D7000 first day thougts, moving from a D200

Athos6

Athos6

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Pros-
-the thing is fast. It has a hair trigger, my half press of the shutter button actually trips the shutter about 1/3rd of the time. This will be great once I retrain my finger.
-most of the things I liked about the D200 are still there, plus I got a few new things where are cool (MF lens support retained, programmable Fn button, plus a programmable Preview button!)
-picture quality is good (I only did a quick walk around campus, nothing stellar to shoot but I'll post some pictures when I get home)
-movie mode (more on this later)
-user setting save slots on a physical dial
-2 SD card slots (one for an Eye-fi card 😎)

Not cons
-the live view is either notthat great or I need to use it more. I can get it to focus but once the target moves the camera either doesn't attempt to regain focus or fails. Plus, the live view is deceptively sharp. When manually focusing it is easy to think your in focus but have it be slightly out of focus when viewed on the computer.
-movie mode (same focusing issues) I have determined that I need to use manual focus when shooting a movie, otherwise, the D7000 makes movies so nice my laptop can't play them.

I didn't lable these things as cons because I still need to learn the camera better. I expect I'll find these things work better once I play with it more.

Things I still need to learn
-the af system seems different than my D200. Most of my photography ends up being in lowlight conditions, it took me a while to figure out how to best use my D200, time to start learning over again.

Feel
-I like how it feels, lighter than my D200, but it doesn't feel cheap. At first I didn't think it was much smaller, but once I started using it, it seemed a bit cramped, I think this might be muscle memory.

Other
- the rubber doors don't fit as tight and the removable ones will get lost.
- I dig the info view on the back.

Pictures later
Athos56
 
The finder that comes with the camera is typical of most DSLRs. Its really meant for auto-focus lenses. I swapped my D7000 standard screen for a Katz Eye screen that gives the finder a look, and capability, of my old film Nikons.
 
More thoughts

More thoughts

Ok I spent a lot of time using it this weekend and I have some more thoughts.

D7000+Sigma 30mm+(-5) af fine tuning+ISO 800 to 1600= a very nice all purpose indoor, no flash, family gathering rig. It takes great pictures, and good video once you get the hang of using mf on the video. I kept it at f2.8 and got an 8 gig card full of keepers (minus those I screwed up 😛).

The D7000 seems, as discussed to death in other forums, to expose on the bright side. I also found that the detail in those bright areas is largely maintained and highly recoverable when shooting raw. If I wasgoing to shoot JPGs I would dial in 1/2 to a full stop of exposure comp. In the fine tune menu. Honestly though, I might still anyway, with 1/2 stop of comp I get nice contrasty shots.

Moreover, the over exposure seems to be greater with my Sigma. Which may lend credibility to some peoples findings that Nikons 1.4 might not be others 1.4. I don't really have anything to add to that discussion, but I thought I'd mention it.

The other thing that gets me is the look of the images I'm getting. They are much different than the D200, not sure how to explain it. I think I just need to get used to it.

As far as MF lenses, I would agree about the katz-eye. However, I had grest success with MF and liveview this weekend. I'll do more field research and report back.

Finally, i promised pictures, I've been super busy, they are still coming.

Athos
 
The difference you're seeing is probably because the D200 used the CCD sensor vs. the CMOS sensor in the D7000. When I switched from the D200 to the D300, I also noticed the difference. Not bad or good, just different.
 
Thanks for posting your thoughts on this.
I'm trying to decide now whether to get a D300 or D7000 as a backup for my D700.
Seems the D7000 gets better marks for low-light shooting. But the D300 still seems a pretty solid value.
 
On difference, I don't mean to be vague, but I think HenryN is right, its just different. Like a new stereo, or headphones sounds different for a week. The added MP, the different processor, the different tech, etc... I think though, once I learn the camera I'm going to like the output better.

I might have waited for the D400, because I don't use the "auto" modes and I turn off most of these things that I can, and shoot raw. The upper tier seem to be a little more streamlined in that fashon. But at the price point, the D7000 seemed like a good bet, since I'm not going to have the funds for a better camera for awhile. Moreover, this sensor will likely be in the next dxxx camera anyhow. I almost went with the D300, but the added mp and the lowlight performance tiped the scale.

Still need to sell my D200, it has 10+ more years of life in it.
 
Some Family Snaps

Some Family Snaps

Family Snaps

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_PAB0348web.jpg


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_PAB0379web.jpg


_PAB0381web.jpg
 
More

More

Concerning MF lenses. I walked around campus today using a 28mm 2.8 AIS. I focused using the Liveview and the magnifier. I have to say it was a sweet little setup. It makes me wish the D7000 had the articulated screen. I don't think that I'll be needing a new focus screen, the live view worked like a charm. I also used the exposure fine tune to dial in -1/3 stops. I think this made my exposures come out more like I expected them.

I got much better results with my 28mm than I typically got with my D200 + Katzeye. I'm very happy.

More snaps, just test shots really.

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Hi Athos,

In the same situation as you almost. Looking to upgrade from a D80, which has pretty much the same sensor as the D200, and the D7000 would seem to be just the ticket. (I had a D200 previously, but prefer the size of the D80/ D7000-type bodies.)

Two questions though:

- Matrix metering; as you noted exposure can be a bit on the hot side, and this is also my main complaint with the D80 which also overexposes. This would be my number one concern as I know how well matrix metering can work on other Nikon bodies (such as the D200), and I wonder if you had any more feedback. With the D80, exposure can be bang on, or more usually 1/3 to 2/3's of a stop overexposed.

- High ISO performance; I wonder how you find the D7000 for high iso. With the D80 & D200, you know as soon as you hit iso 800, with iso 1600 being poor for anything other than small prints, and wonder how the D7000 fares in this regard? I imagine quality is great up to iso 1600, but wonder how it copes beyond that at 3200 and possibly even 6400. I know it's asking a lot for an APS-sized sensor, but am curious, given how people are raving about the D7000 in this regard.

Damien
 
At all the reviews I read they complained that the superb image quality is spoilt a bit by a consistent over exposure of D7000, D5100 etc.
 
damien.murphy said:
Hi Athos,

In the same situation as you almost. Looking to upgrade from a D80, which has pretty much the same sensor as the D200, and the D7000 would seem to be just the ticket. (I had a D200 previously, but prefer the size of the D80/ D7000-type bodies.)

Two questions though:

- Matrix metering; as you noted exposure can be a bit on the hot side, and this is also my main complaint with the D80 which also overexposes. This would be my number one concern as I know how well matrix metering can work on other Nikon bodies (such as the D200), and I wonder if you had any more feedback. With the D80, exposure can be bang on, or more usually 1/3 to 2/3's of a stop overexposed.

- High ISO performance; I wonder how you find the D7000 for high iso. With the D80 & D200, you know as soon as you hit iso 800, with iso 1600 being poor for anything other than small prints, and wonder how the D7000 fares in this regard? I imagine quality is great up to iso 1600, but wonder how it copes beyond that at 3200 and possibly even 6400. I know it's asking a lot for an APS-sized sensor, but am curious, given how people are raving about the D7000 in this regard.

Damien
Click to expand...

I'm not sure why it overexposes, I didn't think it was an issue at first but I like how it exposes with the -1/3 stop adjustment. I used it up to 1600 and used the files without any noise reduction, I'll dig one out in the morning. Maybe I'll do a few High ISO shots as well.

Athos
 
Athos6 said:
I'm not sure why it overexposes, I didn't think it was an issue at first but I like how it exposes with the -1/3 stop adjustment. I used it up to 1600 and used the files without any noise reduction, I'll dig one out in the morning. Maybe I'll do a few High ISO shots as well.

Athos
Click to expand...

Thom Hogan has a little piece in his D7000 review, as to why he thinks it overexposes. I'm not sure about his assertion that it doesn't overexpose though, as his reasoning seems to indicate why it overexposes. It's under the heading 'metering system' about half way down in his review: http://www.bythom.com/nikond7000review.htm

The overexposure issue I find irritating with my D80, and the only fly in the ointment, in an otherwise compact and capable performer. I really wish Nikon would stop being so cavalier with their experimentations in matrix metering on some of the consumer bodies, as on the D80 it's not something that can be easily resolved by a set amount of exposure compensation, and seems to be something which Nikon refuse to subsequently correct with a firmware update.

That's good news re: iso 1600, and must say I suspected the same. With the D80 & D200, I found I was reticent to go over iso400, as the drop in quality was noticeable. It would be nice if iso3200 was useable in the D7000.
 
Last edited:
Jamie Pillers said:
The finder that comes with the camera is typical of most DSLRs. Its really meant for auto-focus lenses. I swapped my D7000 standard screen for a Katz Eye screen that gives the finder a look, and capability, of my old film Nikons.
Click to expand...

Did you get the "opti-bright" treatment on your screen? If so, does it help with MF lenses?

Thanks, pkr
 
PKR said:
Did you get the "opti-bright" treatment on your screen? If so, does it help with MF lenses?

Thanks, pkr
Click to expand...


I had it on the D200, I thought it was better than the stock screen for sure. Yet I still think the live view is working better, at least for scenes that wouldn't require the stability of having the camera jammed against my face.

I think "spoiled" by overexposure would be a bit of a over dramatization. A little inconvenient in an otherwise great camera. Reviews always have to have their cons 🙂

Athos6
 
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