Secondhand superstar

Q I’m after a high-end DX format DSLR on a low budget. What do you think would be the best buy?

Dave Nicholls

A Matthew recommends…

I’d go for the D7100. It has a high-quality build, advanced controls, plenty of useful features and great all-round performance. And it’s a bargain secondhand buy at the price.

Nikon D7100

LAUNCHED NINE YEARS AGO, THE D7100 WAS NIKON’S MOST UP-MARKET DX BODY AT THE TIME

RELEASED: 2013 PRICE NEW: £1100/$1200 SECONDHAND PRICE: ‘Excellent’ £320/$450 ‘Good’ £270/$380

Picking up the baton from the prestigious and popular D7000, the D7100 boasts a 24.1Mp image sensor while omitting an optical lowpass filter to boost sharpness, and a powerful EXPEED 3 image processor. It’s a major upgrade over the D7000 in terms of the autofocus system, based on a top-end Multi-cam 3500DX autofocus module. This has 51 AF points of which 15 are cross-type, able to resolve detail in both horizontal and vertical planes. A further autofocus boost is that, unlike the D7000, it’s compatible with Nikon and third-party lenses that feature AF-P (Pulse) stepping motor autofocus actuators.

Key points 1. Dialled in

Concentric control dials give quick and easy access to shooting modes.

2. The bigger picture

The D7100 has an upmarket pentaprism viewfinder with 100 per cent coverage of the frame.

3. View from the top

The D7100’s has a shooting information display.

Image sensor: 24.1Mp CMOS Image processor: EXPEED 3 ISO range (expanded): ISO100-6400 (25600) AF points: 51-point (15 cross-type) Shutter speeds: 1/8000 to 30 secs, Bulb Max drive rate: 6fps Memory: 2x SD/HC/XC Size/weight: 136x107x76mm, 765g Battery (life): EN-EL15, 950 shots