Hi,
I just joined here.
I'm new to Digital SLR photography (had a film SLR and a couple lenses through the 80s-90s, and been using a Lumix FZ5 for a few years) and also bought a D7000 at end of December, so still a beginner.
I think you're asking about two things: camera settings, and lens quality.
As I'm new here, I'm happy for folk to let me know if there's any 'etiquette' that I get wrong in responding...
Settings
I spent quite a bit of time reading the manual and sussing out settings... then saved what I changed and why in an excel file.
I know there are bound to be things that I change again as I learn, but there are some things that I just didn't understand why the default settings are as they are - the most glaring one, for me, was why the +/- scale for exposure etc. goes +....0....- unless you reverse it... I thought that might be a cultural thing, though I haven't a clue where maths scales are that way round..?!
Also took me a while to work out what I might use the U1 and U2 settings for - until I missed a deer that broke through woods just after I'd changed lenses in anitcipation of that happening... but I hadn't changed the AF method and missed it.
So U1 is now ISO 800, continuous AF (AF-C), and either Auto Area or 39-point dynamic (can't check as I don't have the camera just now)
I've attached a file with some of the setting adjustments I've made in case it's useful - most of the settings are to make Aperture-priority mode easier for me - it's what I used with film SLR and have been using since I got the D7000.
Lenses
I'd read lots of reviews before I bought the camera.
I bought body only as I'd decided not to buy a kit lens. Seems there are pretty much always trade-offs with build and optical quality for weight. I bought the 16-85mm VR, which had lots of good reviews and feedback in forums. I've found
Photozone a really good resource for reviews, and Markus, Klaus and others there really helpful in the forum. I bought two fast prime lenses for low-light photography at gigs on the basis of reviews and suggestions in their forum, and will probably add the 35mm 1.8G DX. Is that what you've ordered? Be good to know how you find it.
Hope this is helpful
Ian