Nikon D7000 vs Nikon D90 Comparison

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Nikon D7000

16 MP | APS-C (23.6 x 15.7 mm) CMOS Sensor

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Nikon D90

12 MP | APS-C (23.6 x 15.8 mm) CMOS Sensor

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Nikon D7000 vs Nikon D90 Comparison Overview

In this review, we will be comparing D7000 and D90, two Advanced DSLR cameras by Nikon. Nikon D7000 was introduced to market in November 2010 and Nikon D90 was launched in October 2008. As you can see, D90 is 2 years older than D7000. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Nikon D7000 and Nikon D90 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Nikon D7000 Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2010-11-30

16MP - APS-C CMOS Sensor

ISO 100 - 6400 ( expands to 25600)

Nikon F Mount

3" Fixed Type Screen

Optical (pentaprism) viewfinder

6.0fps continuous shooting

Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution

780g. 132 x 105 x 77 mm

Weather Sealed Body

Replaced Nikon D90 Compare

Nikon D90 Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2008-10-13

12MP - APS-C CMOS Sensor

ISO 200 - 3200 ( expands to 6400)

Nikon F Mount

3" Fixed Type Screen

Optical (pentaprism) viewfinder

4.5fps continuous shooting

HD - 1280 x 720 video resolution

703g. 132 x 103 x 77 mm

Replaced Nikon D80 Compare

Nikon D7000 was replaced by Nikon D7100. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Nikon D7100 vs Nikon D7000
Nikon D7100 vs Nikon D90

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Nikon D7000 and Nikon D90 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Nikon D7000 over Nikon D90

Max Sensor Resolution	16 MP vs 12 MP	33% more pixels
Max ISO	6.400 vs 3.200	100% higher Max ISO
Number of Focus Points	39 vs 11	28 more focus points
Viewfinder Coverage	100% vs 96%	More accurate viewfinder
Max Mech. Shutter	1/8000s vs 1/4000s	faster mechanical shutter
Continuous Shooting	6.0fps vs 4.5fps	1.5 fps faster
Battery Life	1050 shots vs 850 shots	200 more frames with a single charge
Microphone Port	Yes vs No	High quality audio recording option
Environmental Sealing	Yes vs No	shoot at tough conditions
Timelapse Recording	Yes vs No	creative shooting
Color Depth	23.5 vs 22.7	higher color depth
Dynamic Range	13.9 vs 12.5	higher dynamic range
Low Light ISO	1167 vs 977	better High ISO performance
Max Video Resolution	1920 x 1080 vs 1280 x 720	Higher Resolution Video
Shutter Life Expectancy	150000 cycles vs 100000 cycles	Longer use without changing the shutter mechanism
Storage Slot	2 vs 1	Extra storage slot

Reasons to choose Nikon D90 over Nikon D7000

Weight	703 g vs 780 g	77 g lighter
Flash Coverage	17.0m vs 12.0m	5m longer range
Sensor Pixel Area	30.54µm² vs 23.04µm²	32% larger pixel area

Common Strengths of Nikon D7000 and Nikon D90

Built-in Flash	Yes vs Yes	Useful in low-light
External Flash Shoe	Yes vs Yes	Better for flash photography
Viewfinder	Yes (Optical) vs Yes (Optical)	Better framing and control
RAW Support	Yes vs Yes	Better image quality
Face Detection Focus	Yes vs Yes	very handy for portraits
LCD Screen Resolution	921k dots vs 920k dots	High resolution screens
Top LCD Display	Yes vs Yes	Help viewing and changing settings easily
AE Bracketing	Yes vs Yes	Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR

Common Weaknesses of Nikon D7000 and Nikon D90

In-body Image Stabilization	No vs No	No Built-in stabilization
Fixed Screen	Fixed Type vs No	No flexible viewing angles

Nikon D7000 vs Nikon D90: Physical Specs and Body features Comparison

Size and weight is a big decision factor when you are trying to find the ideal camera for your needs. In this section, We are going to illustrate Nikon D7000 and Nikon D90 side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Nikon D7000 has external dimensions of 132 x 105 x 77 mm (5.2 x 4.13 x 3.03″) and weighs 780 g (1.72 lb / 27.51 oz) (including batteries). Nikon D90 has external dimensions of 132 x 103 x 77 mm (5.2 x 4.06 x 3.03″) and weighs 703 g (1.55 lb / 24.80 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Nikon D7000 and Nikon D90.

Comparison image of Nikon D7000 and Nikon D90 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Nikon D90 is 77g lighter than the Nikon D7000 but we don't think this will make a significant difference.

Also keep in mind that body weight is not the only deciding factor when comparing two interchangeable camera bodies, you have to also take into account the lenses that you will be using with these bodies. Since both Nikon D7000 and Nikon D90 have the same Nikon F lens mount and APS-C sized sensors, lenses will not be a differentiator on total size of the system.

Weight Comparison

DSLR Cameras

D7000

D90

Min

Average

Max

Thickness Comparison

DSLR Cameras

D7000

D90

Min

Average

Max

Weather Sealing

With its weather sealed body, we believe that D7000 has a big advantage over D90 which doesn't provide any kind of environmental sealing.

LCD Screen Size and Features

Nikon D7000 and Nikon D90's LCD screens has the same diagonal size of 3".

Unfortunately, both cameras has fixed screens so they don't tilt or flip in directions.

Nikon D7000 vs Nikon D90: Sensor Comparison

Nikon D7000 has a 16.0MP APS-C (23.6 x 15.7 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Expeed 2 processor. On the other hand, Nikon D90 has a 12.0MP APS-C (23.6 x 15.8 mm ) sized CMOS sensor .

Below you can see the D7000 and D90 sensor size comparison.

Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Nikon D7000 and Nikon D90 Cameras

Nikon D7000 and Nikon D90 have almost the same sensor size so none of them has any significant advantage over other in providing control over depth of field when used with same focal length and aperture.

DxOMark Sensor Scores

Both Nikon D7000 and Nikon D90 sensors have been tested by DxoMark. DxoMark scores camera sensors for color depth (DXO Portrait), dynamic range (DXO Landscape) and low-light sensitivity (DXO Sports), and also gives them an overall score. Of the two cameras that we are comparing, D7000 has scored 80, 7 points higher than D90.

Model	Overall	Color Depth	Dynamic Range	Low-light ISO
Nikon D7000	80	23.5 bits	13.9 Evs	1167 ISO
Nikon D90	73	22.7 bits	12.5 Evs	977 ISO

Nikon D7000 vs Nikon D90 Comparison of Available Lenses

Which camera has more lenses?

Number of available lenses is a big decision factor while choosing your interchangeable lens camera. Nikon D7000 and Nikon D90 have the same Nikon F lens mount and currently there are 309 native lenses available for these cameras.

Another important factor is the availability of image stabilization. None of these bodies have sensor based image stabilization so you have to buy lenses with Optical stabilization feature. Currently there are 106 lenses with Image stabilization for Nikon F mount.

Lens Type	# of Nikon D7000 Lenses	# of Nikon D90 Lenses
Standard Zoom	33	33
Standard Prime	21	21
Wideangle Zoom	33	33
Wideangle Prime	48	48
Telephoto Zoom	53	53
Telephoto Prime	45	45
SuperZoom	30	30
Wideangle Fisheye Prime	8	8
Macro Prime	26	26
Perspective Control Prime	11	11
Telephoto Mirror Prime	1	1
TOTAL	309	309

Here are some of the most popular Nikon F Mount Lenses on Camera Decision:

Popular Nikon F Mount Lenses for D7000 and D90

	Coverage	Weight	Focusing	Street Price
Nikon AF Nikkor 70-300mm f4-5.6G	35mm FF	425gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo
Nikon AF-S Nikkor 50mm f1.4G	35mm FF	290gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo
Nikon AF Nikkor 80-400mm f4.5-5.6D ED VR	35mm FF	1340gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo
Tamron SP 150-600mm F5-6.3 Di VC USD	35mm FF	1951gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo
Nikon AF-S Nikkor 50mm f1.8G	35mm FF	185gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo
Nikon AF-S Nikkor 70-300mm f4.5-5.6G VR	35mm FF	745gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo
Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 35mm f1.8G	APS-C / DX	210gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo
Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 55-300mm f4.5-5.6G ED VR	APS-C / DX	530gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo

What types of Photography are Nikon D7000 and Nikon D90 Good for?

In this section, we rank and compare Nikon D7000 and Nikon D90 for five different photography types in order to make your decision process easier in case you are specifically interested in one or more of these areas.

Nikon D7000 for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE

Nikon D90 for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE

Large APS-C (23.6 x 15.7 mm) sensor
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Large APS-C (23.6 x 15.8 mm) sensor
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Nikon D7000 for Street Photography

AVERAGE

Nikon D90 for Street Photography

AVERAGE

Large APS-C (23.6 x 15.7 mm) sensor
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
No Image Stabilization
Large Body
Read the details

Large APS-C (23.6 x 15.8 mm) sensor
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
No Image Stabilization
Large Body
Read the details

Nikon D7000 for Sports Photography

GOOD

Nikon D90 for Sports Photography

GOOD

Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
9 Cross Type Focus sensors
39 Focus Points
Good Battery Life: 1050 shots
Good Low Light ISO
Average Continuous Shooting: 6.0fps
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
11 Focus Points
Good Battery Life: 850 shots
Average Continuous Shooting: 4.5fps
No Image Stabilization
Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Nikon D7000 for Daily Photography

GOOD

Nikon D90 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

Large APS-C (23.6 x 15.7 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Large Body
780g
Body Thickness 77mm
Read the details

Large APS-C (23.6 x 15.8 mm) sensor
Large Body
703g
Body Thickness 77mm
Read the details

Nikon D7000 for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE

Nikon D90 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Large APS-C (23.6 x 15.7 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
Read the details

Large APS-C (23.6 x 15.8 mm) sensor
Live-view
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Nikon D7000 vs Nikon D90: OUR DECISION

You may have already made your decision about which camera suits better for your needs and your budget so far but in case you wonder how we rated Nikon D7000 and Nikon D90, below you can find their scores in five different aspects. Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 63 different specs, current price and DxO Mark scores (where possible) in order to make a more objective and consistent comparison.

Here is a summary of how Nikon D7000 and Nikon D90 scores compare:

Nikon D7000

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #39 out of 95 in Mid-size SLR cameras
Ranked #197 out of 1227 in all Cameras

Nikon D90

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #55 out of 95 in Mid-size SLR cameras
Ranked #375 out of 1227 in all Cameras

Nikon D7000 is the overall winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Nikon D90 in all criteria except one: Portability. But the size difference between these cameras are negligible in real world so it is not a big disadvantage for Nikon D7000.

Nikon D90 vs Nikon D7000 Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Nikon D7000	Nikon D90
Brand	Nikon	Nikon
Announced	2010-11-30	2008-10-13
Body Type	Mid-size SLR	Mid-size SLR
Sensor
Type	CMOS	CMOS
Size	APS-C	APS-C
Dimensions	23.6 x 15.7 mm	23.6 x 15.8 mm
Area	370.52mm²	372.88mm²
Megapixels	16 megapixels	12 megapixels
Max Resolution	4928 x 3264	4288 x 2848
Max Native Light sensitivity	6,400 ISO	3,200 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity	25600 ISO	6400 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity	100 ISO	200 ISO
RAW Support
Autofocus
AF Touch
AF Continuous
AF Single
AF Tracking
AF Selective
AF Center
AF Multi Area
AF Live View
AF Face Detection
AF Contrast Detection
AF Phase Detection
Number of Focus Points	39	11
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount	Nikon F	Nikon F
Number of Available Lenses	309	309
Screen
Type	Fixed type	Fixed type
Size	3"	3"
Resolution	921k dots	920k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder	Optical (pentaprism)	Optical (pentaprism)
Viewfinder Coverage	100%	96%
Viewfinder Magnification	0.64x	0.64x
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter	1/8000s	1/4000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization	No	No
Built-in Flash
Flash Range	12.00 m (at ISO 100)	17.00 m (at ISO 100)
Max Flash Sync	1/250s	1/200s
External Flash
Continuous Shooting	6.0 fps	4.5 fps
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution	1920 x 1080	1280 x 720
Video Formats	MPEG-4, H.264	Motion JPEG
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity	Eye-Fi Connected	Eye-Fi Connected
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight	780g	703g
Dimensions	132 x 105 x 77mm	132 x 103 x 77mm
Battery Life	1050 shots	850 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS	Optional	Optional
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score	80	73
DxO Color Depth	23.5	22.7
DxO Dynamic Range	13.9	12.5
DxO Low Light ISO	1167	977
	Report a correction	Report a correction