D7100

BrucePhotography

Preordered a D200 when it was 1st announced, lived through the initial "banding" issues & grew to treasure that camera for the next 6 years or so. In the interim I passed up opportunities to acquire the D90, D300, D300S & the D7000. But now, sadly, the venerable old lady is aging rapidly & its time to retire her. I've now preordered the D7100 & hope that I have the same success with it as I did with the D200.

One question: the accessories sheet for the D7100 does not list the SB800 flash as an accessory. I assume that's because its been archived. Could someone confirm that the SB800 indeed works on the D7100. Hate to buy another flash as it took me several years to learn all about this one. (slow learner)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/russk67/

I too have been bit by the left focus problem of the D800 as well as oil spots. After almost a year of happy shooting (the oil was cleaned by "Smear Away" from Visible Dust), I'm going to have them look at the D800 and the 24 PCE lens combo to see what they see. But what about these "If you buy one of these first production units you have to expect problems?" I too am anxious about getting my D7100 but I'd really rather wait until these problems have been rung out by paid testers. I am sick and tired to open my new camera box, only to find out in quick order that something is wrong. Look at Canon with the 5D III. They have just announced a service problem with their flash.

It seems to happen to both Nikon and Canon, but I think we need to keep reminding the vendors that it hurts them in end when users have to vent in blogs about the latest "Surprise Feature" in a band new camera. I know nothing is perfect but only management can come up with better testing policies and procedures.

Godless

Early adopters always get these problems. Wait 6 months and these are usually resolved. I guess it would be a good time for me to invest in a D800 now.

BrucePhotography

Because I have both, I prefer the D800E. Somehow even the tone of the resulting photos is better than the D800 and certainly sharper for my tripod type of shooting. I hope you like it as well as I do. I even thinking of selling my D800 and buying another D800E because I like it so much.

Msmoto

@ RussK

An SB800 works on a D4...most likely will work on a D7100.

MikeGunter

Hi all,

@BrucePhotography Flashes usually pose little problems of connectivity. The SB900s are prone to overheat in rapid use at high output or in use as commanders - which is a pity.

Frankly, I would let the market settle on the D7100s before buying one. The QC in Nikon has been something discussed rather widely in many fora/forums.

I see no reason to put up hard cash to test someone else's product.

The lack of an AA is a questionable path on the surface. I'm willing to be wrong, but the video output from the camera could be pretty over processed. Many people don't care about video, but that is a deal breaker for me as I earn as much from video production as still production (assuming that I want all cameras to be equally performing).

My best,

Mike

DaveyJ

I do agree with Mike Gunter as always. Why then did I order the D7100? Well D7000s here are out all the time and I decided rather than buying yet ANOTHER D7000 I would just pull the trigger on the D7100 for the first time ever on an introduction. We also do not sell our previous Nikons as many do, just assign older camera and lens to higher hazard duty. Go Pro 3 Black gets some of the toughest assignments and has performed GREAT. And yes given quality control issues I am somewhat nervous.

I pre-ordered with B&H and their handling of EVERY order we have ever done with them has given me the confidence to go out an this limb. Besides I was losing part of the rest of my life waiting for the D400. My experience with the D7000 has been to say the very least extremely fine.

The lack of the AA filter was a bold move and time alone will tell if my "adventure" was worth it. I would buy a D4 if I could afford it. A D400 when it does come out (and I am convinced it will) may also be something we will experiment with. For now we are playing guinea pig.

I must add that DSLR video quality has led us down this primrose path, not stills. the D7000 video when it is good can be worth it. Some glitches we get might be easier to control (or even eliminate) with the D7100. One of my greatest reservation is we RARELY use RAW. And moire effects in JPEG are unfixable. This seems to be a case of "let the buyer beware". i will keep you all posted as will be done MUCH better in official reviews. So again it was DSLR video that drove our pre-order before review of the real reviews.

Here, it is lock and load time,
best to you all,
DaveyJ

MikeGunter

Hi all,

@DaveyJ

Good luck! Nikon is saying that the lack of the AA filter has negligible impact on video. I hope so, and I am willing to be wrong. I think you do a fair amount of video, too. While I don't do much income work, most of my income (the paltry amount) comes from video - the occasional CNN, NBC, Outdoor Channel, PBS gig's- and I'd hate to lose them for lack of a good camera. The D7000 has been 'good enough' - it could be better.

The D600 looked (on specifications) to be great, but... And the D800 is just too much camera for me.

My best,

Mike

BabaGanoush

To fix focus issues properly Nikon needs the lens and the camera body. Expecting a fix without sending both items is expecting too much.

When I talked to the folks at the Nikon service center on the phone, I asked them whether they wanted me to send my D7K along with the lens and I was told not to bother. And as I wrote before, they did fix the problem of the faulty focus at infinity. The back/front focusing issue is entirely separate, perhaps a design fault since other people with the same lens had the same failing with their copies.

DaveyJ

Hi Mike,

My use of D7000 has been very positive. My guys are a little harsher on it and techniques to try to keep video in focus range greatly from photographer to photographer even on the exact same camera. But D7000 video is a long way from perfect. I just believe it is good enough. My instinct was to just go ahead with this camera and hopefully spring again for the D400 when and if that packs the required punch. I probably will wait a little longer on the D400 rather than pre-order as quickly as i did on this one. reason being that we are using Go Pro video for the hazard details and where we can get away with ultra wide. For underwater it is really great for the price. I came to the same conclusion as you did about the D600 and the D800. We do like the D800 a lot more than the D600 which I feel cuts a lot of corners and will be revamped quite soon logically??

DaveyJ

By the way we do not plan on using a D7100 underwater at all. the housing is too expensive and as ultra-wide is what we generally use UW the Go Pro is adequate there and much less money and quite tiny.

tcole1983

Friend said he only notices slight moire every once in a while on his D800E, but he doesn't even bother correcting it anymore because it isn't that big of a deal. I don't think there is any need to worry much.

Paulohn

I, personally, don't care about liveview mode.
Do people often use liveview mode?

tcole1983

I, personally, don't care about liveview mode.
Do people often use liveview mode?

I use it every once in a while. It has its place and times, but it isn't critical always. Just another tool. On my D5000 it is most useful with using the articulating screen and being able to still use it while holding it up in the air or down low. Or so as to not have to get 12 inches away from the macro object to shoot it.

Paulohn

I, personally, don't care about liveview mode.
Do people often use liveview mode?

I use it every once in a while. It has its place and times, but it isn't critical always. Just another tool. On my D5000 it is most useful with using the articulating screen and being able to still use it while holding it up in the air or down low. Or so as to not have to get 12 inches away from the macro object to shoot it.

With articulating screen I do agree the liveview is very useful. But only a few models have it.
For me, the af just get too slow in liveview mode (I own a D90), even slower than any P&S.

Maybe for making videos, but that is not my case either.

The review criticized so emphatically the fact that it is not possible to change the aperture in liveview mode that I thought I was missing something there...

tcole1983

I, personally, don't care about liveview mode.
Do people often use liveview mode?

I use it every once in a while. It has its place and times, but it isn't critical always. Just another tool. On my D5000 it is most useful with using the articulating screen and being able to still use it while holding it up in the air or down low. Or so as to not have to get 12 inches away from the macro object to shoot it.

With articulating screen I do agree the liveview is very useful. But only a few models have it.
For me, the af just get too slow in liveview mode (I own a D90), even slower than any P&S.

Maybe for making videos, but that is not my case either.

The review criticized so emphatically the fact that it is not possible to change the aperture in liveview mode that I thought I was missing something there...

Most likely for video reasons I would think. Seems like you should be able to change it in live view though for pictures...I can with mine. I didn't watch the review though and can't force myself to watch a guy sitting and talking for 13 minutes :!!

Paulohn

Usually I don't watch long reviews. But I am interested in this camera.
Just waiting for some real world reviews. And an opportunity to traveling and buy one.

Godless

Do people often use liveview mode?

When shooting starlit landscapes at night, yes. The liveview is a huge asset for that kind of thing, because accurate focusing would be impossible as you can´t see anything through the viewfinder and camera AF won´t work reliably enough. So liveview w. magnification is the only sensible way to go in those situations.

BrucePhotography

I use Live View and manual focus for most all of my landscape work because I can use the entire frame to choose just the right spot to use hyperfocal focusing. On the D800 or D800E which is normally on a tripod with a cable release. I'm using wide angle lenses like the 14-24 (such a great lens) or I really prefer the tilt-shift lenses like the 24mm (though I do like Canon TSE's better).

The other reason that I shoot with Live View is that I find that I can take my time with my composition and look at it at a distance to better visualize how it will turn out. I also use Live View, because live view raises the mirror so there is no mirror slap so the camera is stable on the tripod and head. I also use a tripod leveler so I can rotate the head in looking for other possible compositions.

DaveyJ

Well I will have to try this! Good POST!!!

Msmoto

Just a note...the use of a right angle viewfinder with its eyecup, helps considerably over just the viewfinder for night shots. Not as much as live view with the magnification but for reasons I cannot explain, the manual focusing of lenses seems easier this way. For the D7100 this is the DR-6, unfortunately costing about $265. The The DG-2 eyepiece magnifier gives a 2X magnification and no doubt would be helpful, and only $112.

JJ_SO

I will get an armband (?) to fix an iPod Touch to my lower arm and want to use it with a camranger to have more freedom to move and to bring the camera to interesting, but not so easily visible controllable shooting positions. The camranger worked well with an iPad, not so great with the iPod because of the smaller screen on which the controls have to stay usable. I thought sometimes about an angle finder, I found that useful with all my swivel display cams and with film medium format as well, I just don't want to play Nikon's game with several different types of them depending on which camera, as they do it with the battery grips. That doesn't prevent the sales of cheap grips.

BrainBeat

For any of you guys who are interested in what the Australian pricing looking likely it will be in the end is $1699 BO and $1999 kit. While this is less than the higher figure I was quoted and ranted about on page 3 it is still a good $100 more than I would have hoped to be at least inline with the UK. This I guess is the "tax" (that goes to the suppliers etc) for living in Australia.

I guess this does raise the question of is it worth considering buying from the USA assuming it is possible to save maybe $500 (likely less due to shipping) or Hong Kong which may be even cheaper. I am still thinking no but it does look tempting. I guess I could always risk it if I ever felt I needed 2 of them.

I hope Nikon can get some final products in the hands of reviewers ASAP so we can get a true idea of how it really will performs. To me the few test images I have seen I am a little disappointed that the low light does not look as clean as I hoped it might be but I am sure it still will be much better than my d5000 all the same. After trying out my camera for video on a job for the first time I am quite happy with how well it performed in the low light compared to the consumer video camera I was using the only disadvantage was I had to manual focus it all. So look forward to seeing how this new camera will go in video if I need to do video again.

spraynpray

Think of it as buying a warranty for $100 - not bad.

BrainBeat

Just out of interest would any of you guys be thinking of getting it with the kit lens? I do not have this lens and have not used it but I am not sure it is worth getting. I could see it might be a reasonable walking around camera but I would think that the 18-200 may be the better choice in this situation as you get the extra reach.

Paulohn

Just out of interest would any of you guys be thinking of getting it with the kit lens? I do not have this lens and have not used it but I am not sure it is worth getting. I could see it might be a reasonable walking around camera but I would think that the 18-200 may be the better choice in this situation as you get the extra reach.

I have the 18-105mm. It is a good walk around lens. But considering that Nikon is charging USD 400 for this lens and USD 700 for the 18-300mm (with the latest rebate), the choice is not so obvious.

In my readings, it seems the quality of the 18-105mm, 18-200mm, and 18-300mm is somewhat equivalent. The 18-105mm has plastic mount, while the others have metal mount, so a little disadvantage in terms of built.

I would say if you have the "flexibility" to pay extra USD 300, go for the 18-300mm.