300 per lens on a selection of 30 Nikkor lenses. If you plan to buy the D7100 and extra lenses, now is the time to make your purchase. Additional discounts are offered on SB-700 and SB-910 flashes and TC-14EII 1.4x and TC-17EII 1.7x teleconverters. These offers will expire September 28, 2013.

For example lens offers include $100 off the 50mm 1.8G ($369), 85mm 1.8G ($396), Micro 60mm f/2.8G ($449), Micro 85mm f/3.5G (426). Save $300 off the 18-140mm f/3.5-5.6G VR ($296), 18-300mm f/3.5-5.6 VR ($696), 24-120mm f/4 VR ($996), 70-200mm f/4 ($1096). With so many lenses at such great discounts you could get several and essentially have a new camera for free!

Instant savings available on Nikon D7100:

See a list of all Nikon discounts at B&H Photo
See current Nikon discount offer at Amazon

Nikon D7100 Firmware Update Released Version C 1.01

D7100 Firmware VersionNikon has released a firmware update for the D7100 digital camera. The updated firmware fixes some minor bugs. To check the version of the firmware installed on your D7100, press the Menu button and navigate to the Setup menu. Select Firmware Version. The firmware is in different parts labeled C and L (lens correction data). Check to see which version of C you have installed. The updated D7100 firmware is version C 1.01.

Firmware C 1.01 addresses the following issues:

  • When images captured using a flash in Manual or Repeating flash flash mode were played back with the “Overview” display enabled, flash output level was displayed in the flash compensation portion of the display.  This issue has been resolved.
  • When the AE/AF lock button was pressed with Special Effects mode enabled, Selective Color selected, and the view magnified with selective color options displayed in live view, the image did not change while live view was active.  This issue has been resolved.
  • An issue that caused the Viewfinder Virtual Horizon to freeze when certain operations were performed has been resolved.
  • When images captured with white balance bracketing enabled were played back, a white balance fine-tuning value of 9 (steps) was displayed even for images captured with a fine-tuning value of 10 (steps) applied.  This issue has been resolved.
  • An issue that prevented cursor movement when certain operations were performed in calendar playback mode has been resolved.
  • The size of some text displayed in calendar playback mode has been modified.
  • Display of focal lengths in 35mm [135] format recorded in image Exif data has been corrected.
  • With movie recording at 1920 × 1080/24p in M exposure mode, subject brightness did not change, even when shutter speed was adjusted.  This issue has been resolved.

Download the updated firmware here:
https://support.nikonusa.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/18539

Nikon D7100 Lens Bundle Discount Promotion for April

Nikon D7100 lens bundle promotionThe Nikon D7100 has not yet been available for a full month, but with the latest promotion you can save up to $350 on a D7100 plus lens bundle. The current offer includes between full-frame (FX) and crop (DX) lenses and Nikon Speedlight flash bundles when purchased with the D7100.

The discount is applied as an instant rebate off the purchase price. You can get this offer at participating Nikon retailers, including Amazon, B&H Photo. These offers are set to expire on April 27, 2013.

Save $100 to $350 on Lenses with the bundle promotion:

  • Nikkor 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G (DX) VR II zoom lens Save $350
  • Nikkor 70-300mm f4.5-5.6G (FX) VR zoom lens Save $300
  • Nikkor 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G (FX) VR zoom lens Save $250
  • Nikkor 55-300mm f/4.5-5.6 (DX) VR II zoom lens Save$250
  • Nikkor 24-85mm f/3.5-4.5G (FX) VR zoom lens Save $200
  • Nikkor 55-200mm f/4.5-5.6 (DX) VR zoom lens Save $200
  • Micro-Nikkor 85mm f/3.5G (DX) VR macro lens Save $200
  • Nikkor 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6G (DX) VR zoom lens Save $100

Save $30-$50 on a Nikon Speedlight flash with the current promotion:

  • SB-910 AF Speedlight Save $50
  • SB-700 AF Speedlight Save $30

See all the bundle discounts: Amazon, B&H Photo

Adobe Adds RAW (.NEF) Support for Nikon D7100

Adobe Photoshop CS6April 3, 2013, Adobe releases updates for its popular image editing programs Adobe Lightroom 4 and Adobe Photoshop CS6 to support the latest digital cameras including the Nikon D7100. The updated versions of Lightroom 4.4 and Adobe Photoshop with Adobe Camera Raw 7.4 are now able to open and edit Nikon Electronic Format (.NEF) RAW camera files taken with the Nikon D7100 DSLR. Users of previous versions of these and other programs can use the DNG Converter version 7.4 to convert D7100 RAW .NEF files to Adobe Digital Negative Gallery (.DNG) format.

The updates also include new lens profile data for recently released lenses including the Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 70-200mm f/4G ED VR, SIGMA 35mm F1.4 DG HSM for Nikon mount and TAMRON SP 70-200mm F/2.8 Di VC and TAMRON SP 90mm F/2.8 Di MACRO for Nikon mount.

Detailed instructions for how to open and edit D7100 RAW (.NEF) files as well as download links for the latest updated are included below.

Adobe Camera Raw 7.4 for Adobe Photoshop CS6

Adobe DNG Converter version 7.4

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 5

Adobe Lightroom Version 4.4

SD Card Speed Comparison for Nikon D7100

SD cards for Nikon D7100When is comes to choosing the right media card for the Nikon D7100, you may wonder if it is worth paying more for a fast card. Take an in-depth look at the available choices and see how the D7100 benefits by using the fastest cards available.

If you ever shoot a burst of photos, such as when photographing wildlife, a sporting event or an unpredictable event like children playing, then a high-speed card should be used in your Nikon D7100. With the new camera’s 24 megapixel resolution, fast write speeds are more important than ever before.

The D7100 is a high-end consumer camera. Nikon calls it an “enthusiast” camera, even referring to it as a “DX flagship.” Although it falls just short of professional grade, it is perfectly capable of professional results. One area where the “consumer” bit shines through is its buffer size. Consider a professional camera such as the D4.  Fully optimized for speed, its buffer size is times larger than the D7100 and it uses the latest technology in XQD media for blazing write speeds allowing one to shoot up to 100 RAW photos continuously at 11 frames per second. The D7100 can hold only 6 RAW frames in its buffer before it has to write data to the SD card at which point it slows down and is limited by the card’s write speed. If you feel shortchanged by the small buffer, consider that the D4 would set you back $5,999, while the D7100 is a relative bargain at $1,199.

UHS-I Logo - Ultra High Speed Class 1When it comes to SD cards, there a few terms you may see. Class is a relative gauge of minimum speed at which card is capable of reading and writing. Classes 2, 4, 6 and 10 are defined as minimum performance of 2, 4, 6 and 10 megabytes per second (MB/s) read and write. Today all these speeds are considered slow and any card you consider buying for the D7100 should be capable of Class 10. There are no defined classes beyond Class 10. Another term you sometimes see is a X rating, such as 600X. Lexar commonly uses these designations on their cards. The base measurement is the standard of CD-ROM 150 kilobytes per second (kB/s) which is 0.15MB/s. A 400X card can read and write at 60MB/s, while a 600X card is 90MB/s. One term you should pay attention to is Ultra High Speed (UHS) speed class. Currently the fastest cards available are UHS-I (also written UHS-1). Cards capable of UHS-I are able to transfer up to 50MB/s and recent variant of UHS-I called SDR104 allows speeds up to 104MB/s. SDR104 cards are still labeled UHS-I so you need to look at the actual speed designation on the card on the card or published by the manufacturer to know the maximum speed. These numbers are theoretical maximums, actual card performance may be slightly lower. Often the write speed of a card may be lower than the read speed. The Nikon D7100 is capable of UHS-1 including UHS104. Nikon has stated the D7100 can achieve a write speed of up to 99MB/s.

You will see cards labeled as Secure Digital (SD), High-capacity (SDHC) and extended-capacity (SDXC). These designations refer to the capacity of the card, with SD up to 4GB, SDHC from 4GB up to 32GB and SDXC greater than 32GB. You do not need to worry about this designation, all types are compatible with the Nikon D7100.

When shopping for SD cards for your D7100, look at the speed rating label in MB/s, such as 35MB/s, 45MB/s, 90MB/s or 95MB/s. These numbers are easy to compare, and are directly relevant to shooting performance because you will be shooting pictures with a relatively known file size. For example, when shooting RAW files 14-bit lossless compressed, your files will be around 29MB each. If your card is capable of write speeds of 35MB/s you could only write about one frame each second after the buffer is full, while a 90MB/s card operating at maximum speed could write up to 3 files per second. These are theoretical numbers, in real world tests cards are slightly slower.

How fast the buffer fills depends on camera settings, including file type (JPEG or RAW), JPEG size and quality, ISO, distortion control and noise reduction. Nikon has published information regarding buffer capacity and file size:

Nikon D7100 DX file size and buffer capacity RAW vs JPEG

Image quality Size File size Buffer capacity
Shots
RAW Lossless compressed 14-bit 28.5 MB 6
RAW Lossless compressed 12-bit 22.7 MB 7
RAW Compressed 14-bit 24.9 MB 8
RAW Compressed 12-bit 20.2 MB 9
JPEG fine Large
Medium
Small
12.0 MB
7.4 MB
3.8 MB
33
100
100
JPEG normal Large
Medium
Small
6.2 MB
3.7 MB
1.9 MB
100
100
100
JPEG basic Large
Medium
Small
2.9 MB
1.9 MB
1.0 MB
100
100
100
  • Notes: Data adapted from Nikon. File sizes and buffer capacities are approximate. File size varies with image content. JPEG mode set for size priority. Use of optimal quality JPEG compression, HI ISO settings, long exposure noise reduction and auto distortion control will decrease buffer.

When shooting RAW (.NEF), you can take between 6 to 9 shots (depending on RAW mode) until the buffer is full. In terms of time, this could be  just one second! Your shooting will then slow down depending on the write speed of the SD card. The fastest card avaialble, Sandisk Extreme Pro 95MB/s will be able to continue at up to 3 fps, whereas a slower card capably of 35MB/s could only shoot at about 1 fps beyond than point.

The size of the SD card is entirely up to you. Some photographers prefer shooting on smaller cards to keep projects separate and to mitigate the amount of data loss if a card is damaged or lost. Because the D7100 has two slots, you can back up your images automatically. If you set the D7100 to automatically write to both card slots, use a high speed card in both slots because the slowest card will be the limiting factor. Many select 32GB or 64GB capacity cards for the D7100. When shooting lossless compressed 14-bit RAW (.NEF), the D7100 can hold about 1,000 images on a 32GB card. A 64GB could hold twice as many.

You will see Nikon recommend SD cards for D7100 by SanDisk and Lexar. Nikon has tested and approved these cards for use in the D7100. These brands are also known for consistent quality and warranty and are available around the world. Other cards may work, but may not provide optimal speed or compatibility with the D7100. Of the available cards, the top choices are:

Fastest Cards (95MB/s read 90MB/s write): Choose if continuous shooting is most important.
SanDisk Extreme Pro 64 GB 95MB/s
SanDisk Extreme Pro 32 GB 95MB/s

Slower Cards (45-60MB/s write speed): Choose when speed is less important, or for budget reasons.
SanDisk Extreme 64 GB 45MB/s
SanDisk Extreme 32 GB 45MB/s
Lexar Professional 600x 64GB 90MB/s*
Lexar Professional 600x 32GB 90MB/s*
Lexar Professional 400x 64GB 60MB/s*
Lexar Professional 400x 32GB 60MB/s*
* Write Speed. Lexar SD card write speed is significantly lower.

High Capacity Cards: Choose for extended shooting and video.
Lexar Professional 600x 256GB 90MB/s
Lexar Professional 400x 256GB 60MB/s
Lexar Professional 600x 128GB 90MB/s
Lexar Professional 400x 128GB 60MB/s
SanDisk Extreme 128 GB 45MB/s

For more information see Fastest SD cards for Nikon D7100. The Camera Memory Speed site tested many SD cards in the D7100 and published a detailed report.

DxO test reveals the Nikon D7100 a top DX performer

DxO Nikon D7100 ComparisonDxO Labs performed their benchmark testing on the new Nikon D7100 and published the results today. The camera ranks among the best DX-format DSLR with outstanding color depth and dynamic range, besting even the full-frame Camera 6D in those aspects. Given the APS-C sensor size, it performs well at high ISO, but does not approach full-frame sensor cameras.

The Nikon D7100 outperforms its predecessor, the D7000, although the margin is quite small. Current D7000 owners may elect to skip a generation for maximum upgrade benefit. Those upgrading from earlier or lower-end DSLR will immediately see the benefit of the latest technology. Nikon has an advantage over the competition, with the D7100 performing nearly a stop better in low-light performance compared with the Canon 60D and Sony SLT Alpha 77.

Nikon D7100 vs D5200

The image sensor in the D7100 is the same as the Toshiba-produced sensor found in the Nikon D5200. The two cameras differ in features but overall image quality is nearly identical, well within the margin of error of DxO tests. Given that the D7100 lacks an anti-aliasing filter, one might expect the D7100 to noticeably surpass the D5200, however the DxO tests did not reveal any measurable difference. One should note however that DxO does not include sharpness in their camera scores. The cameras may differ when using a high-quality lens. Because it lacks an anti-alising filter, the D7100 should be able to resolve more detail than the D5200.

Scott Kelby on Nikon D7100 with new 80-400mm VR Lens

Scott Kelby provides an in-depth view of the Nikon D7100 in action as a sports camera. He shot an NHL hockey game and player portraits using the new D7100 and the new 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6 VR lens.

Kelby is impresssed by the D7100, stating the “low noise is amazing for a $1200 body.” Shooting at ISO 2500 he saw no noise when viewed full screen. Minor noise was only visible zoomed-in at 100%. At ISO 6400 noise was starting to be visible, but still acceptable. His conclusion: “This is the noise champion in the $1200 range by a long shot.”

The body, similar to the previous D7000 it replaces, is well-made and handles well. It provides all the needed functions at-hand for his shooting style. The D7100 acts a replacement for his D300s. The 51-point autofocus is an improvement over the previous 31-point system. He says the D7100 is the “best DX camera Nikon has made.”

Regarding the 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6 VR: “This lens is crazy sharp.” Although it is heavy, it still feels good in hand. The new lens auto focus system is fast with great response. For $2600 the lens seems overpriced to some, but gives good results at 400mm and still a fraction of the cost of better 300mm and 400mm alternatives.

Nikon Interview at BVE 2013

Nikon made the first public showing of the new D7100 at the 2013 BVE Show in UK. Several interesting points were mentioned. First, there is no anti-alising filter on the 24 megapixel sensor. Part of the choice for this was because due to the high resolution: the sensor resolves such fine detail that the risk of visible Moire is reduced. On a similar point, the lens choice for optimum sharpness with such high resolution is more important than ever, “there is no substitute for good glass.” The improved EXPEED processor also provides Moire correction.

The D7100 hosts a more advanced 51-point AF system. In Live View, contrast detection is implemented over the entire frame. The contrast detect auto focus in Live View has been optimized for speed and reduced hunting compared to earlier video auto focus integration. The LCD display uses RGBW pixel configuration to provides increased brightness and improves viewing outdoors and in bright light. Finally, the ability to control the aperture in Live View must currently be selected before recording begins. Nikon is “working on” a fix for this and is waiting for Nikon Japan who has the task of allowing this via a firmware update. Finally, weather sealing on the D7100 is at the same level as the D800.