How much cheaper will a Nikon D7000 be after the replacement model comes out?

April 28, 2012 9:23 AM

Is the Nikon D7000 likely to be replaced this year? If so, how much cheaper will new D7000 bodies be after it happens?

I'm interested in picking up a Nikon D7000 body. However, the D7000 is a few years old, and Nikon Rumours thinks it's likely that Nikon will release some sort of replacement by the end of 2012.

I'm not necessarily interested in buying the newer model--the D7000 seems like what I need. However, I would feel burned if I paid full price for a D7000 (around $1050 in my city), only to have the price drop substantially in a few months. Then again, if they'll only be $100 cheaper or something, I'd rather just buy a D7000 now.

So, my questions: is it likely that there'll be a D7000 replacement soon? And more importantly, if there is, roughly how much will new D7000s drop in price (based on past experience)?

posted by Beardman to Shopping (4 answers total)

Nobody really knows the answer; everyone is working with incomplete leaked information and educated guesses.

Bottom line is that if you wait, you have to accept the fact that you don't know for how long you'll be waiting, and what you'll be waiting for. If you can do without a D7000 until a replacement comes along, even if that replacement comes along long after people expect it to, then go ahead and wait for the replacement. But if a D7000 works for you now, and you need something now, and waiting is a problem, get one. If my D90 broke down I'd buy a D7000 without hesitation, even knowing that there's a good chance something new will come out in the fall.

The D80/D90/D7000 line has been updated every two years (the D7000 is actually less than two years old: it came out in September 2010). I would be very surprised if a successor to the D7000 doesn't come out this fall. But there's no law that says Nikon can't change its schedule for whatever reason (I've heard, for example, that the D800's release was delayed due to the flooding in Thailand).

Whenever its successor is announced, the D7000 will almost certainly continue to be available, and depending on what the successor is -- maybe it's more camera than you need, or it lacks an essential feature the D7000 has -- you may still decide on a D7000, only you'll have gone several months without one. The D7000, after all, isn't exactly a direct successor to the D90, but a bit more camera -- for one thing, it was more expensive when it was released ($1200) than the D90 was when it was released back in 2008 ($900). And the D90 is still available. Compare the release prices to current prices and you'll see that the prices actually haven't gone down that much for either of them -- maybe $150.

My sense is that prices do tend to drift downward, but slowly. Any D7000 successor will be more expensive than whatever the D7000 goes for when that successor comes out.
posted by mcwetboy at 11:54 AM on April 28, 2012

Response by poster: Thanks, mcwetboy. That's really helpful.
posted by Beardman at 12:09 PM on April 28, 2012

Seconding what mcwetboy said. You may be waiting a long time, it's nearly impossible to predict. Wait too long and you may miss the photos you wanted to take.

Another option is to buy the D7000 used. Reputable forums exist, as well as large online retailers. By buying used, you can get a price that reflects the age of the D7000 line. If you decide to sell it later and buy the D8000, then your loss will be small. To give you a feel, for person-to-person sales the D7000 is running $850-900, and KEH is selling good quality used D7000's for $1050.
posted by Mercaptan at 1:01 PM on April 28, 2012

Just get the camera you need - in money vs. opportunity terms, the difference you'll actually be paying is small... Also, consider that the glass is more important than the body.
posted by chrisinseoul at 4:17 AM on April 29, 2012