go to DPREVIEW.COM/REVIEWS/SIDEBYSIDE.ASAP for a side by side comparison ... also... you get what you pay for ...
Gitto has a camera mount for an AK47 ... but to use the camera you must have an image stabilization lens ... it is a great attachment and very useful .... now that we can carry guns in National Parks and churchs ...
with your budget .... check EBAY
Yea ..this site should not be political ...but the reason my last photo was out of focus and was overexposed ...Obamacare ...
People keep writing about a Nikon D7100 ..... there is no such camera ... there is a Coolpix P7100 ...its not an SLR .... also ... the D7000 is a consumer camera while the 300S is a prosumer camera ... the 300S has many advantages over the 7000 ...those advantages such as 51 focal points vs 39 ....higher FPS etc. ... larger buffer ... it makes the 300s the choice of pros who want a DX format .... the 300s is built to last longer and takes more of a beating in the field ...
Both of those lenses are full frame lenses .... if you do not intend to move to a full frame camera ... then consider the Nikon 18-200 DX .... it is the perfect all purpose lens for a DX format camera
Look at the NIKON 28-300 as a walking around lens ...if you have a 12-24 ...then you only need 2 lenses to travel .... Yes its only a 3.5 to 5.6 lens but with the D 7000 you can shoot at high ISO's and not have a problem
I do not think Nikon makes a battery grip for the 7000 ... check the Nikon usa web site ... for my 300s .... the Nikon grip is over $200 ... the Ebay after markets grips are $60 ....
I don't think Nikon makes a battery grip for the 7000 ..... I have a Nikon battery grip on a 300s and it does add weight ..lots of weight .... but the camera feels better in my hands ... and vertical shooting is much easer because you have the basic camera controls on the battery grip ... you don't have to reach over for the shutter or the command dial .... I would not buy the battery grip to give more shooting time ... you could buy extra batteries ... but the grip does give you better control of the camera ...
I suggest that you compare the 300s to the 7000 .... before you make a decision ... the 300s cost about two hundred dollars more ... but its a more substantial camera ... yes the 300s lacks the presets and the video is better ... but if you want better video ... buy a camcorder ...
A filter wrench from B & H cost $ 4.95 .... a good tool to keep in your camera bag I have had to use them many times .....
Buy the Nikon 28-300VR .... then you can traval with only the 12-24 and the 28-300 .... I did China with a 40lb. photo backback .... when I came home, I bought the 28-300 because I never want to travel with all that equipment again .... your camera will shoot at 25000 ISO so the 5.6 f stop at 300 will not cause a problem ...
Look on the B & H web site ..... you need a filter wrench .... they make them in sizes specfic to your filter
The Nikon 300s shoots up to 9 bracketed shoots .....
The camera is old .... it is probably beyond its uselife .... google "shutter actuations" .... check to see the number of shutter actuations ....