Introduction

The chart below suggests amount and quality of dynamic range to be expected from the D7000. The test patches for the data points were prepared as follows:

• Camera set to full manual controls.
• A heavily overcast sky used as the subject (One of several possible weaknesses in the method as the source is probably not pure white).
• Aperture adjusted for correct exposure at 1/200 second.
• Shots taken at 1 EV intervals on either side of correct exposure by adjusting shutter (1/100, 1/50, ... etc.)
• RGB values taken from NEF patches using Paintshop cursor display and entered into a spread sheet for charting. (Don't try this with JPEGs as the values get processed.)

This is by no means a lab quality procedure but it's good enough to generalize concerning your camera's dynamic range. I would expect DR to be a bit greater at lower ISO's and to shrink slightly at the highest values.

Update for November 18:

• EV0 position has been re-calibrated and is now correctly identified.
• A data entry error for Blue channel has been corrected, removing the small bump formerly at position 3.

Observations:

• If you compare to similar charts at www.dpreview.com you will find it much like those of other high-end DSLR's. IOW, no big surprises ... just a very nice performance showing solid 9 to 10 EV's useful range.
• The D7000 seems to have a bit more shadow strength than most. That suggests more room for boosting the shadows after under-exposing to avoid blown highlights in high contrast situations, especially if you shoot and process NEF. This assumes my readings are valid. This is, after all, a very quick-and-dirty analysis conducted under difficult circumstances (in a hotel room) and we'll want to see what someone like dpreview comes up with in a proper lab.
• RGB Channels are in excellent agreement if we can assume good neutrality of the source.

Original data for chart accidentally shot with exposure bias engaged. EV0 point is correctly annotated below following re-calibration but the grid markers are offset by amouint of the original bias.

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Nikon D7000 review