A month with the D7000

opiedog · 01-02-2011, 03:15 PM - **2 Likes**

i've contemplated between the K5 and the D7000 and last month, i decided to get the D7000.

After using it for a month, here's what i've found to like and dislike. I'll limit it to what i deem are the more important features.

Likes:

The AF is fast, accurate and consistent. It's not perfect, but what i've found is that it's predictable and consistent.

AF is quite configurable between 9pt, 21pt, 39pt dynamic and 3D. Haven't used the dynamic yet, but the 3D works great, but as noted by Nikon, it can be fooled.

The Flash is excellent. Exposure is very accurate and consistent. It's not easily fooled by reflective objects. This is one aspect of my pentax bodies (dl, k10, km, kx, k200) that i find to be very inconsistent.

Shutter noise is quiet, not as noisy as the Kx, but not as quiet as the k7/k5.

Body size is good (for me). I don't find the body bulky at all. The k7/k5 kind of "feels" nicer when held though. however, the kx/km was a tad too small for me.

Battery lasts quite a bit on a single charge. (Doesn't use AA's though

)

Switching between AF modes (AFA, AFS, AFC and Single, Auto, 3D, 9pt/21pt/39pt dynamic) by pressing a button and turning the control wheels is very convenient.

Configurable MyMenu - add most commonly used items to this menu. Very nice feature.

In-Lens VR/VC. this also stabilizes the image on the VF which in some instances can help with AF. The first time i used the Tamron 70-300 and the VC kicked in, it was amazing. I was asking myself, can i really hold this thing this steady at 300? switching the VC off told me my answer. No.

Dislikes:

Switching between AutoISO and manual is a PITA to do thru menus. This is 2 or 3 button press in the Pentax. To aid in this, i put this menu item in MyMenu to save a few button presses:
Edit: programming the fn button and adding the AutoISO On/Off to the top level of MyMenu is effective in toggling AutoISO On/Off so this is no longer a dislike

When the camera can't accurately meter i.e., beyond its specified range, (in Av Mode), the shutter speed displayed is "Lo". Why not just display the shutter and flash it? "Lo" does NO good at all.

There's no instant 100% zoom when reviewing the shot taken. this is programmable in the pentax.

No pixel mapping. This would be a nice feature to have.

In-Body SR will work with any lens mounted. If the lens doesn't have VR/VC/OS, you'll need your skill to steady your shot.

Other thoughts:

I thought i'd miss the AA batteries of the Kx, but i can still use that with a grip on the d7000, and the LiIon battery lasts quite a while.

As a system, there's quite a bit more support both from Nikon and 3rd party vendors.

Lens support e.g. Tamron 70-300, 18-270 pzd and 60mm. Yes, the nikon lenses are pricier and the higher-end lenses are stratospheric, but at least they're available.

As many folks have stated, buy the camera and system that works for you.

So far after a month, I like the D7000 and the Nikon system. There are a few quirks and annoyances, but it is with ANY system and so far, i haven't found any to be a show-stopper. What will be my primary category for judging is the number of keepers and so far, my keeper rate has gone up.

The primary lenses i use is the 16-85 and the tamron 70-300 vc.

here's a few shots taken with both lenses:

Zenfolio | Jordan Paw Image Arts | Nikon

BR,

jordan

Last edited by opiedog; 01-04-2011 at 07:43 PM.

**Ash** · 01-02-2011, 03:32 PM

Good concise review.
Thanks for sharing it.

Can you explain how you use the 3D focusing mode, and what does the 'dynamic' AF add to the function?

Considering it's an entry-level camera, it seems to be a decent model.

jolepp · 01-02-2011, 03:35 PM

Congrats on the new kit, seems to be doing its job too :-)

Aegon · 01-02-2011, 03:37 PM

Program the "Fn" button to Auto-ISO and you'll get the hang of using it really quickly.

opiedog · 01-02-2011, 03:58 PM

Originally posted by Ash

Good concise review.
Thanks for sharing it.

Can you explain how you use the 3D focusing mode, and what does the 'dynamic' AF add to the function?

Considering it's an entry-level camera, it seems to be a decent model.

took me a while to understand the differences between 3D and Dynamic.
in a nutshell, here's what they do:

in 3D, you pick an initial focusing point and if the subject moves or you recompose, the AF tracks the initial point using the other 38 points. you see the selected AF point as it moves on the VF.

in Dynamic, you pick an initial focusing point and you're supposed to track the subject as it moves. Dynamic will help when the subject briefly moves out of the inital FP and it will use the other 20, 38 or 8 AF points to assist in focusing. you do NOT see the newly selected AF point unlike in 3D.

dynamic is supposed to be for sports although i think there is an overlap between 3D and dynamic. need more time to play around with both modes.

not sure how nikon has positioned this body, but i can't believe it's an entry-level, not with all the features it comes with. nevertheless, it has an exposure meter, shutter and knows how to get good pictures. that's what counts

opiedog · 01-02-2011, 04:02 PM

Originally posted by Aegon

Program the "Fn" button to Auto-ISO and you'll get the hang of using it really quickly.

i don't see a direct way of programming the FN button to the AutoISO, however, i've read some folks programming the FN button to go to the top level of MyMenu and from there access the AutoISO settings.

is this what you mean?

Aegon · 01-02-2011, 05:59 PM

Originally posted by opiedog

i don't see a direct way of programming the FN button to the AutoISO, however, i've read some folks programming the FN button to go to the top level of MyMenu and from there access the AutoISO settings.

is this what you mean?

Yes, exactly. I forgot that you had to put Auto ISO as the top item, but once it is there you can adjust ISO without diving into a menu.

deadwolfbones · 01-04-2011, 11:45 AM

In the D700 menus there's a way to set the center button on the 4-way pad to be 100% zoom in playback. Not sure if it's present in the D7000.

einstrigger · 01-04-2011, 12:48 PM

Nice observations. I've been messing with a D7000 for the last couple weeks as well and my dislikes are similar to yours. I dislike the button placement, but figure that's because I'm used to Pentax. Additionally, the zooms are crazy expensive (anything f/2.8) and make the DA* series seem like bargains, but I do like the prices of their primes. At least the 35mm 1.8G, 50mm 1.4D, and 85mm 1.8D, which are cheaper than Pentax equivalents and there are tons on the used market. Although there's no VR on those lenses, the high ISO of the camera coupled with a fast shutter kinda makes it moot. 3rd party support is also nice as I'm really curious about the Pocket Wizard Flex radio triggers being able to send out E-TTL info.

I have 30 days in which to return the D7000 and it's getting close. I was holding out on the K-5 until the stain issue was resolved, but we'll see.

ll_coffee_lP · 01-04-2011, 04:02 PM

Try it with Nikon with a flash and cls. Radio triggers arent needed unless you need strobes to fire from long distance. This is the biggeat difference for me from Pentax. You,ll get uaed to the ergonomics of thw body soon enough.

**Douglas_of_Sweden** · 01-04-2011, 05:23 PM

Originally posted by einstrigger

I have 30 days in which to return the D7000 and it's getting close. I was holding out on the K-5 until the stain issue was resolved, but we'll see.

I think you can safely order a K-5 now.

Edit: Pentax Europe/Germany recently announced that from week 50 the problem was solved.

antiquerookie · 01-04-2011, 05:30 PM

Originally posted by Ash

Considering it's an entry-level camera, it seems to be a decent model.

The D7000 is not Nikon's entry level. Currently the D3100 is the entry SLR with the D5000 being the next notch up. The D7000 is (I think) the top of the "consumer" tree. Go to KenRockwell.com for a lengthy review. He's hyper about the camera.

I'm waiting more or less patiently for Adorama to get my D7000 to me. I will then move my D90 along to my daughter-in-law. As you can probably tell, I'm a Nikonian sort of trespassing in Pentaxian couintry.

azimuthal · 01-04-2011, 06:41 PM

Damn, amazon had a deal where you could take $ off lens purchases bought with the d7000. I almost pulled the trigger on it and now it looks like they stopped.

If someone was wealthy they could pick up the d7000 14-24 24-70 and 70-200 for $1100 cheaper than buying the same @ B&H. (the deal was 300-400 off each of the full-frame pro lenses)

Maybe they do deals like that all the time I am not sure.

edit:

I'm silly, looks like they do this with other nikon bodies too. Good deal though.

opiedog · 01-04-2011, 07:24 PM

Originally posted by deadwolfbones

In the D700 menus there's a way to set the center button on the 4-way pad to be 100% zoom in playback. Not sure if it's present in the D7000.

that's one item they "left out" of the d7000. ok button not programmable for 100% view

. guess nikon had to leave out some features for the higher-end bodies.

in any case, it's a minor issue.

opiedog · 01-04-2011, 07:44 PM

Originally posted by Aegon

Yes, exactly. I forgot that you had to put Auto ISO as the top item, but once it is there you can adjust ISO without diving into a menu.

thanks! i did that and toggling between AutoISO On/Off is now easy! i originally programmed it to set auto-iso and didn't realize you could program it to go 1 menu level deeper.

no longer a dislike!

now if nikon would just get rid of the "Lo" indication. i wonder if that's the same with the D700 D300, etc?

it was the same with the d90 and d5000

01-02-2011, 03:15 PM - 2 Likes	#1
opiedog Inactive Account Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: NC Posts: 787	A month with the D7000 i've contemplated between the K5 and the D7000 and last month, i decided to get the D7000. After using it for a month, here's what i've found to like and dislike. I'll limit it to what i deem are the more important features. Likes: The AF is fast, accurate and consistent. It's not perfect, but what i've found is that it's predictable and consistent. AF is quite configurable between 9pt, 21pt, 39pt dynamic and 3D. Haven't used the dynamic yet, but the 3D works great, but as noted by Nikon, it can be fooled. The Flash is excellent. Exposure is very accurate and consistent. It's not easily fooled by reflective objects. This is one aspect of my pentax bodies (dl, k10, km, kx, k200) that i find to be very inconsistent. Shutter noise is quiet, not as noisy as the Kx, but not as quiet as the k7/k5. Body size is good (for me). I don't find the body bulky at all. The k7/k5 kind of "feels" nicer when held though. however, the kx/km was a tad too small for me. Battery lasts quite a bit on a single charge. (Doesn't use AA's though ) Switching between AF modes (AFA, AFS, AFC and Single, Auto, 3D, 9pt/21pt/39pt dynamic) by pressing a button and turning the control wheels is very convenient. Configurable MyMenu - add most commonly used items to this menu. Very nice feature. In-Lens VR/VC. this also stabilizes the image on the VF which in some instances can help with AF. The first time i used the Tamron 70-300 and the VC kicked in, it was amazing. I was asking myself, can i really hold this thing this steady at 300? switching the VC off told me my answer. No. Dislikes: Switching between AutoISO and manual is a PITA to do thru menus. This is 2 or 3 button press in the Pentax. To aid in this, i put this menu item in MyMenu to save a few button presses: Edit: programming the fn button and adding the AutoISO On/Off to the top level of MyMenu is effective in toggling AutoISO On/Off so this is no longer a dislike When the camera can't accurately meter i.e., beyond its specified range, (in Av Mode), the shutter speed displayed is "Lo". Why not just display the shutter and flash it? "Lo" does NO good at all. There's no instant 100% zoom when reviewing the shot taken. this is programmable in the pentax. No pixel mapping. This would be a nice feature to have. In-Body SR will work with any lens mounted. If the lens doesn't have VR/VC/OS, you'll need your skill to steady your shot. Other thoughts: I thought i'd miss the AA batteries of the Kx, but i can still use that with a grip on the d7000, and the LiIon battery lasts quite a while. As a system, there's quite a bit more support both from Nikon and 3rd party vendors. Lens support e.g. Tamron 70-300, 18-270 pzd and 60mm. Yes, the nikon lenses are pricier and the higher-end lenses are stratospheric, but at least they're available. As many folks have stated, buy the camera and system that works for you. So far after a month, I like the D7000 and the Nikon system. There are a few quirks and annoyances, but it is with ANY system and so far, i haven't found any to be a show-stopper. What will be my primary category for judging is the number of keepers and so far, my keeper rate has gone up. The primary lenses i use is the 16-85 and the tamron 70-300 vc. here's a few shots taken with both lenses: Zenfolio \| Jordan Paw Image Arts \| Nikon BR, jordan Last edited by opiedog; 01-04-2011 at 07:43 PM.

01-04-2011, 06:41 PM	#13
azimuthal Forum Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: reno Posts: 70	Damn, amazon had a deal where you could take $ off lens purchases bought with the d7000. I almost pulled the trigger on it and now it looks like they stopped. If someone was wealthy they could pick up the d7000 14-24 24-70 and 70-200 for $1100 cheaper than buying the same @ B&H. (the deal was 300-400 off each of the full-frame pro lenses) Maybe they do deals like that all the time I am not sure. edit: I'm silly, looks like they do this with other nikon bodies too. Good deal though. Last edited by azimuthal; 01-04-2011 at 06:47 PM.

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01-02-2011, 03:32 PM	#2
Ash Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Toowoomba, Queensland Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 23,920	Good concise review. Thanks for sharing it. Can you explain how you use the 3D focusing mode, and what does the 'dynamic' AF add to the function? Considering it's an entry-level camera, it seems to be a decent model.

01-02-2011, 03:35 PM	#3
jolepp Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Finland Photos: Albums Posts: 3,196	Congrats on the new kit, seems to be doing its job too :-)

01-02-2011, 03:37 PM	#4
Aegon Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Portland, OR Posts: 1,416	Program the "Fn" button to Auto-ISO and you'll get the hang of using it really quickly.

01-02-2011, 03:58 PM	#5
opiedog Inactive Account Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: NC Posts: 787 Original Poster	Originally posted by Ash Good concise review. Thanks for sharing it. Can you explain how you use the 3D focusing mode, and what does the 'dynamic' AF add to the function? Considering it's an entry-level camera, it seems to be a decent model. took me a while to understand the differences between 3D and Dynamic. in a nutshell, here's what they do: in 3D, you pick an initial focusing point and if the subject moves or you recompose, the AF tracks the initial point using the other 38 points. you see the selected AF point as it moves on the VF. in Dynamic, you pick an initial focusing point and you're supposed to track the subject as it moves. Dynamic will help when the subject briefly moves out of the inital FP and it will use the other 20, 38 or 8 AF points to assist in focusing. you do NOT see the newly selected AF point unlike in 3D. dynamic is supposed to be for sports although i think there is an overlap between 3D and dynamic. need more time to play around with both modes. not sure how nikon has positioned this body, but i can't believe it's an entry-level, not with all the features it comes with. nevertheless, it has an exposure meter, shutter and knows how to get good pictures. that's what counts

01-02-2011, 04:02 PM	#6
opiedog Inactive Account Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: NC Posts: 787 Original Poster	Originally posted by Aegon Program the "Fn" button to Auto-ISO and you'll get the hang of using it really quickly. i don't see a direct way of programming the FN button to the AutoISO, however, i've read some folks programming the FN button to go to the top level of MyMenu and from there access the AutoISO settings. is this what you mean?

01-02-2011, 05:59 PM	#7
Aegon Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Portland, OR Posts: 1,416	Originally posted by opiedog i don't see a direct way of programming the FN button to the AutoISO, however, i've read some folks programming the FN button to go to the top level of MyMenu and from there access the AutoISO settings. is this what you mean? Yes, exactly. I forgot that you had to put Auto ISO as the top item, but once it is there you can adjust ISO without diving into a menu.

01-04-2011, 11:45 AM	#8
deadwolfbones Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: La Crescenta, CA Posts: 7,450	In the D700 menus there's a way to set the center button on the 4-way pad to be 100% zoom in playback. Not sure if it's present in the D7000.

01-04-2011, 12:48 PM	#9
einstrigger Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Sacramento, CA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 728	Nice observations. I've been messing with a D7000 for the last couple weeks as well and my dislikes are similar to yours. I dislike the button placement, but figure that's because I'm used to Pentax. Additionally, the zooms are crazy expensive (anything f/2.8) and make the DA* series seem like bargains, but I do like the prices of their primes. At least the 35mm 1.8G, 50mm 1.4D, and 85mm 1.8D, which are cheaper than Pentax equivalents and there are tons on the used market. Although there's no VR on those lenses, the high ISO of the camera coupled with a fast shutter kinda makes it moot. 3rd party support is also nice as I'm really curious about the Pocket Wizard Flex radio triggers being able to send out E-TTL info. I have 30 days in which to return the D7000 and it's getting close. I was holding out on the K-5 until the stain issue was resolved, but we'll see.

01-04-2011, 04:02 PM	#10
ll_coffee_lP Inactive Account Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 1,972	Try it with Nikon with a flash and cls. Radio triggers arent needed unless you need strobes to fire from long distance. This is the biggeat difference for me from Pentax. You,ll get uaed to the ergonomics of thw body soon enough.

01-04-2011, 05:23 PM	#11
Douglas_of_Sweden Site Supporter Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Stockholm Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,374	Originally posted by einstrigger I have 30 days in which to return the D7000 and it's getting close. I was holding out on the K-5 until the stain issue was resolved, but we'll see. I think you can safely order a K-5 now. Edit: Pentax Europe/Germany recently announced that from week 50 the problem was solved.

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01-04-2011, 05:30 PM	#12
antiquerookie New Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Portland Oregon area Posts: 7	Originally posted by Ash Considering it's an entry-level camera, it seems to be a decent model. The D7000 is not Nikon's entry level. Currently the D3100 is the entry SLR with the D5000 being the next notch up. The D7000 is (I think) the top of the "consumer" tree. Go to KenRockwell.com for a lengthy review. He's hyper about the camera. I'm waiting more or less patiently for Adorama to get my D7000 to me. I will then move my D90 along to my daughter-in-law. As you can probably tell, I'm a Nikonian sort of trespassing in Pentaxian couintry.

01-04-2011, 07:24 PM	#14
opiedog Inactive Account Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: NC Posts: 787 Original Poster	Originally posted by deadwolfbones In the D700 menus there's a way to set the center button on the 4-way pad to be 100% zoom in playback. Not sure if it's present in the D7000. that's one item they "left out" of the d7000. ok button not programmable for 100% view . guess nikon had to leave out some features for the higher-end bodies. in any case, it's a minor issue.

01-04-2011, 07:44 PM	#15
opiedog Inactive Account Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: NC Posts: 787 Original Poster	Originally posted by Aegon Yes, exactly. I forgot that you had to put Auto ISO as the top item, but once it is there you can adjust ISO without diving into a menu. thanks! i did that and toggling between AutoISO On/Off is now easy! i originally programmed it to set auto-iso and didn't realize you could program it to go 1 menu level deeper. no longer a dislike! now if nikon would just get rid of the "Lo" indication. i wonder if that's the same with the D700 D300, etc? it was the same with the d90 and d5000