Future D7100 user

mikeee

mikeee

Senior Member
I am coming from the D3200 world.
The refurb prices on the D7100 are amazing right now, so I ordered one. Looking forward to learning how to use it.
 
mikeee

mikeee

Senior Member
Don Kuykendall said:
I started with the D3100 and now on the D7100. You will enjoy the new camera. There is a learning curve so don't get disappointed if you don't see a big jump to begin with.
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Yeah, I bought it with the idea that it is a hobby and I will take time to read through the manual and try stuff.
I downloaded a copy to help decide whether I wanted to spend the money. $489 for a refurb tho.. wow!
 
D

Don Kuykendall_RIP

RIP :(
I have been in high tech work all my life. First in TV, then in Photography and photo finishing, then Computers and back to TV. One of the ways I always trained people to operate equipment was to


  1. Sit down and read the manual without having the equipment there
  2. Sit down with the equipment and read the manual and put hands and eyes on each part/operation as you read,
  3. Now go through and do each operation as you read the manual
  4. Now do each operation without the manual

One I always added to the people I trained was to now go through and show me how to operate the piece of equipment. Teaching someone else always helps you to actually know it better yourself.

I still do this today for new gear. With a camera or some of the software we use you are not going to know it all before you actually start so start with the basics and follow the steps and work on it till you get it to be second nature and then move on to the next level till you are a master. I have not gotten to that point yet. i still pick up the book on the D7100 and read through it and occasionally will see something that I did not know and find I really can use it,
 
mikeee

mikeee

Senior Member
I dunno about reading the whole thing through at first.
I will have to press some buttons... :D

I have to convince myself that I have a "good copy" in the first 30 days...
 
S

salukfan111

Senior Member
mikeee said:
I dunno about reading the whole thing through at first.
I will have to press some buttons... :D

I have to convince myself that I have a "good copy" in the first 30 days...
Click to expand...
Put it at ISO 800 (if it's bright outside use a Circular Polarizer) and leave it there unless you need to put it higher (this will push up the shutter speed when shooting in A mode try to stay around f/8). Go online and get a color temp chart and make sure the camera has the right color temperature when shooting. Keep it out of Auto or P mode. Try and have some fun too.
 
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salukfan111

Senior Member
mikeee said:
I actually have the AF 50mm screw drive that came with my Nikon N2020.
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If you are looking for nice lens, the 28-85 nikkor is hard to beat for 60 bucks on ebay. I promise you will like it and it will be a nearly permanent fixture on your camera. The 24-85 VR (not a screw drive) is better but more expensive.
 
D

Don Kuykendall_RIP

RIP :(
salukfan111 said:
Put it at ISO 800 (if it's bright outside use a Circular Polarizer) and leave it there unless you need to put it higher (this will push up the shutter speed when shooting in A mode try to stay around f/8). Go online and get a color temp chart and make sure the camera has the right color temperature when shooting. Keep it out of Auto or P mode. Try and have some fun too.
Click to expand...


I would never leave it at ISO 800. You are throwing away IQ most of the time if you are shooting outside in the sun. Auto ISO set on ISO 100 with a max of 800 and set the shutter speed minimum on Auto also and it will follow the reciprocity rule based on what length lens you are using and will even read the zoom and set shutter speed based on the zoom length.
And for regular shooting the white balance set on Auto will do just fine. The only time I have to move it is if I am shooting at night in the dark like the milky way.
 
mikeee

mikeee

Senior Member
I have played with the ISO and other settings on my D3200.
I never use the green "camera does it all" mode.
My biggest concern is just to make sure I get a good copy of the camera.
My D3200 had a backfocus issue that I didn't not discover until after the 90 day Nikon refurb warranty
expired. I ended up taking matters into my own hands with an allen wrench to adjust the cam where the mirror rests on.
It actually greatly improved the focus.
 
mikeee

mikeee

Senior Member
I actually have the ISO set to "automatic" between 100-800 on the D3200, and change if the situation requires. I don't like it going about 800 without permission. :)
 
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