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Our tests reveal that the Nikon D7000 is an excellent camera that is capable of capturing a high level of detail across the full sensitivity range. However, getting the best from it requires a little bit more than is provided in the AF-S DX Nikkor 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR kit box.
While this lens offers a versatile effective focal length range of 27-157.5mm it hampers the camera's AF system in less than ideal lighting conditions. With a professional-level lens mounted the D7000 proves itself to have an excellent AF system capable of accurate results in very difficult situations.
An ever expanding feature set makes greater demands on a cameras menu and control systems. Nikon has obviously spent some time thinking about this and the D7000 is easy to use.
With the right lens the revised AF system is superb, and the way its more advanced features have been integrated into it mean they are far more likely to be used by the photographer. It's a shame the LCD screen isn't articulated though.
While View NX2 is an improvement on Nikon's earlier software options it doesn't really offer the enthusiast enough control and many will be eagerly awaiting Adobe's Camera Raw update to allow greater control over noise reduction, especially at the lower sensitivity settings.