D7100 vs D7000 First Impressions

[Abitconfused]

My first impression concerning the D7100 is that it is much less forgiving of camera shake than the D7000. Those extra 8 million photo sites on the same sized chip apparently don't like to be jiggled around much. I get significantly sharper images at faster shutter speeds. Am I alone in this observation?

[Manfred M]

This was the same criticism of the D800 with its additional 24MP over the D700. If you enlarge the images exactly the same amount, I suspect you will find the same thing with as with the D700 / D800 comparison; the D800 is far sharper. I suspect that you will find something similar if you do the D7000 / D7100 comparison. The D7000 and D800 have approximately the same sensor pitch.

If on the other hand, you enlarge to the point of softness with the D7100, try doing the same with the D7000 and it will be a total blur. Every system is limited by one of the elements; in earlier cameras, the sensors were what limited image quality. The camera shake was there too; but the camera's resolution just did not let you make it out. Pop the camera on a heavy duty tripod and you will probably find that the sharpness of the image will blow you away, even in pixel peeping miode.

[Abitconfused]

Perhaps this is why the D7000 has been described as a great walking-around camera, more forgiving of camera shake. The camera's CPU obviously interpolates information from a matrix of adjacent photosites to compose an image but if camera shake exceeds this range image quality must suffer.

[Black Pearl]

How are you viewing the images you've taken?

Have you printed them out the same size or are you pixel peeping them at 100%?

[Manfred M]

You have a very interesting idea as to how a digital camera works; interesting, but wrong. What you are describing, at a high level, is de-mosaicing, and all cameras including the D7000 do this. Again, I suspect that your problem (and that of others) comes from pixel peeking to a meaningless level of magnification. Demosaicing has absolutely nothing to do with how camera movement is recorded by the sensor...

I haven't looked at a D7100, so can't comment directly, but I do shoot a D800 (and have since they came out), so I can certainly understand why people say what they do, and clearly they are not looking at the image at an appropriate scale. If you are experiencing softness with a specific image, I strongly suspect that the same shot would have been soft with the D7000 as well (at the same magnification, of course).

Good shooting techniques, good glass and getting away from pixel peeping are going to give you good shots, regardless of the camera you are using.

[Abitconfused]

Yes, D7100 not D7200 (but that will probably be out soon). In this D7100 shot I think I can see (even without my peepers on) that there is a lot less noise in the blue channel than in many other digital cameras. I think this one is a keeper. And its younger brother? I will probably keep that one too.

[NorthernFocus]

In direct response to the question, no you are not alone in your observation.

People who crop heavily or pixel peep (including yours truly on the peeping) are invariably disappointed with the newer, high rez camera bodies. When one reads all of the reviews on ISO performance, etc, they are based on comparing full frame images from one body/sensor to the next. When compared that way, all things being equal, higher rez typically shines. However, if one plans to take advantage of the higher resolution for additional "reach", then ISO performance, camera shake, lens quality, etc, etc, tend to manifest themselves in bad ways. So if one crops 16MP out of a D7100 and compares the resultant image to a 16MP image from a D7000, it is not likely to look any better and in fact may look worse in regards to noise etc.

I did have a D7000 and shot several thousand images with it and I now have a D7100 and have shot several thousand with it as well. And IMO it is a far superior camera across the board.

[Abitconfused]

Sometimes I am shocked at the detail and color and sometimes I am very disappointed with the detail and color. I have found that ISO 200 is excellent. Here, f/7.1, ISO 200, 1/800s with a 17-55mm Nikon DX.