oldmalky Loc: West Midlands,England.

From the front view looks like the a57

MtnMan Loc: ID

Not 800e?

MtnMan Loc: ID

So now the D3200, 5200, and 7100 all have the same sensor and image processor (Expeed 3). This means to me one can take the same pictures with them...except perhaps the effect of leaving out the low pass filter on the D7100.

Of course there are other mechanical advantages of the D7100...including the larger more detailed LCD. And maybe disadvantages...the lock on the release mode dial on the D7000 is a bit annoying to use so I fear the additional one on the shooting mode dial might just add to that (albeit small) misery.

Choices include selling my D7000 and add the cost of a D3200 to get a D7100, buy a D3200 and keep my D7000, or buy a refurb D800e. The latter means I'd have to get a new wide angle lens. My wife, knowing full well the trend, has already put in dibs on my 10-24 to go with her hand-me-down D5100. I don't think she'd want the D7000...the button array scares her (as, IMHO, it should).

Fortunately the D7100 isn't available till the end of March and my major trip plans have moved out to June so there is no pressure for me to decide now. I'll keep an eye out for the reviews...especially on the low light performance comparisions.

MT Shooter Loc: Montana

The D3200 and D5200 have DIFFERENT sensors.
D3200 is a 24.2MP Sony sensor.
D5200 is a 24.1MP Toshiba sensor.

MtnMan Loc: ID

I see you edited your post to clarify. Thanks!

Is there a difference on their low light (high ISO) noise performance?

Can you tell if the D7100 is the same as which?

MT Shooter Loc: Montana

I cannot answer that imperatively as I have not used either of them, but reviews point to the D5200 having better high ISO performance and tonal range, likely due to the Expeed 3 processor. The D7100 has the Toshiba sensor inside as shown by Nikons specs.
The D7100 has me considering the DX advantage again.

CSI Dave Loc: Arizona

I think the 1.3 crop in-camera allows a higher burst rate (7fps is what I understand). I assume that means the new buffer capacity might still be a limitation, just as on the D7000.

MT Shooter Loc: Montana

That's the one thing that needed upgrading that Nikon did not address. The D7100 has exactly the same buffer as the D7000 which means the save rate has been reduced due to the larger file size. 15 RAW images for the D7000 vs. only 9 RAW images for the D7100.

PhotoArtsLA Loc: Boynton Beach

The D5200 amateur DSLR shoots better video than the D800, including uncompressed. For people needing to shoot an independent film, its all about the D5200, except if it is found out the D7100 has the same chip as the 5200 and uncompressed output. Then, the 5200 is for the low budget filmmakers and the 7100 for the hot shot filmmakers, with no real advantage. In movie shooting, everything is manual anyway. Olde lenses are better than new lenses because of better mechanical focus and de-clickable smooth f/stops.

mrblackett Loc: Bloomfield, CT

Yup, while 36mp's can be overkill, it sure saves you from upgrading to expensive zoom lens. My cropped images print very detailed, so much so I've become a big fan of shooting with the intention of cropping.

MtnMan Loc: ID

I was hoping for more; in particular in camera wireless and GPS.

They did add some kind of HDR but I haven't yet found if it is the D5100's two-shot version or an improved 3-shot. I don't know if the D5200's was improved eithter. I didn't find that the D5100's version did much. I felt the active D-lighting was better in most cases and it didn't require even two shots.

They seem pretty proud of the enhanced 51 point autofocus system. I'm not impressed by that because I use single point focus and choose my focus point. I have to admit I haven't even tried out the 39 point on my D7000...I got accustomed to single point focus on my D5100 and stuck with it.

One of the things I do like better on the D7000 compared to the D5100 is the viewfinder. I get the impression it is improved on the D7100 but would have to check the specs to be sure if it is improved or just something they choose to emphasize in the ads.

sbesaw Loc: Boston

From DP Review "The critical thing here is that despite the fact that the D7100 is Nikon's third DX-format 24MP DSLR, its sensor is new, and unique in Nikon's stable. In a first for Nikon, the D7100's sensor lacks an optical low-pass filter (OLPF). The D800E, Nikon's highest-resolution DSLR has the effect of its OLPF 'cancelled out', but the D7100, like the Pentax K-5 IIs, omits it altogether. The result should be higher resolution than is possible from the conventional 24MP sensors in the D5200 and D3200, and Nikon clearly feels comfortable with the associated higher risk of moiré in fine patterns - one of the few black marks against the 36MP D800E when we tested it last year"

mrblackett Loc: Bloomfield, CT

As resolution goes higher, moire is more apparent. The D7000/D7100 has a much better body design as well as the control panel screen helps you access functions more readily compared to the smaller dx bodies. I believe the D800 only has 2 shot built in hdr. I've used it in the past and remember only using 2 shots. The D600 is almost a replica of the D7100/d7000 with the larger full frame sensor, which means higher clarity/detail esp for large sized printing, and the larger easier on the eyes viewfinder that does not need squinting.

Midnight Rider Loc: Alabama

That would depend on a couple of things...do you already own a Nikon, and if so, are your lenses DX or FX? If you own nothing, then you have to do some reading about the advantages of FX over DX and DX over FX. If you shoot a lot of wildlife, DX might have some advantage because of the crop factor (a 300mm lens is effectively like a 450mm). FX has advantages of a larger sensor size which can give better high ISO performance and DOF advantages in some situations. And of course, the price difference....

mrblackett Loc: Bloomfield, CT

Using an fx lens on a dx sensor does not allow you to see any closer than you would using it on a full frame body. It just lets you concentrate or a smaller part of the frame at the same focal length. I tested this out with my 28-300mm lens on the D7000 and the D800. At 300mm a window with was a few 100's of yards away looked the same size regardless of which body I used, but the D800 allowed me to capture more of the building than the D7000 did.