Nikon D7000 Discussion and tips.

12/14/2010 03:04:31 PM · #1

Anyone with tips or thoughts about the D7000? Let's post them here and share the goodies.

So far, I like the little feature that works with DOF preview (stop down button) that turns on the modeling light when the flash is popped up and the DOF preview button is pressed. When shooting macro, this allows you to see the subject a lot better when the viewfinder goes dark at aperture stop down. : )

The older SB28 flash and probably all the "non DTTL" Nikon flashes do not communicate with the camera, at least, I have not found a way to do it yet : P The best solution for me so far is to go full manual and set the flash as you would for the older film cameras. If you set the camera any other way, the camera sets exposure for shooting with no flash, so if it's dark, the camera will make long exposures or change it's settings to match the existing light.

The built in interval timer is a nice addition.

I have a lot of old "Ai" manual "no chip" lenses, and it has the ability to meter with those in manual or aperture priority modes, and also writes the aperture setting used and lens focal length in the exif file if you enter the focal length and max aperture for the lens in use. You can make up a list of lenses in one of the menus and select the one you are using from that list, so the camera can accurately report the stats and work correctly with the lens.

The only battery available is the EN EL15, a battery so new that only the OEM is available at about $65 US or the $300 battery grip, which can use either the OEM battery or 6 AA's. You need to set the camera for the battery type for any other than the EN EL15.

12/14/2010 07:06:36 PM · #2

Bump for the evening US people.

dswann

Nikon AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5G IF-ED

12/14/2010 08:36:16 PM · #3

I don't have any tips, but this new Nikon has me ready to dump my D80 and move up. Time to start saving my shekels.

NikonJeb

Nikon AF-S Nikkor 28-300mm f3.5-5.6G ED VR

12/14/2010 08:56:05 PM · #4

Originally posted by MelonMusketeer:

Anyone with tips or thoughts about the D7000?

Yeah!

I'd like to know where I could get my hands on a body.

I don't want a kit lens, and though a D300s seems like a natural progression from my D200, I really like what I'm seeing about the D7000.

mBastin

Nikon D80

Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6 EX DC HSM for Nikon

12/14/2010 08:59:33 PM · #5

Originally posted by dswann:

I don't have any tips, but this new Nikon has me ready to dump my D80 and move up. Time to start saving my shekels.

I've heard nothing about it, is it really that much much better then a d80 to justify an upgrade? At this point I'm planning on the d300s although it's still a bit pricey for me.

NikonJeb

Nikon AF-S Nikkor 28-300mm f3.5-5.6G ED VR

12/14/2010 09:10:47 PM · #6

Originally posted by dswann:

I don't have any tips, but this new Nikon has me ready to dump my D80 and move up. Time to start saving my shekels.

Originally posted by mBastin:

I've heard nothing about it, is it really that much much better then a d80 to justify an upgrade? At this point I'm planning on the d300s although it's still a bit pricey for me.

12/15/2010 01:14:28 AM · #7

12/15/2010 01:31:24 AM · #8

Cropped and adjusted:

Finished product:

I am impressed with the image quality. This was shot hand held, using flash, from about 30 ft, with the kit 18-105 lens at 55mm. You can see that the original was underexposed somewhat to keep good detail in the white dress.
The camera comes with two manuals, and the English version is 320 pages, so it's got plenty of bells and whistles to tinker with.
The virtual horizon is a handy gadget if you use a tripod for landscape or architectural stuff.

Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR II

11/07/2011 10:00:23 AM · #9

A lot of DPC'ers are getting the D7000 now, so I feel that it may be a good time to kick-start this old thread.

I just noticed that in playback mode, you can zoom in one click or more, and use the thumb wheel to scroll through the images. It's easier than using the 4 way button, and it maintains the zoom level. It's a very handy feature if you want to scroll a group of images and check focus.

snaffles

Nikon D7100

11/07/2011 10:14:05 AM · #10

.

Message edited by author 2011-11-07 10:17:53.

snaffles

Nikon D7100

Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR II

11/07/2011 10:16:29 AM · #11

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.

Message edited by author 2011-11-07 10:17:19.

11/07/2011 11:22:08 AM · #12

So far, no problems with moisture with the one I use. I have used it in light rain, not dripping wet, but very damp with no problems.
I wonder if he filled the buffer by shooting strings of multiple shots, and had to wait for it to clear? There is a good possibility that the problem had to do with settings instead of moisture.
Anyway, it's good that you were there and had the coverage of two photographers.

mbrutus2009

Nikon AF-S Nikkor 16-35 f/4 ED VR

11/07/2011 11:36:59 AM · #13

Cameralabs review of this camera

I love this site. Gordon (editor of the website) is an awesome person. I recommend people to browse around the site. You won't be disappointed. Gordon knows his stuff for sure. He breaks down the cameras that he reviews so much! More than I even needed to know before I got sold on the D7000 for my next purchase.

NikonJeb

Nikon AF-S Nikkor 28-300mm f3.5-5.6G ED VR

11/07/2011 12:54:29 PM · #14

I'm prolly not the best guy to turn to for a review, 'cause I don't play around that much with all the features. That said, it's been easy for me to get this camera to do what I want, without a lot of fuss, and I am constantly amazed by the image quality of this camera.

I truly love my D7000!

Oh.....mine gets rained on periodically, and hasn't given me a problem.

11/17/2011 07:57:46 PM · #15

I found something interesting in the "Improve Photography" site about Sandisc cards and the D7000.
D7000 Sandisc

I discovered another "hidden" feature, and it may be common to other Nikons. If you are in playback mode, and zoom in one click or more, then you can scroll through photos in the card while zoomed in. To do it, zoom in, then rotate the thumb wheel. It would be very useful when shooting focus or vibration critical shots where you may want to look back through them without having to go back and forth zooming in on each image.

Message edited by author 2011-11-17 20:01:53.

chromeydome

11/17/2011 11:35:54 PM · #16

Well, I have had the D80, the D90, and now the D7000. The D90 itself was a clear upgrade over the D80, with feature improvements but mostly a better sensor. The D7000 is, for me, a HUGE leap from the D90. The list of things I appreciate and use regularly is pretty long, but some of them are

-bigger brighter viewfinder
-dual memory cards, configurable--I configure mine to be copies, so I have backed up images as I shoot
-two custom user programmable modes, dialed right from the mode dial
-option to let ISO auto roam within a chosen range in manual mode (pick your aperture/shutter speed, let iso roam)
-highly adjustable WB (at each major setting, daylight, flash, etc, you can step it in smaller adjustments toward blue or amber)
-quiet shooting mode
-mirror lock-up

Coming from a D80 or D90, the controls are right where you expect them to be, albeit some have shifted around to make room for others.

The price difference (body to body) for a D90 or D7000 is really not far apart, makes the D7000 a no brainer choice, in my opinion.

As for the the wedding photographer whose hand sweat apparently caused the camera to fail, I am very skeptical. He may have had a bad copy, but I gotta suspect that it was operator error. Blaming the camera is an easy out when he messed up in an important situation. I suppose hand sweat could be a threat for a defective body, but not for a normal copy.

I will eventually upgrade to a full frame body, but that is now primarily JUST to get the high iso capability. And my D7000 has some features (like the dual memory cards) that, for me, make it superior to the D700 for most of my purposes. Rumor has it that the D800 will have dual cards, likely will have the new focus/exposure system that is in the D7000, and such like that. It will be a viable option, but I won't give up my D7000.

Message edited by author 2011-11-17 23:42:26.

jomari

Nikon AF-S DX 18-105 f/3.5-5.6 ED VR

11/18/2011 12:21:00 AM · #17

I've just bought myself a D7000 and now I have to learn all about it, so I'll keep an eye on all your tips!

dswann

Nikon AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5G IF-ED

11/18/2011 12:46:16 AM · #18

Originally posted by MelonMusketeer:

I just checked and this works on my D80! I wish I had known about this feature years ago!

11/18/2011 01:10:50 AM · #19

Originally posted by jomari:

I've just bought myself a D7000 and now I have to learn all about it, so I'll keep an eye on all your tips!

I'm very happy for you Marion. There is a learning curve. I got mine and had about 6 hours with it before I had to shoot the wedding that I got it for. If you have any questions you can post them here.
Some of the things that I have noticed;
There are too many things about it to learn all of them, even if you study it all year. It's been a year this week with mine, and I am not even half way there. I found the settings and controls that I like, and now am trying to learn one or two new things a week as I shoot.

The flash will not pop up when you press that button unless the camera is turned on. That's a good thing for when it's in the bag.

The "Function" button, on the front below the shutter button can be programmed to do most any function. I use the one on mine for 2 sec self timer most of the time.

There is amazing detail in the dark areas of the images, even when shooting .jpg

A little warning about something; The DLighting feature, when set to "Extra High" can cause dark haloes around bright objects like the moon when shooting .jpg. I'm not sure if it does that when shooting RAW.

To tweak white balance, access the LCD with the button at the lower right, then hold the W/B button on the left of the LCD. One wheel scrolls the available presets, and the other tweaks the preset toward red or blue. You adjust the color temp this way too, when you choose K. This is very handy for sunset and sunrise shots. This does not work in "Auto" mode.

Another thing that can give you trouble once in a while is that the "Mode" knob can be turned accidentally, and it happens pretty often. Most of the time, I shoot A priority so I usually set Manual and Shutter Priority to a long shutter speeds, so that I can hear the change in shutter speeds and know that it's been rotated.

Not specifically related to the D7000, but if you are going to shoot panning shots with the VR lenses, turn the VR off. The lens tronix are sensing that the camera is moving, and the lens is trying to compensate for that while you are trying to smoothly pan. I found out about this while shooting an Indy car race.

For shooting flying birds, I have found that 9 focus points, and center weighted average metering seems to work best for me. Your results may vary. If you skew the focus/metering by using the 4 way buttons, you can pop it back to center by pressing the "OK" button in the center of the 4 way.

Message edited by author 2011-11-18 01:26:55.

jomari

Nikon AF-S DX 18-105 f/3.5-5.6 ED VR

11/18/2011 07:48:40 AM · #20

Thanks for the tips, Waddy. I'll put this thread on watch, so that I can easily refer back to it. I'm looking forward to doing stuff that I couldn't do before.

dswann

Nikon AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5G IF-ED

12/10/2011 11:50:31 AM · #21

Just got my new D7000. Upgrading from a D80. Anyone have any tips or recommendations on basic setup parameters (file handling, color space setting, etc). It is a big step up from the D80 in capability and complexity! So far I love though!

chromeydome

Panasonic LUMIX DMC-LX100

12/10/2011 07:46:31 PM · #22

Originally posted by dswann:

I'd set it for the adobe color space which is a wider gamut than srgb. I'd also choose the 14 bit color depth setting over 12 bit.

I set the memory cards to back up mode, so I have duplicated image files as I shoot. But there are other options there that may suit you much better than that.

You can program it to add your copyright & name to the metadata.

Spend some time now and again with the manual. It is too much to absorb in one sitting/reading.

Mostly, though, get shooting with it! :D

spiritualspatula

12/10/2011 08:13:49 PM · #23

14 bit vs 12 bit and SRBG vs Adobe RGB are issues that should not be dealt with lightly. Moreso colorspace than 12 vs 14 bit, as it can TOTALLY screw up your process if you don't know what you're getting into. I'd say it's one of the top frustrations of folks. 12 vs 14, yes, there is an increase in quality, but for most usages, the increase does not really warrant the slowdown in performance and increase in file size. I'm not pretending to be an authority on it, but that was the conclusion I came to after my reading. Things may have changed since then, as well.

Panasonic LUMIX DMC-LX100

12/10/2011 08:22:11 PM · #24

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.

spiritualspatula