actually i hate the body of the 300; so lump...i think it's a matter of preference

Hi all,

"simple physics"

Oxymoron.

My best,

Mike

Anything smaller than the D300 makes me feel like I don't have a good hold on the camera. Also, mass (weight) does help steady a handheld (or not handheld) shot - simple physics.

Sideways said:
It's not especially about size - I'd describe the D60 as a three finger camera, there's no room on the grip for my little finger, so small shouldn't bother me but there's something about the grip on the D7000 that doesn't feel secure enough. I walk around with the camera hanging with my fingers hooked around the grip so this matters to me.

Funny you should say that, because the way the grip lets me better hold the camera with one hand is one of the reasons I like my D7000 over the D90. Like Mike Gunter says, different strokes for different folks. (I would love to have a D4, though. Holding a D3s was a bit dangerous for me because I loved the way it felt—better than a D90 with grip, which I loved.)

Golly, I certainly thought this when I actually held a D7000 for the first time a few months ago. And, I just thought maybe it was something about me...ha, ha, ha. My D90 with grip is about the correct size for my large hands, but the smaller cameras just do not seem to fit. Another thing I find, is the weight of a camera/lens unit is only important when you are measuring it on the scale. Most of the larger pro lenses and the new D4 are heavy until one starts to shoot photos. Then they seem to be almost perfect. Maybe this is just how I work with the camera, I do not know, but the larger heavier units seem to handle better. And I have held these for hours on end in some venues.

The original post highlights how important ergonomics can be to some people. D7000 would have been a perfect upgrade for me from an ageing D60 but from the first time I held one I was disappointed because it just didn't feel right.

It's not especially about size - I'd describe the D60 as a three finger camera, there's no room on the grip for my little finger, so small shouldn't bother me but there's something about the grip on the D7000 that doesn't feel secure enough. I walk around with the camera hanging with my fingers hooked around the grip so this matters to me.

Interestingly the D90 and the D300s both felt great but I'd decided to hold out for the D300s replacement ...

Fortunately the D800 feels good, so at least I have a (expensive) solution when they get the supply problems ironed out.

What was wrong with the rubber contact cover on the D300/D700? From my experience with contact cover on the D7000 it is held in place the same way, although it is a little easier to take off.

The D90 and D7000 are so close in size that they both fit the same underwater housing and ports if the same lens is used to make the comparison. The D7000 being smaller than the D300 is OK with myself and my son and grandson who all use our Nikons interchangeably. There are some D300 features that bother me like the little rubber door on the contacts. I have seen people trying to buy replacements as they lost theirs. By the D7000 that feature was fixed.

rschnaible said:
I have the D7000 and once I had it a couple of days, it was "mine" and felt good. I think it really is what you get used to holding....

yup. +1

I have the D7000 and once I had it a couple of days, it was "mine" and felt good. I think it really is what you get used to holding....

I put it on a 400mm 2.8 and it almost disappears :)
Works great though!

Thanks chaps, seems just about the same. I wish it was slightly larger, but same size will do.

Now the D5000 WAS too small.

@ Kyo: I will.

Put a grip on it and it fits fine...

The D7000 is a great size for the way I hold a camera - which is the old fashioned way from before cameras grew grips. I find the 5100 small and awkward though.

@spraynpray I was in the same boat as you. Jessops wouldn't even let me see a D7000 unless I wanted to buy it then and there!

I looked up the dimesnions and compared them to the dimensions of the D70, and thought there wasn't that much in it. I was wrong. Try before you buy.

Hi all,

The reporter in me says that small and large are ambiguous terms, but for the D7000:

Width 5.2 in. (132mm)
Height 4.1 in. (103mm)
Depth 3.0 in. (77mm)

(from the Nikon website) aren't. It's clear to what it is.

Everyone is allowed to like what they want. I prefer smaller and more nimbler tools - I'm older and my sturdiness is in question, too. I want less to carry.

But that's why there are choices and spec sheets - different strokes...

As for sturdiness of the cameras, I've dropped many of them (Nikons from the 60's to now) on lots surfaces over many years, and I've taken tens of thousands pictures on both the D90 and the D7000 and no problems.

My best,

Mike

I think the Height of it is fine but, it is so "narrow" as you would put it, the wideness of the d300s is so much better

As NSX said it is almost the same size, but D7000 was a tiny bit bigger and felt heavier. My point was just that it's not a miniature compared to the model it replaces.

From what I can see, the D7000 and D90 is about identical in size.

http://a.img-dpreview.com/reviews/NikonD7000/images/d90d7000d300sfront.jpg

Maybe slightly wider, slightly taller, but only just.

Edit- this is a better link.

@TMFM: Can you tell me what the D7000's size is like in comparison to a D90? I am about to go from D90 with grip to D7000 without but I need to compare (both without or with).

They are too rare to get to even hold one in the UK.

I complained about D7000 when I first got it --> Couldn't grip it like a N70/N90S/F100, the hard plastic SD slot door that slides open easily and dial that would sometimes move from A to M unintentially ("plasticky"). That said, the D90 which it replaced flexed more when I tried it and seemed smaller(though easier to grip) and plasticky so I think when it is reviewed as a D90 replacement the advantages are clear(better AF, faster AF, more lens options, better video, better metering, slightly better high ISO, better image coming out of the camera, and good button layout for video.

The problem is when people erroneously describe it as a Pro body which it is not. I've dropped mine from nearly 6 feet onto concrete and it's been fine (My 70-300 --> Not so much) but even the plastic Nikon bodies are REALLY well constructed.

I agree it is small - too small for my hands. Some like it, some don't.

Don't know if it makes a difference but the D300s is due for a refresh probably in the next few months.

I don't feel like it is particularly tiny, but I'm also someone to adapt rapidly to different things / circumstances. Feels good with my 70-200 with and without the battery grip.

What the Reviews (Mostly) Don't Tell You is just how tiny the D7000 is. I cannot believe how seldom this is mentioned, and i have never seen it emphasized. However, I have read the opposite.

I almost bought a D7000, then I finally got to try it in a shop. Man, is it small! Can't get a grip on it at all, so tiny. And feels like a little plastic toy, despite its high spec, partial metal body, and weather sealing. It was a relief to get home and hold my old D70 again.

I can't stretch to a D700, so I've ordered a D300s. Plenty good enough, spec-wise, and a far more reassuringly hefty camera to hold, and therefore to use.