Nikon has just announced firmware for a 10-year-old camera, giving the Nikon D7100 an update out of nowhere. While brands like Canon have almost entirely stopped developing their DSLR range, it's reassuring that Nikon is still doing firmware updates (even if it isn't bringing out any new DSLRs).
The Nikon D7100 was released in February 2013 and marketed as a high-performance, compact DSLR capable of high-resolution photos and FullHD video. It was an upgrade to the much-loved Nikon D7000 and included a brand new 24.1-megapixel sensor, 12 more focus points, better dynamic range, a larger screen and improved video capabilities. It was one of the best cropped sensor cameras available to buy at the time, and it was arguably better at focusing in low light than the D600.
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Aimed at enthusiasts and hobbyist photographers, it was perfect for shooting a wide variety of genres including portraits, landscapes, astrophotography and street. Even today, it is a popular choice among those looking for a second-hand camera that won’t break the bank but will still deliver an improvement over their smartphone camera.
While the latest firmware update isn’t particularly exciting, ensuring that there is no limit on how long you can use live view, it’s great news for people who regularly shoot with it. Previously there was an issue that meant live view would end after 10 minutes but the new firmware update version 1.05 fixes the issue.
Nikon recently confirmed that both the Nikon D5600 and D3500 would be discontinued, joining the popular wildlife camera, the Nikon D500 and the king of low-light, the Nikon D750. How much longer Nikon will continue to develop firmware for older DSLR models, we have absolutely no idea. But for anyone who hasn’t yet moved to a mirrorless Nikon Z system, it’s nice to know an old camera can still learn new tricks (or at least, have new tricks installed).
