Overview
The Nikon D7000 was kindly provided by B&H – the largest photo reseller in the world that I personally use to buy my photography gear.
1) Nikon D7000 Specifications
Main Features:
- High Resolution 16.2 MP DX-format CMOS sensor
- High Speed 6 frames per second continuous shooting up to 100 shots
- 2,016-pixel RGB (3D Color Matrix) sensor
- Pentaprism Optical Viewfinder with approx. 100% frame coverage and approx. 0.94x magnification
- Twin SD Card Slots with SD, SDHC and SDXC memory card compatibility
- Built-in Speedlight flash with i-TTL and Wireless Commander support
- Optional MB-D11 multi-power pack
- Two User Definable Settings (U1, U2) on the Mode Selector Dial
- Standard, Neutral, Vivid, Monochrome, Portrait and Landscape Picture Controls
- Virtual Horizon Graphic Indicator
- Full 1080p HD Movie capability with Full Time Autofocus and external stereo microphone jack (up to 20 minutes of recording time)
- Dynamic ISO range from 100 to 6400 expandable to 25,600 (Hi2)
- Customizable 39 point AF System with nine center cross-type sensors
- Magnesium-alloy top/rear covers and weather and dust sealing
- 150,000 cycle-rated shutter system
- 3 Inch, 921,000-dot Super-Density LCD Monitor with 170 degree viewing
- Fast Start-Up time of 0.13 sec and 50ms Shutter Lag
- Compact EN-EL15 Battery (850+ shots)
- Built-in HDMI Connection
- Active D-Lighting for enhancing details in shadows and highlights
- Portrait, Landscape, Child, Sports, Close-up or Night Portrait Scene Modes
Detailed technical specifications for the Nikon D7000 are available on Nikonusa.com.
2) Camera construction and handling
In terms of construction, the Nikon D7000 sits between the Nikon D90 (all plastic) and the Nikon D300 (all magnesium alloy) – the top and the rear of the camera is made of magnesium alloy material, while the front and the bottom parts are plastic. Nikon wanted to make the camera tough without adding too much weight, which is why only the most used part of the camera got the extra protection. And it was certainly a good decision, because the D7000 is only 70 grams (2.5 ounces) heavier than the D90. Here is an illustration of the D7000 frame (front and back):
In terms of handling, the D7000 balances and fits nicely on hands, very similarly to the Nikon D90. If you are planning to use the camera with big lenses like Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8G, then I would recommend to add the new MB-D11 battery grip for additional balance. Speaking of which, the new EN-EL15 battery and the MB-D11 are not something I am thrilled about. I understand that the new EN-EL15 is better, lighter, more compact and more powerful than the EN-EL3e, but then it means that not only I cannot share batteries with my D700, but also I have to carry an extra charger as well. Add the new MB-D11 and now I have to carry two different camera grips on top of that. So if you already own the Nikon D300 or the Nikon D700 and you are looking at the D7000 as a backup body, keep all this in mind. I personally would not buy a D7000 for this reason alone. Unless the upcoming Nikon D400/D800 camera bodies are also going to use the same battery and grip, this is not a smart move by Nikon. On the positive side, I like the new battery safety holder on the D7000 body, which helps prevent the battery from dropping on the ground when the battery door is opened. I’m sure Nikon will add this holder going forward to other Nikon DSLRs.
The exterior of the camera is completely redesigned and although you can see quite a few similarities with the Nikon D90, there are some newly introduced changes that are not present on any other Nikon DSLRs. The most notable change is the two-step/dual top mode dial that allows the photographer to not only set different camera modes, but also control shutter release modes. Nikon simply took the bottom part of the left top dial from the D300s/D700 and the mode dial from D90 and stacked them together. I personally liked this new “dual dial”, because it gives plenty of control over how the camera functions in one place, without having to go through the camera menu or other additional buttons. On the other hand, I did manage to accidentally change the camera mode a few times when I was shooting – I wish Nikon had made the top dial a little more stiff to minimize such accidents. Another welcomed button change is the way Liveview is triggered. Instead of simply pressing an “Lv” button like on the D90 or D300s, now there is a Live View lever with a red recording button in the middle. I’m sure those of us who shoot video will really welcome this change and I hope Nikon will use the same switch on the upcoming Nikon DSLRs. The AE-L/AF-L button is placed similarly as on the D90 – further away from the rear rotating dial. I wish it was closer or there was a dedicated AF-ON button like on the pro-level bodies, because I usually move the focusing action from the camera shutter to a dedicated button (for focusing and recomposing shots). Lastly, the focus switch located on the front left side of the D7000 has also been redesigned – there is now a button in the middle of the switch that allows changing autofocus modes – also a welcomed change that gives faster and simpler control to photographers. The Nikon D7000 also comes with two SD card slots, and you can select how you want to store data on those two card slots, just like on the pro-level bodies. Overall, I am very pleased with how the D7000 is designed.
As for weather and dust protection, Nikon says that the D7000 is sealed to withstand tough weather and dusty environments. I did not have a chance to test it in a dusty environment, but I did take it with me to shoot in very cold temperatures below zero. The camera functioned very well without any problems, but the battery did not last very long, which is normal, because batteries do drain fast in very cold temperatures.
3) Camera Sensor and the new Expeed Processor
The most exciting new change for a gear-head like me, is the more powerful Expeed 2 camera processor, along with the new 16.2 MP (megapixel) high-resolution camera sensor. Although I prefer better image quality over a higher number of pixels, the jump from 12 MP to 16 MP is certainly good for folks like me who are into landscape and wildlife photography. Higher resolution sensor means larger prints and more cropping opportunities when photographing wildlife. Nikon has been quite successful in keeping high ISO noise amounts low, while keeping image quality standards high in their latest generation DSLRs with more megapixels. With a 4 megapixel jump, does the Nikon D7000 keep up with image quality of the 12 MP Nikon D90? The answer is in page 2 of this review, where you will find a detailed comparison between the Nikon D7000, D90, D3100 and D700. In short, the Nikon D7000 is Nikon’s best DX sensor thus far.
I have received numerous negative emails and comments from D7000 owners about hot pixels. Many of the D7000 owners seem to think that the D7000 sensor in particular has a hot/stuck pixel issue. I will write a separate article on different types of pixel issues on sensors, because there are hot pixels, dead pixels and stuck pixels (which all mean different things). The one pixel issue most people report about, is a brightly-colored annoying pixel that appears in random parts of the image when the image is shot at high ISOs above 400 and/or at very long exposures. If you are too worried about this problem, you should not be, because EVERY sensor has pixel problems. I remember when I bought my Nikon D80, I was so annoyed by hot pixels, that I sent the camera to Nikon for service. They remapped the hot/stuck pixels for me (which only showed up at ISO 800 and up), but more similar pixels started appearing after a while. Hot/stuck/dead pixels are normal – they happen everywhere. Your PC monitor might have a stuck/dead pixel, your TV might have a couple and camera sensors are not immune from this problem either. When you deal with millions of pixels in a tiny area, some of them will eventually die or malfunction. Every DSLR I have used so far had pixel problems. My Nikon D3s has both hot and stuck pixels. Why do I not worry or care about these pixel problems? Because some of them eventually disappear and the ones that stay are automatically removed/mapped out by Lightroom/Adobe Camera RAW as soon as I open up the image.
Now it is a different story if you are getting stuck pixels at low ISOs and fast shutter speeds – that should not normally happen or if the number of these bad pixels is unusually high. If you shoot in JPEG and you are annoyed by this, simply send the camera back to Nikon and they will remap those pixels for you. But be warned – your camera will eventually develop more of those bad pixels overtime. One more thing to note – hot pixels show up a lot more in hot environments. Try taking a long exposure shot after shooting a long video and I guarantee that you will see plenty of those hot pixels. So stop worrying about those darn pixels! You can’t see any in my images that I post here, can you? Shoot in RAW and let the software deal with bad pixels. You should be worried about sensor dust more than hot pixels.
4) Autofocus Performance
The Nikon D7000 is equipped with a brand-new 39 Point AF System with 9 cross-type sensors. As I pointed out in my DSLR Autofocus Modes article, the higher the number of cross-type sensors, the better. In comparison, the Nikon D90 has 11 focus points and only 1 cross-type sensor, while the Nikon D300s has 51 focus points and 15 cross-type sensors. During the month of testing the camera, I used it in various environments and have a few things to talk about in regards to its performance and accuracy. Let’s talk about autofocus accuracy first.
I know that some of the Nikon D7000 owners have complained about autofocus accuracy and reported having back/front focus issues. I also know that many of the visitors that read this review will focus on this part of the review more than any other, mostly due to the number of complaints they have seen on various online forums. Let me start off by saying that the Nikon D7000 does NOT have a backfocus problem. Before some of the readers who were directly impacted by a D7000 backfocus problem start throwing tomatoes my way, let me first explain this in more detail. There are many variables that affect autofocus accuracy and a number of reasons why images from the D7000 might appear softer compared to older generation cameras. Many photographers who just got the D7000 as their first DSLR or moved from an entry-level DSLR like D40 to a D7000 simply do not have a solid understanding of how to use different focusing modes to obtain accurate focus. Without doing much reading and learning how to use the different AF modes on the camera, they just take pictures hand-held, expecting the D7000 to produce tack-sharp images. There are tons of photographs of blurry dogs and cats on the Internet photographed in Single Servo (AF-S) mode while they are in motion, with photographers blaming the equipment for out of focus images. In other cases, you hear some photographers say stuff like “my Nikon D40 was much sharper and I never had focus problems with any of my lenses on it”. Wait a second. Before, they were viewing a 6 MP image at 100% on their computer screens and now they are viewing a 16 MP image at 100% and are expecting both to look equally sharp? Of course they are! But they do not seem to understand the following:
- High resolution sensors need better lenses that can resolve more detail. Do not expect your old crappy DX kit lens to give you super sharp images on the D7000.
- Camera shake is more noticeable on high resolution sensors when images are viewed at 100%.
- Even slight autofocus errors are quite visible on high resolution sensors.
So, going back to viewing a 6 MP image versus a 16 MP image at 100%, if those photographers resized the 16 MP image to 6 MP in Photoshop, they would not see much difference in sharpness between the two 6 MP images. Take a look at the following examples:
The first image is a 100% crop from a 6 MP image, while the second one is a 100% crop from a 12 MP image. Looking at the 6 MP image, I can say that it looks acceptably sharp to me and if I add a little bit of sharpening in Photoshop, I will get a very usable image. Now take a look at the second image – this one looks soft/blurry in comparison. Both are taken from the same image and one is simply resized to smaller resolution. That’s why if your lens is not very sharp or if it slightly front/back focuses, you would not normally notice any problems when it is mounted on a low-resolution camera. Many photographers did not even know about front/back focus issues until they tried out the D7000 or saw hundreds of messages on online forums. Simply put, Nikon opened a can of worms with a high resolution sensor and people all of a sudden started discovering focus problems with their lenses.
Front/back focus issues are mostly related to lenses, not camera bodies. Again, as I have pointed out above, a slight focusing problem of a lens might not be noticeable on a low resolution sensor, but will certainly show up at high resolutions. Add camera shake and motion blur at slow shutter speeds and the situation is worsened even more. Not all lenses are perfectly calibrated when they leave Nikon factories, as can be seen from some of my Nikon lens reviews, so you should not be surprised if your lenses are not 100% accurate. If you did not notice a focus problem with your lens before, it does not mean that it did not exist.
Now this all does not mean that a DSLR body cannot have any issues. I’m sure a number of Nikon D7000 camera bodies actually had some focusing problems – a normal problem that occurs when a product is manufactured. Some experienced photographers have clearly demonstrated DSLR autofocus problems and I am not going to argue with them. However, the number of people who truly had an autofocus problem with a D7000 body is extremely small. Inside the DSLR body, AF problems could be caused by badly aligned internal components and other calibration issues that are easy to fix by the manufacturer. If all of your lenses have focus issues which are not present on a different DSLR body, then you might have one of those defective DSLRs that need to be repaired/recalibrated by Nikon. Don’t try to repair or recalibrate the camera yourself. There are some people who advise to use a hex wrench inside the camera chamber to fix the focus problem, but it is not a good idea for two reasons – you might damage your camera and you might make AF accuracy even worse. Nikon uses specialized computer equipment to calibrate cameras and lenses and you should let them handle that instead.
Another reason why we hear so much about backfocus issues on the D7000 is because Nikon gave the ability to use AF Fine Tune on the D7000 (Nikon D90 and entry-level DSLRs do not have this feature). Many photographers, especially newbies, experiment with AF Fine Tune too much and they end up with even worse results. Tweaking AF Fine Tune values requires careful testing using special charts for accurate results, so I would not just use any arbitrary number and hope it will work. Obviously, using other people’s AF Fine Tune values is no good either… Lastly, autofocus problems on DSLRs and lenses have been known for many years now, pretty much since the day autofocus was invented. If you search for “backfocus test” in Google, you will find articles from 10+ years ago. So it is NOT a new problem on the D7000 – there were back focus issues even back in the film days.
I hope this clears things up. Let’s get back to the Nikon D7000 AF system and what I think of it. The new 39 point AF system behaves very similarly to that of the 59 point AF system from professional line of Nikon DSLRs. Yes, it is that good. If you are used to the simple Nikon D90 AF system, you will find the AF system on the D7000 to be a huge upgrade and overall a much better, more reliable and more responsive AF system. In bright conditions outdoors, the Nikon D7000 snaps into focus very fast and I saw no difference in AF performance between the D7000 and the pro-level DSLRs. Lenses with fast AF motors like the Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8G and Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8G perform exceptionally well on the D7000. In low light conditions, the AF accuracy starts to suffer depending on the amount of ambient light. I had a few cases where the D7000 indicated that focus was acquired properly, when in fact it was not. Switching to the center AF point indoors certainly helps a lot and AF performance gets more reliable though (you have to be careful about focusing and then recomposing when shooting at large apertures and shallow depth of field, because you could end up with an out of focus image, due to a change in focus plane). If you have been using an entry-level DSLR or a D90, you will definitely like the D7000 AF system. However, if you have been using a pro-level DSLR like Nikon D300/D700, you will find the low light AF performance to be a little weak in comparison. Once you get used to how the D7000 autofocuses, you will be able to get great results, even indoors.
Here is an example of a portrait that was shot indoors in low light with the Nikon D7000:
Here is the full-size version of the above image (4.8 MB JPEG – RAW to JPEG conversion performed in Lightroom, some sharpening was applied to the image – Amount: 50, Radius: 1.0, Detail: 50, Masking: 20). Focusing was performed in ambient light (Single Servo/AF-S) and the shot was taken with a single off-camera flash positioned on the left of the subject, shot through an umbrella. Shot with Nikon D7000 + Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8G VR II @ 112mm, f/2.8, 1/20, ISO 200, VR On. The rest of the EXIF data is embedded in the file.
Here is another example, shot in a studio in good light:
The full-size version of the above image can be downloaded from here (1 MB JPEG – RAW to JPEG conversion performed in Lightroom, some sharpening was applied to the image – Amount: 50, Radius: 1.0, Detail: 50, Masking: 20). Continuous Servo/AF-C mode with two studio lights using an octabank (main light on the left) and a softbox (positioned to the right as fill light). Shot with the Nikon D7000 + Nikon 50mm f/1.4G @ f/5.6, 1/125, ISO 200. The rest of the EXIF data is embedded in the file.
Overall, I am very pleased with the new AF system on the D7000.
5) Metering and Exposure
Nikon has introduced a brand new 2,016-pixel RGB sensor into the D7000 that is supposed to properly expose scenes shot even in some of the most difficult lighting conditions. The sensor is based on a scene recognition system that can identify human skin tone and faces. Because of this, the Nikon D7000 exposes subjects differently than previous generation DSLRs, putting more priority on properly exposing people’s faces, sometimes disregarding other bright areas of the image. I first noticed this when I was photographing Lola outside (we needed her portraits for her business) – the camera would overexpose almost every time, no matter what kind of light I had in the background. I found myself dialing negative exposure compensation between -0.7 to -1.7 for almost every single shot. Lola was wearing a black winter coat, which was not easy to meter, but still, in almost every case the camera overexposed by at least a stop. Take a look at this example (as it came out of camera, no adjustments in Lightroom, including WB were made):
I had to dial a negative -0.7 exposure compensation for the above shot (which I think is still a little overexposed), because the camera was grossly overexposing the image in matrix metering. I focused on Lola’s face with a single focus point in Continuous Servo/AF-C mode, so I initially could not understand why the D7000 was overexposing the scene. Only after getting home and reading more about the new color and pattern matching sensor on the D7000, I finally understood what was going on. The camera was simply trying to expose Lola’s face properly and it did not pay much attention to what was going on elsewhere in the frame, even when the background was much brighter than the foreground. This is good news when we shoot subjects in backlit situations (with the sun or another bright source of light on the back of the subject) – looks like now we don’t have to dial positive exposure compensation to brighten up people’s faces. For all other situations when photographing people, however, I believe that this new system does result in overexposure quite often. I did not see any problems with overexposure in Matrix Metering when photographing scenes without people (landscapes, architecture, etc) though, which is good news. One more thing to add to this – if you are photographing in Single-Point AF-Area Mode, your camera will meter based on where you are pointing the focus point. Therefore, if the object you are focusing on with the single AF point is dark, the rest of the image might come out overexposed. This is normal behavior, because the camera is simply emphasizing that focus area.
6) Movie Recording
Although I personally do not shoot much video (except for occasional family videos), the high-def 1080p video mode on the Nikon D7000 was very tempting to try. I shot a couple of videos of my kids indoors in good light and the video quality was indeed impressive. After seeing some reports about hot pixels showing up in videos at high ISOs, I decided to see if my copy of the D7000 was affected. Indeed, a couple of rather large hot pixels did show up when I shot videos at ISO 3200. I then updated the firmware of the D7000 to the current 1.01 version and the hot pixels did not show up again. Other than this, I did not see any problems with video recording on the D7000. Manual exposure control is nice, but you cannot change aperture or ISO while recording video, so do it before pressing the red record button. Live View/Video mode is super easy to switch to, thanks to the new lever on the back of the camera and I certainly like it much more than the “Lv” button on other Nikon DSLRs.
7) Dynamic Range
When it comes to dynamic range, the Nikon D7000 seems to have a very similar dynamic range as other DX cameras like Nikon D90 and Nikon D300s. I did not perform any scientific tests to measure dynamic range, but I did a few RAW adjustments to some images and I was able to recover plenty of highlight/shadow detail. One major difference between the Nikon D7000 and other current-generation DX and FX sensors I have not talked about yet, is Nikon D7000′s base ISO. Most current Nikon DSLRs (except for the new Nikon D3100 and Nikon D3x) have a base ISO of 200 and it looks like Nikon is going back to ISO 100, judging from the D3100 and D7000 sensors. Why is this important? Because all DSLRs have the highest amount of dynamic range and lowest amount of noise at base ISO. If you were to shoot a high contrast scene (with dark and bright tones) at base ISO and then shoot the same scene at a higher ISO like 800, you would be able to recover more data from the base ISO shot. Therefore, if you want to recover more details without doing any bracketing or HDR, you should use ISO 100 on the Nikon D7000. This is especially important for architectural and landscape photography. As for Active D-Lighting, if you shoot RAW and do not use Nikon’s Capture NX2 product, you should turn it off. For all other cases, leaving Active D-Lighting at “Auto” works great.
ISO Performance
8) ISO Performance at low ISOs (ISO 100-800)
Some technical junk:
- White Balance: Auto, changed to “Custom”: 3000 Temp, +9 Tint in Lightroom
- ISO: 100
- EXIF information is preserved in the images
- Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8G VR II lens with VR set to “Off” was used for all tests
- Aperture: f/4.0
- Focusing was performed through Live-View Contrast Detect
- Mirror Lock-Up mode with Exposure Delay set to “On” and remote cable release to completely eliminate camera shake
- Long exposure NR: Off
- Image Format: RAW/NEF
- Imported images into Lightroom and cropped to 100% – no resizing was performed in Photoshop
- No exposure adjustments were performed in Lightroom (besides White Balance)
- Lightroom sharpening: 25, 1.0, 25, 0 (default)
- Lightroom export: sRGB JPEG Quality 80
Here is the full image, showing which area of the image I cropped below:
Let’s take a look at how the Nikon D7000 performs at low ISOs that I use the most. Here are some crops at ISO 100, 200, 400 and 800:
As I have already stated earlier, the noise levels at base ISO are typically the cleanest, as the above crops indicate. ISO 100 and ISO 200 look identical in terms of details, but ISO 200 already has a little more luminance noise in the shadows (visible on the right side of the image). ISO 400 picks up noise even more, with grain starting to appear in other darker parts of the image. At ISO 800, noise starts to affect the shadows, but the image details are still preserved across the frame. Overall, the ISO performance of the Nikon D7000 at ISOs 100-800 yields very good results.
9) High ISO Performance (ISO 1600-6400)
High ISO performance is a very important measure of DSLR sensor quality. Here is how the Nikon D7000 performs at high ISO levels between ISO 1600 and 6400:
ISO 1600 adds a bit more grain when compared to ISO 800, but there is still plenty of detail to work with. I would not hesitate to use ISO 1600 on the D7000 as well and would probably use noise reduction software if I needed to get rid of the noise. At ISO 3200 we are seeing loss of detail, especially in the shadows, but the image is still usable. ISO 6400 looks too grainy for me and there is a high level of noise across the frame. Judging from the above crops and my field tests, I personally would shoot between ISO 100-1600 and push ISO to 3200 every once in a while when needed, staying out of ISO 6400 as much as possible.
10) High ISO Performance “Boost” (ISO 12800-25600)
Nikon D7000 has two extra ISO “boost” levels – ISO 12800 and ISO 25600 for extreme situations. Take a look at these:
As you can see, there is plenty of detail/sharpness loss at ISO 12,800 and chroma/color noise is quite visible. The shadows on the toy have no texture left and there is lots of high magnitude noise across the frame. ISO 25,600 is much worse and looks unusable to me.
10) ISO Performance Summary
It is hard to judge the performance of the Nikon D7000 without direct comparison against other cameras, which is why you should definitely check out the next pages of this review. One thing for sure – the Nikon D7000 performs very well for a 16 MP DX camera. Let’s see what kind of a difference there is between the Nikon D7000 and the older generation Nikon D90. Click the next page below to see the comparison.
Camera Comparisons
Compared to Nikon D90
Please note that the camera comparisons are only based on image quality. Additional information and differences in camera features is provided in my Nikon D7000 vs D90 article.
Any time a comparison between two different sensors is made (especially with different megapixel counts), one has to make sure that the tests are performed carefully, since any error could result in incorrect/invalid results. Resizing images in software to compensate for the field of view/resolution differences is never a good idea. Therefore, I used the Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8G VR II for this test (which is very sharp across the zoom range) at different focal lengths to get equivalent sizes of objects at different resolutions. The only other method was to move my setup back and forth or show crops at different fields of view, but I did not want to do that, because it would be hard to compare the images. The Nikon D7000 was shot at approximately 86mm and the Nikon D90 was shot at approximately 102mm. To make sure that I do not get major differences in depth of field, I changed the aperture to f/8.0. I turned off Active D-Lighting and Noise Reduction on both cameras and used exactly the same shutter speed and ISO.
Whenever manufacturers increase the number of pixels on the same size sensor, pixel density increases and individual pixel size decreases. This ultimately results in less dynamic range and higher amounts of noise, unless new sensor technologies and noise-reduction algorithms are employed. So far Nikon has been doing a pretty good job in keeping ISO noise levels to the minimum whenever a new sensor with higher resolution is released. Let’s see if the same holds true for the new D7000.
11) Nikon D7000 vs D90 ISO Comparison at low ISOs
At low ISOs between ISO 100 and 800, both Nikon D7000 and Nikon D90 have about the same noise levels with slightly cleaner shadows from the D90. In terms of details though, the Nikon D7000 images appear a little more “punchy” and slightly more detailed than D90 images. At first, I thought that it was a focus issue, but then I retested both cameras after carefully acquiring focus through Live View and got the same results. Take a look at the below crops at ISO 100 (L 1.0 on Nikon D90), 200, 400 and 800:
Please note that ISO 100 on the Nikon D90 is not the base ISO. That’s probably why the D90 image at ISO 100 came out slightly brighter.
As you can see, the amount of noise is very comparable at ISO 100 and 200, but the D7000 fur details look better.
At ISO 400 and 800, the noise levels on the D90 look slightly better, but the D7000 still leads with the amount of details.
12) Nikon D7000 vs D90 High ISO Comparison
What about high ISO levels above ISO 800? Let’s take a look:
At ISO 1600, the amount of detail and the level of luminance noise on both D90 and D7000 are about the same, although D7000 seems to retain detail a tad better.
As we increase ISO to 3200, both again look very similar, with D90 starting to add some larger artifacts to shadows. Nikon D90 also starts to lose some colors when compared to D7000.
ISO 6400 is not a native ISO mode on the Nikon D90 (H1.0), so we start seeing some amount of chroma noise and more artifacts on the D90. The Nikon D7000 image has about the same amount of luminance noise, but retains the colors slightly better. Shadow details on both look about the same, while the highlight details on the D7000 are still better. Either way, I personally would not shoot at ISO 6400 on either camera.
13) Nikon D7000 vs D90 Summary
As you can see, the Nikon D7000 is very similar to Nikon D90 in terms of handling noise, which is great, given the 4 MP difference between the sensors. I was surprised to see images from the D7000 with more details in both highlights and shadows though. With the higher number of megapixels, it should technically be the other way around. In addition, the Nikon D7000 seems to be retaining the colors at high ISOs better than D90, with less artifacts and chroma noise. I personally try not to shoot above ISO 800-1600 when using cropped-sensor/DX cameras, so performance differences above ISO 3200 are not as vital for me.
Compared to Nikon D3100
For the Nikon D7000 vs D3100 test, I used the same focal length at the same distance due to a relatively small difference in megapixels and field of view (Nikon D3100 has a 14.2 MP sensor, while the Nikon D7000 has a 16.2 MP sensor). Again, both cameras had the same aperture, shutter speed and ISO values and Noise Reduction + Active D-Lighting were turned off as well. Focusing was performed via Live View contrast detect.
14) Nikon D7000 vs D3100 High ISO Comparison
Low ISO performance between ISO 100 and ISO 800 looks almost identical on both Nikon D3100 and Nikon D7000, with a very equivalent amount of noise and detail. The same seems to hold true for high ISO performance – take a look at these crops at ISO 1600, 3200, 6400 and 12800:
At ISO 3200 the Nikon D3100 seems to add some artifacts here and there and the shadow detail seems to be lost more. However, the amount of noise is about the same on both cameras, which is good news for the Nikon D3100.
ISO 6400 looks poor on both, with lots of noise and loss of detail/sharpness.
And ISO 12800 is even worse, pretty much unusable on both.
12) Nikon D7000 vs D3100 Summary
Although the Nikon D3100 does not have many of the Nikon D7000 features, it performed quite well against the D7000. I believe Nikon uses the same noise-reduction algorithm on both cameras, because noise pattern and levels look very similar on both. The Nikon D7000 still wins though, because it has 2 MP more resolution and seems to retain details better at high ISOs.
Let’s move on to the next comparison between Nikon D7000 and Nikon D700 – click the next page below.
Compared to Nikon D700
There is no such thing as a fair comparison when you put a DX sensor against an FX sensor. A larger sensor means larger pixels, which translates to cleaner images. I know FX vs DX is always a heated debate, with plenty of people defending each side, but for me – the low ISO performance of a full-frame sensor was something that made me permanently switch to FX. I was simply never happy with noise showing up even at base ISO on DX sensors. Everybody talks about high ISO performance difference between FX and DX, but people rarely show examples of low noise of the FX sensor at low ISOs. Take a look at this crop from D7000 at ISO 200 and compare it to a crop from D700 at the same ISO:
See what I mean? Images from full-frame sensors will always be cleaner at low ISOs when compared to DX and the above example is a clear demonstration of this. The same is true for all ISO levels between ISO 200 and ISO 800 – FX looks better in all cases.
Now let’s take a look at what happens at high ISOs between ISO 1600 and ISO 25600.
15) Nikon D7000 vs D700 High ISO Comparison
I typically set my Auto ISO max value to ISO 1600 on my Nikon D700, due to low amount of noise and plenty of detail in both highlights and shadows. Let’s see how the Nikon D7000 compares against the D700 at ISO 1600:
As you can see, the difference is pretty clear – the Nikon D700 is much cleaner at ISO 1600. What about ISO 3200?
The situation at ISO 3200 is very similar to that of ISO 1600 – Nikon D7000 is showing plenty of noise in comparison.
ISO 6400 is my threshold on the D700 for worst case scenarios where I need to use a high ISO. D700 is still much cleaner than D7000 and it certainly retains a lot more details in shadows and highlights.
ISO 12,800 and 25,600 is a little better on the D700, but still unusable on both cameras for my taste.
16) Nikon D7000 vs D700 Summary
Once again, comparing a cropped-sensor camera to a full-frame camera is never an apples-to-apples comparison. I decided to provide the above crops simply as a reference, for people to see how the new D7000 compares against the older D700 full-frame DSLR. Yes, the Nikon D7000 is a superb high ISO performer when compared to other cropped sensors, but it still is not on the FX league in terms of noise handling, especially at low ISO levels. Obviously the Nikon D7000 has a 4 MP advantage we should not forget about, but even downsizing images to 12 MP does not ultimately result in the same clean look FX gives to images. Even ISO 3200 on the D700 looks better than ISO 1600 on the D7000, so there is still more than a stop of difference between the two.
Summary and Image Samples
17) Summary and Image Samples
Without a doubt, the Nikon D7000 is a very impressive camera that is packed with plenty of features to make every photo enthusiast happy. Its high-resolution 16.2 MP sensor delivers great performance at both low and high ISO levels, providing even better details in shadows and highlights when compared to previous generation Nikon DSLRs. The 4 MP of added resolution is certainly good news to those that want to upgrade their older DSLRs, because the extra resolution on the D7000 comes without sacrificing image quality. The tougher construction, added speed, new 39-point AF system, ability to record 1080p movies, dual memory card slots and better controls make the D7000 a nice upgrade for the current Nikon entry-level and D70/D80/D90 owners.
The Nikon D7000 has a few features that can only found on the D300s and higher pro-level DSLR bodies. For example, the ability to fine tune autofocus on lenses (AF Fine Tune), ability to use older manual focus lenses (Non-CPU Lens Data) and triggering camera at different intervals for time lapse photography (Intervalometer) are not present on any entry-level DSLRs and semi-pro bodies like Nikon D90. Oh, and unlike the D300/D300s, shooting 14-bit RAW does not slow down the D7000! While all this sounds good, Nikon D7000 does have a few annoyances worth talking about.
Let’s start with autofocus performance of the D7000. Although I did not have any front/back focus issues and the AF system on the D7000 was quick and accurate in most situations, there were some cases in dim light when the camera indicated that focus was accurate, when it was not. For fast-action photography, although the AF system performed quite well when I photographed birds, I still like the versatility of the 59 AF system on the D300s more – it seems to be more responsive to sudden changes than the D7000. On top of that, the D7000 has a much smaller buffer than the D300s, so it was not very practical to shoot fast action in RAW at high speeds. After a short initial burst that lasts less than two seconds, the camera starts to crawl, even with the fastest Class 10 SD Cards. To really take advantage of the 6 FPS (frames per second), you would have to switch to JPEG and lower its size – not something I would want to compromise on. So if you are heavily into sports and wildlife photography, I would recommend getting a D300s instead.
The second issue is with its new 2,016-pixel metering sensor that seems to cause images to get overexposed when photographing people. Its pattern/color/skin recognition system can put too much emphasis on a certain part of the frame, practically ignoring the rest. When compared to other Nikon DSLRs, the metering behavior is different and will probably take some time to get used to. Although over-exposing your shots a little (metering to the right) is generally a good practice, you do not want to overexpose too much, because you will start to lose highlights. In some situations, I had to dial between -0.7 EV to -1.7 EV (exposure compensation) to get good exposures. I am OK with dialing -0.3 to -0.7 EV, since some older Nikon DSLRs are also known to overexpose a little, but -1.7 EV is just too much. Nikon should have tweaked their new metering system a little better.
Lastly, I am not very happy with the new battery, charger and MB-D11 grip that only work with the D7000. Although the new battery is supposed to be better and should last longer, it is unfortunate that I cannot use my EN-EL3e batteries that I was happily using with the D300 and D700 cameras. My MB-D10 that could easily swap between the D300/D700 also cannot be used with the D7000. Unless the new battery type and holder are going to be used in the upcoming Nikon D400/D800 cameras, I’m sure this is something the current D80/D90/D200/D300/D300s/D700 owners will brag about.
Other than the above issues, the Nikon D7000 is a winner in pretty much every other category.
18) Where to buy and availability
B&H is currently selling the Nikon D7000 body only for approximately $1,199.95.
19) More image samples
Click here to download the full-size version of the file (1.3 MB).
Click here to download the full-size version of the file (5.6 MB).
Click here to download the full-size version of the file (5.9 MB).
Click here to download the full-size version of the file (1.3 MB).
About Nasim Mansurov
Hi Nasim
Very helpful review.
I agree about the battery – a serious drawback – but understand it was based on a new legal requirement – so we’ll probably see these batteries in the D400/800 as well.
I also have a problem with the different layout of the D3/D700/D300 series of cameras – it’s just irksome looking for buttons, changing menu’s etc.
On the positive side, I do think it is a great step forward from the D90, but the greater pixel density will mean the need for better DX glass.
Best, P:)
Pasquier, yes, I believe it was some sort of export requirement that does not allow exposed connectors on the batteries or something of that nature.
The Nikon D7000 is certainly nice – I strongly believe the upcoming Nikon D400 will have a very similar sensor, if not the same with some extra features. Can’t wait for the D800 announcement though! I think I will buy one as soon as it comes out…
I agree with you Nasim.. By the way, I this this is the best review I’ve ever seen for Nikon d7000, I very appreciate it, thank you very much Nisam..
great review Nasim. Thanks for the time spent in testing and writing the review.
Thank you Tom! :)
я же сразу говорил, что 7000 жжод напалмом =))
только менять д90 на д7000 не вижу особого смысла, тем более с китовыми стеклами, тем более в режиме ленивого фото =) лучше копить на хорошее стекло =)
Ya toje ne viju smisla menyat’ D90 na D7000 ;-)
Hi Nasim,
You said “High resolution sensors need better lenses”. Do you think that the 35 mm 1.8 DX and the 85mm f1.8D AF are good lenses for the D7000 ? I am thinking in buying those two as my initial kit.
Best Regards,
Vinicius
Vinicius, yes, both the Nikon 35mm f/1.8G DX and the 85mm f/1.8D are superb lenses that will work great on the D7000.
But would the new 85mm 1.4 be better???
for sure it’s (1.4) more expensive; I own the 85mm 1.8 D and this lens does a great job for the value;
I used it on D300, D7000 and D700 even wide open for portraits
/Karl
Hi!
Thank you for the excellent review and really helpful general tips. It sure hits the spot as I’m a D200 user and looking for the next camera. D7000 looks tempting despite the few defects.
The thing I would like to ask relates to the IQ debate. The need of increased resolution is widely noticed but the talk mostly relates to the consumer level DX glass. How do you find the older MF lenses satisfying this need?
Another thing I would like to ask relates to the D700/D7000 IQ comparison. I understood that the example images were more or less straight from the cam? How close is it possible to get with decent PP in Lightroom 3?
I’m an enthusiastic amateur with quite a collection of 2.8 glass, the wider end being DX. D700 would give me the opportunity to clean the closet by simplifying the selection but I somehow feel that D7000 would give me adequate IQ with less money and weight.
I am new D7000 user and having some of the focus issues, i even sent it in to Nikon for repairs and they adjusted the mirror9(s), the AF and cleaned the sensor, but I’m still having some focus issues even with a great lens like the Nikkor 35mm f/1.8G.
Your article was great laying out the issue, but exactly how to I fix it?? Assuming it’s me doing something wrong, what do I need to do different??
I come from the D200 that was flawless with it’s auto-focus.
I too have that problem, my d200, d70 and my d700 work great.
The d7000 is a big disappointment.
I shot med resolution jpg in a gym at iso 6400 and got great results.
I shot raw at iso 200 and got crap.
Hi Nasim,
just in short : I had a back focus issue with my (purchased in November 2010) D7000;
and Nikon Germany, Düsseldorf fixed it ;
I assume that my sample is not a valid example for all Nikon D7000;
but testing only one body you could be a lucky winner ;-)
http://spinthma.zenfolio.com/d7000_backfokus
I am not the only one seeing a lot of D7000 at ebay or in sales section of other Nikon Forums too;
I hope Nikon improved quality in between.
/Karl
Thank for your detailed review Nasim – I appreciated the Nikon D700 vs D7000 section ;-)
/Karl
You are most welcome Karl! :)
Karl, are you sure that the tests were performed correctly? I am seeing some flash on those photos, which means that you were probably focusing in low light. The best way to measure AF accuracy is to try to shoot distinct textures outside on a bright day. Also, was the back focus problem on the D7000 or on your lens? Did you send the body with a lens to Nikon Germany?
Nasim,
indeed the flash was not so good for a back focus test;
but if you download (context menue of Image left upper corner) the original file size you can clearly see a BF of the cam
about 1.5cm!
which I was not able to fix with AF-FineTuning.
My D300 – luckily to have it for comparison – did not have any issue with my lenses;
and after the cam only the body came back it was proper liek my D300;
but still the Autofocus In Accuracy remained
and that was the reason I switched to the D700;
and now I am happy again:-)
Excellent, comprehensive, and well-structured analysis of the D7000. You saved me some money by taking a realistic and pragmatic approach in your review.
Against my better judgement, I was mildly considering the D7000 but decided against it after reading your review. Not that the D7000 is a bad camera, it’s because of my situation: I have a D300 and a D700 and this camera would bring nothing substantial to my situation. I’ll wait for your review of the D800 before I get serious about a new camera.
The D800 better have an 18-20 MP sensor and the same noise level as the current version; otherwise, no go.
Thank you for your feedback Peter!
Oh yeah, if you already have a D300 and a D700, you should not get a D7000 and wait for the D800 instead :) The D7000 is a great camera with a superb price/performance ratio, but it is not a professional-level DSLR like D300/D700 you are used to.
I am 100% positive that the Nikon D800 is going to be a superb camera. I’m also hoping for 18+ MP, but they might go with a 16 MP sensor to keep the noise levels down…
hi Nasim,
Finally , the D7000 review ! Thanks for this. It would be great if you could link all the full images used , as in the crops comparing the ISO performance. Not sure if my eyes deceive me, but the D90 vs D7000 crops reveal an interesting focus difference. The D90 appears sharper in the upper region, see the ear, while the D7000 appears sharper on the left and lower part of the crop where the face and nose is. There is also a color shift, where the D7000 is sharper also has more vivid blue/green, while the D90 has more vivid blue (see the stars on upper part of the ear).
I assume this is due to the focal length difference, on the same lens than the sensor itself.
Also, it looks to me the D700 is not 1 but 2 stops better than D7000.
You are most welcome Rahul!
I did not provide links to full-size images, because those are massive in size. If you are interested, I can send you a couple of samples over email. One thing for sure, there is definitely a difference in color between the D90 and D7000 sensors. The D90 was tough to focus in Live View mode, because zooming in makes everything look so darn fuzzy. Nikon D7000/D3100 are much better in this regard… In terms of D700 vs D7000, I said that the D700 is more than a stop better. I would say around 1.5 stops is what I can see with my eyes.
Nasim,
I know there’s no such DX camera at present, but if a DX was to have same pixel density and same technology as an FX – think 5MP D700, would it have exactly the same dynamic range/ISO performance ? I’d expect so, since the photons/pixel would be the same , which also to some extent explains why the DSLR vs P&S sensor advantage isn’t as large the area suggests.
Wish it were possible to shoot without any lens – just moving the camera to cover the same field of view and thus remove the focal length variation out of the equation when comparing different sized sensors. Wishful thinking ?
Rahul, yes, that is a correct assumption. If you made the pixel size on a DX sensor the same as on a full-frame camera, you essentially would have similar ISO performance and dynamic range. One thing to note, however, is that there is plenty of hardware and software processing taking place when the information from the sensor is collected and black and white is converted to color, so the type of hardware, plus software algorithms play a huge role.
In terms of testing cameras without lenses, unfortunately, it is not possible to normally test sensors without lenses. Testing cameras is a difficult task, because there are too many variables involved (everything from camera settings to focus accuracy). For example, a slight difference in exposure can render tests useless, because brighter images will always have less noise than darker ones, especially in the shadows. That’s why I performed all tests with the same lens and with the same aperture, shutter speed and ISO in full manual mode. Even then, I’m sure there are errors in my tests. That’s why any camera comparisons should be taken with a grain of salt, especially when different brand cameras are compared…
Nasim,
Great review as always! If you had access to a 7D / 60D, I think many folks will find helpful a quick comparison between the Canon 18Mp vs. the Nikon (Sony really!) 16Mp sensor. It will definitely make for some interesting pixel-peeping!
Regards,
Tony
Tony, would love to, but there are too many variables involved that could invalidate test results when doing cross-brand comparisons. Everything from type of lens used, to different software algorithms by manufacturers. A high ISO test is relatively easy to perform, but a sharpness/detail test would almost be meaningless…
Hmmm…. This exposure isssue is a real concern. I would primarly be using this body for the reach in wildlife and sports (the 10-11 image max on raw doens’t concern me too much), but i’m concerned those exposure issues are going to show-up in these types of images as well. Not to say anything about other portrait scenarios where they are more common.
Nasim, do you think that this is the type of thing that could be addressed in a firmware upgrade. If so, do you think they would actually do it? I would think that it would have happened by now if it was. The only review of this camera from a respected source that I have read that indicates this is not an issue is Thom Hogan. But his reason seems to be, you have to be a better photographer to overcome it.
I have a d90 and and a 300mm f/4 and want as much pixel density as I can get for wildlife and sports, do you think this upgrade would be a good idea?
Thanks,
Chris
Chris, I would not worry about overexposure problems too much…if you notice any overexposure while on the field, all you need to do is press the exposure compensation button and dial as much as you need. I did some birding on an overcast day with the D7000 and I did not see any problems with my exposure (exposure compensation was set to “0″), so you might not see any overexposure when shooting birds. I don’t think Nikon is going to address this in a firmware update, because they do not consider this to be a problem. Many of the older Nikon bodies such as Nikon D80 had overexposure issues and Nikon never fixed those with a firmware update…
If I were you, I would wait for the D400 that should be released later this year.
Is this true Nasim? – a D400 will be released?
:-)
Hehe Karl :) You can rest assured that we will see one this year, unless something really goes wrong at Nikon…
Just got my d7000 last week.. Really enjoying it. I would be very interested in seeing all your settings. Sounds like auto iso up to 1600 but would like to all general settings. Also for jpeg shooters would like feedback ion increasing sharpness, saturation etc… Thanks again
Derek, let me know what settings you have problems with and I will try to help you out. As far as Auto ISO settings, I would set your Max ISO to 1600 and set the minimum shutter speed to your lens focal length (if you shoot with a zoom lens, set it to the maximum focal length of your zoom lens) – that should work for most situations. If your lens has VR, you can probably drop the minimum shutter speed to a smaller value, but you would have to be more careful about your hand-holding technique and wait until VR stabilizes before you shoot. As for JPEG settings, I would not over-sharpen and over-saturate images in camera, so just choose the Standard profile and add slightly more sharpening (maybe 2 extra bars). Any reason why you want to continue shooting JPEG?
Hope this helps :)
Hi Nasim,
With regards to Picture Control Settings, you mentioned that with shooting JPEG’s we whould minimize saturation and sharpening in Camera? Can you please tell us the reason behind this? I mostly shoot my D7000 in Aperture Priority with Portrait picture control sharpened at +9(full) and saturation +2. Can you please guide us amateurs on the best picture control settings to get the best image result without post processing. Much obliged.
Kind regards,
Jason
NB I will be going there in Denver Colorado on Jan 16, 2012 for a job training. Hopefully I could meet up with you if you’re not busy and give me pro-tips personally. I will be only there for 3 weeks and go back home here in New Zealand after the training.
Thanks Nasim for a wonderful review. The most important point that I liked was showing noise of low ISO images from DX and FX body. It clarifies all the discussion on cleanness of image from FX body. Thanks once again..
Prajakt
Prajakt, you are most welcome!
I agree with everything in your review — except the part about focus problems, especially back-focus issues. I think you are overlooking a large body of information being accumulated from experienced photographers (like me) having their D7000 focus problems cured by a trip to Nikon repair. There is definitely something going on with a significant minority of the new AF sensors.
I very much liked your comparison of crop vs. full frame noise. With all the jubilation over the D7000, I wondered if I was the only one seeing the grit starting in the midtones at ISO 200! :) Thanks. My 5D still rocks over my D7000 in smooth tones and noise.
fully agree!
/Karl
Gunzorro, have you had a chance to read the whole part on Autofocus? Please pay attention to this paragraph: “Now this all does not mean that a DSLR body cannot have any issues. I’m sure a number of Nikon D7000 camera bodies actually had some focusing problems – a normal problem that occurs when a product is manufactured. Some experienced photographers have clearly demonstrated DSLR autofocus problems and I am not going to argue with them. However, the number of people who truly had an autofocus problem with a D7000 body is extremely small. Inside the DSLR body, AF problems could be caused by badly aligned internal components and other calibration issues that are easy to fix by the manufacturer. If all of your lenses have focus issues which are not present on a different DSLR body, then you might have one of those defective DSLRs that need to be repaired/recalibrated by Nikon.”
So, you might have been affected by a real back-focus problem on the D7000 and I am not denying that at all…
God damn, another one claiming the focus issues are due to people not being able to focus properly, or people being dumbfounded by getting somewhat larger images.
Incredible…
Yes, people shooting moving dogs with AF-S will get out of focus images. How many of us that do focus tests shoot moving targets in the wrong AF-mode? How many of us shoot handheld, so that no part of the image is sharp? Not that many – I know that my batteries didn’t jump around when I shot them. The fact that most get some part of the image sharp (just that it’s the wrong part, which is the problem), suggests that the “moron-operator” is not really a great explanation for most of these complaints.
How did you come to the conclusion that most of us are inexperienced idiots?
From my observations and discussions with digital camera users, most don’t understand the funtionality of their camera conrols which are tending to get more complex as each new version hits the market. I guess that’s why point-and-shoot cameras are so popular.
Yes, of course, all true! But how can you jump from there to conclude that it is the main reason behind the problems people have with the D7K? From what I have seen, the problem does not only strike when people that are only capable of operating single-button cameras use the D7K. The kinds of blanket-statements that is given in the review is quite arrogant, unless of course he knows a lot of these people personally and know that the problem is their incompetence.
Here’s a quote from the review in question:
“Many photographers who just got the D7000 as their first DSLR or moved from an entry-level DSLR like D40 to a D7000 simply do not have a solid understanding of how to use different focusing modes to obtain accurate focus. Without doing much reading and learning how to use the different AF modes on the camera, they just take pictures hand-held, expecting the D7000 to produce tack-sharp images.”
He’s right. Remember the Toyota fiasco where the US governement blamed Toyota for all the crashes people were having. Must be something wrong with the car, our gov’t said. If you follow the news, the gov’t NOW said it was due to ….ready for this?…”the crashes were caused by driver error. The car was not the problem!” PEOPLE were the problem.
Do you beleive in the validity of the normal curve distribution? Well, if point-and-shoot types just switched to the D7000, don’t you think that at least half of them don’t know how to handle the focusing techniques? Personally, I would say 2/3 don’t get it!
Let me ask you this question: Did YOU just move from a point-and-shoot or a lesser DSLR to the D7000? Come on, fess up.
As for your question: A “lesser DSLR”? I guess so, if that includes the D80. Other than that, I also have some P&S-cams too of course, and some old film-Nikons. Still, I managed to focus with my D80 for some reason, strange. I guess that is because it is a “lesser” camera.
My point is that a lot of the people I see at DPReview for example seem to know at least a little bit about DSLR’s, and choosing wrong focus-mode etc. is clearly not the case in many of those threads.
I rest my case.
HS, I understand your frustration and trust me – I did have a chance to read through some of the claims on DPReview. That’s why I clearly stated that some of the tests DID show real cases of backfocus problems. As with any product that is launched, there are some samples out there that should not have gone through Nikon’s QA. However, claiming that ALL D7000 models have backfocus problems like suggested on some forums is only putting fear to potential buyers. That’s why I always encourage my readers to test their gear and take all reviews/opinions on various sites and forums (including my reviews) with a grain of salt.
I shoot with all kinds of Nikon lenses and cameras and one thing I noticed over the years, is that each sample of equipment varies in performance (sample variation). In my opinion, lenses are more prone to focus problems than bodies though.
In reply to your “I rest my case”.
You wrote this feeling you had “won”? You concluded, on the basis of what I said, that my problem is caused by me not knowing what I’m doing? If so, I’m quite baffled…
Congratulations, it takes a special kind of person to win like that. :D
Dear Mr/Miss sensitive, remember you started the whole thing by saying:
“God damn, another one claiming the focus issues are due to people not being able to focus properly, or people being dumbfounded by getting somewhat larger images.
Incredible…How did you come to the conclusion that most of us are inexperienced idiots?”
By the way, I accept your congratulations.
Now let’s get back to photography rather than psychoanalysis. Agree?
I Agree!
/Karl
@HS
I can understand you feelings – It took me some evenings of test and re-test, finally i sent my Nikon D7000 body to Nikon Germany with about 50 NEF files …
So I am a little bit nervous about all that.
But on the other site Photographers owning a working Nikon D7K cannot imagine that there a couples of bodies may not work -and the opposite is true too – I was surrounded from disappointed D7000 users and felt the complete D7000 line to be faulty;
And I cannot imagine that the statement from Nasim was done from a high horse;
he was 1 month with that cam and did not find an issue – so far;
/Karl
Mine is with Nikon too. :)
Hope they manage to fix them!
Mine is gone now . sold via ebay;
Now I own a D700;
/Karl
Yes, you would be surprised by the number of emails I receive periodically on focus problems. People often complain about “soft images” and they could be shooting with any DSLR, not just D7000. In most cases, these complaints come from inexperienced users (hence my conclusion) and very rarely do I actually get a real problem with the equipment. Since I sent the camera back, two photographers I know in Denver purchased the D7000 and both of them have no problems with autofocus. If the backfocus issue was a problem in all D7000 models, Nikon would have recalled the product by now.
Again, I am not claiming that EVERY focus issue with the D7000 is a user problem.
I had the very same experiences;
a group in a blog was telling that the D7000 pictures lack in sharpness and are always soft;
but the only thing was they just did not post process right;
I got very nice examples …
http://spinthma.zenfolio.com/d7000_lr3_sharpening
I agree totally not every sharpening issue is a body related one;
and using the wrong focus mode with large aperture lens may generate soft images out of the box;
And the D7000 is as complex as a D700 or D300 even it is a consumer cam; Nothing for bloody beginners …
/Karl
HS, no need to get so angry about what I wrote here – I never called you an idiot. All I was trying to say, is that most focusing issues are indeed related to user errors and lens back/front focus issues and rarely are truly related to a camera body.
Since you are an experienced photographer and you are sure about your testing methods, what I wrote does not apply to you. You should have read the next paragraph, where I say “Now this all does not mean that a DSLR body cannot have any issues. I’m sure a number of Nikon D7000 camera bodies actually had some focusing problems – a normal problem that occurs when a product is manufactured. Some experienced photographers have clearly demonstrated DSLR autofocus problems and I am not going to argue with them. However, the number of people who truly had an autofocus problem with a D7000 body is extremely small. Inside the DSLR body, AF problems could be caused by badly aligned internal components and other calibration issues that are easy to fix by the manufacturer.”
So if you truly had an AF problem on the camera, you could exchange it to a different body or could send it back to Nikon – they will surely take care of the problem.
Hope this helps :)
Fair enough. :p I’m just tired of people calling me a moron because I believe I have some problems with my camera. It has been sent to Nikon btw. Like Peter over here, seeming convinced I’m a P&D’er not knowing what I do.
Other than that, nice review, and nice site. Tidy and appealing.
HS,
I was wondering if you had gotten your D7000 back from Nikon yet and what the outcome was.
Thanks,
Adam
Hello! I got it back quite a while ago, and it works great now. :) Don’t have the details on what they did, but they said that the body had backfocus, and adjusted it (didn’t touch the lenses I sent with it).
It seems that the D90 and D7000 have the same noise upto around 1600 ISO.. mostly I do not go beyond 1600 anyway so is it a good idea to continue with the D90 rather than upgrade to the D7000 for the other features?
.. not quite sure how useful they will be the extra pixels, metering with non af lenses etc..
Sujoy, yes, both D90 and D7000 are very similar in terms of handling noise all the way to ISO 1600, but the D7000 has 4 MP more resolution :)
In terms of upgrading, it all depends on how happy you are with your D90 and if you need all other features D7000 has that D90 does not. For example, do you care about 1080p movie recording? Do you have old manual focus lenses? Do you care about two extra SD slots and better autofocus? If no, then just keep shooting with your D90 :)
Two of my friends that have D90 cameras asked me if they should upgrade and I recommended not to, because they are happy with what they have…
Thks I think I will remain with the D90 for now and ultimately think of a D700 maybe second hand once the D800 is out!
Nasim, is there a way to have my new d7k reflect the richness of my older d89′s photos?? The d7k shots seem too “bright” … Not as rich, deep color as the d80…
That was d80,, sorry, but question still stands… I’ve heard you can set up the d7k to have a similar richness
Nasim,
you first indoor shot with 70-200mm 2.8 :
the thing is if you put a lens with aperture value of 2.8 or even smaller 2.0
the AF-Unit would not so stressed in low light/Indoor as you would use
for example the 16-85mm DX lens (which this lens I had problems in my D7000 but not on my D300) with 85mm – there you would have 5.6 which is
1/4 of the incoming light;
So the Accuracy of the AF-Phase-Unit is Max-Aperture-dependend
/Karl
Karl, you are right about maximum aperture having an effect on AF speed and accuracy – the f/2.8 lenses generally perform much better in low light than f/5.6 lenses. However, the same is true for any Nikon DX body. I bet you would be frustrated with an f/5.6 lens when using a D300s as well…
Did you send your 16-85mm together with the D7000 to Nikon? Have you tried using any other lens on the D7000 besides the 16-85mm lens?
I had the 16-85mm and the tamron 17-50mm
I sent as i said only the body and Nikon fixed the Back Focus issue;
with the tamron the backfocus was most visible;
with the Nikkor 16-85mm the Focus Accuray was bad – The cam recognized the image as focused but they were not focused at all or was mis focused to the background instead to the smaller foreground object;
A colleague of mine a D3s user wanted a smaller body – and purchased the D7000; He was excited the fist day but gave the cam back soon because of much higher mis-focused pictures in indoor-area then with the D3s; And the D3s has not special focus unit – I think it’s the same like in D700 and similar to that in D300/D300s;
But now I want to close with it; I am very happy now to play now in the Fx-Liga; Now I have a solid working Cam the D700; A solidness and reliability a D800 first must prove in the field;
At the end it’s all about production quality – if I had to choose I would prefer a solid cam with less features before a feature-ful unreliable one.
/Karl
Nasim,
Thanks for your interesting review.
Totally agree about auto focus errors when shooting in dim light. At least, I got samples that show back or front focusing when shooting interior scenes with my D7000 (fluorescent warm light). Some times the camera report to have reach proper focus when it does not actually, specially with off the center single focus point (Nikkor 16-35 f4 at 16mm F4 less than 1 meter to the subject). In that regard….
1. How do you define “dim light”?
2. Do you think that shooting group of people in interior light (but not so dim to trigger the AF assist lamp) I would get any benefit shooting with dynamic or auto area AF?
Two things you did not mention regarding the camera design:
* The poor dual battery scheme of the MB-D11 grip, at least compared to the MB-D80: If I want to use 2 batt, every time I need to charge the one that is in the body, I must detach the grip before!!
* The GP-1 gps accessory connector very inconvenient placed at left side of the body where your left hand move frequently. The included GP-1 cable connector for the D300 – D700 seems better…
Thanks again and sorry for my bad english
Juan Cruz
Nasim,
soon hope to see here an D800/D400 report :-)
/Karl
Nasim,
Do you know if the cross type af sensors work with every aperture? Some DSLR only work cross type when an F2.8 or better lens is used. How about an F4 or F5.6 (or worse) lens?
No, I don’t think it’s like that. Manufacturers specify some ratings at f/2.8 because many pro zooms have that max aperture. That aperture allows more light, thus making is easier for the AF to acquire focus, which can be used to make bigger, inflated claims. It surely doesn’t mean that smaller apertures like f/4 to f/16 can’t be used, or even smaller though I see little advantage in going to the lower apertures.
RMT, I know for a fact that Canon has this issue – when a slow lens is used, only certain cross type sensors work while others do not. I am not 100% certain, but I do not think Nikon has the same issue.
can u plz suggest me to set picture control on my nikon d 5000 when iam using sd the colours are very pale iam unable to get accurate colors while using vivid the colours r good but some what dark and skin tone is not so good iam wedding photographer i mostly shoot in indoors with flash and strobes.
Vivid does not give accurate color rendition, it tends to increase saturation and/or contrast. If the D5000 has the means to adjust contrast and saturation, try playing with these settings , the vivid may be too contrasty/saturated and normal may be too subdued for your taste.
Interesting review. Thank you for taking the time and trouble. As a D90 user, I think the next logical upgrade for me would a FX sensor, although I would lose the reach offered by DX in shooting wildlife.
Regards.
AW
http://www.slickpic.com/u/AlphaWhiskey
I regained my “reach” with my D700 and 70-200 lens by buying a Nikon 1.7 teleconverter (119-340).
I also use the 1.7TC with my 70-200mm VRII, but I’d still lose the 1.5x factor with FX. This would not, however, dissuade me from buying FX. :)
I’m confused. Reach is theultimate issue, right?
My D300 DX with an 18-200 gives me a reach of 200 x 1.5 or 300 mm.
My D700 FX with a 70-200 and the 1.7 converter gives me a reach of 200 x1.7 or 340 mm.
I get more reach with an FX and a converter than I get with my D300 with the 1.5 factor.
Yes, but your F2.8 lens isn’t 2.8 anymore.
One would get more reach with the 70-200mm +1.7x TC on a crop sensor than they would with the same combo on a FX sensor. 340mm on a crop sensor like the D90 is a 510mm equivalent, whereas on an FX sensor, 340mm is 340mm.
Correct to both 71 and 73 above.
In my case, I rarely shoot at f/ 2.8 so going to f/4 is not an issue for me.
Yesterday, I did put my +1.7x TC on my D300 with the 70-200 and got a very sharp 510mm.
BUT, and this has to do with individual needs, I rarely shoot at 500mm, since I shoot landscape, portraits, and newspaper photos, never wildlife.
I leave my 18-200 on my D300 “snapshot camera” and rarely take it off. I bought the TC to extend my 70-200 to 310. That the limit of the range I shoot.
See my number 32 comment above that caused an almost infinite thread and compare it with the quote below from another outstanding reviewer (like Nasim) of Nikon products. I just found this quote today.
Again, remember the Toyota story and how that ended.
————————————————————-
“But the real issue here is that we’ve got a lot of people buying into very sophisticated equipment–and the D7000 is extremely sophisticated–and expecting magic “just set to auto and shoot” results. If you’re thinking about the D7000 as your camera, expect to spend some time learning it, mastering it, and setting it appropriately for what you’re trying to do at any time. ”
“Meanwhile, all those folk who returned D7000′s for reasons that turned out to be not valid are probably fueling a “refurbished” market coming sometime in early 2011 ;~).”
Peter , I know the Toyota story – at the end there was not so much wrong with the toyotas; But many who returned their D7000 were not bloody beginners (german phrase :-)) but experienced ones with a lot experiences in Nikon Cams like D200/D300 even D700 …
And now to the complexity; The cams with increased feature set are more complex to handle – probably the old fashion styled digi cams like Leica M8/9 and the new Fuji X100 introduce a new simplicity which helps more to concentrate on taking photos than on 1001 nice features …
my 2 cents
/Karl
We’ll never know the exact numbers and the skill levels of the people who returned the D7000, but I would put my money on the fact that the “Toyota syndrome” was in play. It’s human nature to blame the bloodly (English expression) camera rather than yourself.
Anyway, wait for the “refurbished” market before you buy one! Capitalize on other guy’s mistake!
I’ll wait for the D800.
Note: I have been buying Nikon cameras and lenses since 1958 and never had a problem with any of them. In fact, I’ve never met anyone who has had a problem. I must live in a world 2 standard deviations beyond the mean!
Regards,
This supports my theory : all energy (positive/negative) in one system must result to zero; So if you never had a problem with your nikons and even your social network had none – on the other side there must be somebody exactly experience the opposite … :-))))
Now – what I Learned is never to buy a cam when it is released – it is reality that the final testing phase has been drifted to the user space more and more;
But I agree there was also a Toyota-Effect – an Internet-driven effect causing a much higher emotion rate then without. The same effect was used in recent history politically -> Egypt;
/Karl
Well, I must admit I’ve never heard of your theory. Is it like the Zero Sum Game…if i win you lose? Left with zero as a result.
I, too, never buy a camera when it is first introduced, and I never buy a software version 1.0.
I also agree with your “Egypt-Toyota” link and it’s consequences.
Here’s my general view (theory) of things like the D7000 situation that seems to have held up MOST OF THE TIME during my 70 years: all large populations exhibit a normal curve distribution aka Gaussian distribution. On the right side of the mean, those people “get it” and on the left side of the mean “they don’t get it” regardless of the situation in question.
Nasim,
Excellent review! Thanks so much for posting it. I am very impressed that you take such time to respond to the many comments you receive on your site. I am sure that your time is very valuable, and you are quite generous to share your insights and respond personally to all those that post here.
With respect to the D7000, I made the plunge, despite your advising me not to do so on another post. I figured it this way – I got $500 off buying the 10-24mm and the 28-300mm lenses, bringing the net cost of my D7000 to $700, from its $1,200 purchase price. I figure I can sell my D300 for approximately $800. If I shoot the D7000 for 6-9 months and likely sell it for $800- 900 or so, I can essentially break even or perhaps even come out a bit ahead if I choose to upgrade to the D400 – all things considered. In the meantime? I can shoot an excellent camera for no cost and get much improved IQ over what my D300 provides, plus video capabilities. It was pretty much a no brainer! :)
Some things I have noticed thus far:
1. Ergonomics. The D7000 isn’t a bad fit, but the D300 certainly fits my hand much more comfortably, particularly in the area of the thumb grip on the D300. The D300 seemed to fit my large hands like a glove. My pinkie is right at the bottom of the D7000, however, and keeps catching one of the rubber covers. And the thumb rest is smaller than the D300′s making it a bit less steady in my hand. I did purchase the battery grip, and while I never used my batter grip much on the D300, I may start using it on the D7000. This makes the camera feel better in my hands, but now adds a bit of bulk to it. This is probably my biggest concern about the camera, but given the financials and improvements of the D7000 over the D300 in IQ and added video, I think I can l live with this one.
2. Pop-Up Flash – The flash on the D7000 seems to spread light much more evenly than that of the D300. Not quite softbox quality, but much less harsh than the D300′s flash. For all the comments about the D7000, I don’t recall anyone mentioning the softer light it seems to cast. That was a pleasant surprise.
3. AF Speed – seems pretty snappy to me. Haven’t tested it out against deer bounding through the forest, but suspect that it will be just fine.
4. IQ – photos are sharp as a tack with my 35mm 1.8.
5. Buffer in 14 bit Lossless Compression Mode – Apart from holding your finger on the shutter button and operating it like a machine gun, it is really not bad. I did some tests whereby I mimicked the speed at which I usually take photographs of moving subjects and it did fine. I rarely if ever simply hold down the shutter button non-stop. I may however take pictures in quick succession. The D7000 seemed to do fine with a fast firing sequence and clearing the buffer just fine. I suspect some of us get a bit spoiled with digital cameras, and because we don’t have to “pay” per photo, come to shoot far more shots far too quickly at times. So unless you are a photojournalist or sports photographer making your living from your camera? I suspect the buffer issue will not be a problem for the vast majority of shooters.
6. RAW Files Auto White Balance – I noticed that my RAW files seem to skew a bit toward the yellow spectrum from what I was used to from my D300. I will make it a point to make sure that I use my Macbeth white balance/color checker for a bit to true up the colors. This may simply be a difference in how the Auto White Balance interprets light compared to that of the D300. Again, I view this as simply getting used to some of the minor differences between camera models.
Of course I need to get up to speed on all the controls that have changed from my D300, but thus far, I am very happy with the D7000. If the D400 is more in line with the size of my D300, I will likely opt for that model, but in the meantime, I can shoot the D7000 for 6-9 months and then come out pretty close to even on the exchange. That made it a relatively low risk proposition for me.
Thanks again for all the time you put into your site and responding to our posts. I will post more comments as I put the D7000 through its paces and compare it to my D300.
Best Regards,
Bob
If you find a place (other than eBay) that will take $800 for a D300 please let me know. I’m very serious, because Ii would sell mine there, too.
I got an offer of $540 from Used Camera Buyer for my mint- condition D300. I didn’t sell it.
My experience is that places like UCB buy your camera at about 40-50% of what they plan to sell it for; consequently, you could get $800 only in a private sale but not with used camera dealers.
Bob, thank you so much for your review and opinion – I am sure those who are considering from switching from D300 to D7000 will find your post very useful.
Nasim,
You are quite welcome. My brief observations are not quite as extensive as your review! With respect to the buffer, I suspect many photographers exaggerate their needs in some way or another. While it would be nice to be able to hold the shutter down and fire off shots without respect to the buffer in RAW, I can’t imagine that it is a critical feature for many amateurs – except in their minds! :) Again, this is a different story for those that are making a living from such exploits.
The other minor but important issue issue I noticed about the feel of the D7000 was the thumb grip. I couldn’t figure out why didn’t notice such a big deal between my D40X and my D300, despite the obvious differences in size.
It turns out that the D40X had a very pronounced thumb grip, that made it very easy to handle and hold, even though it was a much smaller camera than the D300. The D7000′s thumb grip in contrast is but a small protrusion on the body, compared to both the D300 and D40X , which have very noticeable thumb grips. Such a minor aspect of the camera’s body makes a huge difference in how it feels in your hand, since the thumb controls quite the grip quite a bit.
If Nikon comes out with a D7000s, they would be wise to increase the size of the thumb grip. Of course, I am sure the D400 will address this! :)
Bob, the camera buffer issue depends on what you shoot. For most photography, the buffer on the D7000 is more than enough. However, if you shoot birds/wildlife and sports, the buffer might often be the bottleneck…
As for camera ergonomics, I am sure the Nikon D400 will be much better in that regard :)
Follow- up to the following quote that I posted a few days ago made by another professional reviewer (like Nasim) about the D7000: “Meanwhile, all those folks who returned D7000′s for reasons that turned out to be not valid are probably fueling a “refurbished” market coming sometime in early 2011 ;~).” (He was referring to the so-called focus problems in his article.)
As of today: Check out the Nikon Store at the Nikon site because they are now selling “D7000 refurbished bodies for $1099.96.”
Peter, great news for those who want to get D7000 for a lower price! :) I am sure most of those refurbished models were simply re-boxed to be sold again.
Whenever a new camera comes out, there is a rash of issues that get bantered about in forums such as dpreview.com, that seem to go viral. I have no doubt that some early camera models have a few issues. But I also have no doubt that a UFO-like phenomena is occurring – once one person sees a UFO, you have a rash of people imagining that they are seeing them all over. This is just human nature.
The other aspect of new technology introduction, is that owners of the previous generation of technology seem to fight tooth and nail to downplay the advantages of the new products. They apparently see their cameras as an extension of themselves and as such, view the newer models as some form of threat. I realize it sounds rather silly, but if you spent an hour or two on dpreview.com reading some of the D300/D300s users response to the D7000, you would quickly realize that there is quite a bit of “defensiveness” that goes on. People go on for 5-10 pages of posts with ISO and other comparisons, eventually coming to the conclusion that their D300 is every bit as good as the D7000 – despite any objective evidence that some of their comparisons are a bit flawed. D300/D300s users’ response to the D7000 was little different than the D200 users’ response to the D300′s introduction. I guess everyone wants to believe their cameras are still the cat’s meow! Of course, once those people finally upgrade to some new technology, then THAT technology is the best and they did so for very “obvious” reasons!
As these devices get more sophisticated, I have no doubt that some issues reported are due to user error as well. I knew my D300 pretty well, but there are some obvious differences between the D300 and D7000 that have me flipping back to the manual quite often, since I have to be able to recall them quickly enough when out in the field. I have no doubt that some people’s errors are a matter of their not understanding the various controls and settings well-enough as of yet. I usually have two cameras hanging around my neck when walking about cities. As such, people confuse me for being a real photographer, and invariably 1. Ask me for help with their camera, or 2. Ask me to take their photo with their camera. I always use the opportunity to ask them “So how well do you know your camera?”. 95% or so of the time (unscientific poll of course), the response is, “I don’t know much about it. I just set it on the green marker (auto everything), and push the shutter button.” And some of these people have some pretty nice entry level Canon and Nikon DSLRs that have tons of features! Of course, invariably they venture into some of the menus and mess something up, which is when they go looking for someone that has a few DSLRs hanging around his neck! :) This is just the nature of increasingly more complex devices making their way to broader segments of the market.
I would bet you that many of these refurbished D7000′s are simply being inspected, dusted off, and then put up for sale without any repairs, since none are needed. That’s my humble 2 cents… :)
I won’t take your bet because you’d win!
Like you, I get people saying the following to me:
Him: “People say you know a lot about cameras and I need some help with the new one I just bought.”
Me: “Did you read the manual that came with the camera?” (Always my first question)
Him: “No.”
Me: “Then here’s my advice – read the manual and if you still have trouble give me a call. I’d be happy to help you (after you tax your brain a little, sotto voce).”
What amazes me is that these are probably the same people who have figured out how to text message on their cell phone in dense traffic while driving a $30,000 car at 60mph.
Peter,
I would recommend ebay. Having quality photos of your equipment, a good write-up, links to your photos help establish you as someone trustworthy that has taken good care of their equipment. I have a bunch of lenses and cameras on sale now on ebay under “epochphoto”. You have to be careful to weed out the usual scammers and deadbeats by limiting who can bid on your equipment, via the screening options.
Thus far, I have gotten good value relative to what I paid, particularly for the lenses. I will put my D300 up in the next two weeks so will let you know how well it does.
Bob
Thanks. Let me know how you make out..
Bob/Peter, I also sold some of my equipment through eBay and thankfully did not have any problems. My biggest complaint is the amount of money Paypal and eBay charge for their services. The damn rates are so high, that you have to take them into account before putting up items for sale.
I couldn’t agree more! I just sold my D3000, and I’ve lost 20% of the auction price from eBay and PayPal fees. And the buyer will not pay because his PayPal account is “frozen”!! He wants me to give him 1-2 weeks. I’d rather have him just not pay so I can keep my D3000 and not pay all those fees.
About 8 years ago, I sold my son’s guitar through eBay. The dirtbag I sold it to said he never got it. I went on UPS tracking system and found it was delivered to the town where he lives in Canada. I told him this and I never heard from him again.
I DO NOT need this kind of garbage, and at age 70, I’d rather lose a few bucks selling somewhere else than deal with idiots like that. Some people swear by eBay, but I, unfortunately, have a view of the general unknown public that causes me to look at other avenues where the population is better known.
I had the same experience with the button layouts. Coming from the D3000, I’ve mistakenly pressed the wrong buttons or turned the wrong dials every single time I turned the camera on.
As for the hot pixel issue, I did have it. I put some test shots on the D7000 page on Amazon. (http://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-media/product-gallery/B0042X9LC4/ref=cm_ciu_pdp_images_all) They should be located on the 7th page of the gallery. Increasing the ISO made it worse.
However, Nikon did provide me with a resolution. They told me: “When shooting still photos the camera can often correct for these spots but when shooting videos sometimes they are more visible. One thing to try is to turn the camera off and on, slowly ten times (about five seconds between cycles).”
So I turned on the camera, waited 5 seconds, turned it off, waited five seconds, turned it on, and so forth about 10 times. I tested with similar low-light condition at high ISO levels, and I could not detect the hot pixel (which was usually in the same spot each time).
I haven’t used the D7000 too much just yet; my D3000 has been the work horse, and I will be selling it so I can afford a bigger camera bag for the D7000.
So I have one question; what camera do you recommend for the D7000? I want to carry my 70-200mm, 35mm, and SB-700 along with it. I’d like it to be less than $120 and still be durable and perhaps waterproof.
Brian, turning the camera on and off ten times is a strange solution to the problem :) You should not have to do that – have you tried upgrading your firmware to the latest version 1.01? The latest firmware addresses the hot pixel issue in videos. For stills, if you get hot pixels at low ISOs below ISO 800, then you should send the camera to Nikon for them to map those pixels out.
As for the camera bag, I really love the Kata 3 in 1 – it is very nice and fits a lot of stuff. It is a little tight with the 70-200mm, but you can certainly fit it inside, as long as you turn the hood the other way.
Hello Nasim, how are you doing?It’s maybe a little offtopic, but I really need an advice from you, i’ve finally sold my Canon 50d and preparing to buy my first nikon) i was thinking of bying D700 which, I think, perfectly match my needs for now. However there is a dilemma, i know in Malasia they are about 200 $ cheaper then in the USA, so i wanted to ask if there is any difference between Malaysia and USA nikons?? If you buy something like this its important to be suare that you are bying the best staff and it’s affordable to spend extra 200 $ for a good quality, but if there is no reason to spend them for nthing. Plus shipping from the US stores must be much more expensive. What would you reccomend me in my situation? Thank you in advance.
Tair.
Hi Tair,
usually the quality is the same;
on my D700 on the bottom;
there is a label with info : ‘… Made in Japan …’ that’s what counts :-)
A D700 is an excellent start into the – Nikon
family of DSLR’s if you already have experiences;
/Karl
My D700 label says made in Japan. My D300 says made in Tailand. They both work great.
Five of my Nikkor lenses were made in Japan and two were made in Tailand. No differences that I can determine.
But, to be honest, I like to see the “made in Japan” label but I have no proof to say it’s any better than other locations. As long as Japanese quality control is in affect, I don’t think it matters.
It’s a funny thing, after WW2 anything coming from Japan was considered junk. If we wanted to disparage a friend’s toy we used to ask him if it was made in Japan.
I drive a Subaru and own two Toyotas. Previous cars were Honda and Nissan. I gave up on US cars about 15-20 years ago.
> As long as Japanese quality control is in affect, I don’t think it matters.
Hi Peter, not necessarily …
This was a draw aback with the complete outsourcing wave. just move production to another country; but the Made In Geamany did not move too? why?
because the workers and their attitude and the social background was different from Germany; So just fro my feeling : I prefer ‘Made in Japan’ but I also had never problems with my D300;
And about cars – My favorite one is not a Japanese or German cars – it’s an American Jeep Cherokee XJ – a great offroader;
And thinking about china a lot of consumers still think they make crappy cheap things – but for example the whole iPhone line for example is made in china -> foxtron;
/Karl
sorry for my typos :-)
Thank you,it actually helped a lot.
Karl,
China is practically the manufacturing hub for half the world ! Just about every electronics company has some manufacturing capacity in China.
Forget iPhones , those who think Chinese manufactured stuff is inferior (quite a lot of consumer grade stuff is, but not all . usually this will reflect in bargain basement prices, but now and then you do get stuff that is cheap , works ok and lasts long enough for the price ) be more concerned – China also makes ships and airplanes now !
Actually, the latest reports show that the U.S. still edges China in manufacturing. :D
Karl: Made in Germany? Still a great signature for quality optics, but, on the other hand, lots of Zeiss lenses are made by Cosina in Japan and lots of Leica lenses are made by Kyocera in Japan. They are built to German specs and goverened by Germanr QC standards.
I have an “equal quality perception” when it comes to products made in Japan and Germany.
Footnote: I did own a VW super Beetle in 1972 and loved it. The most fun car to drive, but don’t try to change the sparkplugs yourself – can get at them.
> Made in Germany? Still a great signature for quality optics
No not optics – but talking about optics then I would talk about Leica; so solid so good the cams a D3x compare to it would feel like a plastic toy :-)))
/Karl
PS.: But talking about Zeiss would be nice if Nasim would be able to test a Zeiss 85mm 1.4 ZF.2 lense ;-)
I never had a beetle :-) and I guess at 1972 is used to sit on a bobby-car;
AN OPEN INVITIATION TO NASIM per Karl and Peter, et al
Your loyal minions would like you to test and compare the best Zeiss 85mm with the best Nikon 85mm. Do you take the challenge?
The test would involve comparing optical quality, etc. and overall “value.” Value is defined as the relationship between two variables: cost (C) and quality (Q).
For example: Using a rating scale of 1-10 (low-high), if one lens had a Nasim Rating of 10Q and 8C and the other lens had a rating of 9Q and 2C, the first lens Value Ratio would be 1.25 (Q/C) and the second lens Value ratio would be 4.5. Therefore, lens 2 wins the Value Championship.
My money is on Nikon winning the Value Rating 85mm Universal Championship cup.
Lastly, what the hell is a bobby-car?
Just my two cents guys – as far as I am concerned, I don’t care whether a camera is manufactured in Japan or some other country – as long as the plant is owned and operated by Nikon, the quality should be about the same.
As for the challenge, it is unfair to compare manual focus lenses from Zeiss with autofocus lenses from Nikon :) I bet optically both are very close, but some people just like the colors of Zeiss lenses better. I think it is a “cult” thing when it comes to Zeiss glass, although, I must admit, some Zeiss lenses are indeed stellar.
I think you might be wrong here karl. Lot of production has moved out from Germany as well. Look at VW, they have the biggest market in China and are made there as well. Their music hardware industry except a few is all based in china and quality just isn’t there.
I personally bought a Merc ML320 that slowly disintegrated in 7 years(with 700 dollar service and repair every few months) to the point finally the transmission broke and we were glad to get rid of it for 500 bucks off the lawn !! Of course that was built in US and not Germany. Even german cars dont rate good on quality and reliability anymore. They are way down 11th or 12th in annual surveys. Having owned one, I believe it.
My point, if I can find something that is “Made in Japan” I am willing to pay a premium for it. Reason? Its not the quality control. Its the attitude and diligence of the workers who put things together. And that’s something no science or money or control can buy.
This is a bobby car peter :-)
http://mein-baby-spielzeug.de/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/bobby21.jpg
yes a lens contest Nikon/Zeiss would be fine …
:-)
Your bobby car was about the same size as myblue VW Beetle.
OK, Nasim, the next voice is yours. Do you take the Zeiss/Nikkor challenge?
Peter, maybe someday :) But then I do not want to get assassinated by Zeiss fans if I post anything negative!
You are a wise man, Nasim. I understand that Zeiss rifle scopes are VERY accurate. Maybe when you get older and want to cash it in!
Hahahaha Peter :) Would hate to see those scopes pointed my way, LOL! On a serious note, I will start reviewing some Zeiss lenses soon. Just need more time!
Nasim,
I understand your concerns about personal safety ! Fanboyism can be so absurd ;)
I hope you can review other party lenses, like Tokina and Tamron. I’ve mentally bookmarked Tamron 17-50 and Tokina 11-16 f/2.8 , holding off because I’ve already spent a lot on the camera , lenses and accessories. Too bad Nikon charges such a premium for the Nikkor brand.
I worked for a corporation that charged a premium for their products (called premium pricing). So, why did they do it?
Many reasons:
1- They manufactured consistently high quality products
2- They stood behind their products 100%
3-Their products could also be resold at a premium
4-They had such positive recognition in the marketplace that they could afford such a policy
5-Consumers believed that our products were the best money could buy-high confidence level
6-They used these “premium profits” to research new products
7-etc.
I have Nikon cameras and would not dream of putting a different brand lens on them, except maybe Zeiss, but that will have to wait for Nasim …and you know that story!
And if my business management lessons are to be believed, premium pricing does much more for share-holders than it does for customers. Points 1, 2, 3, 4,5 are all about perceptions , #1 though has some measure of objectivity via lens tests. Sure Nikkors are consistent, but does that mean others aren’t ? Sigma maybe not, Tamron much less so, and Tokina even less so ; meanwhile Nikkors aren’t all flawless gems either. E expensive does not always mean excellent, and cheap does not always mean terrible).
#6 – Ah, so you mean Tokina , Tamron et all make lenses out of their hats, with no R&D whatsoever ? I’d say judging from the few reviews and images of the lenses I’m interested in, pretty good job done, for the price compared to Nikkor’s DX equivalent – 12-24, and 17-55 which cost 2x to 3x the Tokina/Tamron price. And they’re not f/2.8 either.
#7 hardly makes a strong case for itself …..
No one is “forcing” people to buy Nikon. The market will determine “value” by whatever yardstick it finds appropriate. Resale value is not an insignificant factor to be sure. I have lost a few bucks in selling some of my Nikon lenses and made a few as well. It is not a bad proposition to be able to buy Nikon lenses, shoot with them for a while and then get fairly close to what you paid for them. I recently sold a used 55mm micro for nearly double what I paid for it.
And if you are smart about it and time it right, you can significantly upgrade your lens collection at some serious discounts. If you bought a D7000 recently, you could have gotten $900 off of a package that included a 28-300, a 10-24, and a 70-200mmVRII. So the 28-300 was close to “free”. Considering what you could fetch for an 18-200mmVR I, a 12-24mm f/4, and the original 70-200mmVR I, that was a very good deal. I took advantage of this offer, and all things considered, I was able to upgrade all my lenses and come out ahead with money in my pocket. That was a pretty damn good deal! ;)
There is no doubt that some other lens manufacturers have sweet spots in their line-up. The Tamron 90mm macro, the Tamron 17-50mm, the Sigma 150mm macro, the Tokina 11-16mm, and a few others come to mind. But it is also fair to say that some of their quality standards may not match Nikon’s all-things-considered, and that you can likely find many more complaints regarding the non-Nikon manufacturers than complaints regarding Nikon.
Debates about such issues can be interesting, but ultimately the market decides which manufacturers, products, and pricing is successful. And thus far, I wouldn’t bet against Nikon, particularly given their reputation and resale value their products command.
Rahul, business management lessons are good, but what is good for the shareholder is ultimately good for company survival/growth and customer satisfaction. Also, “perception is reality” for about 90% of people, and, in many cases, perception is even more important than reality. That’s Life 101.
You’re right about #7.
Long live King Nikon!
@Peter,
Indeed, perception is reality, but that’s a problem in itself, isn’t it ? That is exactly what leads to some good products/ideas perishing and some mediocre ones dominating. There’s no cure for perception vs reality but to ascertain facts on their own merit. That’s the reason we have statistics , but those can be misused/manipulated/misrepresented by someone with an agenda.
@Bob
You’re coming from a very different place than I am. You’re right, no one is forcing anyone to buy Nikon, and yes the market determines the value to an extent. Which is why I will probably buy the Tamron/Tokina instead of the Nikon equivalent which cost 2-3x as much.
For 2x the price, do they offer 2x the benefit ? Ultimately, if you’re not a pro who makes money out of photography, cost vs performance is more critical to the amateur/hobbyist, and so disposable income and local pricing come into play.
You are in the US , I presume. US market gets the best prices and the most discounts, something European frequently grumble about , having to pay similar prices numerically but in Euro. I am from India, and the prices are similar to Europe, and we get no discounts/rebates whatsoever aside from the difference between MSRP and street prices which are still higher than in the US, and a memory card and small camera case thrown in. Here, most people wouldn’t even buy a DSLR , let alone spend 2-3 times as much as a body ,on a single lens, so as a percentage of my income, I’m spending more on even this lens than you on 17-55 without rebate/discount. I’m considering resale price for the moment, let aside making more on resale than I purchase for, but that’s perception of value again, after all I read recently somebody did bid $6000 for a lock of Justin Bieber’s hair.
Rahul, I will review 3rd party lenses in the future, hopefully – as time permits :)
@Rahul,
You are correct – I am in the USA. And as I read your post regarding pricing and availability, I am thankful! Tamron/Tokina and others indeed fill a given niche for products. I am not advocating that everyone buy Nikon exclusively, but it all depends upon your needs, priorities, and resources. I am a big fan of Consumer Reports, and use it extensively. The lesson I have learned from it is that there are plenty of great products within a given type/category that are not always the highest price, but provide the most value or “bang for the buck”. I bought the Tamron 17-50mm non-VR model instead of the Nikon 17-55mm precisely for that reason. I also kept an 18-105mm Nikon which is a great lens for the money, and picked up an old 28-80mm, for a whopping $40 on ebay, since it is a great little lens for the cost of taking the family out for a Chinese Dinner!
Apparently, “enough” people believe however that the Nikon 17-55mm 2.8 does indeed provide enough value relative to its cost. I know that because Nikon sells quite a few of them. There is little use complaining about “premium pricing” since if people believe a give product is not worth the money, eventually they stop buying it and the manufacturers either reduce the price or introduce a new model that does provide better value.
The issue you raise could be applied to anything however. Each day you see Mercedes Benz, BMW, and others advertise for their 0-60 mph capabilities, luxury, and great handling characteristics. The truth is that for most people in the USA, they never even begin to tap into such capabilities, if ever. I don’t however see the premium-priced car companies going out of business as people abandon them.
Regarding your question of “2X the price = 2X the benefit”, the answer is obvious – “Yes”. Why? Because every day enough people make the decision to buy Nikon lenses despite the cost difference. You may not believe Nikon lenses are worth the premium, but many others apparently do. Everyone must decide for themselves. For you, Tamron, Tokna, Sigma, etc. may offer better value all things considered. Different needs, options, pricing, etc. are what make the world go round! For others, for a given lens category, Nikon may indeed offer a better overall value when considering cost, features, quality, reliability, warranty, reputation, service, and resale value. :)
Nasim, could you recommend me a good tripod that would go along with the D7000? Considering the weight of the D7000 being about 780g or 1.7 lbs and a 70-200mm lens being about 1.54kg or 3.4lbs, I need something that can support this weight. I need a tripod that’s durable, but yet light enough to carry around. Something around $140. Thanks.
Brian, check out my “How to choose a tripod” article.
@Nasim,
Thanks, looking forward to your 3rd party lens reviews !
@Bob,
I’m not discouraging anyone from buying Nikkors, nor am I claiming they’re terrible. I have 3 Nikkors myself, but they’re all mainstream or what you’d call ‘consumer’ lenses. Anyway, the fast lenses are largely much too expensive for my spending power, the Tamron/Tokina offer constant f/2.8 aperture at less than half the equivalent Nikkor cost , sure I’m not accounting for CA and AF speed and sharpness, but I think it’ll do the job better than the 18-105 kit.
As for enough people buying the 17-55, I don’t have the stats on Indian market, but pretty it doesn’t sell anywhere as much here where a $800 DSLR is an aberration, and $1850 17-55 out of financial reach for most. I don’t know what’s $1850 worth to you, but to me it’s more than 2 months salary, enough to make think thrice about the $700-800 Tamron/Tokina itself, let alone the 17-55. Maybe I’ll just make do with flash wherever possible. So the 2x price = 2x value doesn’t quite nail it – people often buy based on perception + affordability, not fact. You’d need a measured set of numbers (reliability, sharpness, transmissive ability etc) , but then numbers aren’t all that’s photography’s about , isn’t it ? I’d love to buy a BMW M5 even though it’s not 2x as fast as a Civic though what , like even 4x the price – iIF my income could afford to ignore the price-to-performance ratio and buy the best . If I made as much as Gates or Buffet, I’d buy Veyron as well as the Italian breeds , regardless of facts – that it’s only 2-3x as fast as a Civic for 10-20x the price .
In the final analysis, great photos come from people who have the vision to see things differently than others, not whether it’s a Sigma lens or a Nikkor lens. People may have the technical proficiency of a Monet, but there was only one Monet. People may have the technical proficiency of an Ansel Adams, but there was only one Ansel Adams. Vision is the difference between us and them.
There is a lot of good photographic “stuff” out there, but it’s the vision of a photographer that is the most valuable. In the end, isn’t that what it’s all about?
Yes I agree Peter : vision is the key for becoming a great photographer.
-> God make me free to see ;-)
/Karl
Peter,
Absolutely not. It is the technology and associated price alone that determine photographic genius!!! ;)))
Finally, I have been recognized by my minions! I shall now tell my wife that I need a digital Blad to
move up that ladder of genius. Omward 2 1/4!
(I think we have reached the end of this “thread.” Is that what the geeks call it…a thread?)
I just wanted to thank you for your detailed and very well thought out article. You have given me renewed confidence in my D7000. I too felt that I had lost a great deal of sharpness and was experiencing focusing issues since upgrading from a D5000 to the D7000. However, having read your review, what I am seeing makes better sense. I hope that upgrading from the Nikon 18-200 VR lens will solve my problems.
Thanks again,
Adam
My understanding was that version 1 of the 18-200 VR did have sharpness problems, so I waited for version 2 and bought that one. No problems. I like the lens on my D300 and never take it off.
Greetings from New Zealand! This is not really a reply to Adam or Peter, more of a related question. I have just purchased a D7000 as an upgrade to my D80, but I have do the 18-200 VR lens (that I presume is version 1, bought August 08) that I intended using on the new camera. So, as like Peter I leave the lens on the camera the whole time, should I now seriously think of upgrading it? If so, to what?
HI Nasim,
I just bought Nikon 85mm 1.8D for my Nikon D7000. I find the problem with the manual operation which seems does not work. It only takes photos in AF mode with very sharp images, but I try to set the manual and lens’ aperture it can not shoot. The body’s control panel shows the code of “Fee”. Do you have any ideas? Would I install the lens wrongly? The attached manual does not mention the installation.
Turn the aperture ring on the lens all the way to the largest f-number ( f/22 probably ) with the camera switched off, then when you switch it on, the error should not recur. You can also lock the position to f/22 so that it doesn’t accidentally change aperture.
Yes, You are right and I did. It will be removed.
I mean it shoots with AF that is fine but how can I set it in Manual mode. The camera shows that code and does not shoot when I try to select my option Aperture.
In manual mode too, you have to use the command dial to set aperture. Manually turning the aperture ring results in the same FEE error. At least on the 50mm f/1.8D with my D90 , have not tried any other lenses or on other bodies.
@Nasim, is that behavior consistent with other bodies like the D700 too, where aperture can be set only via the command dial ? If so, is the aperture ring totally redundant on DSLRs if the aperture be set only via the camera body ?
Hi Rahul,
I really appreciate your help to this such DSLR newbie(me). It works well and execute some sharp images. I really take the advantages of this forum and the world of IT.
Thanks very much and have a nice day.
Teddy
You’re most welcome Teddy, I’m pretty new to DSLRs myself !
Rahul, the aperture ring is there only for older bodies that cannot automatically set the aperture. On all modern DSLRs, you have to make sure that the aperture is set to the smallest aperture (like f/16) or the error will always show up.
Hi Nasim
Thank you sir for such a detail review on D7k. I have some inquiries to make:
1. I am planning to buy a Nikkor lense, currently, my options are 24-70mm f/2.8 and 14-24mm f/2.8. I do not own any lense for the moment, and I own a D7k. I am planning to be a wedding photograher. In your opinion, which lense should I buy first?
2. I am really new in photography. Would you kindly explain me about backfocus problem.
3. I am really keen to photo shoot in a low light condition. In your opinion, from where I should start.
I am looking forward for your reply and thank you.
I own Nkon F4 with Nikkor and Contax with Zeiss film gear. Pls excuse, but not at all impressed by your images posted. Are these low res compressed jpg, for the posting only? For fun, I downloaded the sample images from the Nikon website. Then compared them (in general terms) to cheap Imacron scans (only 6MP) of positives I took with a Zeiss lens. The result? The scanned images from film are better in every way: colour, sharpness, resolution, detail. Even printed on a Epson Photo inkjet, the scanned images have depth of field, whereas the samples from Nikon have none. I have been waiting 15 years for digital to reach the old film standards. I keep hoping Nikon will deliver, so I can use my Nikkor lenses with a digital cam. Not for nostalgic reasons, but for practical: the old Nikkor lenses are far superior to the new ones. From what I see, even a paltry 6MP scan of film is still better than the latest 16MP sensor – and a drum scan of Fuji 50 shot with Zeiss simply blows away all in-camera sensors I have seen, including Leica. 15 years is a long time – you would think by now someone could make a sensor capable of film standards. Film has resolution, range, sharpness, natural colour. This new D7000 is just that: new, not better. The only advantage I see to digital is convenience. And isn’t that the essence of photography: the art of seeing?
Hi Alzurin,
that’s very interesting!
do you have online examples a gallery to see what you describe?
And id woild not compare a Dx-Sensor woith you Full-frame format
maybe teh D700 will come nearer to your expecations
did you compare it? whould be easy
At what ISO you are working to get you results?
ISO 100, 64 ore even 25?
cu
Karl
a very satisfied D700 user;
I own a F4 too but taking pictures with ISO 400 (B/W) results only in resolution of 3.2MP
which may also be an issue of the image-scanner
/Karl
so many types sorry – could re-edit
/Karl
Alzurzin,
Indeed there may be some older gear that performs quite well stacked up against today’s technology. But the speed, flexibility, and other benefits of digital, are far more than merely “convenience”. They fundamentally change the nature of photography. True – you still have to have a good eye for color, composition, lighting, etc. Simply being able to take photos and send them around the globe will only enable the proliferation of more lousy photographs if someone doesn’t pay attention to the fundamentals of photography.
But it is hard to dispute the benefits of digital, particularly when you consider that at the sizes most people print, they would likely never notice some of the differences in detail you claim exist between your F4 and the D7000. And some people disagree with your assessment. This was written a while ago, but is even more relevant today:
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/reviews/shootout.shtml
Bob
Thanks for your review Nasim,
I just got my D7000 after I have been using D90 for a few months..:)
What I am not quite happy about is the colour quality coming out from D7000…
I always prefer the D90 colour.. I notice theres a difference which I can’t quite pick upfor colours of the image coming from D7000.. Is it a certain colour more than the other in D90.. like more blue…
Do you have any idea whether i could actually get a similar colour tone on my D7000 to be similar of colour on D90 eg like exchanging picture style etc.
Thanks in advanced, Nasim!!
@ris_@bdullah
Hi Nasim,
Question: My goal with an upgrade from the D90 to the D7000 would be to enhance both my wildlife and sports capture experience (FPS, Autofocus) and IQ (both uncropped and ability to crop further).
I would be using the same combo’s as had previously worked well on my D90. Those are:
70-200mm f/2.8 VRII with a TC14-II
300 mm F/4 with a TC14-II.
Do you believe that the D7000 will out resolve either or those two lens+TC combo’s? Do you think there would be any other issue that would result in less quality? Have you tested?
Thom Hogan told me not to be surprised If I saw lens quality issues with the D7000 that I never saw with the D90, which makes me a bit trepidatious.
Thoughts?
Nasim ,
thank you very much for the review.This definitely helps for some one who want to own a new DSLR and in this case D7000. Also , for beginners could you suggest Lens kit which are best suitable on D7000 for wildlife and sports and on for a regular home usage for portraits.
Thanks in Advance.
Sarath
Look up the AF-S 70-200mm f/2.8G IF-ED VR if you can afford the $2000+ price, else look out for the AF 80-200mm f/2.8D ED ( around $1300 , does not have VR ), if you want fast lenses – these are f/2.8 , but limited to 200mm focal length. Fast lenses beyond 200mm cost a good deal more.
The AF-S 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G VR is around $500, and best bang for the buck. Also have a look at the AF-S 300mm f/4D ( around $1300 ) prime.
Hi!
Thank you for the excellent review and really helpful general tips. It sure hits the spot as I’m a D200 user and looking for the next camera. D7000 looks tempting despite the few defects.
The thing I would like to ask relates to the IQ debate. The need of increased resolution is widely noticed but the talk mostly relates to the consumer level DX glass. How do you find the older MF lenses satisfying this need?
Another thing I would like to ask relates to the D700/D7000 IQ comparison. I understood that the example images were more or less straight from the cam? How close is it possible to get with decent PP in Lightroom 3?
I’m an enthusiastic amateur with quite a collection of 2.8 glass, the wider end being DX. D700 would give me the opportunity to clean the closet by simplifying the selection but I somehow feel that D7000 would give me adequate IQ with less money and weight.
HI,
As a keen amateur I currently use a D70S, for a while now I have been tempted to trade up. The D7000 is a big step up but is it too big a step, would the D90 suffice. Cost will play no role in the decision.
Lens wise I use the 18-200 VR and the 35mm 1.8.
Regards
Andy
hello, i like to ask. whick is better for me? d90 or d7000? thanks
The D7000 has everything a D90 has, and it has somethings that the D90 doesn’t have.
the D7000 does everything a D90 does, and it does some things better than D90.
So if price is not the limiting factor, choose the D7000 over D90.
thank you. i’ll take a note on that info.. hope to buy d7000 soon. but all my stuff are not compatible with d7000, harrrrsh..
Hi Nasim,
I am new to DSLR and purchased Nikon D7000 late last year. I faced one problem with my D7000… its the connection, the camera and the lens (I think), especially with 18-200 VRII. It happened quite a number of times. The camera will not be in focus unless I disengage and engage the lens… then its OK. Did you encounter such problems? I have 2 other lenses 50mm 1.4 and 35mm 2.0.
Thank you
Hi Nasim,
I found your website a few days ago and have already shared it with my best friend who is also a photographer. You do amazing work!! I mostly wanted to say thank you so much for writing such a clear and well written assessment of the D7000. I currently own the D-60 and am looking to upgrade my camera body for my photography business. My best friend bought the D300s and while she likes it, kinda wishes maybe she would have waited to buy the D700. I can not afford the D700 at this time and am debating between the 7000 and 300s. I am leaning toward the 7000 because of your awesome review. I guess my questions are: why is the 7000 not considered a ‘pro’ camera but the 300s is? Will my 50 mm AF-S lens work on the 7000? And does the higher level of ISO really make a great difference? I am photographing a baby birth in a few months and I really need to be able to shoot at a high ISO level…
Thank you SO much for your answers. I appreciate you and your work!
Christy
Nasim,
I think your website is fantastic. I have been looking at getting a new camera, and will be getting the D7000. I am going to be using it for landscapes, portraits, and general use. I was looking at getting a 35mm f1.8 and the new 24-120. Do you think these two lenses will satisfy for day to day use? I am upgrading from a friend’s Canon 550D that I’ve been using for about a year, and am looking to invest. What advice would you have for me with regard to my choices?
Steve
The one glaring error that Nikon did in the fine D7k, which I own and like, is allow us to use the 9 or 21 pt AF in any mode. currently we can only use one pt, or all 39 pts. the others are merely assist.
For ex., shooting in dim light like a concert with the 24-120 f4…if the person wears black and they often do, and there is no contrast, you can’t focus very well. So u have to look to the hands or neck area. If the cam allowed 9 or 21 af points to be used as a unit, problem solved.
Nikon, hope you listen and make a correction !!
Hi Nasim
I came across your site while I was trying to get some information about D7000. I don’t know, but as you have defined the NAS I think it has got into to me after I have been reading about D7000.
I have weighed and checked and reviewed so many options against my NAS, for e.g: D3100, D5000 (then and D5100 now), 60D and 7D. But some how this D7K just makes me droll. It will be my first DSLR and I am saving up for it. The bug was so prominent in my head that I have already downloaded 30 odd eBooks on photography and keep reviewing them. But coming across your article which explains the myriad and the complex of the things like the over exposure, the AF and so many other to layman like me was just very informative. Just couldn’t wait to congratulate you for your reviews and I am sure that you know that a lot of people out there would be discussing and experimenting with what they learnt here.
After reading a few of your articles, I just could stop by was actually driven to read the very first article of your’s published 12th Dec 07. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and experience and its was really nice to have stumbled upon this site and to have know you.
Thanks & Cheers
Hi Nasim
As I prepare myself to get my first DSLR, and I know eventually I have dug in a lot to get this one thus leaving with me limited options for buying lens.
The options that I have are:
50mm 1.8 as it comes cheap and performance wise its good. If I can afford I will for sure opt for 50mm 1.4G.
The 2nd lens is the 50-300mm lens.
I am interested in Portrait, Street Photography and landscape.
So given the details across your site (I actually have gone through all the articles posted by you till date ;-)) and keeping track of my budget do you suggest any upgrades on the lens.
Thanks
AKP
Hmm… I think you will need to get a wide-angle lens. 35mm or wider. It will be tough to do landscape shots with a 50mm or higher, especially since it translates into a narrower lens on the non-full frame sensor of D7000.
For your first DSLR, I wouldn’t recommend the D7000 because it is a mid-level prosumer camera. The new D5100 came out, and it uses the same sensor as the D7000. Unless you really need to use non-AFS lens or Nikon’s Creative Lighting System, there’s no reason to get the D7000 over the D5100. You will save money, and you can get a wider lens. The D3100 is pretty sweet too.
Brian, thanks.
But the reason why I’m considering the D7000 is because I’m taking into consideration that I will not be upgrading my camera anytime soon atleast and 2ndly the use of non AFS lens. I can opt for a used nikkor lens for landscape so what can you suggest?
In addition to this, taking into consideration the low light issues, do I go ahead with 50mm 1.8 or 50mm 1.4G or 35mm 1.8
Thanks
For landscape, I would choose the 35mm over the 50mm. Generally for landscaping, you will either be shooting in plenty of sunlight, or you will use a tripod for low-light situations. Even with a 1.4 aperture, you may still want to use a tripod or some stabilizer if you are shooting at night (especially the night sky) because the shutter speed will be fairly slow. So the difference of 1.8 and 1.4 is negligible depending on your technique. I found the 35mm still decent for portraits as well.
If you want even a wider lens, you have some options that are around $500 or cheaper (since 35mm 1.8 is around $300). 24mm, 28mm, or 20mm, all with an aperture of 2.8. If you have the money, then 24mm 1.4G looks very appetizing.
If you still want to get the 50mm, there are some techniques that you can use to get a “wide lens” or “panoramic” effect. This is done by taking many pictures and stitching them together. One of the popular method is the “Brenizer method”. http://blog.buiphotography.com/2009/07/the-brenizer-method-explained-with-directions/ With that method, you can get a huge resolution out of it without sacrificing quality.
Oh, and since you mentioned street photography, I presume you will be making some candid shots in low-light. Which means that the 50mm 1.4 will come in handy.
And don’t be afraid to explore third-party lenses like Sigma.
Thanks for your inputs Brian.
Hi Nasim,
I am getting my D7000 next week and really looking forward to it. I was wondering if you could recommend a good Nikon or third-party lens with with great auto-focusing performance on the D7000. I have a pretty nice set of Nikon lenses already: 12-14mm f4, 35mm f1.8, and the new 50mm f1.8 (on order). I am mainly looking for a lens to photograph kids (lot of running around). I am aware of the Nikon 70-200mm f2.8 VR lens and the older 80-200 f2.8 lens. However, I generally prefer the low weight of a prime lens rather than the convenience of a zoom lens. Do you have an opinion about the Nikon 120mm f2.8 micro lens on D7000? I realize it is a macro lens but I believe its auto-focusing is quite good. Thanks for great reviews and all the articles you post here!
I can’t even begin to tell you how much I hate the meter in the D7000. The Matrix meter is downright unreliable. I never shoot people, so skin tones aren’t the issue for me. I get wildly inaccurate exposure in Aperture Priority mode. I’m more or less a street photographer. I shoot patterns, textures, shapes and colors, mostly. Abstract-ish. I’ve owned a D7000 for nearly a month and still haven’t made sense of the meter. Sometimes, I get marvelous exposure. Other times, I’m redoing shots and dialing in exposure compensation, and there’s seemingly no correlation between when the camera gets it right and when it doesn’t. One bright scene gets blown out. The next is just barely under-exposed. It’s crazy. I’ve shot with a D90 and before that a D50. I never had to baby those cameras the way I do with the D7000. It’s a constant game of checking and correcting, checking and correcting – not based on the scenes I’m shooting but on what the meter decides to do with them.
I love everything about this camera except for the meter, but in terms of photography, that’s a big deal.
I think : it’s time to upgrade D200 to D7000. BUt probably I will keep D200 for some “dirty” missions .
THANK YOU for a great review !
Just read the review on the D7000. I am ready to purchase my first DSLR, and was really thinking about getting this camera. Now not sure it is the best choice. I am going to take photography classes once I purchase my camera, as I am want to go into the field of photography. I would love to shoot landscapes, portraits and wedding photography.
Any advice? Should I just go with the d300s? So many questions, I know! And then when the D400 & D800 are released prices could fall for the d3′s. Any advice is appreciated. Thanks so much!
Deanna
First, between D300s and D7000: D7000 has much more benefits than the D300s with less cost. D7000 uses a newer image sensor, and the quality is awesome.
The price of D3s will not fall below the price of a D7000, even if an update to that is released. As for the update to the D300s and D700, Nikon would probably have announced something late this summer, but that plan’s most likely changed due to the earthquake in Japan. Every major imports like cars from Japan have slowed.
As a first DSLR, the D7000 isn’t really recommended, unless you really want to stick with it and will be aggressively pursuing something serious. There is just so much to learn about cameras – aperture, lighting, ISO, shutter speed, use of flash, metering, white balance… This is why Nikon, Canon, and other camera manufactures have entry-level cameras that will help you get familiar with DSLRs. For Nikon, the D3000, D3100, D5000, and D5100 are decent choices to begin with. If you are worried about money, you can find used D3000 and D5000 cameras to practice with. Once you are done, you can sell it back and move onto the upper level cameras.
It really depends on how much time you are willing to spend on learning your camera. If you are a casual photographer who will touch your camera from time to time, then I would go with the entry level. But I found that when I started with the D3000, I learned about it pretty quickly, and I was thirsty for more. By that time, the D7000 had been announced. So if you plan on spending significant amount of time learning photography, then I wouldn’t go any higher than the D7000 to start off with. Practice with the D7000 for a while and then when the update to the D3S comes out, sell (or keep) the D7000 and get a full-frame camera.
D5100 vs. D7000: In terms of image quality, not much difference there because the D5100 has the same image sensor as the D7000. D5100 has a swivel screen that you can flip out and rotate so you can shoot at interesting angles. D7000 has an internal autofocusing motor, so you can use any AF-lenses. You do not have to rely on the AF-S lenses. D7000 can control flashes remotely with the Nikon’s Creative Lighting System. So if you do plan on just using AF-S lenses and don’t plan on using remote flashes anytime soon, the D5100 would be the economic way to go.
Don’t purchase all of the big guns at once, because it takes a long time to get familiar with all of them. Take your time to learn about your camera, whatever you choose to get.
Thank you twofold .First for your excellent series on “Sensor Cleaning.” I must say I am still afraid to to go beyond the ” Giotto” stage but eventually I must as the dictates of economics combine with the frustration of endless dust which is the norm in your neighbor state of New Mexico.I am slightly frightened of oil spots which seems to be the latest nightmare on Dp review forums.How can one tell these from dust? I must ask do you recommend for amateurs [the buying of the Arctic butterfly kit as opposed to separate brushes and liquids. Does the kit containing cleaning liquids that to you appear safe enough without smearing. How much liquid and how frequently would you recommend wet vs. dry.I am aware that should I mess up only i am responsible fro my errors,but guidance is appreciated.I am also an owner of the Nikon D300 and the D7000.I also find the exposures in the D7000 to be quite good through ISO 1600 but I am amazed that Nikon has not found a way to keep ISO continuously showing on top. Yes I agree that it tends to over exposes in high contrast situations and I leave EC permanently on .05 except in lowlight.I should mention a virtue of the D7000 is its weight in daily use such as travel and urban photography.Thank you in advance fro any advise and IMHO your linguistic skills are formidable…Russian ,English and ? Well done . Alan Rio Rancho New Mexico( Suburb Abq.)
How to tell D7000 oil spots from dust. They’re usually bigger, may have halos/rings and predominantly appear on the right side of images, particularly the bottom right. Dust lands randomly all over the sensor, the oils spots don’t.
They are visible even at open apertures, appearing as large circular smudges and are therefore hard to ignore or photoshop out . The oil drops can be cleaned off but may reappear again the moment the user resumes shooting, making the repeated cleaning a real pain. It seems to be a rare problem but I suspect that some users haven’t realised what is happening yet.
I had a D7000 and it was brilliant in many respects but the oil spots caused me to return it and I have gone back to my old Pentax for the time being.
Hi Nasim,
Love your review on D7000.
I’m about to buy the D7000 body only and still having lots of confuse about the perfect lens to pair with. I’m looking for a walk around lens and got interested with 24-120mm f/4 … thank again for your review of this lens. It seems the IQ quality is superb, but is it worth it for the D7000?
How do you suggest about this pairing ? Is it to overpriced for D7000? I mean that the 24-120 f/4 is an FX lens and the price is almost the same as the D7000 body.
Or else do you have other alternatives for D7000 walk around lens?
Thank You..
adry..the combo is really good . I got exactly that. Lenses R very important, many say more so than the body. Great for street events..concerts..ppl. etc. …if there’s a link..u cud see my shots. do the 3 w’s and then jonrp and dot and smugmug dot com.
Thanks for your input…….
I would consider getting the Nikon 16-85mm f/3.5-5.6G lens. If you don’t mind third party lenses, I’d consider Sigma AF 17-70mm f/2.8-4.5 DC. If you want a faster lens, you can consider the Sigma AF 18-50mm f/2.8 EX DC or the Tamron AF 17-50mm f/2.8 SP.
Basically, consider getting a lens that is designed for the APS-C sensor. All these lenses will give you a reasonable wide angle range and a moderate tele range.
With any one of these lenses I’d also get the really good Nikon 35mm f1.8G lens. Even though there is an overlap in focal length, the prime lens is just great when you want a light walk-around kit and want to shoot in low light.
Thanks for the consideration. But what about a longer zoom lens, lets say nikon 18-200mm, tamron 18-270 or even nikon 28-300mm (FX) ? Also in terms of low light condition, is it still adequate to shoot with f/4 ?
Is it affecting the Nikon image quality/character by using third party lens?
Longer zoom lenses are tempting as an all-in-one solution but there are compromises involved. These lenses tend to be optically not as good, slow, big, and heavy. They gave great results in good light on 6MP and 10MP Nikon bodies of previous generations but the new 16MP sensor really challenges these lenses. If you want to do justice to the superb sensor in this camera, you should put good glass in front of it IMHO.
As for f4 lenses, this is less of an issue now when this latest generation of sensor gives such fantastic results at high ISOs. I’d however, still want to have a 35mm f1.8 lens handy for the times when lights levels are low and/or I need a fast shutter speed.
If you like the convenience of zoom lenses, I would suggest you split it into 2 lenses. Get the Nikon 16-85mm f/3.5-5.6G or Sigma AF 17-70mm f/2.8-4.5 DC and pair it with the Nikon 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G ED IF AF-S VR lens or the new Tamron AF 70-300mm f/4.0-5.6 SP Di VC USD XLD (phew!). Third party lenses from Sigma, Tamron, and Tokina are mostly quite good these days but there is usually more sample variation so buy it from a place that has a good return policy and test it after you receive it.
Hi Nasim,
Thanks for your great review. I have a question for you: what’s the point of even using center-weighted or spot-metering for portraits with the D7000 then, if the camera exposes for the face in matrix metering anyway? Does that happen even when you keep AF and AE coupled and you focus on the eyes? Thanks,
Val
Hi Nasim,
Thanks for another fantastic professional review !
You have already saved me close on to $1000 dollars with the advice you you have given others that has been directly applicable to me. So thank you !!
I am an avid outdoor/nature/wildlife amateur and I have both a D5000 and a D90 camera. At my anced age (60) , I don’t think that I’ll get to the stage of purchasing a D700 or its replacement in terms of going the FX route.
Elsewhere, you advised someone not to purchase a D7000 if he already had a D90 but given the fact that I wont go FX, could I not sell the D5000 and purchase the D7000 as I need 2 bodies when I’m in the field.
I suppose I’m really looking for any excuse to get the D7000 but Is there any sense in this reasoning ??
Dear Nasim,
I am going into Food and Lifestyle photography and thinking of getting Nikon D7000. What would be the best choices of lenses to go with it? I am thinking 24-70mm f2.8; 85mm f1.4 and 24mm f1.4. Appreciate your advice. Thank you.
I have a some questions
first of all congratulations, your page it’s great the info is clear and precise.
I’m amateur photographer and as preamble, i’ve to tell you that the only kind of cameras that i’ve handled are analogic ones.
When you say 150,000 cycle-rated shutter system, it means that after that it doesn’t work?
Can DSLR cameras be repaired such as the analogic ones?
In terms of DSLR. What is your recommendation for me to begin?
thaks a lot.
hello thank you for review on the d7000, are you saying the kit lens is not good enough for the power of the camera? I just got the d7000 upgraded from my d60 and im so lost and reading everything online is more confusing, i got the d7000 for dummies book and its also overwhelming, i don’t know what to do, i feel like taking the camera back but i really want to learn it and use it. I don’t know what to do, i wish someone can show me how to use it correctly.
i also bough a nikor 55mm f1.8 lens it was cheep but is supposed to have great results in portrait.
Susie, have you had a chance to look at my “Photography Tips for Beginners” articles? Those should be helpful to get you started on using the D7000. Don’t worry about your gear – you have a nice set of lenses.
yes i read about auto focus over and over, i have set everything they way it should be but it turns out shooting in aperture priority isn’t working for me like it did with the d60 the shutter is too slow resulting in the blurry images. ;( sucks cause i felt very confident in this setting with the d60
Susie, what do you mean by “shutter is too slow” in aperture priority? Have you tried to increase the camera ISO? Looks like you are having a tough time with photography basics/fundamentals.
Try this – set your camera to Aperture Priority, go to Camera Menu->Setup and set your Auto ISO like this: ISO – 100, Minimum shutter speed – 1/100, Maximum ISO – 1600. Set white balance to “Auto” and see if your images improve.
ok i will try this thanks so much!!!!!
i had the ISO to 1000 at 18mm f4 and the shutter was only at 1/15 it didn’t move up enough, shooting in AF-C (in case of any movement)
AP worked on my d60 (is d7000 just more sensitive to camera shake, and the VR was on)
so if i do what you said above will this help automatically switch the shutter speed to the optimal speed?
the picture im talking about for example was a test shot trying out the new settings…you can see it here
http://www.flickr.com/photos/51181355@N03/6074972674/in/photostream
oh my gosh!!!!!!!!!! it works!!!!!!!!!! im sooo happy, thank you so much!!!!!!!!!!!!
I just found this site and I’m not sure if this is the place to be asking this, but here goes:
My husband and I are looking for a Nikon camera. He is a product photographer and uses a Canon 5D at his work. I am interested in photography, have only used point-and-shoot cameras, but want to learn and possibly move eventually into wedding photography. The camera will be for me primarily.
An older post on this site recommends getting the D90 plus lenses with a $1000-$1500 budget. Is that what you still recommend, or would you now recommend the D7000? We want something I can learn on, yet something my photographer husband can enjoy using as well. We can find the D90 body from a reputable seller on ebay for considerably less than the D7000, but we want to make the wisest choice.
I’m wondering if we should spend less on the body by getting the D90 and invest in better lenses (I definitely want the 35mm f/1.8 plus a zoom lense), or get the latest technology in the D7000, getting only 1 lense, and others as we can afford to.
Could you please give your updated recommendations for a $1000 budget, and then also for an up-to-$1500 budget? Thank you very much.
I’m curious as to why you and your husband would like a Nikon since your husband already has a Canon 5D and Canon lenses. Depending on which/how many lenses already bought, a 2nd Canon could bank on the existing lenses, since EF lenses will work on smaller APS-C Canons as well, if perhaps not balancing as well as on the 5D. Among Canons, the 60D is closest to meeting budget/performance balance under $1500, if you can stretch the budget more, a 7D.
If budget is a strong limitation, then yes it is better to spend more on the lenses than the body. The D7000 is no doubt better than that D90 among the Nikons, but it will leave less money for the lenses, but $1500 will get you a D90 + 2 primes, the 35 f/1.8G DX and 50 f/1.8G ; you miss out on wide angle and long focal lengths, but it might be difficult initially after being used to zoom as on point & shoots or kit lenses. A D5100 costs about the same as D90 but uses the D7000 sensor ( more resolution, better high ISO performance and dynamic range) , but if your husband too wants to use this camera, I think the D90 will suit you better due to the dual control wheels and prism viewfinder.
Rahul,
the D51oo does not share the same sensor even though both are 16 mp.
The D7000 has a 2,016-segment RGB sensor whereas the D5100 has the 420-pixel RGB sensor
Tim.
Tim, the sensors are the same – see this
yes they are same DX sensors and have similar test scores and picture qualities according to the DXO Mark site, but according to several sites I researched, they have different pixel counts: D7000 has 2016 rgb pixels and the D5100 has 420 rgb pixels. thats all im saying
Tim
Tim,
that is the metering sensor you’re talking about, and yes it is better in the D7000. The imaging sensor itself is the same 16.2 MP article in the D7000 and D5100, but the D7000 also gets better auto-focus and metering units.
Tim, as Rahul pointed out above, the 420 RGB/2016 RGB sensor language is for the metering sensor. The sensor that captures images is identical on both the D5100 and the D7000. I know this is confusing, not sure why they keep using the same word “sensor”. They should just call it something like “metering machine”, LOL :)
As I look over this site, I see so many people asking similar questions about what to buy. It is overwhelming and confusing with so many opinions and views scattered across the web. Seems we are all wanting counsel, and I can understand that the author of this site has only enough time to answer some of them.
Thank you very much Rahul, for replying to my post. Are you an experienced fellow reader or Mr. Mansurov’s assistant?
To answer your question, the Canon 5D is my husband’s work camera, owned by his company. We can use it occasionally for personal use, but not always. We want a Nikon camera.
I am curious as to why you recommended the following:
“$1500 will get you a D90 + 2 primes, the 35 f/1.8G DX and 50 f/1.8G”
Why do you recommend two similar prime lenses and not a prime plus a zoom?
From what I have read on this site, the zoom lense suggested for a lower budget is the 18-55mm kit lense. Is this still recommended? Is it a good sharp lense? Thanks for your help.
Hi Suzanne,
I am not associated with the author but I thought I’d put in my two cents since I have used both the D90 and D7000.
I think the D90 is still a very nice camera and will fit in your budget quite well. You can always upgrade to D7000 later when the price falls. If you can stretch your budget, I think the D7000 is worth the extra cash. Its better low light sensitivity, faster autofocus, dual card slots, better controls (I’m listing the features that might come in handy for someone doing wedding photography) justify the cost, in my humble opinion. You could also keep the D90 as your second body when you get the D7000 and start shooting weddings.
As for lenses, I think the 35mm f1.8 is certainly an excellent choice. As for walk-around zoom lenses, you have plenty of choices. I would consider getting the Nikon 16-85mm f/3.5-5.6G lens. If you don’t mind third party lenses, I’d consider Sigma AF 17-70mm f/2.8-4.5 DC. If you want a faster lens, you can consider the Sigma AF 18-50mm f/2.8 EX DC or the Tamron AF 17-50mm f/2.8 SP. For wedding photography, you might want to consider the last two choices since both of these lenses are fast.
I recommend the fast primes since you mentioned an interest in wedding photo-shoots. As much as the 18-55 is a cheap lens, it will quite certainly disappoint when shooting in low light such as indoors, often the kind of setup at weddings. I have not used an 18-55 myself, since I have the 18-105 which is good as long as you shoot in daylight. You can quite reasonably use these kit lenses for general photography in adequate lighting (natural or flash assisted), they are fine in terms of sharpness. It is in low light that kit zooms suffer. Should you get a kit zoom and either of the 35 or 50mm primes, I suspect you will soon want to get the other 50 or 35mm prime soon after !
The maximum aperture on the 18-105 drops rapidly , it’s already f/5 at 50mm and that impedes shooting in low light conditions. You need to go to long exposures/high ISO to get the exposure right but that comes at the expense of blur (for long exposure) and noise (for high ISO) ; flash is the other alternative. The versatility a kit zoom offers is a great asset balanced by the lack of wide aperture ; at the focal lengths that are useful for shooting people (28mm , 35mm, 50mm, 85mm , many primes are these exact focal lengths for that reason), zooms often prove slow, which is why the 35 and 50mm fast primes are so popular. Alternatively, a reasonably priced fast zoom such as Sigma 17-50 f/2.8 ( $700 )or Tamron 17-50 f/2.8 around $450-500 instead of kit zoom + 1 fast prime. The primes will be better in low light, but you get more versatility in this case while being more useful in low light than kit zoom.
18-55 kit zoom + 35mm DX f/1.8G = $450
18-55 kit zoom + 50mm f/1.8G = $450
35mm DX f/1.8G + 50mm f/1.8G = $550
18-55 kit zoom + 35mm DX f/1.8G + 50mm f/1.8G = $700-725
18-105 kit zoom + (35 or 50mm) = $650
Tamron 17-50 f/2.8 = $475
As for being Mr Mansurov’s assistant, no ,I’m just a fellow reader, it would be a privilege to work with Nasim!
Suzanne, looks like you got plenty of responses and recommendations from our fellow readers.
I agree with most of the above recommendations – here is my suggestion on what to get:
1) Nikon D7000 – the best DX camera on the market today.
2) Nikon 35mm f/1.8G – excellent for everyday and low-light photography
3) Nikon 16-85mm f/3.5-5.6G – to cover wider angles.
If the 16-85mm is a stretch on your budget, the Nikon 18-55mm kit lens is good enough to cover the wide angles.
Hope this helps.
To start, we have decided to get the D7000 and the 35mm f/1.8G. Still thinking over the zoom.
Thank you, everyone, for your help and recommendations!
Hello Nasim!
Can hot pixels be removed completely in light room every time? What about dead pixel, how to remove them? I was just about to purchase a new DSLR either D5100 or D7000, but after hearing that all DSLRs have these problems I really am thinking again whether I should invest so much money in a DSLR or not? Please Guide. Also when will you write the article on these issues as you mention above? Thanks in advance.
you can remove hot pixels in any photo editor by selecting the clone tool, clone an area near the spot then paint over it :)
Hi Nasim,
I have discovered this site a few days ago and have learned a lot reading your reviews.
Currently I have a Nikon D3000 with a 18-200mm lens.
I’m looking at buying the D7000 as a second camera, which I will take with me when traveling, the D3000 will stay home with my wife.
I’m still hesitating on which lens(es) to buy for the D7000. So far I have the following on my list:
- 18-200mm (same as I have already)
- 16-85mm
- 28-300mm
- 24-120mm f/4
What do you recommend?
Thanks,
Bart
Bart, since you already have an 18-200mm, why buy another one? In your list of lenses, the only lens I would consider is the Nikon 16-85mm VR.
Hi Nasim,
With my job I do a fair amount of traveling, mainly at sea, which gives nice landscape and wildlife opportunities. I would like to leave the D3000 with the 18-200mm at home with my wife.
I’m looking for a nice set of lenses for the D7000.
I’ve also been reading a few more reviews on your site and am now considering the following lenses:
- 16-85mm
- 55-300mm
Would this be a good choice?
Thanks,
Bart
Bart, the 16-85mm is a great choice. Instead of the 55-300mm lens, I would get the excellent Nikon 70-300mm VR.
Hi Nasim,
The 70-300mm will give me a focal length of 105-450mm on the D7000, correct?
Correct. Actually, it will be an equivalent field of view of a 105-450mm lens.
Hi Nasim,
I already own the D7000 + 50mm f1.8D prime , planning to get the 35mm1.8G very soon, im coming from a d80 with the kit 18-135 lens i also had the old AF 70-300 nikkor. I notice a significant UP in quality, weather its using the prime or the d7000 or proberly both, im very happy with it.
My question, I do like shooting in lowlight and indoors and would like a $400-500 midrange zoom lens.
Ive read very good things about the Tamron 17-50 f2.8 di II (None VC version) Lens, it suits my current budget. Would that perform well with the d7000? An article in http://www.photozone.de it appears to be a very decent lens for those who cannot afford +$1000 lenses.
Other lenses are the sigmas, 17-50 and 17-70 ones but ive read alot about QC on those sigma lenses it appears theres alot of bad apples out there.
Whats your opinion on the Tamron above? I could get the nikon 18-55 but i would like the f2.8 and slighty wider end of a 17mm-50.
Thanks
Chris
p.s Its ashame you didnt review the NIKON LENS AF-S 16-85MM f/3.5-5.6G ED DX VR i would have loved to see how that preforms in case to the Tamron i mentioned. More expensive but are you only paying for build quality ?
Thanks
Chris
Chris, I have not had a chance to review the 16-85mm yet, but I have used it and it is superb. Again, no experience with the Tamron.
Chris, I am not a good person to ask about third party lenses, because I do not have any experience with them…
Hi Nasim, very good review site.
I just bought D7000 last week. It’s a very good camera…haven’t had any major issues with it yet (hope not… :)).
But I did had some minor problem with the SD (SanDisk 8GB CL4) card. After snapping a few picture, suddenly it had a “card error”. I had to reset it by either re-insert the card or battery. But luckily didn’t loose any photos. It’s just that at that time I didn’t lock the “Slot empty release lock” which caused me to snap “empty pictures”. FYI, I’ve exchanged the SD card with a new one and had no more issues.
anyway, I’m still looking for answers regarding SD Cards. I most likely to shoot Full HD videos with my D7000 and hoping to know what brand and capacity should I use. I got to know that Class 6 and above is the minimum requirement for Full HD. What is your opinion? And does the memory card “Overflow” function applicable to video as well?
Hope to hear from you. Thanks in advance Nasim.
Fandi, just like any storage media, memory cards fail. Sometimes they are faulty from the factory and it looks like yours was for sure. Don’t forget about formatting memory cards in your camera rather than your computer – it will reduce the number of errors you might get.
What about a suitable card if I were to shoot Full HD videos?
Thanks.
Dear Nasim.,
I want to buy D7000. But i have small problum. I can buy this camera with standard lens only (18 x 105mm). I cant buy aditional lens now. Tell me the standard lens quality. And wich one the best D7000 Vs Canon 60D. Please tell me.
Thank You.
(Deepal – From sri lanka)
Hi Deepal,
I’m using D7000 kit which comes with the standard 18-105mm lens. In my opinion, this is a good lens…fast AF system. I tend to get the 55-300mm lens now.
In terms of comparing between D7000 & 60D, both has its own advantage/disadvantage. But I think its better if Nasim could explain this.
Hope this help (…a bit) :)
Thanks.
(Fandi @ Malaysia)
Thank you very much Fandi for your helpful opinion. I’ll buy this camera. I’m waiting for nasim’s opinion.
Deepal, I do not provide comparisons between different brands – see my Nikon vs Canon vs Sony article.
I read your Nikon Vs Canon Vs Sony article.Thank you very much for your kindly information and opinion. I’m wedding and portrait photographer. I want to buy D7000. Now I use d3000 camera. I want to go next step. Nasim can you give me some tips outdoor wedding photography.
Thank you very much…
It’s a very good review.
I bought D7000 2 weeks ago with the kit 18-105. It’s my first DSLR. After 2 weeks, I got 2 problems that I don’t know why.
I try to shot continuous low and continuous high, but the sound isn’t fast like some clips from Youtube I have seen.
One more problem, I tried to take photo by M mode, exposure 1/160, f3.5, and ISO 800. Then I saw the photo was very dark, I’m confused about that. I take a photo by fast speed so the light won’t go to camera,doesn’t it?
Thank you very much…
Hi, could it be your SDHC speed? What card are you using? Class 4, 6, 10?
My card is SanDisk SDHC Card Class 4, 8GB. Does it effect to speed?
As for my knowledge, the class does affect the burst speed. Try and use Class 6 or 10…or if your budget permits, try and get Sandisk EXTREME.
I also use Sandisk 8Gb CL4…thought of getting higher speed for Full HD video recording.
Thanks for your sharing Fandi
No problem…
I myself still learning… :D
Dear Nassim,
I’m planning to get the d7000. Should I stick with the standard 18-105mm lens, or get the 16 – 85mm lens?
Thanks.
Nasim
i found Non VR 70 – 200mm AF-S lens. What’s your opinion for this lens. I’ll try buy this lens for D7000. What is the compatibility this lens for D7000. Please tell me…
Thank You.
I have A nikon D7000 .I bought D7000 5 months ago with the kit 18-105 this my third dslr. And i have three lens , all lens with nikon d7000 hve back focus, Your nikon d7000 opinion is n’t true , i am testing 20 nikon d7000, all nikon 7000 have back focus, you dont understand nikon 7000 and DSLR , You are writing only promotional article, it is not inclued any tecnical knowledge. ONLY PROMOTIONAL SENTENCES………….
Mehmet, why would I want to advertise the Nikon D7000? I don’t work for Nikon and they don’t pay me to run this website. Do you see any advertisements here? Before you accuse someone, you’d better make sure that you have done your research. I would love to see your actual comparisons between the 20 Nikon D7000 DSLRs that you are testing. Crops from every single one please, with full EXIF data that shows serial numbers of the cameras you are using.
I am currently testing my third Nikon D7000 camera (image samples and more info coming soon) and I can tell you for sure that all three do not have any problems with AF. I have used many different lenses starting from fisheye and wide-angle to long & expensive telephoto lenses like the Nikon 400mm f/2.8G – not a single lens I have used had AF issues.
As I have already said, I will show you some images from the D7000 and you tell me if you see any backfocus issues :)
P.S. You can speak in Turkish here if you want, I understand it well.
Wassalam
Please you ca lokk at this site: (this is my d7000) (back focus problem)http://www.flickr.com/photos/mehmettuncel/
We are discussing this topic 6 months in this forum.
http://forum.netfotograf.com/dslr/nikon-d90-i-d7000-ile-degistirmek-50230-10.html
Naim eğer türkçe biliyorsan açıkça yazayım bana arkadaşlardan gelen bir yığın fotograf 20 ye yakın nikon d7000 ide kendim test chart ile test ettim ben fotograf makinasından ve odak hesaplamadaktan en az senin kadar anlarım bu makina kesinlikle sorunlu VE fine tune pek bir işe yaramıyor nedenise ornegin 18-105 lik bir objektifte 18 mm yi (-4) ile duzeltirken 105 mm yi (-10 ) ile duzeltmen gerekiyor test için 2000 e yakın fotograf çektim eğer guvenmiyorsan sana istediğin kadar exif bilgili fotografı hiç dokunmadan yollayabilirim… İşin kötü tarafı turkiye deki nikon servisleri durumu çözmüyor servisler son derce ilgisiz ve kalibrasyonu hiç bilmiyor…
DO you understand me! İ dont write serial number but only last 4 digit ( 80714..) I dont belive this machine isn’t well focus…
Mehmet, I did look at your Flickr page and besides a picture with a doll and a couple of test charts, I did not see any other images that clearly demonstrate a backfocus issue.
I also read the forum thread you pointed to and although I could not spend the time to read all 32 pages of it, I understand in general what you and other photographers were pointing out.
Now let me ask you a couple of questions and give you my opinion. When you tested those “close to 20 D7000″ cameras, did you use your 18-105mm on all of them? What lenses specifically did you use on those D7000 cameras and can you provide detailed information with images on every sample you tested, with which lens, etc? I am also interested in your lighting conditions and how each test was performed.
Judging from what I saw on your page and on that forum thread, I am inclined to say that the focus issues you and others are pointing to are related to lens backfocus issues and lack of camera knowledge in general (some users that posted in the forum thread), not the camera.
I have been tracking pretty much all D7000 complaints from the readers of our website and I can tell you that 9/10 either have no clue what they are doing, or have issues with their lenses. So far, only two have clearly demonstrated that they have a problem with their D7000 cameras.
other flickr photo take olympus e-510… and flickr my nikon d7000 photos taken fine tune between (-8)- (-12) do you understand me….i used test photo with tripod and other wireles button.yes some d7000 photos is not back focus bcause fine tune( – 10) ok…. i tried my machine nikon 18-105, nikon 50 mm1.8, sigma 70-300, tamron 18-200, and nikon 16-85 all lens the same result nikon d7000 back focus… Other tested nikon d7000( my friends and other) photos not taken my 18-105 their own 18-105 , tamron 17-55nikon 18-200 and exc. Myenglish isntt good but i say this machine is problem anad d7000 have back focus and focus stabilization problem… I am very disapointment nikon d7000….
i take 500-600 test photo test chart with my d7000 i send flickr only first 2-3….
Mehmet, did you try contacting Nikon service center in Europe to report this problem?
i dont try contacting europe nikon service center. i try turkey nikon service and my friend contacting usa nikon . They said that it is impossible , and they dont solve problem. in turkey guarantee is big problem.
As’salam…
I agree with Nasim. I’ve been using D7000 for quite some time and had no back focus issue.
hello, if i’am recording a video using my d7000, does it affects my shutter count? thanks
no….. it doesnt affects shutter count….
Armene, of course it does – ignore Mehmet’s answer below. When you shoot a video, mirror flips up and shutter opens. Shooting a single video is like shooting a single image.
you mean, if i took a 20-minute video it only count one image? . so i can use my d7000 for birthday & weddings? thanks for the help.
Maximum duration per clips is 20 mins. For 16Gb SDHC, maximum duration per card is about 1 hr 40 mins…but still maximum is 20 mins per clips x 5 clips = 100 mins @ 1h40m.
i say no many shooting , i think ! you are thinging this basic stiuation… (yes i know only one count but no many …)
Hi Nasim,
I am a reading your reviews and notes from about a year and this is first time am writing to you. first of all i thank you for providing such valuable information.
I wana ask you a question about Nikon D7000, i read somewhere thats P Mode [ Professional Automatic Exposure Mode] formerly called “program” in the 1980s. In this mode the camera chooses the f/stop and shutter speed for you.
Gives you better results rather than using A mode or S Mode. wots your view on this?
Mani, where did you find references to “P” mode being “Professional Automatic Exposure Mode”? Ken Rockwell? Seriously, “P” stands for “Program Mode”. I do not know a single professional that uses the “P” mode for their photography :) I personally shoot in A or M modes 99% of the time.
Don’t shoot in any automatic mode and learn how to use A/S/M modes instead. Definitely don’t let your camera pick an aperture setting for you! See my articles on aperture, shutter speed and camera modes…
HI Nasim,
Thanks for your input, i actually did read Ken”s artical about D7000 settings, n he mentioned that P mode is actually better than A, and he use the same setting. so i was bit confused about that. i read your articles on aperture, shutter speed and camera modes and it is a very useful piece of information.
thanks again and keep up the good work.
Mani
Mani, Ken Rockwell clearly states on his website that he fools around with info on and does it for fun. P mode is not better than A, unless you manually adjust aperture after it gives you the initial exposure…
Hi Nasim,
Thanks for a excellent review on d7000. I’m quite new to DSLR and have just purchased a d7000 3 weeks ago with the 16-85mm, 50mm 1.4G, 35mm 1.8G and a SB900. I made my choice after reading several excellent reviews on this camera. However, after shooting for a week or so, I noticed a peculiar problem when shooting in aperture priority/ auto mode. All my pictures tend to underexposed a little (of course they looked fine on the LCD but look slightly ‘dark’ on the computer and the on-camera histogram confirmed this), although this can be easily corrected with Lightroom. This happens with all the lens and with all the metering mode. Now, I sometimes have to increase my exposure compensation to +0.7. This problem is even worse when shooting in low light situation. Is there anything wrong with my camera; do I need to send it back to Nikon for a check? I really would appreciate your advice.
Barry Khoo
Barry, there could be a combination of things that are causing exposure to be off a little. It all depends on what you are photographing, exposure mode, ISO, metering mode, light patterns, back light and many other variables. So I would check those first before you try talking to Nikon…
Another note on viewing images. Unless you are working with a computer monitor that has been calibrated using adobe’s or other monitor calibration it’s sometimes difficult to make fine judgments about exposure and color quality, though calibrated or not it’s pretty easy to know when you computer and camera LCDs vary a good bit. So if something is grossly over or under exposed you can certainly make that judgement. I still swear by my old CRT monitors sometimes over the very contrasty LCDs we have today. “Perfect” exposure values still depend on the photographer noting the widely varying grayscale values in a scene and making EV adjustments to the auto metering as need IMO.
Try using the Iso Sensitivity Setting (this is under SHOOTING MENU OPTION) set to ON then set auto ISO to 1600, if it still look underexposed for you, try increasing auto ISO level to 3200. It could be all your shots were at lowest ISO base which is 100 for the D7000. I would remind you though incresing the D7000 auto ISO to 6400 might produce visible noise, @ ISO 3200 the D7000 is a sure pro! Hope this helps.
Thanks for all your thoughts. You guys have been really helpful.
Nasim,
I jumped back into photography for my sons high school sporting events. I went from 35mm film SLR in the 80′s to point and shoot digital and now back to DSLR with a D7000 and f2.8 70-200mm. I have been shooting at 1/500 f.28 3200 ISO for friday night football with good results, but the images are normally underexposed. I am using matirx metering, should I use center weighted? I cant adjust the shutter speed below 1/400 without the blur. Any other tips welcome.
Vinny, whenever you see underexposed/overexposed images consistently in the same environment, your best bet is to use the Exposure Compensation button on the camera to correct the exposure. For underexposed images, you have to hit a positive number like +1 and for overexposed images, use a negative number.
Hope this helps.
I’ve been using a d7000 for about 2 weeks now and so far have not encountered back focus issues even shooting very low light dance performances with a standard 18-55 kit lens at ISO3200-6400. I just got a Nikon 16-85 and have only used it briefly outdoors. Had absolutely no backfocus problems shooting ballet which is a very demanding shooting environ. I agree the outdoor bright light exposures can be a problem and one should just count on setting EVs when shooting automatic. This is something i’ll be checking in detail over the next few weeks. I’ll have to try out the provided Nikon software though I’m not expecting much from it. Wondering if you would suggest which color model to use sRGB or the Adobe setting. I’m not using Adobe software for management but do find that the free Faststone viewer is an acceptable tool for Nikon raw, in fact, way good for free software on a PC as opposed to Mac. Not expecting much from Nikon’s video implementation and as a videographer I’m quite disappointed in just how far they lag behind Canon in video functionality. However I didn’t like the feel of the Canon 7d or 60d which I was also considering. Strangely perhaps I’ve been pretty impressed with some of my older AI lenses on the D7000. Even my old Tamron 70-210 had excellent if not better color saturationthan the 18-55 kit lens that came with my d-50 and I was really impressed with an old Vivitar Series 1, 28-90 macro- really sharp. The 16-85 Nikon is certainly a major improvement over the 18-55 but then it cost about 4 times more. Couldn’t plop down the $1200 for a 12-24 at this time, and the 16-85 is a much better walking around lens best for my needs. Hoping I don’t experienc ethe focus problems that some folks have had. The camera came with formware 1.02 and perhaps that has helped.
Thank you for your feedback Jim! The firmware 1.03 is out for the D7000, btw.
I have used the D7000 for about 3 Weeks now and have to say it has serious backfocus issues my D300 never had. We are not talking about one lens that might be problematical, but all.
(e.g Nikkor 50mm, 17-50 Tamron, 17-16 Tokina, 50-150mm Sigma and so on…)
Fixing the issue with an adjustment of about -5 will help but is really not my intention and will be very complicated setting up all the different focal-lengths for all zoom-lenses.
Of course I can be of the few cases that actually have a backfocus-problem but I am scared a bit, since I have / had a D70, D80. D300, D300s before and never had these heavy issues. Especially dumb if you are in a foreign counrty with no printer and you would like to fix this mess.
Hopefully Nikon Support or my local dealer can help me with this.
Just wanted to tell you about my experience and I wonder why your introductory paragraph about back-focus sounds so apologetic / defensive.
Kriki, there’s so much back focus discussion I thought I’d note that I have no problems so far. I try to notice which sensors the camera selects unless I don’t have time to do so, same goes for the light metering. I did have a Sony dslr a few years a go that had serious back focus problems as well as a couple of their DV cams that suffered from terrible BF, so I have experienced it before. My biggest D7000 complaint is the tendency to overexpose but now that I’m paying more atention to the sensors being used that’s becoming more manageable. The camera does not always make the right choice and over-ride is needed. I have not tweaked the autofocus for any lenses and don’t plan to unless there is a problem. It is afterall a new metering and focus sensor envelop and perhaps there are some problems. As I shoot more locatin/subject variety in the coming weeks I’ll know more but so far so good. You did not note your firmware versions, I have a102 and b102, that came already installed..
Kriki, if you have tested AF on the D7000 using a focus chart and you know for sure that you have AF issues, send your D7000 body with one of the lenses to Nikon. Have them recalibrate everything and find out what they ended up doing. In most cases, lenses get calibrated instead of the body. You might have had AF issues with your lenses all along, but you did not notice them on your D300. I personally do not find AF to be reliable on Sigma, Tamron and Tokina lenses, but it obviously depends on many factors…
Either way, send your camera to a Nikon service center and see what they have to say.
Dear Nasim
Finlay i bought Nikon d7000. It’s really nice camera. I want to know about manual white balance. I mean Kelvin settings.
Dear Nasim, i’m getting back to landscape photography … and would like to upgrade my “old” D70 and evaluating d7000 with a 12-24mm f/4G ED-IF AF-S DX Zoom.
I have dreamed about d700 and AF-S NIKKOR 14-24mm f/2.8G ED but still too much for my pocket so far!
May you post your opinion about D7000 and 12-24 f/4 for landscapes?
Is 16 85 a better choice for landscape ? ( Nocturne as well )
Thanks in advance
I think for general landscape I think the 16-85 is a good choice because it gives you a medium telephoto that can produce some nice narrow depth of field FX in addition to a fairly wide 24mm full frame 35mm eqivalent at the 16mm end of the zoom. I have the 16-85 and it is quite sharp. Whereas the superwide 12-24 0r 14-24 really only you give you a wide to wide zoom. So for me the 16-85 is a perfect “walking around lens” that’s no so wide that you can’t put a polarizer on it.
Dear Nasim,
Thanks for your excellent review of the D7000. I have one question regarding lens distortion correction option of the D7000. Do you have any experience with this feature and would you recommend turning it on to save post processing time?
Thanks in advance
Gabe, I have mine turned off – you can correct distortion in Lightroom/Photoshop very easily.
Hi guys, I was out late this evening to get some landscape shots. I was shooting in Aperture Priority from f/3.5 to f/16. Upon getting back home and uploading the images on my computer, I noticed all photos with Apertures f/8-f/16 have visible annoying black spots on the upper right corner of the images. My D7000 is barely 2months old. Shall I have this replaced as it is still under warranty. I have read http://www.mansurovs.com that these are Stuck/Dead/Hot pixels. Any views please? Many thanks.
maybe there are oil spot . oil spots are d7000 chronic problem… (upper right…)
Oil spots don’t show up like that. Small dots in 99% of cases means dust. Anything bigger than that will appear as a large blob.
Hi Mehmet/Nasim,
Oil spot is a good analysis. Although this is the first time I’ve heard about it as Mehmet describes, the black spot is on the upper right corner. I have 2 lenses the 18-200 VRII and 35 1.8G. I have used them both shooting at their widest to smallest apertures. At F/5.6 the black spot appears to be a large vague blob as what Nasim describes. At f/8 to f/22 that same spot where the blob is appears to get smaller but sharper and becomes an obvious black annoying dot. Using both lenses widest apertures at f/3.5 and f/1.8 respectively, the black spot is hardly noticeable.
Hence, can oil spots be cleaned or does the sensor needs replacing?
Please advice. Thanks heaps guys.
Kind regards,
Jason
Jason, those are not stuck, dead or hot pixels – your sensor has some dust on it. See my articles on cleaning camera sensors.
Dust is a very normal thing and it happens whether you change lenses or not. Dust gets sucked into the camera body when you zoom in/out and focus, and change lenses. No need to change your camera, there is nothing wrong with it.
Hi Nasim,
Thanks for the immediate feedback, much appreciated. I just came from the store where I bought my D7000 from and they said they will return it to the Nikon supplier/service center here in Auckland, NZ. It is so annoying I have to wait 7-10days for it.
I would like to post some photos with the black spots so you could have a better analysis on the image. How can I upload photos in your website? Or could I just send the images to your email?
Please advice. Much obliged.
Kind regards,
Jason
I don’t see how the f-stop used would possibly make a difference if their are “oil spots” unless you were shooting extremely wide angle lens or extreme closeup. Does it show up with any other lens?
Hi Jim,
Yes the spots appears on the same upper right hand corner with both my lenses (18-200 VRII and 35 1.8G). Using the lenses widest apertures @ f/3.5 & f/1.8 respectively the black spot is hardly noticeable. Only at apertures f/5.6 to f/22 the spot gradually becomes a big vague black spot (f/5.6) to a small sharp and visible black dot at (f/22).
Rgds,
Jason
Hİ Jason again
oil spot can not appear widest apperture (example f.8- f.3.5).. oil spot appear f11- f22 (specially)
i cleaned two times my 7000 sensör with this product(http://www.techbuy.com.au/p/89667/CAMERA_ACCESSORIES_SCREEN_CLEANING_KITS/Green_Clean/GA_SC4200.asp)
JASON
please look at this page (oil drops sample nikon d7000)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/imagined_horizons/5795633705/
Hi Mehmet,
Thank you so much for your inputs. But unlike you, I am not that brave cleaning the sensor myself. What’s your recommendation? Shall I just get a refund (as this is an ongoing dilemma of the D7000 which will be haunting me for months/years to come) and replace this with the new Nikon D800?
Thanks,
Jason
Hİ Jason again I recommend you you will give back your d7000 and replace nikon d800.
If you dont do this you send your d7000 for cleaning sensor… or you can cleaning this smilar kit to low pass filter (a glass front of sensor… you are not cleaning sensor cleaning only low pass sensor) i apologize for my english…
Well this is indeed bad news for the D7000. There certainly are a lot of references to this oil spot problem on the web. Funny how none of this showed up in the reviews before I bought the camera. Feels like I’ve bought a lemon of a Nikon even though I haven’t had the problems yet. I’m going to run some additional tests on my lenses today. However the temperatures here have been quite low since I bought mine a month ago and I’m wondering if when it gets hots I’m going to see the problem. Never had any problems with my d50. Sounds like Nikon is crusing towards a class action lawsuit if these matters aren’t promptly and professionally addressed. Sony has certainly had their share of class action lawsuits and Nikon has been closely aligned with them for years. Wondering if the live mode might be a contributor to this as the mirror gets locked into position for a long time and perhaps tends to pick up more gradue because of that. This coupled with the rants and petition about the D7000 video oddball modes is going to give this camera a bad rep.
Well, after running a couple of test at f11 and higher I have found two apparent oil spots on the left 1/3 of my sensor on the D7000. I must say this is a crock of u know what. They don’t look like dust, they are almost round and rather large, like droplets. Had this camera only a month and have been totally careful changing lenses.
Hi guys!!!!
New development which could finally open a PANDORA’S BOX for the D7000. I have spoken with the service manager of TA Mcalister (Nikon NZ-Auckland) and told him about the problem I am having with my D7000. I mentioned oil spots to him and before I could explain further, he ACKNOWLEDGE the fact that the D7000 has issues with oil spots especially the older produced units!!! The Nikon rep assured me they will fixed my unit and I wont have this problem anymore but strangely he also said they won’t guarantee the problem not coming back. I am definitely frustrated and lost faith on the product/brand, I am absolutely appalled by Nikon for hiding this problem from us innocent consumers. I am just glad I reside here in New Zealand as our government here have a very strong CONSUMER TRADE ACT which protects us from dodgy manufacturers like NIKON which allows us to return items we are not satisfactorily happy with!!! Shame on you Nikon, you definitely betrayed my absolute trust. I am planning to get a Sony SLT A77. I think it is better to trust fully digital products compared to DSLR’s like the Nikon D7000 which has a hybrid shutter button which could be I suspect could be the culprit.
To Nasim,
I hope you can communicate this with Nikon just to open their eyes as you can see this is a clear BIG PROBLEM for them. I bought my D7000 last 9 Sept 2011 just slighty over 2 months together with my friend. We both have the same problem now and he even got a worse problem than my camera, I only have 1 black spot he has 6 or 7 or even more with his. I have posted the images I took with the oil spots in my facebook account, i encourage EVERYONE READING here in Nasim’s blog to check out the photos. http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2543661003392.127901.1609751430&type=3
Please join me everyone to voice this issue to Nikon.
First, thank you so much for this reviews, I am not a professional and because of that I can’t justify spending the money on a d700, BUT I think the d7000 is just perfect for my needs, I am debating on the lens part, I would be in the “entry level – moving to d7000″ category, yes, a dummie! So, I am debating to get the a type of 50mm or a standard 18-55 that will probably come with the camera, basically everyday life, indoor and outdoor portraits will be done with this lens (forget about the price for the lens)…Any help on which type of lens that will work well with this camera will be greatly appreciated i
What I don’t understand is why the Nikon 5100 has better video modes than the 7000. Makes no sense at all.
Hi Nasim,
Before, I really had some hot pixel problems while taking long exposures at Hi gh ISO with my D7000. I am also bothered when reviewing the videos because the audio fails after previewing several time. But just recently, I donwloaded the firmware 1.02/1.03 and I did found that all the problems in my D7000; all the described fixed has really healed my camera’s illness. thanks to the firmware upgrade. For all of those who hasn’t updated their firmware yet, you may download the update from the below URLs:
http://nikonasia-en.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/7002/session/L3RpbWUvMTMwMzczNDQyOC9zaWQvb2M4RUZtc2s%3D
http://support.nikonusa.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/17542/~/d7000-firmware%3A-a%3A-1.0.2-%2F-b%3A1.03-upgrade
Happy shooting!
regards,
Tholits
Nasim,
The EXIF in “D7000-sample-9.jpg” shows that it was taken from a D3s, am I correct?
By the way, what lens did you use to take that picture? Looks so sharp !
Regards,
i love this camera so much that i started to blog about it too nikon d7000
Sorry man, you are dead wrong about the D7000 not having back focus issues. I sent mine to Nikon after every shot being out of focus. I have 6 Nikons both digital and film cameras, and I know how to use each and every one of them – and it was a bit concerning when I couldn’t get this one to work with any of my 9 pro lenses. Nikon repair looked at the camera, and not only was the AF “bad” – but the mirror was set at the wrong angle from the factory. They fixed it without a problem, and it was under warranty. I think it is safe to say that some of these cameras were made with errors, and some of them do have focus issues……trying to convince people that they just do not know how to use a camera is plain irresponsible. Some of these cameras were bad from the factory – get your checked if you have problems. This was a Nikon level “B2″ repair…that means moderate service, major parts replaced.
wrong mirror angle cause back focus and other nikon d7000 focus problem …..but not only this problem (nikon d7000 ) nikon d7000 focus screen are false because if you adjust back focus WİTH fine tune or mirror ADJUST angle , you see new problem (front focus SOME MEASURE BACK FOCUS SOME MEASURE and wide angle )… BAD MACHINE NIKON D7000………..
I will burn MY NIKON D7000 AND I WILL NOT BUY ANY NIKON (FOREVER)……
Hi Mehmet,
Please don’t burn it, but instead give it to me. It may not be much to you but it’s worth a lot to me. Thanks.
Jason
You adjusted the MIRROR? And you are complaining about why it doesn’t focus?
You DONT Adjust anything ! Take it to Nikon and if the service in Turkey sucks, write to Nikon, Japan.
Or depending on what laws your country has you can press the issue to give a replacement or fix it for good. Your frustration is understandable but coming to a forum and making blanket statements is not.
and nikon d7000 focus behavior very different sun and lamp light ….
In reference to my earlier post fearing i had oil rather than dust spots, it was simply some dust. I bought a good blower brush and was able to remove the most annoying spots by blowing. I am finding that learning to use the AF modes on the D7000 does take some patience and practice as some of the ergonomics as mentioned in reviews are a bit flawed, and well the most needed menus are buried two or screens away from where they should be. There should be a simple way to move menu itmes to the order most preferred. Haven’t read the manual from cover to cover but I do think things could be arranged better, and I’ve been shooting professionally since 1973. I am most pleased with the 7000′s low-light capabilities as it can render low light scenes very naturally with a little trial and error. Eventually I will by a sensor cleaning kit, it doesn’t look very hard to do using the cleaners Peter Gregg sells. Auto focus in the video mode is quite annoying, better off focusing manual when feasible. The 30fps 1280x720p video mode is acceptable but unless you have quality editing software the 24fps 1080 mode is useless for most people except a tiny percentage of people who want that format- why Nikon chooses to cater it’s video mode to the smallest possible user segment is totally byond me.
You must clean d7000 sensor every month because d7000 oil spot problem repeat again again again again again……. many times. I cleaned my d7000 sensor 6 times. Blower brush dont clean oil spot ……
Hi Mehmet,
Pls give me your D7k; I’ll pay for the postage……….don’t burn it.
Well it is true that the AF system is flawed, I had problem acquiring AF in low light, but we have to acknowledge that D7k produces wonderful image for a DX camera. And I haven’t cleaned my sensor for 3 months!
Ey Barry,
I asked Mehmet first for his D7k, no over taking mate! lol
Mehmet,
I will pay for the postage by the way. Just ignore Barry, hahaha!
Cheers Guys
I have been using a D7000 since February with the MB-D11 grip and have found this to be an amazing camera. I am in a photography club with several pro-level members and they have commented on the quality of several of my pictures.
I have shot some high school sports in low light with the 70-200 2.8 and it produces good pictures, however a friend of mine shoots a D700 with a 70-200 2.8 and there is a noticable difference at high ISO.
The D7000 is an awesome DX camera, but not a FX equvilant in all situations. So for the naysayers; realize this is not an FX camera so dont expect it to do FX shots. The autofocus does seem to be very, very sensitive to where it locks so maybe not a back focus issue completely. If your camera is defective, send it back . But for the majority with working units, an awesome piece of equipment!
Hello, Nasim–
First of all, let me express my appreciation for taking the
time and effort to produce excellent reviews of camera
equipment. I am somewhat astounded to see that you
take the time to personally answer some of the comments
and queries sent in by your website followers. Two things
just happened; I got my new D7000 2 weeks ago (I had
a D300) and tonight I discovered your website. I suspect
that I will be a frequent visitor of your site from now on!
A question occurs to me that I have not seen addressed
anywhere previously: How much load is placed on the
D7000 battery when the camera is “ON” but “standing
by” (inactive) waiting to be used? In other words– how
much battery life is conserved if the camera is turned
OFF every time it will be 5, 10 or 15 minutes before using
it again?
Again, thnaks for the excellent information you provide!
Mike Baker
Gainesville/Micanopy, FL
Hello Nasim
Congrats for this review, really interesting
I’ve been using Nikon Slr for almost 20 years now, from F801 (N8008) to current D70. No, I don’t change my gears very often, as I’m only a casual shooter, ie “amateur” at best :)
I’m looking to replace my D70 as I feel I miss lots of quality in ISO / Resolution departments. I’ve considered going the compact way as I more often than I wish do not want to carry the DSLR gear ! But I mostly like portrait photos so I would probably miss narrow DOF and nice bokeh.
So I’ve been looking at the D90 then the D7000. Either would perfectly fit my need, and I know if I want or not to spend the extra $ to get the newer one. My real guess is that indeed : do I really want to spend that much money on gears that have so many complaints ??? I mean, you can read lots of reports of guys complaining on backfocus, overexposure, lens compatibilty, etc !!!
For most of you, obviously, around $1000 for a D7000 is a fair price. I don’t think so, cause I always try to compare things to other things; for example you could buy a rather cool big LED TV ! or 10 vacuum cleaners !
Ok before you tell me “pass by and get a $100 coolpix” my comments are theses in reality: for $1000 I expect not a perfect camera but at least a ZERO defect one; I hardly can convince myself spending that much money on a camera that could ask me to calibrate focus for my lenses and ask me to remember that I should dial the exposure comp when shooting in this or this situation. Calibrating lenses is out of question for me, and (it’s maybe amateurish) I consider the exposure comp is there to allow creative photo, not to correct a defective exposure system.
When choosing a $1000 camera I should only read the spec and look at the ergonomics, not asking myself if they are defects that will (or not – most of the time) be adressed by firmwares. As of now (2011) reading that the matrix mesure is less than 100% reliable makes me hangry ! That kind of camera should be 100% reliable, in full auto or not !!! I really consider that bypassing the full auto mode should be aimed at creative / personal photos instead of correcting deceptive default behaviors…
Looking for any / all comments
Thanks
With all the software used to drive pages and pages of menus I think you can count on software issues or defects with almost every camera now. In terms of a feature set the D7000 is the most complicated camera I’ve ever owned. In bright scenes I treat it like I’m exposing color slides, using a -.3 or-.7 comp value, however, this changes based on scene content. The meter is probably too accurate, requiring you to meter carefully based on content. As far as oil defects and such, who really knows, Canons have had this issue too and Nikon should come clean if this is a defect in the camera construction. If not they will be the victim of a class action law suit, just like Sony a few yearas ago when they put faulty sensors in in several models- I had one, it died after less than 10,000 exposures. The D7000 seems to be a very nice camera, I have shot good video (using good external mic for best results), and generally been pleased with the menus, though they are arranged in a less than ergonomic manner. Reading, nay, studying the manual is a MUST!!! in order to learn the shortcuts and mange the gobs of settings you can make. I’ve had an unexpected amount of dust on my sensor but then I used some pretty old lenses without carefully cleaning them first. When it gets hot here I’ll be looking to see if the oil spot is an issue with my body.
i have nikon d7000 with 24-70mm f2.8 nikon lens in wide range 24mm when taking a picture the focus point in face of the subject sometimes giving me a back-focus and sometimes not what shall i do
Hi Nasim.
right now im using d7000. thanks for your review that i have this magnificent camera. im thinking to go to FX league since my lens are FX lenses. If i go to d700, what i lose from d7000? i read that d7000 has more dynamic range and also megapixels than d700. what do those things make differences in final result if we compare d700 and d7000?
thanks for your answer
Hi Nasim:
What would be your recommendation for video? D7000, D5100, D4, D800 or V1 ? I have D700 but miss odd times of kids moments. I predominately take pictures of my kids.
For example, if D800 can take exceptional videos, I would like to consider it. D4 is out of question as it is prohibitively expensive for my use.
Not sure D400 will be any time out soon!
Thanks in advance.
HI Nasim,
First thank for pointing to your post on the panoramic photography.
I have have an issue and need your advice. I am using the D7000 for past two months and have noticed that in “P Mode ” the aperture or the shutter value does not change even I change the command dial. On the contrary it shoots the pictures at high iso. This does not happen in auto mode or other scene modes.
I am using the AUTO ISO , ISO SENSITIVITY =100, MAX Sensitivity = 6400 and MINIMUM Shutter Speed = 1/30.
Secondly • During focusing of person of any other normal static object in AF-A Auto Area, The focus point does not seem to fix on the object intended. ( my settings camera – Auto Focus and Lens VR 18-105mm to Auto mode ).
It would be nice of you if you could help.
Thanks .
Regards
Tridib
Hi i have the Nikon D7000 and when i am in M mode and try to use Live View i find it very dark to the point that i can not use Live View. Please can you help.
Thank you
Stevie
excuse me stephen !!!!!!!
PLEASE DO THIS: ( movie settings—— manuel movie settings——- OFF) = PROBLEM SOLVES ok…. stephen….
Hi Nasim,
nice site and reviews. I was wondering if this d7000 offers could conditions for astrophotography. As you might know, Nikon cameras are known to be “star eater” sensors (due to the mean filter apply on RAW, yes on the RAW files). So I was wondering if Nikon has make few improvement regarding this critical aspect for astrophoto.
Thanks,
a.
Antoine, the Nikon D7000 does not have the same problem as previous DSLRs with median filters, so it is perfect for astrophotography. So yes, Nikon did make a major improvement in that regard!
Hello Nasim,
sounds good. Do you have any references that support this statement?
Thanks again.
Antoine
Hello,
I have a D7000 which has the back focus issue. What I found from another forum however, is if you focus using Live View mode the focus is perfect whereas if you use the View Finder it will back focus.
I have tested this will all lenses, mounted on a tripod, wireless remote in Mirror Up mode, VR turned OFF, various apertures and focal lengths. Live View mode the focus is PERFECT everytime….all focal lengths and apertures. View Finder will back focus every time. I have found on mine it is worse at wide angles more so than at longer focal lengths which I find odd since you tend to have more depth of field on wide angle focal lengths.
The explanation that was given is because Live View uses a Contrast Focusing Unit whereas the View Finder uses a Phasing Focusing Unit. It is the Phasing Unit that is faulty. I dont know if there is any validity to that – it’s just what I read.
I have a ticket open with Nikon to send my camera for testing and hopefully a fix.
Good luck to everyone with this issue!
Gregg
All Nikon D7000 View Finder focus have defective….. NIKON must be acknowledge this situation!!!!!!
Mehmet, your negative comments do not really help. As I have already said it over and over again, only a select number of D7000 units have a focus problem. I personally tested 4 units so far and I have many local and online friends that love their D7000 cameras. None of them have any BF issues. None.
I write only true situation,…. Naim You said ” your negative comments do not really help” I believe my comment help new buyer … I bought this machine 2180 dolar in turkey, and Nıkon dont help me this defective machine…………. My negative comment dont help !!!!! the similar situation nikon dont help me………
“”"”As of this writing a google search “Nikon D7000 + focus problems” returned 2,450,000 results… “”"” This is not my opinion….
“All Nikon D7000 View Finder focus have defective”
Wrong. I have a D7000 and it focuses correctly. Just because you have a faulty unit, making blanket statements is not helping. You should pursue getting your camera fixed.
Google results is never a measure of the real issue. Stop spreading this false information.
Mehmet ,
Two of my friends and myself owns d7000 and we never had any focus issues . We love the performance of it .
As Nasim said ,only a select number of D7000 units have a focus problem . We are sorry to hear that Nıkon dont help you with your defective machine.
@Nasim – Please advice to all those in the world (as I see people from many countries post comments here) who have got d7000 with focusing issues and their problem have not fixed even after they repaired it from their local manufacturer .
I’ve been using D7000 since last year and I don’t see any back focus. My only problem that day was the memory card, which I’ve already exchange it for a new one. Too bad “All you Nikon D7000″ had focus issues.
I’ve been using D7000 since last year and I don’t see any back focus. My only problem that day was the memory card, which I’ve already exchange it for a new one. Too bad “All your Nikon D7000″ had focus issues.
Gregg, you are correct – that’s because contrast detect moves the lens AF till focus is correct. You might have either a camera or a lens issue. Have you tried any other lens on the D7000? Do all of your lenses have a problem? Either way, definitely send both the camera and the lens to Nikon and they will repair it at no charge.
I truly appreciate your review.
Here it is January 2012, and the Nikon D7000 is temporarily out of stock everywhere. What is a guy to do? I guess I’ll just patiently await B&H’s promise of its arrival.
Glen, there are severe shortages of Nikon equipment at the moment, mostly due to the disasters in Japan and Thailand. You can have B&H notify you when the item is in stock, but all we can do is wait at the moment…even most local stores are out of the D7000.
Nasim:
Thanks for the update. I have truly exhausted every venue in search of a D7000. Nay, not one to be found anywhere.
Glen
WHY??????? attention this situation!!!
Nasim, first of all, thank you so much for all your tips and reviews, they are always very helpfull.
I have a question about adding a teleconverter to an 18-200 vrII lens. is that possible, does it make any difference? i haven’t found anyone compatible.
Thank you very much
Gonzalo, no, you cannot use a teleconverter with the 18-200mm lens. Only the fast and pr0-level macro/telephoto lenses work with teleconverters.
could you tell me a good lens for wildlife photography for my d7000.
You might want to check this article by Mansurov,
http://mansurovs.com/category/digital-photography/wildlife-photography
Well I typed my name into google and got 2.16 -million results so running a search on Nikon D7000 focus problems is just as likely to turn up results imply for the word Nikon, give me a break!
I have also had back focus issues with the D7000 and my basis of the claim is not having the same issue with a D90 with the same lenses. I believe it is in the auto focus algorithms and will predict either Nikon does a recall, a firmware update, or just releases new models and phase the D7000 out. When it does focus correctly however it produces amazing images.
I have recently moved up to the D7000 from the D90. I am having those back focus issues. I am not a beginner, but not a professional either. I contacted Nikon, including sending in sample photos, and contacted all of the local camera stores to see if I was doing something wrong knowing that the focusing system is different. Nikon said to send it in but I have heard of some having problems with it being fixed and then still having the same issue. I suppose those cases could be user error. I have used all of my lenses,( 18-70mm, 18-105, 18-135mm, 35mm 1.8), with the same problem.
Like GreggW, I also have the same issue of Liveview being sharp, and using the view finder produces out of focus photos even when I use single point focus. When I increase the zoom(105mm) so my subject/object fills the frame, without changing anything except increasing the zoom, then the focus is sharp. Does it sound like a back focus issue or user error?
Thank you for your time!
Hi, are you using auto or manual focus?
I only have this problem with AF. I can manually focus it on the object I want and it is fine.
I also found when I manually focus by my eye it is fine but if you use the view finder in focus indicator (pg 100 of the manual) the subject is soft. If the subject is tight in the frame then the in focus indicator works fine.
The place I bought my camera decided to swap out the body with a new one. Luckily they had 1 in. Now I am getting the sharp photos I expected from the camera.
I did have a problem with this new body though. The auto focus not wanting to change out of single point focus when I switched it back to 39 point. I tried turning the camera off and that didn’t work so I reset the camera (using the green buttons) and now it is working fine. I hope it stays that way.
I forgot to mention that they saw a problem with the mirror and they did comparison photos with both cameras and saw that there was a problem with my original camera so that is why they switched out the bodies. I was surprised they did that since I had purchased the camera 3 months ago but they were going to send it back to their repair center for the third time so I think they wanted me to be happy.
Hi Nasim,
Thanks for this great and informative article. I’m fairly new to the DSLR world and recently purchased the D7000. I’ve been having issues getting the entire frame (for example a landscape setting or a picture with lots of people) focused. I’m sure it’s an incorrect AF or F stop setting, but I can’t figure out exactly what.
Do you have any suggestion for some quick tips on this?
Thanks!
James,
Getting a landscape shot is not easy as it seems. You have to know the depth of field for the given situation,lens and aperture. There are many calculators our there that help in determining where you should focus and what your aperture setting must be etc. This is true for any camera and not just the D7000. Generally the aperture must be stopped to f8 and beyond for getting everything in focus. But in DX format camera’s diffraction sets in beyond f16. Thats why most landscapers use medium format cameras. Or pro’s use tilt/shift lenses and you can find an article regarding that here in mansurov itself if you search the lens reviews.
Anyway’s just read up on depth of field and how to calculate the same for a given lens(focal range), focus distance and aperture by googling for it. For a start here are couple of links that will be a good read,
http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/depth-of-field.htm
The above link also includes a calculator.
Hope this helps.
If you don’t want to get lost in the technical mumbo jumbo and just want to get a good shot, then choose the “Scene” mode in your camera and choose “Landscape” setting. The camera sets various parameters automatically. But you still need to figure out where to focus to get everything in focus.
And a good prime lens helps rather than zoom lenses.
I forgot to add an important advise I read here from Mansurov himself, which incidentally happened to be the first article I read here and was hooked.
Check out the landscape photography section here in Mansurov to learn more. But to sum it up, he simplified it and said thus,
“If you want to shoot a landscape picture and don’t want to be bothered with a calculator and stuff, just do this. Frame your shot, take a picture. Then view it at 100% and notice the area where it gets blurry. Now that’s where you have to focus, the next time.”
I still think, that is just brilliant!
hi ravi.
am writing after a long time. i have a nikon d5000. i am thinking of upgrading to d7000. i will purchase only the body now. i think all the lenses that i have now will work on d7000 also. however i am confused about the suitabilityof the batteries and the sd cards. will the batteries that i used for niknon d5000 and the memory cards be compatible with nikon d7000.
thanks in advance
Hi Prasad,
I don’t know about D5000, but I believe the D5000 uses CF card while the D7000 uses SD CARD. And the battery is also different. Check out the specs for the D5000 at nikonusa.com to be clear.
thanks for the info. i thought as much. slightly veering to another subject. is the 35mm f1.8g nikon lens good for covering weddings.?
thanks in advance
Yes. It works out to 52mm considering the crop factor. But I have read that the bokeh is better on the 50mm than the 35 mm. You might get more expert opinions from wedding photographers or check this site under “Wedding Photography” for more insight.
thanks again. yesterday i shot some portraits of my niece. since the room was cramped, i was not able to back away to ensure some more space in the photos. her shoulders were at the borders of the photographs. this with a 35mm, if i use 50mm, the problem could be more taking in to view the crop factor. secondly, i noticed that though her face and shoulders were very clear, the hands andthe bangles were slightly out of focus. could this be because, i shot at f1.8 and not 2.8 or lower.
Great article-thanks. I am wondering what lense you shot the photo of the motorcycle guages with. Incredible detail in that.
hi nasim,
nice review.. i got my D7000 just recently after reading this nice review.. thanks..
need suggestion on this… i have a problem maybe with the card slot or the memory card i dont know exactly, cuz i often get the sign -E- and i have to remove the memory card to fix it.. even worse will happen if two memory cards are inserted, resulting me using only 1 slot…
i have 2 16gb Sandisk Extreme class 10…
thanks..
hi les,
used to have this kind of problem when i first bought my d7000 (my comment somewhere on top). as for my problem, it’s the card error which i have to “reboot” the camera or re-insert the card. i replaced it (free) with a new one. no more “E” or error on it. i’m also using 2 cards (8gb cl4 & 16gb ultra…both sandisk). try and bring back to the shop, maybe you can get a replacement for the cards. hope this helps.
ok thanks,
but can i still return my memory cards to adorama and replace a new one? any idea
i’m sure you can coz as far as i know sandisk products are lifetime. as for me (in malaysia) i replaced it at the same shop i purchased the camera within one month of use. or maybe you can call up sandisk directly.
The 1.03 updte solved the card problem for most D7000′s. If you haven’t installed that firmware update I would do that before I returned the cards.
hi Nasim,
just hit upon this article. to put in short… very very informative.
I have a D60 and is looking forward to upgrade. I love abstract and wildlife photography. At this moment with so many product and options available, I am a bit confused regarding the Nikon model to go for.
May be you can give some suggestion.
Looking forward to your reply.
Last but not the least, while going through the sample images of D7000, I would just like to know the specs behind “D7000 Sample(8)”. I mean in that kind of situation do i have to meter the sky after setting the desired aperture ? because i find too many elements and lighting conditions in that image which is quite challenging.
Mayukh.
I disagree with your categorizing of photographers that have focus issues with the D7000 as inexperienced or using kit lenses. I have expensive nikon glass (nikon 200-400mm vr for one ) and use a nikon 300, nikon 300s and a nikon 700. The focus on those three cameras is much sharper than my D7000, which by the way is sitting on my shelf as a white elephant now. Perhaps all D7000 cameras are not created equal and I do not take snapshots !
hi John,
Just gone through your eagle images in “Flickr”. Very very impressive.
I am at a loss as on date regarding which camera to go for…. i already own a D60 and is looking to upgrade. Can you advice from your personal experience since you have been using 300/300s/700.
Shall be looking forward to your reply.
Thanks in advance.
Mayukh
Hi Nasim’
I found nikkor 1.4 50mm lens. what is your opinion for this lens. Is it suitable for me. (I’m using D7000)
hi Deepal,
Nikon 50mm / 1.4 is a great lens. As far as i know they are not only ideal for FX format but also captures equally well in DX format such as D7000.
Mayukh
hi John,
Just gone through your eagle images in “Flickr”. Very very impressive.
I am at a loss as on date regarding which camera to go for…. i already own a D60 and is looking to upgrade. Can you advice from your personal experience since you have been using 300/300s/700.
Shall be looking forward to your reply.
Thanks in advance.
Mayukh
Hi Deepal ,
Nikon 50mm / 1.4 is a great lens . It performs well with D7000 . If you would be happy with its field of view it creates in DX Camera , then you can go for it . I suggest you to Seriously think about 35mm as you have cropped sensor camera.
Rds
Sudhakar
Hi I really like your website it has great comprehensive articles. I’ve read everywhere that people changes the settings in the picture control (because they are(default settings) supposedly way softer than on other models) what would you recommend for a beginner with is first dslr. I dont know much about Post production but i’d like to achieve the best result possible within the camera. Ive read many different things..to bump the standard picture control sharpening to 6 and the contrast to 1 or to only bump the sharpening to 7 or 8. I’ve also read that it is better to bump the vivid picture control to 7 or 8 without touching the contrast. I looked on your website but could’nt find your take on that but Id really love to know what you think. I did different test and I definitly think it makes the pictures sharpers ..altought im kinda skeptical about the Vivid option because the colors are more ”vivid ” than reality (what your eyes can see). Id really like to have your take on that because it is my first dslr so I have nothing to base myself on thank you very much
oh forgot to say im more into nature and landscapes
thank you and thank for the time and effort put into your articles .
Thanks Nazim for the fantastic review. We will all find your site useful, educative and informative.
Dear Nasim,
First off, thank you for sharing your photography tips and reviews. For a beginner this means a lot.
The sharpness on most of the landscape test images above blows me away. Quality is not the most important aspect of photography, but it is definitely discouraging when I spend days trying different tactics, settings and gadgets (tripod, cable release, hyper-focal distance calculators, etc) to improve the sharpness without that sort of quality.
My question is, how close to the images above can D80 and Tokina 12-24 come? If I decide to upgrade to D7000, what is a good wide angle lens that will bring out the best in D7000?
~M
Hi Nasim,
First of all thank you for a wonderful review, it was indeed helpful. But I needed an urgent suggestion from you. I was using a Nikon D5000 but want to upgrade now. I photograph mostly as an amateur or advanced enthusiast. In future I want to take photography seriously perhaps as an alternate profession. My subjects range from portraits to landscapes.
Now I want to invest in a body and lens arsenal that I would be able to retain throughout. What I have zeroed in on Canon D7 or a Nikon D7000. I have heard a lot that the lenses of Canon are cheaper than Nikkor. But the quality and photograph quality of Nikon is far superior to Canon. Now I am starting from scratch to build my arsenal so I can start with either, which one do you suggest.
In short I am completely perplexed and your help would be hugely appreciated.
Thanking you in advance.
Regards,
Sourabh.
i used a nikon d3000 when i first started with photography, then later i sold that camera after an year and bought the nikon D5100 when it was just released on 31st may 2011… i was perfectly happy with it untill a friend gave me a nikon 24-120mm ( old no VR version) and a 50mm f1.8D….! since those became manual focus lenses in the D5100 i sold the D5100 in January…!
However due to the thailand floding i wasnt able to get it. Im from maldives and the only people who sells nikon sells them at very high rates…so i ordered it from India…! Mine Arrived last week and im perfectly happy with it…!
Since i came from an entry level series it is a huge step forward for me i love these
—- the bigger viewfinder, the fast speed, etc…a button for every function….!
i bought it based on recommendations from this website and i am happy to say that as far as i can see it doesn’t have any AF issues with any of my lenses…! which are the 50mm f1.4G, 18-105mm VR 24-120mm non VR & 18-55mm VR….focus is great and images are tack sharp..!
may be mine has been a bit modified cause according to the label in the camera box…it was manufactured in March 2012..may be nikon attended the issues in AF…!
Thanx again!
Hi everyone, I really need help on figuring out the D7000 sharpness issue. We just bought a Nikon D7000 with Nikon 105mm f/2.8D AF Micro-Nikkor Lens few days ago. We’ve been testing it and found the image to be pretty blurry, not sharp at all. The image is very soft, much worse than our Canon 60D, even Nikon D80. You can see our comparison here
Canon 60D => http://www.joolwe.com/60D.JPG
Nikon D7000 => http://www.joolwe.com/D7000.JPG
we used remote to avoid any shaking.
We researched the image problem, and thought it could be one of those front or back focus problem, even though the camera was focusing fine. We tried the AF fine tuning suggested on other blogs and it didn’t help with sharpness of the image.
Strangely, the D7000 perform much worse than our Canon 60D, which suppose to be an inferior camera compare to D7000. The 60D also has higher pixel resolution at 18MP, so it’s definitely not because higher resolution photo will reveal more detail and causing image to look more blurry, as some have claim. The canon 60D uses Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM Lens.
Finally, we brought the camera to an official Nikon service center locally for testing but everything turn out to be fine, the service center guy whom we talked to say there are no focusing or sharpness problem at all, we even tried to shoot the image on one of the D7000 at the service center, completely same result. The lens tested fine too.
I understand this could be a user problem, but I doubt it as our photographer has over 4+ year of photography experience and previously used D300 and D700 with his previous company. If it is user problem, what could we be doing wrong? I really do think it’s the problem with the camera. Please help us find out why. Thank you.
I am not an expert by any means but I was one of those that had a back focus issue. This may not be the case with your camera but I had mine sent in twice and it was not resolved either time. My issues are posted up a little in this thread. Live view was sharper than using the viewfinder and I could manually focus fine as long as I didn’t use the viewfinder focus indicator and did it by eye. I finally received a new camera and have not had these issues since.
I hope you get your focus issues resolved!
this is not back focus problem I look your photo exif you took your photos manuel focus … another problem maybe…
but certainly your d7000 focus is wrong in this photo… maybe you calibrate your viewfinder diopter adjustment,
sharp+4 contrast +1 recommended
One thing that I have discovered is that the D7000 is very precise when it comes to the proper shutter speed for the shot.
hello there nikon D7000′ers!
i have nikon D7000, i tried SPORTS mode. i was expecting my object will be still shots without blurry motion. apparently thats not the case?
i turned the dial to SCENE mode then SPORT.
please help! tell me what to do!
im a newbie
One other tid-bit for those planning to shoot video with a D7000… Don’t count on monitoring your audio while shooting. It’s evidently impossible to do so without buying an outboard audio recorder or building a custom connector. Why the engineers at Nikon saw fit to have an external mic input but no way to monitor it is beyond me. One would think the A/v port could double as a headphone jack but it doesn’t. This is a sad oversight by Nikon to force users to jump through an expensive an uneeded hoop to just monitor the audio. The camera can shoot very high quality video but Nikon has certainly missed the boat on making video a useful feature to those who might like to use it seriously.
I recently upgraded to D7000 from a D70s I’ve used for six years, and which was refurbished by Nikon 2 years ago when the card ready went bad ($250 job; works great).
I’m still getting used to the camera. My autofocus problem is that it frequently takes a long time to focus. It’s a problem when I’m taking pictures at parties, particularly in low light. My D70s works better. It’s a pain when I’ve got a group lined up for a photo and I can’t focus automatically because the camera can’t latch onto an edge to focus on.
Any similar experiences?
Ok. I ordered my d7000 body on April 10th from B & H. I’m hearing scary rumors about how long it could take before I get it. Anyone know the general wait time?
I used D7000 for two months, I have no problem at all with this camera, picture quality is really awesome, and I was using 18-105mm kit lens, after I had read nasim’s review, recently I upgraded my lens to 24-120 f4, thx nasim, I’m really really impressed with the results
Fisheye lens for a Nikon D7000? YES OR NO?