I will be getting a Nikon D7000 in less than a week. My intentions are to use it for a year while I collect some funds, and purchase a D7100 or a D7200 (the D7500 is really out of my price range). I was wondering if anybody could comment on low-light performance between the three cameras, general user experience, and any other feature that has come in handy while exploring. I will mostly be using the camera rooftopping, hiking (bird watching and the like), and potentially underground so I'll need a decent fps in continuous shooting and decent low-light performance.

Thanks in advance.

I used a D7000 for a very long time and never had any issues with it.
The low-light performance was pretty decent for what it is. If you're not going to shoot too much in low-lit environments, go for D7000, as it will be cheaper than the 3 cameras you stated. D7200 however, will unquestionably the best out of the three. I'd recommend D7200 over the other two.
You might not even need D7500, the feature difference isn't going to be too much, unless there's a specific feature you're looking for that the D7500 has and the D7200 doesn't.

All I can see that the D7500 does better is higher fps and it may potentially perform better at high ISO's. I'll probably settle for the D7200 then, thanks for your reply.

I've been shooting with the D7000 for a while and I find it performs quite well in most settings. I'd personally get the cheapest one you can find and buy some quality glass with the extra money you got.

Get the best you can afford.
Pro bodies rock; a used pro cam in good condition, well cared for, can last a long time.

When you mention 'pro glass' I don't really know what lens to get. I wanted to simply buy the nikon kit lens that does 18-105mm and probably a 50mm f1.4 because I recently got to play around with one of those and I loved it. I'm also on a very tight budget: I don't want to spend any more than $CAD150 on a lens so I'm limited in that way.

Posted by That_Dude When you mention 'pro glass' I don't really know what lens to get. I wanted to simply buy the nikon kit lens that does 18-105mm and probably a 50mm f1.4 because I recently got to play around with one of those and I loved it. I'm also on a very tight budget: I don't want to spend any more than $CAD150 on a lens so I'm limited in that way.

Don't know the Nikon line at all.
Canon L lense; pro glass.
The Nikon equivalents are better made and shooters as well.
Used pro glass is another option to get more bang for the buck. A well cared for lense can last a lifetime.

You need to do a lot of reading to make a knowledgeable purchase.
Start here:
http://www.slrgear.com/reviews/index.php

buy a used D700!!!!!!!

Posted by dundertits buy a used D700!!!!!!!

That, or a D750. Excellent in low light. I'm getting a gently-used body for 1200.

Something to think about when choosing your camera and lenses. You can use the newer Nikon AF-P (pulse stepping motor autofocus) lenses on a d7100 or d7200. You can't use them on a d7000.

https://www.nikoni...gured=1&lang=en_GB

If I haven't missed anything, these are the Nikon AF-P lenses with DX mounts.

https://www.bhphot...37-REG_1341603-REG

And it's not just that the autofocus won't work on a d7000--you can't manually focus either.

I have an old d7000 that I keep around as a back-up, and I was going to get that AF-P 10-20 for it until I found out that it wouldn't work.

I've just started using the D7000 and I'm starting to doubt whether the extra features of a D7200 are worth $400 to me. I didn't get a full frame body because they are way out of my price range, I paid 380CAD for the D7000 and that was pushing it. Anyways, thanks for all the great information.

I used a D7000 for years and always had trouble with the focus priority. Now I have a D750 and it seems to be much better. Ultimately you can get anything and stick it on a tripod and get good quality pictures, so what matters isn't necessarily expensive gear.

I shot on the d7000 for a long time, very good camera. I wouldn't even bother trying to upgrade to the other 7000 models, it's not worth it. Instead save up more and go full frame if that's what you want. I run with a d6100 now, but d750 or d810 are also incredible. However, if you're not trying to go that far, I suggest sticking with d7000 and investing in potentially some good glass.