The Nikon D7000: it's official!

The Nikon D7000 has been made official – complete with: 39-point autofocus system, 100 percent viewfinder coverage, 1080/24p and 720/30p video options, dual SD card slots & 6fps burst mode for up to 100 shots.

The new new mid-class DX-format camera features a compact body along with top & rear covers made of a magnesium alloy — adding that extra bit of increased durability.

Other functions & features of the D7000 include:

• A glass pentaprism for viewfinder frame coverage of approximately 100% and magnification of approximately 0.94×
• High-speed continuous shooting of up to 100 shots at approximately 6 fps, and a very precise and durable shutter unit that has passed testing for 150,000 cycles
• New U1 and U2 settings on the mode dial allow users to assign frequently used settings, including ISO sensitivity and exposure compensation, to these positions for instant recall of the registered settings by simply rotating the mode dial
• Live view function that can be smoothly enabled with the dedicated live view switch
• Double SD memory card slot that enable use of two SD memory cards (SDHC, SDXC also supported)
• The Rechargeable Li-ion Battery EN-EL15, which enables capture about 1,050 shots when fully charged
• Support for the new Multi-Power Battery Pack MB-D11 (sold separately), which holds not only Rechargeable Li-ion Batteries EN-EL15, but also AA batteries
• Nikon’s image browsing and editing software, ViewNX 2, supplied with purchase

With an estimated release date of mid-October, the D7000 is available now for pre-purchase, either on its own or as part of a kit that includes the AF-S DX 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6 G ED VR Nikkor Zoom Lens.