Nikon D7xxx owners thread

Just upgraded from a D90 and some of the features esp the new focusing really makes a difference! Really loving it.

There is also some great tips in this thread, thanks guys!
 
What sort of battery life are others getting from their D7000's?

I've checked mine and the battery is at 25% and shot count this charge is 299. But, virtually every shot was taken indoors (Christmas Day) with the flash or if I was outside I was taking shots using continuous shooting quite a lot (little girl wanted to try her new scooter on Christmas Day so we went over the park).
 
Ive been saving up for 3 months and had asked all my relatives for Jessops vouchers for Xmas. I finally got enough in the kity but now no Jessops stores near me has any stock and to cap it off they have put them up by £100. It's typical as I've been tracking them for months and even as late as Xmas eve there was stock in my local store at the original price.
 
Northstander said:
What sort of battery life are others getting from their D7000's?

I've checked mine and the battery is at 25% and shot count this charge is 299. But, virtually every shot was taken indoors (Christmas Day) with the flash or if I was outside I was taking shots using continuous shooting quite a lot (little girl wanted to try her new scooter on Christmas Day so we went over the park).
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The D7000's battery life is something else. Have yet to exhaust it during a day's shooting. Makes it hard to justify buying a second battery.
 
Northstander said:
What sort of battery life are others getting from their D7000's?

I've checked mine and the battery is at 25% and shot count this charge is 299. But, virtually every shot was taken indoors (Christmas Day) with the flash or if I was outside I was taking shots using continuous shooting quite a lot (little girl wanted to try her new scooter on Christmas Day so we went over the park).
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In daylight with a 70-200, 1400 shots and deleting and previewing and the battery showed 1 segment left, though it hadn't started flashing yet. I haven't used the pop up flash except as a trigger, so can't help there.
 
the D7000 battery last a good while. During day time shooting it can last pretty much all day, i've not use a second battery before during a day shot except doing video.
 
Hisdem said:
Hello all. I got my D7000 just about a week ago, with a 35mm 1.8 DX lens. I'm on the market now for a general purpose lens, and would go for the 24-120 f/4 VR, but my budget got limited. So I'm currently looking at the 16-85 VR and 18-200 VR. Leaning towards the 16-85 for IQ and optical quality, as I can get a 70-300 in the future. Anyone with experience on these two lenses? Any comments and insight are appreciated!

Just moved up from a Sony A290 DSLR, and I must say I am very, very impressed with the D7000 so far.

Test shot, first day:

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From experience I would say don't bother with the 18-200mm on the D7000. I have not tried the 16-85mm but hear that it is optically better
 
Hisdem said:
Hello all. I got my D7000 just about a week ago, with a 35mm 1.8 DX lens. I'm on the market now for a general purpose lens, and would go for the 24-120 f/4 VR, but my budget got limited. So I'm currently looking at the 16-85 VR and 18-200 VR. Leaning towards the 16-85 for IQ and optical quality, as I can get a 70-300 in the future. Anyone with experience on these two lenses? Any comments and insight are appreciated!
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I bought the original 24-120 AF-D aka the street sweeper for I think a whopping £65 on ebay :) Might be a thought. I think it is a corker of cheap walk about lens.

So shots with it...


The Long Walk by JP de Jong, on Flickr


Knossos by JP de Jong, on Flickr


Ancient Red by JP de Jong, on Flickr
 
The street sweeper looks like a bargain. I was originally looking to buy the new f/4 version, but my budget got reduced a bit. I will give the AF-D version a look. The earlier VR version seems to be trash, though.

As for the battery, I have found myself now charging it while it shows one segment left, because it lasts long, but not long enough for a full day. I never thought I would say this, but battery, why won't you drain?
 
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No this version is before the VR version :) And yes based on the feedback I've read, I'm leaving that one well alone. The original 24-120 I do like a lot.

I think you find it didn't last because you use the internal flash a lot. I don't think I've ever used it :)
 
There a lot of garbage talked about the Nikon 24-120 f3.5-5.6 AFS VR, I know as I own one and have for 7 years. Sure it's not the sharpest lens that Nikon ever made, but it's not crap either. I have used it in the past with my D100, D200, D300, D2x and now the D3 as an ideal walk about lens, and it does really well.

There were a few from the very early batches that didn't seem too good, but later ones were prefectly acceptable. It only really seems to be lens snobs that put this lens down. TBH for the price they are going for today, if you get a decent one, they are a bit of a bargain.
 
Why does someone has to be a snob when they think other models in the same range are better?
 
Sorry jean-Paul, wasn't actually referring to you :)

It was an early morning post and on re-reading it, it does sound a bit scathing and arrogant which I didn't mean.

What I meant to say was I've come across a number of Nikon togs over the years (mostly touting pro glass), that have dismissed the lens without actually trying it first (I.e. it's what they read on forums).

One in particular was very surprised when I enteed a local photo club competition with an image of an old mill taken with the 24-120 on my old D100, which was printed at 16" x 12" and came second. He refused to believe I used this lens and was convinced I'd used a 17-35 (which I didn't own and could afford to at the time).

So basically I reiterate what I said, it's really not as bad as its repuation would seem (at least my copy anyway). Maybe I got one of the good ones ?
 
No need for apologies bud :) All good.

In the end it is all about the image that is captured :) and don't believe all you read on the Internet. A lot of the I belief that a lot of people repeat what they read without saying so. I have no problem if they qualify it like that as one can make up their mind but if not it doesn't really mean anything. In a way it is good when little gems have a bad reputation as you can buy them cheaply.

What I love about the street sweeper is the zoom range. Although I am on DX that range really suits me very well for street and candids around town.

Sometimes I wish it was a little faster though so I could use it better without flash in an evening.
 
Ahem....cough cough...maybe a D3s on the horizon for you then Jean-Paul, no need for flash then :lol: :lol:
 
Sootchucker said:
Ahem....cough cough...maybe a D3s on the horizon for you then Jean-Paul, no need for flash then :lol: :lol:
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LOL One day perhaps. Albeit the D7000 is already a huge improvement compared to my D70.
 
martin007 said:
Hello anyone out there got a broken d70 body for sale.

Martin
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Sorry bud. I'm keeping mine, having it IR converted :)
 
There's a D70 for sale in the classified section. Buy that and drop it, it'll be broken then :lol: :lol:

Sorry :tumbleweed:
 
Hisdem said:
As for the battery, I have found myself now charging it while it shows one segment left, because it lasts long, but not long enough for a full day. I never thought I would say this, but battery, why won't you drain?
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Have read several articles that say that Li-ion batteries last longer if you charge them before they drain completely. This particular one lists the pros and cons.
 
Has anyone tried to calibrate or fine tune the D7000 to a particular lens?
 
I've applied minor AF tuning if that is what you mean yes...
 
Rather unscientific, I placed several AA batteries in a row but just slightly back from each other so I could view all of them. Then I used spot focus on the middle one at a wide open aperture. Then check whether it is front or back focussing, adjust and do it again until satisfied.
 
thanks Jean-Paul, did you look at images in back of camera or on screen out of interest?
And most importantly, were you happy with the outcome?
 
No problem. I looked at both, with final approvals on my computer screen as it does show up slight differences.

Yes most definitely happy. And remember in my experience most of the focussing errors were actually mine and not a calibration between the camera and lens. Sometimes it drove me nuts but actually for most of the time it really was me. So some lens where I had an adjustment I removed them now my technique with the D7000 is better and they are (were...) spot on anyway...
 
adrianday said:
Have read several articles that say that Li-ion batteries last longer if you charge them before they drain completely. This particular one lists the pros and cons.
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Cheers to that. Nice read, that article :)

As for AF Fine Tuning, yesterday I found out that my D7000 with the 35mm 1.8 gave best results when set to -20. I had been arguing with the camera since the day I got it, because of focusing issues...
 
That is a lot for a Nikon lens. If that is really the case I would have that lens services being right on the maximum.
 
Hisdem said:
As for AF Fine Tuning, yesterday I found out that my D7000 with the 35mm 1.8 gave best results when set to -20. I had been arguing with the camera since the day I got it, because of focusing issues...
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I've had to set my 50mm 1.8 to -20 as well and I'm not convinced it's right still. Not entirely sure how much of it is down to be having poor technique as I've been trying real world situations rather then test charts. Part of me isn't too bothered as I don't spend much time below 2.8 or 3.5 where the right area is in focus anyway.

That aside, I really like the D7000 so far. I picked up my D60 the other day to move it and it feels so light it's like a toy in comparison. All I need is some decent weather and this tooth infection to go away so I can go try some landscapes. :D
 
Now that I'm confident enough in my technique and I have lenses known to be properly calibrated, I've set the default body fine tune to -18. I did it by going from +20 to -20 in increments of 5, focusing from MFD and from infinity at each setting (yes there is a difference, and it can swamp the fine tune difference) and picking the best two pairs, then iterating down. The difference can be very subtle depending on the focus distance used (I used the 70-200 at 15m and the 105mm at 3m, confirmed the body calibration using the 24mm PC-E and comparing focus confirm accuracy with magnified live view. Without the body adjustment, the camera would see my in focus images as frontfocused and its properly focused images were backfocused). I'll send the body in to be calibrated once my project is done, as it's not immediately urgent; it would be nice to know that I will still have leeway if I ever buy a slightly backfocusing lens.
 
yes I agree, I would definitely send the body in if all your lenses need that much adjustment as it doesn't leave much room to play with.
 
Yep. Thankfully the fine tune has the adjustment it has so it can be lived with for now, and honestly the difference is swamped by PP stuff up to about 8.5x11 prints, and by noise after about ISO1600. Half my shooting is at 1600 or above so it's not been that urgent. Now I know I'll be doing a fair bit of lower ISO work after this project is done, it makes sense to sort it.

4.jpg


is at ISO3200 with another stop added in PP and the shadows brought up further still. A focus difference fixable by fine tune would have been masked quite heavily by the noise.
 
LOL Yes that is not the type of shooting that would easily show up the differences.
 
The wakeboarding shots (ISO 100, SS between 1/800 and 1/2000) do, however. Lots of fine detail and fast moving subjects - when an image is dead on it just looks different to one that is even slightly out (which is why I sent the 70-200 in).

4.jpg


is a quarter frame crop. There's no way I'd have been able to do that if I hadn't done the calibration. Indeed, I have wakeboarding shots from before the calibration that show the difference without pixel peeping.
 
GeordieLass said:
I've had to set my 50mm 1.8 to -20 as well and I'm not convinced it's right still. Not entirely sure how much of it is down to be having poor technique as I've been trying real world situations rather then test charts. Part of me isn't too bothered as I don't spend much time below 2.8 or 3.5 where the right area is in focus anyway.
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Finally got around to trying the other lenses (the novelty of my 50mm now auto focusing still hasn't worn off). They're both spot on so it's just my 50mm out. Typical, lol. I swear they were all fine on my D60!
 
Hmmm, just took delivery of a secondhand D7000 and grip (very cheap from someone I knew who was switching to mirrorless format). I'm pretty sure it is not a UK model as the box has Chinese or Japenses writing at the end.

Now I own currently a D3, D200 & a D300, with my main lenses being the Nikon 14-24 F2.8 AFS, 17-55 F2.8 AFS DX, 24-70 F2.8 AFS, 70-200 F2.8 VR II AFS, 300mm F4 AFS, 35mm F1.8 DX AFS and a old 50mm F1.8 D.

None of these lenses (not one) required any AF adjustment on the D300 and D3 (and they are also spot on with the D200 as well), however they are all back focussing (to a greater or lesser degree) on the D7000 with the expception of the 14-24 (however that may be down to the increased DOF of this lens), and the 50mm F1.8D which is spot on.

As I've only had the D7000 for a couple of days, I've not really had chance to do in depth focus testing, but straight off the bat with the camera on a tripod, facing a Lens test chart 2m away and Mirror lock up, F2.8 @ 1/250 sec, I noticed that if I adjust all the lenses from the default 0 to approx -12 to -17, they are all tack sharp. At default values slightly soft and back focussing.

TBH, I thought all these threads on D7000 focus issues were all user error (apologies), but there does appear to be something different about the D7000's AF.

My dilemma is, as the lenses are now working OK (albeit with quite major AF fine tune), should I just leave it at that, or send the D7000 in for a check over / repair, but not knowing the origin of the camera, this may well be chargeable ? Interesting that all the issues on mine are with AFS lenses ?
 
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If you are sure it is the D7000 I would send the D7000 in for calibration considering your lenses are fine on the other cameras. As with everything, some will be user error I know for definite mine was due to a combination of many more MPs than I had previously and that I bought faster glass. Some will be the lens (which you've ruled out on your other cameras). And it can be the body as well, from what I deducted it seems to be especially the early batch but that is just a guess.
 
Adjusting all lenses to around -15 does seem to indicate that there might be something amiss with the body. For what it's worth I needed to dial in the following (off the top of my head):

18-70:
​
-10
35 1.8:
​
-7 or -8 (can't quite remember)
70-300vr:
​
-3ish
50 1.8D:
​
no adjustment
24-120 f4 (rented):
​
no adjustment
 
sorry to go off post, how do i know when i need to AF adjust? All my lens seems to perform quite well, i can't see the obvious but would like to know how to test.

I've got the focus test chart to try it.
 
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