Nikon
D3
 vs
Nikon
D7000

Updated (February, 2013): Compare the Nikon D4 vs Nikon D7100

Nikon D3

79

  
Nikon D7000

66

  
Winner

Nikon D3

Reasons to buy the Nikon D3

Low light performance
 Low noise at high ISO
2,290 ISO
Viewfinder size
 Large viewfinder
0.70x
Weather sealed
 Weather sealed
Shoot in extreme weather
Continuous shooting
 Rapid fire
9 fps
Sensor size
 Large sensor
Full frame 36.0x24.0mm
Shutter lag
 Barely any delay taking photos
88 ms shutter lag
 
Runner-up

Nikon D7000

Reasons to buy the Nikon D7000

Dynamic range
 Wide dynamic range
13.9 EV
Weather sealed
 Weather sealed
Shoot in extreme weather
Movie continuous focus
 Movie continuous focus
Makes it easy to get in-focus movies
Badge
 Autofocuses shooting video
Contrast detection
Viewfinder coverage
 Great viewfinder coverage
100%
Storage slots
 More storage slots
2
 

differences

Advantages of the Nikon D3
Battery life Much longer battery life 4300 shots vs 1050 shots
Help
 More than 4x more shots per battery charge
Low light performance Significantly lower noise at high ISO 2,290 ISO vs 1,167 ISO
Help
 The D3 has a slight edge (1 f-stop) in low noise, high ISO performance
Sensor size Much larger sensor Full frame 36.0x24.0mm vs APS-C 23.6x15.6mm
Help
 Around 2.5x larger sensor
Shutter lag Significantly less shutter lag 88 ms vs 238 ms
Help
 2.7x less delay when taking photos
Viewfinder size Larger viewfinder 0.70x vs 0.62x
Help
 Around 30% larger viewfinder
Continuous shooting Shoots faster 9 fps vs 6 fps
Help
 50% faster continuous shooting
Focus points More focus points 51 vs 39
Help
 Set focus accurately within the frame
Cross type focus points More cross-type focus points 15 vs 9
Help
 Grab focus in difficult situations
Overall image quality Slightly better image quality 81.0 vs 80.0
Help
 Almost the same
Startup delay Slightly less startup delay 300 ms vs 400 ms
Help
 Around 30% less delay when turning on
Nikon D3 Learn more about
the Nikon D3

Advantages of the Nikon D7000
Movie format Shoots movies 1080p @ 24fps vs None
Help
 Shoots Full HD (1080p) video as well as still pictures
Dynamic range More dynamic range 13.9 EV vs 12.2 EV
Help
 1.7 f-stops more dynamic range
Autofocus Video autofocus Contrast detection vs None
Help
 Automatically focuses shooting video
Sensor cleaning Has a self cleaning sensor Yes vs No
Help
 Removes dust from the sensor automatically, avoiding spots in photos
Size Much smaller 132x105x77 mm vs 160x157x88 mm
Help
 2.1x smaller
Lens availability Significantly more lenses available 169 lenses vs 121 lenses
Help
 Around 40% more lenses available
True resolution Higher true resolution 16.1 MP vs 12.1 MP
Help
 Capture more than 30% more detail in your photos
Thickness Much thinner 3" vs 3.5"
Help
 More than 10% thinner
Weight Significantly lighter 780 g vs 1,300 g
Help
 40% lighter
Built-in flash Built-in flash Yes vs No
Help
 A built-in flash is useful for taking indoor shots where there is little light
Nikon D7000 Learn more about
the Nikon D7000
vs

recommendations

Relative to the best recent DSLRs, and ignoring price

Nikon D3 Nikon D3
79 vs 66
Explain scores
Nikon D7000 Nikon D7000
Green arrow Snapsort recommends the Nikon D3. This recommendation, however, should be taken with a grain of salt since it doesn't always make sense to compare a pro DSLR with a entry-level DSLR.

similarities

Compared to recent DSLRs

Common Strengths Common Weaknesses
Weather sealed Weather sealed Help
Shoot in extreme weather
Viewfinder Both have pentaprism viewfinders Help
Pentaprism
Focus points Many focus points Help
D3:51
D7000:39
Startup delay Minimal startup delay Help
D3:300 ms
D7000:400 ms
Battery life Great battery life Help
D3:4300 shots
D7000:1050 shots
Viewfinder coverage Above average viewfinder coverage Help
100%
Storage slots Multiple storage slots Help
2
Fastest shutter speed Fast max shutter speeds Help
1/8000 of a second
HDR Neither has in-camera HDR Help
You could do HDR manually
Screen flips out No flip-out screens Help
Less flexible
True resolution Capture low resolution images Help
D3:12.1 MP
D7000:16.1 MP
Autofocus Lacks video autofocus Help
D3:None
D7000:Contrast detection
Light sensitivity Poor maximum light sensitivity Help
6,400 ISO
Panorama Neither camera stitches together panoramas Help
You could stitch photos in post
3D Neither camera can take 3D photos Help
No 3d support
Image stabilization No image stabilization Help
Risk of blur

dxomark

DXOMark

competitors

Shared Competitors

Advantages

Disadvantages
Nikon D7100

Nikon D7100

Entry-level DSLR

$1,197 body only

$1,497 with 18-105mm lens
Screen size Has a significantly larger screen
Screen resolution Has a significantly higher resolution screen
Compare the D7100 vs the D3
Compare the D7100 vs the D7000
Canon EOS 7D

Canon EOS 7D

Pro DSLR

$1,499 body only

$1,699 with 28-135mm lens
Thickness Is thinner
Storage slots Has fewer storage slots
Shutter lag Has slightly more shutter lag
Compare the EOS 7D vs the D3
Compare the EOS 7D vs the D7000
Nikon D90

Nikon D90

Entry-level DSLR

$675 - $899 body only

$799 - $1,099 with 18-105mm lens
Fastest shutter speed Has a slower max shutter speed
Storage slots Has fewer storage slots
Compare the D90 vs the D3
Compare the D90 vs the D7000
Nikon D5100

Nikon D5100

Entry-level DSLR

$497 body only

$597 - $805 with 18-55mm lens
Screen flips out Has a screen which flips out
HDR Has in-camera HDR
Fastest shutter speed Has a slower max shutter speed
Storage slots Has fewer storage slots
Compare the D5100 vs the D3
Compare the D5100 vs the D7000
Nikon D600

Nikon D600

Pro DSLR

$1,997 body only

$2,397 with 24-85mm lens
Low light performance Is slightly less noisy at high ISO
Overall image quality Has significantly better image quality
Fastest shutter speed Has a slower max shutter speed
Thickness Is thicker
Compare the D600 vs the D3
Compare the D600 vs the D7000
Nikon D300S

Nikon D300S

Pro DSLR

$1,200 - $1,697 body only

$2,227 with 85mm lens
Thickness Is thinner
Weight Is slightly heavier
Shutter lag Has significantly more shutter lag
Compare the D300S vs the D3
Compare the D300S vs the D7000
Nikon D700

Nikon D700

Pro DSLR

$3,400 body only
Lowest price Is slightly more expensive
Weight Is slightly heavier
Compare the D700 vs the D3
Compare the D700 vs the D7000

Nikon D3 Competitors

Advantages

Disadvantages
Nikon D3S

Nikon D3S

Pro DSLR
Low light performance Lower noise at high ISO
Movie format Shoots movies
Shutter lag Significantly more shutter lag
Dynamic range Less dynamic range
Compare the D3S vs the D3
Nikon D4

Nikon D4

Pro DSLR

$5,997 body only
Movie format Shoots movies
Low light performance Lower noise at high ISO
Battery life Much shorter battery life
Shutter lag Significantly more shutter lag
Compare the D4 vs the D3

Nikon D7000 Competitors

Advantages

Disadvantages
Canon EOS 60D

Canon EOS 60D

Pro DSLR

$699 - $899 body only

$999 - $1,279 with 18-135mm lens
Screen flips out Has a flip-out screen
Screen resolution Higher resolution screen
Dynamic range Less dynamic range
Overall image quality Significantly worse image quality
Compare the EOS 60D vs the D7000
Nikon D5200

Nikon D5200

Entry-level DSLR

$697 body only

$797 with 18-55mm lens
HDR Has in-camera HDR
Screen flips out Has a flip-out screen
Weather sealed No weather sealing
Viewfinder size Smaller viewfinder
Compare the D5200 vs the D7000

appearance

Nikon D3 Nikon D7000
Nikon D3 Nikon D7000
Nikon D3 Nikon D7000

discussion

Showing 0 comments