****The Official Nikon D7000 Owners Thread****

Richdog

Richdog

Richdog

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I thought having just bought my D7000, and seen there are also a fair few new owners due to the recent price drops, I thought it may be nice to have a dedicated discussion thread for it where people (veterans and newbies) can share their tips, tricks, and settings they used to get the most out of the camera so that we can all benefit from some experience and knowledge-sharing!

Couple of starters from me:

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SETUP:

First thing that I did with mine (rightly or wrongly) was use Ken Rockwells custom settings as a guide... I didn't do it blindly but used his template to make my camera how I wanted it. I have to say 99% of his reccommendations seem spot-on, there was only a couple of things I iddn't change but maybe it will come in useful for you http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/d7000/users-guide/menus-custom.htm

Not all of it gospel, so know what you are changing beofre you change it, but he has a comprehensive and helpful guide to the camera which I found pretty useful http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/d7000/users-guide/

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LENSES:

At the moment all I have are:

  • 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR
  • 35mm f/1.8 DX
The 18-105mm seems really nice and quite sharp, and focusses at a good speed... but I do often find myself wishing for more reach. Considering a Nikkor 18-200 or a Sigma 18-250mm to replace it.

The 35mm has a cracking reputaiton, and I got a great deal on it, but other than a few portraits (which came out very sharp) I haven't done much with it yet due to crummy weather.

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ACCESSORIES:

Straight away I purchased:






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BOOKS:

Some well recommended books are:




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HDR:
One limitation I noticed when I started to do some more research was the HDR limitations. The D7000 can do three bracketed exposures, which is enough for the average shot, but other camera offer 6 and 9 bracket options.

There are two ways to get around this, one manual (which I have tried successfully), one automatic (haven't tried it yet).

1) Manual HDR Settings using U1 and U2 http://www.digitalphotohaven.com/showthread.php?2617-How-to-Shoot-HDR-with-D7000

As D7000 owners know, bracketing is limited to three frames. Three frames spaced 2EV apart is probably adequate for most scenes, but sometimes you need more. I would like to share my method of shooting 5- and 9-frame brackets. This method makes use of User modes U1 and U2.

 After the initial setup (explained below), WHICH YOU ONLY DO ONCE, shooting an HDR is simple.

You only need to make three quick adjustments to your camera before shooting:
(1) set the Mode to A
(2) set the Release mode to CH
(3) set Bracketing to 3F in 1.0 EV increments.



To set up U1 and U2 for a 9-frame bracket spaced 1 EV apart (YOU ONLY DO THIS ONCE):


* Set mode dial to A (Aperture priority)

* Set Shutter release mode = CH (continuous high speed)

* Custom setting e6 -> Bracketing order = Under, Meter, Over

* ISO = Auto

* Bracketing = 3F in 1.0 EV increments

* turn the Exposure comp dial to -3 EV

* Setup Menu -> Save user settings -> U1

* turn the Exposure comp dial to +3EV

* Setup Menu -> Save user settings -> U2


You are done setting up U1 and U2. Be sure to set Exposure comp dial back to 0 EV, set bracketing to 0F, and set the Shutter release mode to whatever you normally keep it at.

Now say you stumble on a scene that calls for HDR. 

(1) Set the Mode to A

(2) set Bracketing to 3F in 1.0 EV increments

(3) set the release mode to CH.



Now press the shutter release button three times:


(1) once with Mode dial set to U1

(2) once with Mode dial set to A

(3) once with Mode dial set to U2


This creates nine exposures in the following order (relative to normal exposure):

-4EV -3EV -2EV -1EV 0EV +1EV +2EV +3EV +4EV

After shooting, review the histograms and possibly select a subset of the nine shots, deleting others.

 The procedure is similar for setting up a 5-frame bracket, and is easy to figure out once you understand the 9-frame setup.
Click to expand...
Automatic HDR Settings using Android phone and OTG cable http://www.muktware.com/4146/how-take-more-3-hdr-shots-nikon-d7000#.UOlrcHd9T_k

Bracketing is back in fashion with the emergence of HDR photography. HDR is becoming popular as not only it enhances the quality of images, but also because most mid-range DSLR cameras comes with features that allow photographers to use the bracketing to shoot HDR images.

As I said, today, most mid-range DSLR cameras from Canon and Nikon come with auto exposure bracketing (AEB) capabilities. However in order to reserve some features for the high range cameras the bracketing on mid-range cameras is restricted to 3 shots at max. While 3 shots totally fine for a decent HDR, you may need 5, 7 or 9 shots for getting different effects. I will heavily recommend reading this article if you are planning to work on HDR.

So, the question arises, how to get more than 3 shots for my Nikon D7000 camera. There are many ways to achieve this. You can manually change the settings and take 5 or more such shots but you will need to 'touch' the camera to manually move the dial to the desired settings which will change the frame.

Another solution is to buy remotes such as Promote Control which extends the features of your camera. But these remotes are expensive and may cost you around $300+.

There is a very simple and cheaper solution if you already have an Android device (tablet or smartphone). There is a very powerful Android app - Helicon Remote - which brings all the missing features to your DSLR camera.

Bracketing is back in fashion with the emergence of HDR photography. HDR is becoming popular as not only it enhances the quality of images, but also because most mid-range DSLR cameras comes with features that allow photographers to use the bracketing to shoot HDR images.

As I said, today, most mid-range DSLR cameras from Canon and Nikon come with auto exposure bracketing (AEB) capabilities. However in order to reserve some features for the high range cameras the bracketing on mid-range cameras is restricted to 3 shots at max. While 3 shots totally fine for a decent HDR, you may need 5, 7 or 9 shots for getting different effects. I will heavily recommend reading this article if you are planning to work on HDR.

So, the question arises, how to get more than 3 shots for my Nikon D7000 camera. There are many ways to achieve this. You can manually change the settings and take 5 or more such shots but you will need to 'touch' the camera to manually move the dial to the desired settings which will change the frame.

Another solution is to buy remotes such as Promote Control which extends the features of your camera. But these remotes are expensive and may cost you around $300+.

There is a very simple and cheaper solution if you already have an Android device (tablet or smartphone). There is a very powerful Android app - Helicon Remote - which brings all the missing features to your DSLR camera...
Click to expand...
READ LINK FOR FULL DETAILS WITH PHOTO GUIDE. I HAVE NOT PERSONALLY TRIED THIS METHOD
Click to expand...


As I said before, I've tried the first version and it works fine and is easy to setup. Obviously, due to it requiring mode dial clicks inbetween shots, it is best done on a tripod to keep things steady.

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Other than that, I'm doing my best to use the DSLR on full manual at all times to get a feel for the settings.

Any tips or info from the veterans on what modes make for the best daily walkabout settings (or anything really) appreciated! :)
 
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As a beginner, I picked up one of these just after Xmas. Figuring I wanted to get the best I can afford.

I've been given the 18-55mm kit lens and purchased the 35mm 1.8 prime. Obviously I'm completely new to photography but really seem to be struggling getting sharp images.

They look fine on the screen but as soon as I put them on my pc, they don't look so good.

I've heard that the ISO noise reduction feature loses sharpness so I've turned this off.

Aside from that I've used ken Rockwell settings.

Any other advice. I'm aware of the exposure triangle and how it works but are there any other tips you can give?
 
Nodiggidy123 said:
As a beginner, I picked up one of these just after Xmas. Figuring I wanted to get the best I can afford.

I've been given the 18-55mm kit lens and purchased the 35mm 1.8 prime. Obviously I'm completely new to photography but really seem to be struggling getting sharp images.

They look fine on the screen but as soon as I put them on my pc, they don't look so good.

I've heard that the ISO noise reduction feature loses sharpness so I've turned this off.

Aside from that I've used ken Rockwell settings.

Any other advice. I'm aware of the exposure triangle and how it works but are there any other tips you can give?
Click to expand...

If you are struggling to get sharp pictures (they are blurry) then it sounds like issues with shutter speed perhaps? How are you using the camera, manual or Auto? More info would be helpful!
 
Usually manual.

Obviously I'm still working on perfecting my stance.

I tend to keep shutter speed over 1/60min but usually around 1/100 as I get blur otherwise. I much prefer being on full manual and adjust the other settings to compensate for my faster shutter speed.

Perhaps my expectation of sharpness is wrong. As zooming into the image I don't see blur until the image becomes pixelated
 
Nodiggidy123 said:
Usually manual.

Obviously I'm still working on perfecting my stance.

I tend to keep shutter speed over 1/60min but usually around 1/100 as I get blur otherwise. I much prefer being on full manual and adjust the other settings to compensate for my faster shutter speed.

Perhaps my expectation of sharpness is wrong. As zooming into the image I don't see blur until the image becomes pixelated
Click to expand...

Why not post a photo for us to see what you mean? Please just post a link to it though, otherwise it will be too big for the thread.
 
Nodiggidy123 said:
Usually manual.

Obviously I'm still working on perfecting my stance.

I tend to keep shutter speed over 1/60min but usually around 1/100 as I get blur otherwise. I much prefer being on full manual and adjust the other settings to compensate for my faster shutter speed.

Perhaps my expectation of sharpness is wrong. As zooming into the image I don't see blur until the image becomes pixelated
Click to expand...

Try taking some pictures using a tripod with timer or put it on something like a table then use live view instead of the view finder (uses a different focus system) then compare that pic to one taken with the ovf, if the live view is sharper you need to adjust the af fine tune for the lens.
I had 2 d7000s both were sharp using live view but soft using ovf so i had to adjust to -20 but even then it was hit and miss. In the end i gave up and got a sony and now pics are sharp.
Eg i would focus on say a jumper with the live view you can see the weave of the fabric but with the ovf the weave would be blurry with the same settings.
 
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danoliver1 said:
Try taking some pictures using a tripod with timer or put it on something like a table then use live view instead of the view finder (uses a different focus system) then compare that pic to one taken with the ovf, if the live view is sharper you need to adjust the af fine tune for the lens.
I had 2 d7000s both were sharp using live view but soft using ovf so i had to adjust to -20 but even then it was hit and miss. In the end i gave up and got a sony and now pics are sharp.
Click to expand...

Ahh, the back-focussing issue? People are reporting this is fixed with a reset: http://www.outletphotography.com/nikon-d7000-back-focus-fix/

I started doing some research and found a post that said that the Nikon technician told him to do a factory reset on his d7000 by pressing two buttons marked with a small green dot and he claims it fixxed the backfocus problem. I tried it and it did not work but i did not give up. i kept trying different combination and finaly was able to resolve the issue and here is what i did. I reset the menu system to all default settings. Then i turned off the camera and while off i pressed the two green buttons at the same time. Holding it down as i use another finger to turn the camera on. The camera will blink after two seconds and i shut it back off after whuile still holding down the button.... book its done!!!! Try it before sending your camera to nikon.
Click to expand...

May be worth a try?
 
danoliver1 said:
Really? Just read through it and no one has fixed the issue with a reset.
Click to expand...

Umm... my quote?

danoliver1 said:
Edit one guy. Only way to be sure is send it to nikon.
Click to expand...

Ahh, so finally you can read. :D So, you don't think it's worth trying the fix BEFORE you send it to Nikon, considering it is free, and will only cost you 5 minutes time? Ok then. :p
 
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