Nikon D5100 or Sony A57
- Thread starter fozzybear
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No, it's a no brainer brand new at £300 really.
Well, I've just clicked the buy button on the Nikon D7000 along with 2 x 16GB Extreme Pro cards. Also bought a cheap Transcend RDF8 USB3 card reader. Will be with me sometime on Tuesday. I've been meaning to buy something for the last 6 months so it can't come quick enough!
Amp34, we'll have a to start a thread comparing the merits of the Nikon 70-300 and the Tamron 70-300. Could be useful to others.
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TBH even at that price I'd go used. Just because lens prices only really drop with 3 things, new price to used price, damage and a replacement lens coming out (generally once in a blue moon). Used means I feel more like in renting the lens for the price of postage! 
And I swap lenses quite often...
Definitely. I'll also compare it to my experience of the 70-200 f/4 and 75-300 IS canon lenses. Should be interesting.
And I swap lenses quite often...Definitely. I'll also compare it to my experience of the 70-200 f/4 and 75-300 IS canon lenses. Should be interesting.
TBH even at that price I'd go used. Just because lens prices only really drop with 3 things, new price to used price, damage and a replacement lens coming out (generally once in a blue moon). Used means I feel more like in renting the lens for the price of postage!
Definitely. I'll also compare it to my experience of the 70-200 f/4 and 75-300 IS canon lenses. Should be interesting.
I'd much rather pay £300 for a brand new lens than £260 for the same lens 2nd hand. It's just not worth the risk if something happens with the lens in the future. Too much messing about.
amdhappy said:
Already ordered the Nikon D7000.
My D7000 has just arrived and the first bit of good news is that the battery is not one of those that has been recalled. Apparently it's just batteries with 'E' or 'F' as the 9th digit. Mine is 'J'.
All I need now is to have no front or back focusing issues with either camera or lens.
First shock was the size of the users manual. It's more like a book than a manual (326 pages).
It's a bit daunting at the moment as I've never had a DSLR with so many features. I'm sure I'll get used to it.
All I need now is to have no front or back focusing issues with either camera or lens.
First shock was the size of the users manual. It's more like a book than a manual (326 pages).
It's a bit daunting at the moment as I've never had a DSLR with so many features. I'm sure I'll get used to it.
Soldato
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enjoy
I will.
It looks like I've been lucky and got a body and lens that are spot on. Focus seems sharp and accurate.
This video saved me a lot of hassle. It's a really good watch if you're stuck on what settings to use for your D7000.
Hopefully I can test the camera and lens a bit more tomorrow. The forecast doesn't look too bad so I may get out and snap a few birds!
Soldato
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^^^
A couple of tips:
I use auto ISO with AV mode most of the time. I move the auto ISO settings to the top of 'my menu'. I set the function or preview button to take me to the top of 'my menu', which is the auto ISO setting's. It's here you can set the minimum shutter speed and max ISO, at the touch of a button.
A couple of tips:
I use auto ISO with AV mode most of the time. I move the auto ISO settings to the top of 'my menu'. I set the function or preview button to take me to the top of 'my menu', which is the auto ISO setting's. It's here you can set the minimum shutter speed and max ISO, at the touch of a button.
A day to forget. 400 photos and not one keeper. 
I can't quite understand what I've done wrong. I was shooting in manual but had auto ISO on. Most of the photos ended up under-exposed and lacking any sort of detail.
The area where I was shooting was lacking natural light so I'm guessing (hoping) that's the reason. Saying that, I've shot in the same place with my old Sony A580 and 70-300 SSM (similar kit to D7000 and Tamron 70-300) and got better results than I have today.
Frustrating.
I think I'll turn auto-ISO off and start afresh.
I can't quite understand what I've done wrong. I was shooting in manual but had auto ISO on. Most of the photos ended up under-exposed and lacking any sort of detail.
The area where I was shooting was lacking natural light so I'm guessing (hoping) that's the reason. Saying that, I've shot in the same place with my old Sony A580 and 70-300 SSM (similar kit to D7000 and Tamron 70-300) and got better results than I have today.
Frustrating.
I think I'll turn auto-ISO off and start afresh.
Soldato
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^^^
I think you need to look into your settings tbh, all sounds very strange.
What was the maximum ISO set to, metering etc.
Why not use Av mode, was there a specific reason to use 'Manual' settings?
I think you need to look into your settings tbh, all sounds very strange.
What was the maximum ISO set to, metering etc.
Why not use Av mode, was there a specific reason to use 'Manual' settings?
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Maximum ISO was set to 3200. I've deleted all my files now so couldn't tell you what type of shutter speed and aperture I was using.
Just wondering what setting you use under 'AF-C priority selection'? 'Release' or 'focus'?
Soldato
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A always use focus priority. Maybe if I shot at narrower apertures, release would make more sense.
Personally I wouldn't listen to anything froknowsphoto say's...
Personally I wouldn't listen to anything froknowsphoto say's...
It's getting frustrating opening my RAW files in Photoshop Elements and Adobe Camera Raw only to find they look massively underexposed.
Even RAW taken in AUTO mode look underexposed. I was led to believe that the D7000 actually had issues overexposing images, not the other way round!
Even RAW taken in AUTO mode look underexposed. I was led to believe that the D7000 actually had issues overexposing images, not the other way round!
Soldato
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Seriously, have you got some negative exposure dialled in without realising?
Are you using Spot metering or Matrix?
Are scenes consistently underexposed?
Is the body used or new? You may want to go into the Exposure Fine tune option and see if someone has dialled in some negative exposure.
Lastly, maybe you have a duff unit.
If you don't want any help just let me know and I'll save my energy.
Are you using Spot metering or Matrix?
Are scenes consistently underexposed?
Is the body used or new? You may want to go into the Exposure Fine tune option and see if someone has dialled in some negative exposure.
Lastly, maybe you have a duff unit.
If you don't want any help just let me know and I'll save my energy.
No.
Matrix.
New.
Possibly.
I just took a photo of something in AUTO mode and using flash. It looked fine in camera but when I opened it in PE/ACR, it was underexposed.
However, I am just reading threads on the Tamron 70-300 VC USD having underexposure issues. I've no other lens to try it with at the moment.
Soldato
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You didn't say if the exposures were consistently (under) exposed, i.e. if you take a pictures of the same scene, do the exposures look similar?
Use spot metering. Matrix is only useful for when your metering off something white or black where spot metering would not be suitable. If there is something bright in the scene, matrix metering will underexpose the scene so that the highlights are not clipped.
Lastly, if changing the metering to spot metering fixes things. You can go into the exposure fine tune settings and apply some positive exposure compensation for just the matrix metering if you think it is under exposing too much from what you want.
Use spot metering. Matrix is only useful for when your metering off something white or black where spot metering would not be suitable. If there is something bright in the scene, matrix metering will underexpose the scene so that the highlights are not clipped.
Lastly, if changing the metering to spot metering fixes things. You can go into the exposure fine tune settings and apply some positive exposure compensation for just the matrix metering if you think it is under exposing too much from what you want.
Yes, every photo I have taken so far has been underexposed.
I'm fearing (and hoping) it's the lens itself. There's plenty of people with similar issues online.
I'll just take it back to the shop I bought it from on Monday and ask them to try it out. I can't afford to send the lens back to Tamron (need lens for Wednesday) for repair so I'll probably get a refund and get something else.
I don't want to mess with in camera exposure settings at this stage. I shouldn't have to really. The lens has a 5 year warranty so I'll either get a refund or send it back to Tamron.
For example, this was taken in AUTO mode with a flash.
This is what it looks like when open in PE/ACR.
The next thing I have to do is try and test my body with a different lens. Pretty sure this will end up being lens related and not body related.
This is what it looks like when open in PE/ACR.
The next thing I have to do is try and test my body with a different lens. Pretty sure this will end up being lens related and not body related.