Bang! D7000 On The Way...

ggbutcher

It hit me today, I really don't need the 24MP D7100 to replace a D50. I'm after dynamic range, and the D7000 has that. I'd like to keep some resolution when I crop, and the D7000's 14MP will let me do that. Then, Amazon lowered their price for the D7000 to $484 - That's It!!! I sweet-talked my loving wife (it might help that she's semi-delirious with something flu-like) and she ordered it on her Amazon account.

With no current aspirations past doing some train photography, this investment just made sense.

WestEndFoto

Congratulations ggbutcher. The D7000 is a fine camera.

Golf007sd

Congratulations ggbutcher. The D7000 is a fine camera.

+1

Rx4Photo

Here's a bonus for you ... It's actually 16.2 MP!!! Congrats!

NSXTypeR

Welcome to the D7000 club!

I actually got introduced to DSLRs with my friend's D50, so I know how you feel. I also started with a D40 and migrated to the D7000, so you'll definitely be blown away by the camera, even if it's not the latest and greatest.

Be sure to show your pictures in the POTD thread and welcome to NRF!

ggbutcher

16.2... I noticed that after I posted... it's like lagniappe (sp?)!!

I want to thank folks on this forum for helping me to shape my head on this. It came down to these considerations:

1. I'm not that serious about this (yet).

2. The D7000 does exactly what I'm after: a great sensor.

3. I'm gonna be 'welding' my 18-200 zoom to it. Don't need a lot of camera to accommodate that lens.

And, 4. $484 drilled through the 'impulse buy' glass floor.

I'll shoot with this for a couple of years, then decide if I'm serious enough to invest in full frame gear. I've got the lens kit from my old F2 Photomic (28, 50, 105mm) to convert and play with.

donaldejose

You will be very happy with the D7000 and that price is fantastic.

tcole1983

I am sure you will enjoy. I still like pictures that come out of my D5000 with its 12.3 MP sensor. Congrats.

Pistnbroke

If you are a jpeg shooter remember to push the sharpness up or you will not be happy.

donaldejose

Agree with Pistnbroke. The images from my D7000 increased dramatically when I increased the default shapness when shooting JPEGS. Go into Picture Controls, then Sharpness and then increase the sharpness.

WestEndFoto

If you are a jpeg shooter remember to push the sharpness up or you will not be happy.

You have an odd perspective Pistnbroke that is easy to dismiss. Then you come up with gems like this that speak to your obvious extensive experience. I always enjoy reading your take on stuff.

I have one question that I have been dying to ask. How did you come up with your handle? It makes me think of a Scotsmen that can't afford FX because he spends to much on scotch.

Photobug

If you are a jpeg shooter remember to push the sharpness up or you will not be happy.

@Donaldejose said: Agree with Pistnbroke. The images from my D7000 increased dramatically when I increased the default shapness when shooting JPEGS. Go into Picture Controls, then Sharpness and then increase the sharpness.

This is the second time in a couple of days that I have seen Pistnbroke make that comment about increasing the sharpness for D7000/D7100. Okay you two, how much should the sharpness be increased? 2 or 3 points or more?? I have a bunch of JPEG shooting to do and need some guidance.

Greenwise

If you are a jpeg shooter remember to push the sharpness up or you will not be happy.

i agree too... when i had my d7000 it was up 3 points from default continually....

donaldejose

Photobug: sharpen to taste. I have mine set at +7. It really makes a tremendous difference and I would not stop at a +2 or +3. Use a sharp prime lens at about f5.6 and take the same shot at different sharpening settings and see what you like best. You can skip some of the early steps. Try +2, +4, +6, +7, +8 and +9. Compare the images and select the one you like the best.

Photobug

Photobug: sharpen to taste. I have mine set at +7. It really makes a tremendous difference and I would not stop at a +2 or +3. Use a sharp prime lens at about f5.6 and take the same shot at different sharpening settings and see what you like best. You can skip some of the early steps. Try +2, +4, +6, +7, +8 and +9. Compare the images and select the one you like the best.

Thanks donaldejose. I give that a try.

ggbutcher

Just arrived, battery in the charger. I've already broken the LCD monitor cover trying to get it off per the manual... :O

Golf007sd

The LCD cover is crap...I took it off the day I got it. If you want something to protect it with get this:

GGS II LCD Optical Screen Protector for Nikon D7000 New

MikeGunter

Hi all,

I prefer the http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/571417-REG/Giottos_SP8302L_SP8302_AEGIS_Professional_Glass.html
As for sharpness, I do my work in Photoshop CS and do little with Picture Control, except to flatten colors for video. Over sharpening can contribute to artifacts. Just saying.

My best.

Mike

Photobug

I prefer these two Vello glass LCD protectors. I use the less expensive one on the D7100 and the higher priced one on the D750.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?Ntt=Vello+glass+for+D750&N=0&InitialSearch=yes&sts=ma&Top+Nav-Search=
Both are terrific and easy to apply and easy to clean. Much much better than the one used on the D90, D300, etc.

Golf007sd

@MikeGunter & Photobug: Both of those are quite worthy of ownership.

@ggbutcher don't worry about the one that came with the body. Get one of those we have recommended above and you will be far happier.

SquamishPhoto

+1 Mike

Using an overall sharpening tool is definitely novice territory. It works for a lot of images where most of the scene is pretty much clear and in focus, but as soon as parts of the scene goes out of focus its perhaps the worst option you can choose. I can certainly appreciate the need to minimize post production edits, but, as Mike said, very undesirable artifacts begin to appear when you apply a complete image parameter for sharpening. The solution for most of the images that fall into this category is selective sharpening with a small brush tool in PS, at least for me. So, Im not saying that you shouldn't utilize the clear time saving step for certain images that you're already shooting in JPEG, but its important to examine the content of the image carefully enough to recognize when you're actually doing damage to your image rather than accentuating it.

WestEndFoto

I havn't shot JPEGS in years. If you have Lightroom, it is a mystery why one would. Shoot in raw, import into Lightroom, adjust one photo as desired and copy to the rest.

Change you mind or fine tune if you choose.

If you shoot in JPEG you don't have that choice and it isn't much work.

The_Other_Steve

Yes, Congrats. D7000 has been a very good camera. You got metering and AF with Ai and -D lenses, VR and CLS for less than $500. Great.

Do the AF fine tune. Mine was the worst body I've ever shot in terms of back focusing. There's software and all that, but I've used this moire method with good results. It's a little fussy, but have had success:

http://www.northlight-images.co.uk/article_pages/cameras/1ds3_af_micoadjustment.html

ggbutcher

WRT sharpening, I'm going to shoot NEF+ really small JPEG. This will work with my previous JPEG-only repository, which has a web interface. Family will see my pix, and if my wife wants a nice copy of something, I'll make it from the NEF. The snack JPEGs will be max-sharpened in-camera. (sharpen the p*** out of them?)

WRT AF, thanks @The_Other_Steve, for the moire test link. I don't see a focus problem in the few shots I've taken to date, but I'll check it anyway. Old eyes...

ggbutcher

snack=small. Swype.... $#&!

donaldejose

good plan