Nikon D7000 Discussion and tips.

12/11/2011 01:35:22 AM · #26

Originally posted by snaffles:

Saw a site that pitted D90 against D7000, and it came up with the acerbic conclusion that the D90 has no advantages over the D7000.

On paper, perhaps, all the specs are quite impressive.

But they are much less impressive if the camera quits on you!!!

I shot a wedding as 2nd camera with a photog who used a D7000. We were well into the ceremony, me at the back, him at the front, when I saw him wave me up. I got up there, and the D7000 had crapped out on him...because despite the weather sealing etc, the sweat from his hand was enough moisture to bring it to a screeching halt.

That meant I had to get key moments like the kiss, because his camera stayed down for several minutes.

I know this was an isolated incident, but it still left me distinctly underwhelmed. I've shot in pouring rain with the non-sealed D90 (before I was able to get it under cover), and it and the lens kept trucking on.

So I'm keeping the D90 forever, and when I do replace it, it'll probably be with the D800.

I am wondering if this incident was a "flash overheating" problem. The camera will stop shooting if the flash is used at high power and at high shooting rates, until the flash has time to cool down. I don't know if it is also true with the dedicated hot shoe flash units. Maybe someone else knows the answer to that one.
It's also possible that he was not using a fast SD card. The 7000 requires a minimum "Class 6" card. Even with a C 10 card, you can fill the buffer faster than it can move the files to the card. If in camera noise reduction is set high, then you can run into problems with the camera processing the incoming images slowly too.
I have noticed that when doing time exposures, it takes about the same amount of time as the exposure for the camera to process the fresh image before it will shoot another shot when NR is set on the highest available setting. It's a little frustrating to have to wait for a second shot when shooting continuous action at night, like a satellite fly-over, where it would be nice to have continuous shots that could be stitched.

12/11/2011 01:56:43 AM · #27

Originally posted by spiritualspatula:

Originally posted by MelonMusketeer:
I just discovered tonight, after a year of shooting, that turning the off/on switch all the way toward "on", turns on the backlight in the top LCD (shooting info) display for as long as you hold the switch in that position. It's handy for a quick look at settings while shooting at night.
Some of the other Nikon's probably share this feature.

This is true of the D300, and should be of many other Nikon products as well. It's a super useful feature I use often. If your Nikon has a * marking on the ON/OFF switch, it supports this feature. It should be spring loaded to return from the * setting to the ON setting.

This was the case for my D80 as well. It is a handy function.

12/11/2011 02:12:25 AM · #28

Thanks everyone for the advice. Definitely a lot to absorb on this camera - the manual is at least 4 times as thick as the D80 manual! My goal right now is to get it set up close to my D80 (where applicable) just for familiarity and shooting efficiency, then start exploring the new options available to me. I generally don't read a manual cover to cover at first. I just skim over it to hit the high points first, then go back and read specific sections in detail as needed to learn new functions.

I'll have to study some more on the color space settings and consider my workflow and software.

I did not realize that name and copyright info could be added to metadata. Good to know.

Panasonic LUMIX DMC-LX100

12/11/2011 01:13:37 PM · #29

Just noticed that the D7000 does in-camera distortion corrction (pin-cushion and barrel distortion correction). Would this be legal in basic editing?

Message edited by author 2011-12-11 14:00:09.

spiritualspatula

Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED

12/11/2011 04:54:00 PM · #30

Originally posted by dswann:

Just noticed that the D7000 does in-camera distortion corrction (pin-cushion and barrel distortion correction). Would this be legal in basic editing?

I'm thinking No based on this DQ.

12/11/2011 11:57:15 PM · #31

Quote from the "Basic" rule set;
"You may:

use any feature of your camera while photographing your entry, with the exception of combining multiple captures in-camera."

The distortion control that

dswann is talking about is a camera feature that automatically corrects distortion based on models stored in the camera's software and tailored to the Nikkor lens that you have mounted on the camera. The camera reads the chip info from the lens, and corrects for distortion at any available focal length used for the image, based on their data about that lens model. It's a shooting feature, not an editing feature. The image with correction applied goes into the card as you shoot.

There are options in the software in the D7000 to edit images already in the SD cards for several actions like parallax correction, and fisheye effect, that would not be ok for "Basic" editing challenges. It creates a new image on the card, and keeps the original as well, when you are done editing in camera. Using those editing features, at least some of them, could be DQ'd.

12/19/2011 09:43:41 PM · #32

I have another D7000 operational question:

On the D80, you can set it for wireless remote activation along with the self-timer. Then if you fired the shutter with the infrared remote, it activated the self-timer function. This was good for setting up shots with yourself as the model and have time to get yourself set after firing the camera. I would at times set the timer at 10 seconds, then trigger the shutter release with the remote.

On the D7000, the wireless remote control switch and the self-timer switch are both on the release mode dial, so you have to choose one or the other. When set to remote control, the longest delay I can find is 2 seconds.

The only work around that I have found is to set the camera for mirror lock-up. Then use the wireless to raise the mirror. According to the manual, the shutter will automatically release after 30 seconds.

Anyone got a better way?

Message edited by author 2011-12-20 01:21:18.

12/20/2011 12:21:15 AM · #33

I use a radio remote, that plugs into the USB jack with a short cord. It works the camera in any of the modes on the mode switch. I got the RC one because I like to shoot with the camera on a monopod overhead about as high as I can reach, or out to the side. I thought that the IR ones might not work the camera from the bottom since the IR sensors are on the front and back of the camera.
ETA, The radio remote is a two part gadget, one part, the receiver hooks to the camera, and there is a separate trigger gadget for it.
ETA 2, You may have a look in the menus, for timer settings, and set it to shoot more than one shot when the shutter is triggered, with a delay between shots. I don't know if that would work though, since the multi shot function is associated with the delayed shutter release function.

Message edited by author 2011-12-20 00:25:45.

12/20/2011 01:47:24 AM · #34

Thanks. I will have to look into the radio triggers. That would allow me to set the release mode to self timer with my chosen delay time, then trigger it with the radio unit.