New D7000 Owner - Upgrade from D3100

Proud new owner of a D7000 and a 24-120mm VR lens. This will suit my needs for a while and once funds build up again I will be in the market for a Prime 400 or 500mm, instead of a variable zoom. Opinions, and is this possible under $500? -- Remember I'm a poor student...

Could someone point me in the right direction of some intuitive videos on the D7000, button layout, menu layout, meanings-deffinitions, controls, etc? Like I said, this look slike a massive learning curve. I just noticed that it doesn't shoot 6fps anytime, but only in primo lighting, is this right? The D3100 would take it's slow 3fps in any condition, the D7000 took a 5fps burst then stopped then a 2fps, stopped re-focused and took a few 1fps with focuses inbetween instead of taking shots while focusing... I had the ISO around 800 or 1000, 1/30 and f/3.5 to help it out and that's what I got. Also on M mode and CH (Is this continuous high?)

It would appear that I am due for another steep learning curve on this D7000, what is my max print suggestion size? 20x30"?

A good place to start http://www.nikonusa.com/en_US/o/sW8RomxQReezfbQt-6GkHk62paI/Video/Digitutor/index.html

and of course your manual.

I've printed 30 inches with D300 files

Not a Video, but...

Probably one of the best books to introduce you to all the features, buttons and menu items is the D8100 Digital Field Guide. And let me emphasize it IS what it says it is, a field guide; meaning the book is long on "what" and less long on "how". By that I mean it's great at telling you 'what' all the buttons and switches and menus do but not so in depth about 'how' to use them creatively. There is some of the latter, enough to get you started, but that's not the emphasis of this book. This book, in my opinion, is what the manual that came with your camera *should* have been.


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I have David Busch's Compact Field guide for the Nikon D7000. Far better reference than the Nikon manual.

Re:continuous shooting

If you are shooting in raw on continuous high (CH), the buffer will fill up in a second or 2 and slow down the rate as the buffer clears. You can get all jpg's you need in a burst though. Also shooting in af-c with focus priority selected will also randomly slow things down if re-focus is required. Release priority will give you full speed (until buffer fills if shooting raw), but possibly out of focus shots.
I find this document very helpful:
http://www.pixelfinesse.com/_docs/D7000_AF_Explained.pdf
Pay attention to the a3 menu setting. I keep mine off for the most part, but be aware of it.

books....
I didn't care for the Digital Field Guide mentioned above. It just seemed to basic. I did get a lot from the d3100 Digital Field Guide from the same author and kept it in my bag. Maybe because of my d3100 experience I didn't get much from the d7000 version. In retrospect, like Horoscope said, it is a field guide so my expectations were off. I did get a lot from Amazon.com: David Busch's Nikon D7000 Guide to Digital SLR Photography (9781435459427): David D. Busch: Books This is the full version of the book that Riverside mentioned above. It has a lot more of the 'why?' that I was looking for.

The d7000 has been out for a good while though, so you should be able to find all the explanations you need online for free.

In the early days, I wrote down my favorite settings and did menu resets often to force myself to get comfortable diving through the menus and putting things back the way I wanted.

nickt said:

books....
I didn't care for the Digital Field Guide mentioned above. It just seemed to basic. I did get a lot from the d3100 Digital Field Guide from the same author and kept it in my bag. Maybe because of my d3100 experience I didn't get much from the d7000 version. In retrospect, like Horoscope said, it is a field guide so my expectations were off. I did get a lot from Amazon.com: David Busch's Nikon D7000 Guide to Digital SLR Photography (9781435459427): David D. Busch: Books This is the full version of the book that Riverside mentioned above. It has a lot more of the 'why?' that I was looking for.

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I have Darrell Young's Mastering the Nikon D7000 and read it (didn't bother with the video section as I don't do video) but preferred the field guide for quick reference purposes.

The d7000 has been out for a good while though, so you should be able to find all the explanations you need online for free.

In the early days, I wrote down my favorite settings and did menu resets often to force myself to get comfortable diving through the menus and putting things back the way I wanted.

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nickt said:

... I did get a lot from the d3100 Digital Field Guide from the same author and kept it in my bag. Maybe because of my d3100 experience I didn't get much from the d7000 version. In retrospect, like Horoscope said, it is a field guide so my expectations were off.

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You make a good point. Once you've got the basics down of the Nikon menus and buttons the rest, really, is details and while my *D40* Digital Field Guide was a real eye-opener, by the time I'd gotten to my D7100, I was already familiar with all the "what" type of information such books offered me; hence my original caveat. The field guide is very much a "what" book and not a "how" book. I got a copy of the Digital Field Guide for my '7100 and quickly realized I'd outgrown it.

While we're on the subject of books, however, another really good one that clearly falls into the "How" category is Micheal Freeman's The Photographer's Eye. I consider very few photography books "Must Reads" but this is definitely one of them.

Thanks all! I will try a few of those mentioned. Watching part I and II from "Fro Knows" explained nearly every aspect of the camera. Two items I still don;t understand.

1) The L "lock?" lever, what is it locking and why?
2) The Af Ae button to lock other things, when and why?

I was lucky enough to have a slow day at work today and patrolled the "Homestead Meadows trail" took some nice photos, downloading Lightroom 5 and going to try and cook up an HDR to show you guys. Loving the camera so far, super fast and smart, getting full 6fps in the day too. I am just worried I won't be able to print my images at 20x30" when I start zoom/cropping the pics and see lack of sharpness. Maybe I can bring it back in LR, I am shooting JPeg L.

topgunwghs said:

Thanks all! I will try a few of those mentioned. Watching part I and II from "Fro Knows" explained nearly every aspect of the camera. Two items I still don;t understand.

1) The L "lock?" lever, what is it locking and why?
2) The Af Ae button to lock other things, when and why?

I was lucky enough to have a slow day at work today and patrolled the "Homestead Meadows trail" took some nice photos, downloading Lightroom 5 and going to try and cook up an HDR to show you guys. Loving the camera so far, super fast and smart, getting full 6fps in the day too. I am just worried I won't be able to print my images at 20x30" when I start zoom/cropping the pics and see lack of sharpness. Maybe I can bring it back in LR, I am shooting JPeg L.

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Learn to shoot RAW and do the Post to get it right. What software are you using for Post Processing?

The lock lever keeps you from accidentally moving your focus point around. Very easy to do when you pick up the camera.

For the af-l button read the book to see the choices that can be assigned. I know it lacks practical examples, but they are kind of straight forward. But there is one technique that is not so obvious. This explains better than I can.... Mastering the AF-ON Technique with Nikon DSLRs | The Luminescence of Nature Photography Blog

Watched a few HDR (With One Photo) process on the YouTubes and gave it a shot with a few today... WoW, some like it some don't. I am still on the fence, but it's a wonderful photo.

I am using Lightroom 5 and have a few Q's for that.

1) How do you save the (a)"cooked" or modified photo to a folder + (b)the "Cooked" version with watermark + (c)the unmolested version as well, with 1 off names and + (d) a smaller file for internet use?

2) How do you make a true HDR with 3 photos layered that have been shot with the D7000 BKT F3 setting?

Here's what I made...




I tried not to over, over cook them and the "Remove Chromatic Aberration" does not remove the white edges to any of my photos???

Using 1 photo is called "HDR Toning" as opposed to HDR which is using multiple photos. Your shots came out pretty good. Can't help you on your other questions. I use PhotoShop and HDR Efex Pro 2 plugin for my HDRs

topgunwghs said:

... the "Remove Chromatic Aberration" does not remove the white edges to any of my photos??

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CA is purple or green in color, not white. That sounds more like over sharpening.

Can you post a tight shot that clearly shows this white edge effect you are trying to remove? Something like the Healing Brush tool or Clone Stamp might get rid of it, but I need to see exactly what you're talking about first.

Stunning! Leaps and bounds better than anything I have shot before!

Just need to learn how to properly "export" files in one shot. I want to save a Fullsize Jpeg, a Fullsize Jpeg with WM, a small Jpeg with WM, a Fullsize Nef, a fullsize nef original. Anyone good at this?

*RAW - D7000 - Lightroom 5

Don Kuykendall said:

with WM ?

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Water Mark