D7000 vs D300S

imnunky

New member
A footnote to my #50 post in this thread and others in this thread also,
Date today 26 Dec 2010, Arrived home today, away for Christmas, received email Dated 24 th Dec, from a photo shop approx 300 mies away that I have been corresponding with, The outcome of that is they will test a new D7000 at N/C for the two concerns I have, ( back focusing & pixel problems) when new batch arrives, Well email states that a limited number have arrived, and after testing will give me an update of the situation, I have been very patiently waiting, and the time for my testing for myself is a lot closer, I will continue this thread for a little longer, when The D7000 is in my hands!!,
 

Kamper

Senior Member
I am a D7000 owner since November 2 and have around 600 shoots under my belt. I also have a D80 which I have had for 4 years and was considering the 300s for my next camera until the D7000 came available. The D7000 is an awesome camera IMO. The ISO ability is great. I just shot 125 indoor shoots for Xmas and I did both natural light at up to ISO 4000 and fill in flash shots at ISO 200. Most of the ISO 4000 shots are great, as there was some window lighting with overhead tungsten lights. As night came and I lost the window lighting some of the photos started to get noisy, which some work with PS Elements 6 they cleaned right up. My D80 got pretty noisy above ISO1200, and I have been able to shoot with less noise with the D7000 at ISO4000. I shot some geese photos a couple of weeks ago, it was overcast so I shot at ISO 2000 to keep my shutter speed up and the photos turned out great.

I will add I have installed the 1.01 firmware update and now my red pixel is gone. One issue I would like to express is around the video. This is my first body that will do video as I thought it would be a nice option to have. I shot alot in Yellowstone and having a video option and quick to setup I thought would be nice.I have been playing with the video and it comes with a whole new set of rules. I shot some video, tripod mounted of some geese with my Sigma 150-500mm at 500mm, a heavy Giotto tripod and a Jobo gimbal head. The wind was blowing so my video was kind of shaky, the lens is always adjusting focus and you can constantly hear the lens AF or OS making adjustments in the sound track. I think you can make some nice video clips, and BTW the longest length you can make is 20 minutes, if you get the right gear. I would think a shotgun mic would be a must if you want to use natural sound, and a heavy tripod with a fluid head would also be a must. The auto tracking focus with video is kind of a pain, and I think auto focusing to the farthest point and then going to Manual focus can give me better results, the lens wants to look for focus at times, and will lose focus at times while looking, a kind of in and out effect.

There has been some talk about back focus issues with the D7000 and I will say both my Sigma 150-500mm AFOS and my Nikon 18-200mm AFVR were back focusing. My Sigma 150-500mm was off 11 inches and my Nikon 18-200mm was off 6 inches, the good thing is you can fine adjust the AF and correct the issue. I bought a Spyder LensCal to check and correct my lens.

The bottom line is the D7000 is a awesome camera, but the video is going to take some time for me to perfect.

Just my $0.02
 

imnunky

New member
Kamper
As of 11am today I am now the proud?? owner of a D7000, it feels so small, after using my D90 with grip, Luckily there are alot of similarities with the 90, but I ask myself were the "H" do I start, read and re- read the book 325 pages yeah right, Play, experiment, Yadda, yadda, I have waited patiently for this, Now it's time to go to work and figure it all out, This one did not arrive with the new firmware installed, the shop that tested for that claims there are none, but I guess I have to prepare for it, Do you have to use a reader to install firmware? I don't own such a thing,
Video is not important to me I have my own shoulder mount,
Your post is very informative thank you
 

Kamper

Senior Member
imnunky,
Welcome to the the ranks of the D7K club, there is/was a learning curve for me also as I upgraded from a D80. I bought the battery grip also as I had one on my D80 and I like the extra juice and comfort of the grip. Today I have just over 1000 shutter actuations under my belt.

As for the firmware update, you need someway to get the file update on your SD card, so I guess the answer is yes, you need a reader. The update is only for Live View or Video and I only saw one bright red pixel in very low light. You will have time to update later if you have a problem, keep in mind if the update goes bad it could render your camera inoperative so make sure you are ready when you complete the process.

As for learning curve, keep in mind that you have the ? or information button on the back left hand side of your play back screen. (button right under menu button) Any option/line you go into from the menu and press the ? or information button will give you some info about what the function does. I learn the functions a lot easier and quicker as opposed to reading the manual. I refer to the manual also, but I am more of a hands on guy. You might see how this works for you to try. This button is common on all Nikons and I never knew about it until a friend showed me last summer in Yellowstone, It was kind of funny as I had the camera for many years and my friend showed me all sorts of setups I should have been doing. The more you shoot the more you learn. My biggest concerns have been to learn which AF modes and patterns will work best for fast moving wildlife like birds, and I love shooting bears. Needless to say I have been shooting alot outside until it turned real cold. We have had below zero temps every morning for the last 6 days. I just got a new lens tonight so tomorrow I will be out looking for something to shoot, one way or another. Hope this helps, let me know how it works out for you. Ken
 

imnunky

New member
Hey Kamper that real cool of you to pass on your knowledge, There is one thing that I find annoying, only because I am not used to it and that is the focus points are shown accross the rear LCD screen, and the only way I can get rid of them is by turning off the AF switch bottom left side, Have you found another way or are you living with it? I am at present going through the "book" for further info,
 

Kamper

Senior Member
imnunky,
You can toggle through different screens that give you different info, such as Highlights or your Histogram, by touching the ring around your OK button on the back of the camera at 12:00 or 6:00 positions. I toggle my view to the Highlights mode so the focus points don't show up. Hope this helps. Ken
 

caveman

Senior Member
I also got the d7000 11-25,AND REALLY like it over my d5000,and my wifes d3100.
For xmas she got me the sb-600 and today UPS showed up with the su-29 cord!!
I need both for next semester photo class.

look forward to all post about the d7000........
 

imnunky

New member
Lucky, can you keep me informed as to how you like the D7000, Thanks :).

Wow is this thing quick! All I have to compare this camera to is my D50 and D90 This is definately steps up from them. But I am glad that I have them because it makes my convergence to D7000 a lot easier. So all in all this has more to offer but is still only an enthusiast camera. Please don't get me wrong; that comment is not a fault finding remark, it's a realistic one, If anyone asks for my emotional response to this camera, well... I am leaning towards "love". I know my abilities and desires and this unit appears to have them all covered. Anyone owning a D7000 couldn't possibly dislike it, although that is my opinion. I am glad I spent the time, patience and money. Right now I am well satisfied.
I, too, am tired of the winter. My D7000 has just added 6 pics to my gallery only as indoor shoot ideas, not for any kind of photographic achievements. We (D7000) and I, are just spending time together, experimenting, testing etc etc etc, And no I don't get out much (chuckle)
 
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imnunky

New member
imnunky,
You can toggle through different screens that give you different info, such as Highlights or your Histogram, by touching the ring around your OK button on the back of the camera at 12:00 or 6:00 positions. I toggle my view to the Highlights mode so the focus points don't show up. Hope this helps. Ken

I sat, camera in hand, and fiddled, then suddenly they were gone, hahahaha how ridiculous I don't know where, and I am not about to go search either, thanks to you for a push in that direction, my annoyance has now dissipated, Liking the camera even more now
 

Curt

Senior Member
Like anything new, you just have to get to know your new camera.
I felt that way at first when I got my D200. I was use to my D80, and for a while felt frustrated with my D200, I kept going back to my D80 for a while. But once I got to know my D200 there was no looking back. So just enjoy discovering new things about your new camera…lol.
 

mooseman166

New member
It's all about the handling - I think.

The D300 and D300s are intended to handle and be used like a pro camera...without removing it from your eye...the handling of a D300, D700 and D3 are very different to the handling of the other models... that's the big difference... the megapixel differences don't count for much unless you are printing shots a metre wide, which I don't. I use a d700 or a d300...I don't shoot video, so they are all the camera I will need.
 

Curt

Senior Member
There seems to be too much compelling evidence that the D7000 is a better camera then the D300s (check youtube, etc.). I am also told that the D7000 is not a replacement for the D90, it is not even in the same league? Make sure you really do your research before making your choice. I was all set to buy a D300s, but after looking into it deeper and talking with others the choice became very clear. I am not saying the D300s isn’t a great camera, I am just saying you will get much more bang for your buck with the D7000.
Do your homework first. The D7000 has feature that you will just love, that the D300s just does not offer?
 

johnwartjr

Senior Member
What you're talking about, though, is a matter of opinion. Some features make the D7000 a better camera for some people, some features make the D300s a better camera.

Really depends on what you're doing and what you want.
 

Curt

Senior Member
I totally agree, what might be good for one person may not be for another. There are things about my D200 I just love.
But there are things about the D7000 that I love also, I guess all I am saying is really research the cameras first and make sure the one you pick is right for you. I guess what I am saying about the D7000 is it is the state of the art right now, why not take advantage of that?
 
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