D7100

Golf007sd

Thanks for the information JJ_SO.

As for addressing your tripod Arca Swiss adaptor. What ball head are you using? It is my understanding that RRS is in the process of coming out with their L-Plate for the D7100 in the next 4-6 weeks...be it with or without the battery grip. Might want to consider this option.

JJ_SO

Dear Golf - sorry, but forget about highprice L-plates and stuff. I'd like to have the grip or camera body made with an arca profile on it, it's possible and doable - I'm not exchanging all Manfrotto plates just for other plates which are only different but not better in my eyes. It could be beautifully integrated and cost maybe 20 or 50 $ more than now. So, sorry I will not considering L-plates from RRS - importcost to Europe is madness.

Golf007sd

@JJ_SO: I forgot you live overseas....that VAT Tax does hit the pocked book in a way that is very unpalatable.

PB_PM

Yeah, RRS is very expensive if you aren't in the US. I only just got a Kirk L-plate for my D700, used, because it was $50.

DaveyJ

I have a comment on using the D7100. All this emphasis on ISO 6400 results caused a problem in my field work today. I took a D7100 to the work site (remote, snow and ice everywhere, etc.) and the camera had been used by my grandson and left on ISO 6400. I should have continued using the D90 I had with me with the 12-24 DX Nikkor lens, but I shot everything with the D7100 left on ISO 6400. The results were going to be sent to Montreal tonight.

Only when I down loaded the camera did I realize the error. ISO 6400 photos have their place. Yet in adequate lighting although indoors with only window light, the ISO 6400 was not the right setting. I guess it proves, check your gear before each shoot. I always set the cameras back to ISO 640 when I put them in a gear bag. I do think when you are in a low light situation you should adjust, then rest before storing the gear. The DXO Mark scores out today on D5200 and the D7100 adds a little more fuel to the fire. Having shot both, I sure would take the D7100 over the D5200 but both are excellent cameras.

All this illustrates that the photographer behind the camera better pay attention. Sometimes in field work the real mission of getting work done right does run interference on recording an event properly. And for what it is worth, the images still did look fairly good. Just not as good as I feel my D90 with the WA lens would have done.

DaveyJ

Read you should reset to a average use ISO before storing gear.

donaldejose

Right, have "default" settings and always reset to them when finished. Failing to do so has caused me problems also.

JJ_SO

wrong setting can happen with other cameras, too I changed the rear dial behavior in A-mode to ISO setting. Most of the time I realize before shooting or within the first pics. I set the rear dial to ISO selection when in A-mode. And it might be good to try this Auto-ISO more often

The good things with D7x00 are the user settings. I usually use A-mode but in a special situation I know I have the right setting on U1. Indoors, dark artificial light, moving people. It's good, always to be able to come back to this starting point.

Golf007sd

The best way to hedge agains having incorrect camera setting is 1) don't have anyone but yourself using it :P 2) use M mode as often as possible 3) make sure you look at the exposure bar/indicator (the indicator in the middle when looking through the viewfinder...page 51 in the manual).

donaldejose

I should add that I am impressed if you shot snow and ice at ISO 6400 and obtained even minimally acceptable images.

donaldejose

Here is an example of an image cropped to 50% taken by a guy named wileec on another forum.



He used a 70-200 f4 lens. Quite sharp, I would say.

Golf007sd

@donaldejose: Nice shot and sharp indeed.

@DaveyJ: I'm sure you will be able to address all the overexposed images very nicely in post.

BrainBeat

I am surprised that there is not a story posted on the main page yet about the DXO mark score.
Reading the review I wonder how it is even possible that it could be lower than the D5200 seeing as many have suggested it does have the very same sensor as the D7100. I certainly was not expecting the D7100's score to be lower and I would have expected it to be at least a bit higher especially given the extra development time and cost. I wonder if there might be some small variation in production and they may have gotten a better example of the D5200 and a slightly lower D7100 and if they tested a 5 different one they might all give a slightly different result. I would have thought the lack of OLPF may have also improved light gathering even fractionally as it is 1 less thing in the way ( that said I am not fully sure of how it really works).
Ultimately it would seem it is not as top of the line as I was hoping at least in this review but I am still happy all the same with what I have.

PB_PM

I am surprised that there is not a story posted on the main page yet about the DXO mark score.

Ummm, the DXO mark of the D7100 is currently the second story on the main blog...

BrainBeat

I guess I missed it or it was not there what I wrote it? I think it was probably the first one as there have been all of those D800 stories and I probably assumed it was that :-? . Anyway it does not change the fact that it seems our more expensive camera is less good than the cheaper sibling at least according to the test results.

JJ_SO

There is no big IQ difference between them - the difference is on other features. Up to you, if you like to spend 50% more or become friend of managing nearly each setting only in the menu.

And DxO is sensor testing. NOT reliabilty, features, ergonomics, speed, battery life. and tons of other things. But I have to say, I never regret to get a D5100 after purchasing D7000. The swivel display is worth the lack of comfort and the small grip and other features I miss on it.

BrainBeat

There is no big IQ difference between them - the difference is on other features. Up to you, if you like to spend 50% more or become friend of managing nearly each setting only in the menu.

And DxO is sensor testing. NOT reliabilty, features, ergonomics, speed, battery life. and tons of other things. But I have to say, I never regret to get a D5100 after purchasing D7000. The swivel display is worth the lack of comfort and the small grip and other features I miss on it.

Seems you forget I also have a 7100 . I also have a 5000 too and I for the last 3+ years had a lot of experience changing setting in menus. I do wish they could have had the variangle screen in this body as it would have made the camera even more versatile but I will take all of the other more pro features over going back to the limitations of the D5200.

KnockKnock

I wouldn't go so far as to invalidate DXOmark, but even within their testing scheme I would read the D5200/D7100 as nearly identical within statistical margin of error and identical in terms of what the human eye would see upon comparing two photos side by side.

Do a comparison and look at their charts under Measurements tab - the dots overlap on ISO, Signal to Noise, Tonal Range and Color Sensitivity. The only measurements which don't overlap are Dynamic Range, Screen and Print where the at some points the D5200 is marginally better and others the D7100 is.

My takeaway from it all is that removing the AA filter doesn't impress DXOmark's tests. No giant step forward. Comparing test photos from Imaging Resource and DPR show them as virtually identical. So, 1 pt don't mean a thing in the real world. (EDIT: at least to my eyes) I will say though that at least as a newest-generation sensor, it appears quiet, shows good DR and color and well, still loses out to Full Frame by a stop.

donaldejose

Can the D7100 be used to create a poor man's "big gun" combo?

Say your friend has a 600mm f4 for $10,000.00 to shoot in a combo with his D4 for $6,000. He puts 16 mp on the subject for a total cost of $16,000.00. But you are a poor man so you have a 300mm f4 for $1,000.00 to shoot in combo with a $1,200 D7100 in the 1.3 DX crop mode for a total cost of $2,200.00. Both of you will be putting 16 mp on the image and can shoot at f4 but you spent about $14,000.00 less to do so. If you go shooting together, set up your tripods side by side and shoot the same birds in the same lighting at the same f-stops will the feathers in our images be noticeably less sharp? You both have 16 mp on the subject to show detail. If you are not enlarging your images more than a magazine page wouldn't they look about the same? When would you see a difference? At 24 x 36 inches or smaller?

It seems to me this might be a good use for the 24mp sensor in the D7100 and and a reason to put a 24mp sensor in the D400. I am suggesting the D400 perhaps should be focused on birders and photojournalists and sports shooters for local papers.

PB_PM

The image might not differ much in terms of sharpness at low ISO, but if you are in low light, where the D7100 will start smudging detail sooner, you'll quickly notice the difference.

The best hours for bird photography are in the dawn and dust period (they are most active then), so tell me which camera will be better in poorer light? The D7100 or the D4. Any more questions?

donaldejose

Good point!

KnockKnock

I spent some time comparing the test shots on DPR between the D7100 and D600 (&D5200). At ISO 100-400 I couldn't see much difference between them, but yeah, ISO800+ the noise difference was significant. I'd guess it's even more-so with the D4.

DXV_Photo

Here is a review that compares the D7100 to the D600. At the end is a short video shot on the 7100.

DXV_Photo

Here is another video I found that talks about the built-in HDR and compares a night shot from ISO 100-6400. It is a bit long so plan about 30 min.

KnockKnock

Thx - that first one was a great comparison.