Nikon D7xxx owners thread

mindcrime said:
Just been caught out with a real rookie mistake. Went to the local aircraft museum over the weekend, and the first use of the D7000. I was getting weird readings from the exposure meter, saying I was over exposed when using 1/125, ISO 800 and f5.6, when I was indoors and there was hardly any light. I then twigged on after about 10 minutes what was happening. The exposure meter is reversed as opposed to the D90 I've been used to!! Why would Nikon now do + to - on the D7000? I found the setting to "reverse" this back to my normal. D'Oh!!!!!
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I didn't come from a D90 but also found this to counter intuitive and changed the settings!
 
Ok, how many of you D7000 users have changed from being D300s users.

I am currently tied with what to go with. I like the D7000 for improved ISO, sensor etc, but studio style type photography doesn't float my boat and prefer to be outdoors with the wildlife, so would the D300s with the sealed body, faster fps and more focal points be of benefit?

Video doesn't really bother me, but have seen you get af on the D7000.

I am expecting a rather biased argument here, but what are your thoughts? I would like to hear more from ex D300s users.

I am currently using a borrowed D200.
 
i bought D7000 first then got the D300 and use the D300 as my main camera. D300 is my main when doing events, wedding etc where i prefer my pro lens to be use on the D300 body.

I use D7000 as backup when shooting wedding, events and also use D7000 for video stuff as well which give me decent quality to work on. Also D7000 is my holiday/walkaround and landscape camera.

Also the D7000 is good for low light performance compare to my D300 when shooting a wedding where flash is not allow.

Either way i use both to its best but it all depend on situation but like i said D300 is my main and d7000 is backup if you put it this way.
 
Caveat: Unlike most people on here, I dislike large cameras. From a D3100 to a D3, they're the same to hold for me comfort wise, so I'd rather have the one that takes less space.

I have at will access to a D300, and tried a D300s before getting the D7000. For me, the only 3 reasons to get a D300s over a D7000 are:

1) You need the greater durability of a D300s, it is sturdier than the D7000 (I have wrecked one of my D7000s already, but that took a beating and it still works when tethered, and the thing that killed it would have killed a D300s as well; I just need to clean the AF button part of the PCB and it'll be fine again)

2) You really need the extended buffer - A D7000 set to 12 bit compressed with good cards gets 17 frames at 6FPS and clears in 7 seconds - that puts it very close to the D300 in number of frames, but with better IQ

3) You like the larger body over the smaller.

AF wise the D7000 broadly matches the D300s. It's better at some things (it beats the D300s for daylight tracking and under gym lights) worse at others (it's way more finicky about where you aim the camera).

http://bythom.com/nikond7000review.htm is a good D7000 summary. The most useful bits are:

Surprise, surprise. This autofocus system is quite good (at least in normal shooting). It feels responsive, does well in low light (but not exceptionally well), and covers a nice wide area of the frame. Coupled with the new method of making autofocus settings, you should be able to get excellent performance in almost any condition with the mirror down. In basketball sessions, it did a very good job of following action, perhaps slightly better than the D300s, but definitely not quite up to the level of my D3s. But anyone up to a D90 user will be blown away with this new system, so it's a big win here. I've seen reports from others about being disappointed with active autofocus use, such as with birds in flight (BIF). I haven't been able to duplicate their problems, though I will note that you may need to adjust your settings if you're coming from another high-end camera. I found my optimal BIF settings for the D7000 to be slightly different than for my D300s.
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and

But let's not confuse something: the D7000 is not up to the level of the D300s in some critical ways: build-quality, feature set, buffer use, and more. Little things, like the material used over the color LCD, can make somewhat substantive differences in whether a camera manages to take full time pro abuse or lives only up to a lower level of consumer handling. The materials, durability, ruggedness, and other build-quality aspects of the D300s are executed at a slightly higher level. If you're bouncing your camera around in the Outback all year long, the D300s is going to stand up to that better than the D7000, though the D7000 will stand up to it better than a D90 would. Plus the D300s still has some performance advantages: 8 fps maximum frame rate and a critically larger buffer, for example. On the plus side, the D7000 has come mighty close to the D300s level in terms of build quality and features, so I'm sure there will be people who opt for a D7000 over a D300s. But I don't consider the D300s obsolete because the D7000 appeared. It's still an excellent camera, though starting to show its age a bit. I fully trust Nikon will address that next year and then the D300s/D7000 debate will just go away entirely. Until then, I think you have to pick the D300s if your camera handling is going to be abusive and rough, the D7000 if you value image quality and performance (other than frame rate and buffer size) over ruggedness.

Put simply, the D300s leans pro, the D7000 leans consumer.
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and

Prosumer DSLR owner (D100, D200, D300 user). Here's the category that's the most troublesome. D100 users, well, step right up. D200 users should take a long close look. D300 users? Well, there's the rub. You'll give up a little, you'll gain a little. So, no, unless they need a DX backup body I don't think the average D300 user is going to be interested in the D7000. Really. I mean that. The thing that'll annoy you about the D7000 is the buffer, and that's a bigger annoyance for the serious shooter than ISO 3200 on the D300. On the other hand, if you're buying from scratch and considering either a D7000 or D300s, then things are a little different. You have to figure out which of the things that are different between the two cameras is more important to you. Then if you're smart, you'll save a few dollars and buy the D7000 ;~). But if you're a raw shooter who's at max frame rates all the time, make sure you're happy with the buffer (I doubt you will be).
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Hope that helps.
 
I am looking to get a D7000 to replace my D300 as I am looking at an SLR with video function and also the better low light performance. I am not worried about fps or not having the pro spec build quality. What I do want to know is what is the video performance like?

I have handled a D7000 at a local store and it feels more comfortable in my hands than my D300 and the weight difference was also noticeable.
 
ian-83 said:
I am looking to get a D7000 to replace my D300 as I am looking at an SLR with video function and also the better low light performance. I am not worried about fps or not having the pro spec build quality. What I do want to know is what is the video performance like?

I have handled a D7000 at a local store and it feels more comfortable in my hands than my D300 and the weight difference was also noticeable.
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The D5100 and D3200 are both better for video than the D7000 (D7000 only does 1080p24 and 720p30, the D3200 does 1080p30/25/24 and 720p60/50/etc)

Other than that, they're all very nice. If you don't need what the D7000 has over them, save the cash and but the cheaper body.

In other news, ISO8000 isn't atrocious

4.jpg
 
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For those who think it won't handle the weather - it will. After this summer (wettest on record or something!!) my D7000 has been soaked day-in, day-out and has just dealt with it in the same way my D2x did. Truly amazed that what is essentially a consumer-grade body will handle the kind of abuse I put mine through.
 
Wow that low light shot is amazing. Very tempted to swap to a D7000 over my D300 as it just feels nicer in the hand to hold and the slight weight reduction will also be a bonus.
 
This may not appeal to everyone that's considering buying a D7000 as we're talking "grey" market, but it does to me - Panamoz has reduced the price of a brand new D7000 to £585 + £9.99 delivery. It is pretty hard to find any negative comments about Panamoz - they seem to do the business very thoroughly, and their communication is apparently excellent. I would buy one right this second, except the price has been gradually dropping in the last few weeks (maybe in anticipation of news from Photokina?!), and it might go lower still.

Anyway, I thought I'd mention it in case anyone wants to save £100+ and take a bit of a perceived (by some) risk that comes with "grey" imports.

By the way, I have just read in the payment section of their FAQ that "** Due to popular demand, we are accepting direct bank transfer with our UK HSBC account (BACS). There will be a 5% discount, off on the total price. Please contact us for more information. **" More money saved!

Hope this helps someone!
Alex
 
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Off to Spain later this week, and have 'slimmed down' my bag to D7000, Sigma 10-20, 24 1.4, 24 PC-E, 35 1.8, 50 1.8 and 85 1.8 :lol:

I am really going to notice there not being a Nikon 16mm PC-E available :(
 
D7000 is indeed my go to camera for low light, landscape and general purpose camera. D300 is good but i only really use it for sport, fast action and work stuff where big heavy lens is attached.
 
rusticalex said:
This may not appeal to everyone that's considering buying a D7000 as we're talking "grey" market, but it does to me - Panamoz has reduced the price of a brand new D7000 to £585 + £9.99 delivery. It is pretty hard to find any negative comments about Panamoz - they seem to do the business very thoroughly, and their communication is apparently excellent. I would buy one right this second, except the price has been gradually dropping in the last few weeks (maybe in anticipation of news from Photokina?!), and it might go lower still.

Anyway, I thought I'd mention it in case anyone wants to save £100+ and take a bit of a perceived (by some) risk that comes with "grey" imports.

By the way, I have just read in the payment section of their FAQ that "** Due to popular demand, we are accepting direct bank transfer with our UK HSBC account (BACS). There will be a 5% discount, off on the total price. Please contact us for more information. **" More money saved!

Hope this helps someone!
Alex
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Dear lordy that's a good deal, my PPI better hurry up lol.
 
Just a quick one, sometimes when taking pictures i view them back on the camera's screen and they appear to be fine, but when i import them into lightroom they appear really underexposed :thinking:

I can't work out what's doing it, any ideas? It doesn't always happen with the same things either, the first time was shooting with my flashgun on-camera, then its done it again for shooting aircraft on Sunday (i understand why the planes may be underexposed, but the point i'm making is they appear fine on the camera) I've always been able to save them in Lightroom its just a pain as i would rather get them exposed properly from the start!

my first thought is the viewer on the camera upping the exposure to make it look right, but it doesn't really help me when lightroom is showing me the "true" image, not an enhanced one :bang:
 
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andy1868 said:
Just a quick one, sometimes when taking pictures i view them back on the camera's screen and they appear to be fine, but when i import them into lightroom they appear really underexposed :thinking:

I can't work out what's doing it, any ideas? It doesn't always happen with the same things either, the first time was shooting with my flashgun on-camera, then its done it again for shooting aircraft on Sunday (i understand why the planes may be underexposed, but the point i'm making is they appear fine on the camera) I've always been able to save them in Lightroom its just a pain as i would rather get them exposed properly from the start!

my first thought is the viewer on the camera upping the exposure to make it look right, but it doesn't really help me when lightroom is showing me the "true" image, not an enhanced one :bang:
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Turn off active D-lighting.
 
ausemmao said:
Turn off active D-lighting.
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Good advice. I turned it off on mine and images imported looking much better for some reason.

Mind you, I do feel that the D7000 has that regular Nikon trait of underexposing as normal - I generally go by gut feeling but it is annoying that such a crisp screen can be off at times.

On another note, finally got a MB-D11 grip yesterday.... ordered off Amazon on the weekend and arrived first thing Monday - £144 plus a fiver postage... good value I thought (relative to the RRP).

Build quality is good and it feels a solid enough unit. Controls are good and the 4-way controller pad does what's asked of it, although it's not a patch on the D-pad on the actual camera body. The fit is snug,a though the screw wheel isn't easily tightened if you have sausage fingers like me. Also, there is still the tiniest bit of play between grip and body, but nothing I didn't have on the D200 grip.

It's nice to have a vertical shutter (and the extra battery space is useful for shooting video) but that annoying trait of the strap falling over the viewfinder every time you tilt the camera is still as annoying as ever after the brief spell I've had without a gripped body :lol:

The handling though is definitely improved for me with large hands. I found using the 70-200mm wasn't easy in portrait orientation without the grip - I had an unfortunate amount of shots I'd have to bin due to shutter slap and camera shake - but thankfully, with the grip attached it's much easier to shoot.

I haven't seen or used any of the 3rd-party grips so can't comment on comparison, but I feel £150 is decent value for the real thing that won't affect any warranty if things do happen to go teets up :)
 
ausemmao said:
Turn off active D-lighting.
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I had exactly the same thing and as ausemmao has said turning off active D-lighting in camera results in a correctly exposed image when importing into lightroom or photoshop!
 
its that simple? fantastic :D
 
specialman said:
Good advice. I turned it off on mine and images imported looking much better for some reason.

Mind you, I do feel that the D7000 has that regular Nikon trait of underexposing as normal - I generally go by gut feeling but it is annoying that such a crisp screen can be off at times.
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The reason it fixes LR images is because active D-lighting works by underexposing and then applying a different gamma curve (depending on the setting). View and Capture NX2 can read that stuff, but LR can't so it just sees the underexposed image. Turn off D-lighting, and the exposure is normal.

As for the default underexpose, there are 2 things. First, if you want the screen to accurately display the exposure, setting screen brightness to -1 or -2 is best.

Second is that depending what you're trying to do, spot metering might be better than matrix. If the light value is massively different between subject and background, I find spot is better as I can then make sure my subject is exposed how I want them to be without the background throwing it off.
 
rusticalex said:
This may not appeal to everyone that's considering buying a D7000 as we're talking "grey" market, but it does to me - Panamoz has reduced the price of a brand new D7000 to £585 + £9.99 delivery. It is pretty hard to find any negative comments about Panamoz - they seem to do the business very thoroughly, and their communication is apparently excellent. I would buy one right this second, except the price has been gradually dropping in the last few weeks (maybe in anticipation of news from Photokina?!), and it might go lower still.

Anyway, I thought I'd mention it in case anyone wants to save £100+ and take a bit of a perceived (by some) risk that comes with "grey" imports.

By the way, I have just read in the payment section of their FAQ that "** Due to popular demand, we are accepting direct bank transfer with our UK HSBC account (BACS). There will be a 5% discount, off on the total price. Please contact us for more information. **" More money saved!

Hope this helps someone!
Alex
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That's a cracking offer as used one's seem to be going for more.
 
specialman said:
Good advice. I turned it off on mine and images imported looking much better for some reason.

Mind you, I do feel that the D7000 has that regular Nikon trait of underexposing as normal - I generally go by gut feeling but it is annoying that such a crisp screen can be off at times.

On another note, finally got a MB-D11 grip yesterday.... ordered off Amazon on the weekend and arrived first thing Monday - £144 plus a fiver postage... good value I thought (relative to the RRP).

Build quality is good and it feels a solid enough unit. Controls are good and the 4-way controller pad does what's asked of it, although it's not a patch on the D-pad on the actual camera body. The fit is snug,a though the screw wheel isn't easily tightened if you have sausage fingers like me. Also, there is still the tiniest bit of play between grip and body, but nothing I didn't have on the D200 grip.

It's nice to have a vertical shutter (and the extra battery space is useful for shooting video) but that annoying trait of the strap falling over the viewfinder every time you tilt the camera is still as annoying as ever after the brief spell I've had without a gripped body :lol:

The handling though is definitely improved for me with large hands. I found using the 70-200mm wasn't easy in portrait orientation without the grip - I had an unfortunate amount of shots I'd have to bin due to shutter slap and camera shake - but thankfully, with the grip attached it's much easier to shoot.

I haven't seen or used any of the 3rd-party grips so can't comment on comparison, but I feel £150 is decent value for the real thing that won't affect any warranty if things do happen to go teets up :)
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Maybe not what you want to hear but I'd double check it wasn't a fake at that price: http://fstoppers.com/fakembd11
 
Well just brought a D7000 from the classifieds on here as my D300 is a bit too much pro-body for me as I wanted something lighter and slightly smaller as I find it too heavy and large for my hands. Also having the U1+2 modes appealed to me. Going to keep the D300 for a short while till i get used to the D7000 but I don't think it will get used much.
 
Do you fine tune your lenses. Someone advised me to check my 300mm afs f4 lens. It looks complicated.
 
silure130 said:
Do you fine tune your lenses. Someone advised me to check my 300mm afs f4 lens. It looks complicated.
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Fine tuning isn't always necessary but it's easy to check and adjust if needed!:thumbs:

If you look back through this thread there is a lot of information about fine tuning testing methods!
 
I'll soon be joining the gang. Ordered from panamoz, paid 7am yesterday but according to UPS it hasn't even made it to their depot yet :( Going to be a huge upgrade from my D40x!
 
Quick query about a possible problem on my D7000...

was out shooting quite happily , put camera down for a few moments , picked it up & tried to alter the exp comp setting...nothing happened . Tried to review my last image...nothing happened. Tried adjusting the aperture..again nothing. Took a shot, focused ok & shutter went off but just a black image in the review screen . Treid scrolling back through images...nothing. Turned it off the on again...still the same . Eventually I removed the battery for a moment & hey presto all went back to normal & no problem for the rest of the day ..
Anyone else experienced this ?
 
blondie606 said:
Quick query about a possible problem on my D7000...

was out shooting quite happily , put camera down for a few moments , picked it up & tried to alter the exp comp setting...nothing happened . Tried to review my last image...nothing happened. Tried adjusting the aperture..again nothing. Took a shot, focused ok & shutter went off but just a black image in the review screen . Treid scrolling back through images...nothing. Turned it off the on again...still the same . Eventually I removed the battery for a moment & hey presto all went back to normal & no problem for the rest of the day ..
Anyone else experienced this ?
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Picked mine up once and was unresponsive. Read the manual and it said to take a photo and turn it off and on. Turns out I had it in live view mode and turned it off thus leaving the mirror out of position. After pushng the shutter button all was back to normal, I guess there was no picture and it sounds not too dissimilar to you quandary.
 
hello people, i have had my D7000 for 9 months or more now, seems like for ages, whats the highest ISO you have used witch you'd be happy to use quite often, i think i have used 1600, sounds silly but scared to go over, but i got this camera for its low light use. (silly i know)

so people????
 
formula400 said:
hello people, i have had my D7000 for 9 months or more now, seems like for ages, whats the highest ISO you have used witch you'd be happy to use quite often, i think i have used 1600, sounds silly but scared to go over, but i got this camera for its low light use. (silly i know)

so people????
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I set 3200 as the limit on auto ISO. The quality seems ok for web images, I haven't printed any yet. I do try to keep it as low as possible though.
 
i've only recently made a move from the D200 and forget I can go over 400, but haven't gone much higher

then again, it does depend on the subject and light doesn't it?
 
To join the Nikon D7000 club, moving up from a D3100 which I bought as my first dslr a few months ago, my son was dropping hints that he would like the same model as a xmas prezzie if I was feeling generous.

So it seemed a good idea this afternoon to upgrade and place an order with Panamoz and to give him the D3100 which he has being hinting at, namely mine , he gets a dslr and I get an upgrade, kill two birds with one stone as to say.

So its a waiting game now...getting all excited, kid with new toy on the way, though I can see a long learning curve ahead, just be prepared for the silly questions, preferably with one syllable answers ;)
 
formula400 said:
hello people, i have had my D7000 for 9 months or more now, seems like for ages, whats the highest ISO you have used witch you'd be happy to use quite often, i think i have used 1600, sounds silly but scared to go over, but i got this camera for its low light use. (silly i know)

so people????
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Depends on the light but it has great iso capabilities. Here are a couple I took at a basketball game.

Full image (larger version on the flickr) ISO6400 F5 ss125 (auto iso)

BPX_9485 by Ballpix Photography, on Flickr

100% crop

BPX_9485 100 crop by Ballpix Photography, on Flickr

and one I took a while ago - ISO 6400

D7000 @ 6400 iso by Ballpix Photography, on Flickr

All SOOC so will clean up with NR software.

Phil.
 
Ive just upgraded to the D7000 from the D3000, All I can say is WOW! loving it, only a little light usage up to now, but well chuffed with it!
 
Had a play with the d7000 in jessops today and pretty much love this camera. Took a couple of minutes to find the AF button! and get to grips with a different body (I currently have a d80) but seems a nice step up from what I already have.

Also was fascinated by the live view and info buttons (the d80 doesnt have this! and my eyes get tired lol)

And with the appealing prices I keep seeing on amazon etc think this is going to be my first buy in the new year :)

Eventhough the d600 is appealing its just not really in my budget and would mean buying more FX lenses.

Anyone else had this d7000 vs d600 dilemma?
 
rusticalex said:
This may not appeal to everyone that's considering buying a D7000 as we're talking "grey" market, but it does to me - Panamoz has reduced the price of a brand new D7000 to £585 + £9.99 delivery. It is pretty hard to find any negative comments about Panamoz - they seem to do the business very thoroughly, and their communication is apparently excellent. I would buy one right this second, except the price has been gradually dropping in the last few weeks (maybe in anticipation of news from Photokina?!), and it might go lower still.

Anyway, I thought I'd mention it in case anyone wants to save £100+ and take a bit of a perceived (by some) risk that comes with "grey" imports.

By the way, I have just read in the payment section of their FAQ that "** Due to popular demand, we are accepting direct bank transfer with our UK HSBC account (BACS). There will be a 5% discount, off on the total price. Please contact us for more information. **" More money saved!

Hope this helps someone!
Alex
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That's so going to help me spend money! I was sorely tempted with the recent D7000 price drops at Amazon, but Panamoz's price (plus the bank transfer discount) is a no brainer. Just got to wait until they're back off holidays and work out what to tell her indoors.
Thanks, I think. :D
 
Simple, tell her nothing :D
 
Well she didn't notice the change from a D50 to a D90 last year. ;)
 
maninsuitcase said:
Maybe not what you want to hear but I'd double check it wasn't a fake at that price: http://fstoppers.com/fakembd11
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Had it on for a few weeks now - feels solid and definitely not a fake.... everything points to it being official Nikon stock. Quite impressed with it, although going from a D2x to a smaller gripped body, I've quickly remembered how annoying the thumbwheel is that attached the grip to the body. Holding the camera with a 70-200mm attached, the grip is solid and has deffo made it a more comfortable shooting experience, although the D-pad on the grip is a bit pap - just feels a bit cheap and nasty compared to the one on the camera.

The EB-EL15 battery tray is also not reassuringly solid and in a lapse of concentration, I could quite easily imagine it getting snapped. It's nice to have additional power though and not having to change batteries as regular.

For what I paid I'm happy but not sure I'd pay full-whack for it.
 
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