Nikon D7000 tips

[Grandpaw]

Protecting your rear LCD screen

Many of us are very protective with our cameras and like to keep them looking as good as possible. The D7000 comes with a plastic protective cover MB-11 for the rear LCD screen that many of us leave on to help prevent the screen from getting scratched. Actually this cover was designed to protect the rear screen during shipping. I leave mine on all the time because I just like the protection it provides but it can cause you problems without occasionally taking it off and cleaning it. If any sand or debris gets between the screen and protector and any pressure is applied to the plastic cover it can actually scratch the screen worse than not having it on at all.

Here is this weeks tip and my recommendation

I leave my protective cover in place but after being in a situation where something might get under the cover such as sand on a visit to the beach or debris from a trip though the woods I remove the cover and clean it and the rear glass so there is nothing that might be caught between the two to rub and scratch the glass on my screen. I like leaving the protective cover on but it does need to be kept clean to not make it defeat the purpose for leaving it on in the first place. Jeff

[wfooshee]

Jeff, as you know from my posts once in a while, I've looked into your tips quite often, even though I've got a D5000 and not a 7000. It's what I wanted when I got the D5000, just couldn't scrounge up the dough at the time.

Well, no more!!!!! Found a fleabay body with only 11,000 trips for a reasonable amount of money, and it's on the way. By reBaying my D5000 I think I can upgrade for well under $500, maybe even under $400 if the stars line up right.

Now I have to go back and study your tips some more!

[Grandpaw]

Jeff, as you know from my posts once in a while, I've looked into your tips quite often, even though I've got a D5000 and not a 7000. It's what I wanted when I got the D5000, just couldn't scrounge up the dough at the time.

Well, no more!!!!! Found a fleabay body with only 11,000 trips for a reasonable amount of money, and it's on the way. By reBaying my D5000 I think I can upgrade for well under $500, maybe even under $400 if the stars line up right.

Now I have to go back and study your tips some more!

You are now an official member of the D7000 club. Glad to hear you are getting something out of the tips. Jeff

[Grandpaw]

Selecting a UV filter

There are two different theories on whether to use a UV filter to help protect your lens or to not add another piece of glass in front of a good lens because it will degrade the picture. I understand both points of view and both have good reasons for using a filter or not. This tip is not to discuss the pros or cons of using a UV filter but to give you a VERY IMPORTANT TIP if you decide that using a UV filter to help protect your lens is the way to go. I will say that I do have a UV filter on all of my lenses. This tip is to let you know that if you do decide that using a filter is the way to go that there are two important things to keep in mind. First thing you need to know is that the UV filters for a digital camera ARE DIFFERENT than ones used on a film camera. If you purchase the wrong one or try using a filter that you have used in the past on your film camera it will really degrade the picture. A digital camera MUST have a filter designed to work on a digital camera or you will get very unsatisfactory results. Second thing you need to do is buy a better UV filter and stay away from the cheap ones. If you have a decent lens, using a cheap filter will degrade the quality of pictures that you get.

Several years ago when I purchased my Nikon 70-300VR lens they gave me a filter to go with it. The problem was that every time I used that lens I was getting soft pictures and was unhappy with my results. After 3 or 4 times shooting with this lens of a period of several months I made the decision to have a friend of mine sell this lens on Ebay just to get rid of it. On the way to give it to him I got the bright idea to just take the filter off and shoot a couple of frames to see if there was any improvement and all I can say is WOW, what a difference. What I discovered is that they had mistakenly given me a UV filter for a film camera. I took it back and they exchanged it for a UV filter designed for a digital camera and now the pictures are nice and sharp. Up until this time I was unaware that there was a difference in the type of filters needed for digital cameras. The tip for this week is to make sure you have the right accessories designed for the equipment that you are using it with. Jeff

[Raymond_K]

Hi there Jeff,

I feel that, with this latest tip of yours, you're going to have all of us checking our UV filters (well, those of us who have them, like I do!).

Is there any way of determining whether one has the right filter for the job (other than not being happy with the results of any photo)? I mean, is there any code or similar that's on the filter? Is there any "typical" characteristic that's very obvious in the photo that's caused by the wrong filter? I mean, is the softness in the picture THAT obvious or is there anything else that one could look for?

I'm still trying out some of your tips but I feel that the D7000 is such a wonderful camera that I'm going to enjoy it for many YEARS to come!!!

Keep up the great work!

Raymond

[Grandpaw]

Hi there Jeff,

I feel that, with this latest tip of yours, you're going to have all of us checking our UV filters (well, those of us who have them, like I do!).

Is there any way of determining whether one has the right filter for the job (other than not being happy with the results of any photo)? I mean, is there any code or similar that's on the filter? Is there any "typical" characteristic that's very obvious in the photo that's caused by the wrong filter? I mean, is the softness in the picture THAT obvious or is there anything else that one could look for?

I'm still trying out some of your tips but I feel that the D7000 is such a wonderful camera that I'm going to enjoy it for many YEARS to come!!!

Keep up the great work!

Raymond

Raymond, you ask a very good question. I have six lenses and five of the six have the word "digital" on the rim of the filter and my Hoya filter has UV(D) on it to designate that it is for a digital camera. The digital filters have a different coating on them so that they will work with the digital auto focus and the ones designed for film cameras are different.

I figured out my problem of having the wrong filter by taking a picture of the bark on a tree with and without the filter and comparing the two. This told me that the filter was the problem and further research revealed that it was the wrong type of filter. After correcting the filter I am very happy and my pictures are sharp. Jeff

[Franglais]

Here's a piece that proves the point (about cheap vs expensive filters anyway):

LensRentals.com - Good Times with Bad Filters

[Grandpaw]

Here's a piece that proves the point (about cheap vs expensive filters anyway):

LensRentals.com - Good Times with Bad Filters

Thanks Charles, it's not scientific but it does show that there IS a difference. To me I never try and persuade others either way. What I tell people is to take the same shot with and without a filter of something that has a lot of detail and check out the results and decide for themselves if they want the filter on or not. Jeff

[patrickwilson86]

You should try D8000. It is important to note that the D800 shares many features with the Nikon D4—aside from the larger image sensor and a slower frame rate the two cameras are almost identical. They share the same image processor, the same autofocus system (51-points) and a very similar video shooting mode. This does not mean they are the same camera. While some professionals and even advanced amateur photographers will look to the D4 for supreme speed and action shooting, others are going to prefer the less-expensive D800. Price does not always mean everything in the photography world.

[Grandpaw]

You should try D8000. It is important to note that the D800 shares many features with the Nikon D4—aside from the larger image sensor and a slower frame rate the two cameras are almost identical. They share the same image processor, the same autofocus system (51-points) and a very similar video shooting mode. This does not mean they are the same camera. While some professionals and even advanced amateur photographers will look to the D4 for supreme speed and action shooting, others are going to prefer the less-expensive D800. Price does not always mean everything in the photography world.

A friend of mine is selling his D3s to buy a D800 because he thinks he just has to have one. I have looked at it and have no interest at all in getting one. From what I understand it is a great camera but I am perfectly happy with my D7000.

Some of the turn offs for me on the D800 are having to replaces almost all my lenses with FX lenses and the expense that would be, two different types of memory cards and the large file sizes.

I think that the D7000 will be making me happy for some time to come. Jeff

[Franglais]

The D800 can give you superlative results - if you have perfect technique. If you don't then look closely at the results and it will just show you all the errors you've made. It's frustrating and unnecessary. Very few people need the amount of detail the D800 can provide.

I have a D800 which I use only when I need the best possible results and I have the time to achieve them. The rest of the time I use an APS-C camera for the reasons that Grandpaw just mentioned.

[Raymond_K]

Hi there Jeff,

Maybe outside of this forum but I was just wondering if you have any experience with respect to the Nikon D5100.

The reason that I'm asking you here is that my beloved daughter has used my D7000 and (very logically) has been very impressed with the results.

Well, as next month is her birthday (I think you know what's coming now), she's decided that she wants a good camera to be able to use in her (dance) studio, both for still photos and for video.

Here in the UK (I'm quoting prices from the Amazon website here), the D7000 (with an 18mm - 105mm lens) costs around £876 and the D5100 (with an 18mm - 55mm) lens around £450 - yes, almost half the price!!

Personally, I feel that, for the price, that the D5100 is only "one step" behind the D7000 and should more than suffice for her needs.

Once again, I apologise if I should have posted this outside of your forum but, as you have been so very helpful in the past (thank you!!), I felt that this was the best place to start and your reply could possibly be useful for others in a similar position to me (well, what are kids for other than to enjoy seeing them grow up and to help them every step of the way??).

Very best wishes,

Raymond

[wfooshee]

When I was shopping to upgrade from my D50, my choices were D5000 and D7000. I just couldn't come up with the price difference, and settled on the D5000. I've had it a little over a year and I just put it on eBay to help pay for upgrading to the D7000.

As far as images produced, there's not going to be a whole lot of difference. 12 megapix to 16 is not as big a difference as it sounds. But the D7000 has a faster shutter and faster frame rate, a larger ISO range, it has in-camera AF fine-tuning, better focus tracking, and while I've not shot video on it yet, it has higher-resolution video (1080 vs 720) and I think autofocus works during video, not just at the start like on the D5000. For a starter it may not seem worth twice the price, so maybe upgrading later would be a good plan.

I am going to miss that swivel screen, though!

[MotorToad]

For video my impression is the 650D is pretty much the way to go. If it's impossible to introduce another brand to the family then I think two cameras, still & video, might be the best choice.

[Grandpaw]

Hi there Jeff,

Maybe outside of this forum but I was just wondering if you have any experience with respect to the Nikon D5100.

The reason that I'm asking you here is that my beloved daughter has used my D7000 and (very logically) has been very impressed with the results.

Well, as next month is her birthday (I think you know what's coming now), she's decided that she wants a good camera to be able to use in her (dance) studio, both for still photos and for video.

Here in the UK (I'm quoting prices from the Amazon website here), the D7000 (with an 18mm - 105mm lens) costs around £876 and the D5100 (with an 18mm - 55mm) lens around £450 - yes, almost half the price!!

Personally, I feel that, for the price, that the D5100 is only "one step" behind the D7000 and should more than suffice for her needs.

Once again, I apologise if I should have posted this outside of your forum but, as you have been so very helpful in the past (thank you!!), I felt that this was the best place to start and your reply could possibly be useful for others in a similar position to me (well, what are kids for other than to enjoy seeing them grow up and to help them every step of the way??).

Very best wishes,

Raymond

Raymond, I will say that I am not familiar with D5100 so I can't give you a opinion on that but I will suggest that if she is going to be taking pictures inside with subjects moving that a faster lens will probably be needed. I have a Sigma 17-50mm f/2.8 EX DC OS HSM lens that you may want to consider due to it being a much faster lens. What you may want to do is take your camera and lenses down to the studio and see what will be required to be able to get pictures in the lighting that they have. This way you won't be buying lenses that will not be capable of doing the job she wants it to do. Jeff

[Grandpaw]

Additional AUTO ISO information

In tip #20 I talked about setting the Auto ISO up so that it would only go up to a level that you find acceptable and not go beyond. I also talked about setting the minimum shutter speed. This tip is to give you some additional information concerning these settings.

Additional information you might find useful.

The default for the highest Auto ISO is 6400 if you do not go in and choose to lower this in the menus. If you are in "P" mode or Program mode, the camera will have control over the shutter speed and the Aperture or "F" stop being used. If you are using "A" or Aperture mode, which I use a lot, the camera will control the shutter speed and you will have the control over the aperture or "F" stop. In either one of these modes if your camera reaches the maximum ISO that you have set and still cannot get enough light the camera will actually override the minimum shutter speed and go lower to be able to get enough light to get the picture. You need to be aware of this because there is a potential of going to slow a shutter speed and blurring your picture.

There is also one other piece of information that you might find useful. After you set the maximum auto ISO setting that you want you can also pick the minimum ISO that you would like the camera to use. let's say that you have chosen the max AUTO ISO setting to be 3200, you can now go back and choose for example a regular ISO setting of maybe 400. When you do this you camera will shoot everything from a min ISO setting of 400 up to the max setting of the 3200 that was set in our example. Any time you are in AUTO ISO the camera will always try and use the lowest ISO that it has available to get the picture that you are trying to take. Hope you might find this additional information helpful. Jeff

This is a corrected post. In the original post I had written up what "A" and "P" mode do backwards. I made the mistake of trying to write up a tip while keeping track of the storm Isaac on the TV. I just want to give a BIG THANK YOU to Raymond for reading my tips thread and sending me a PM asking about it. I have swapped what the two modes do in the post so that it now reads correctly. Sorry about any confusion about how it was written up. Out of 38,000 views and 69 tips I think that this one is the first one I have had to correct and feel very lucky about that. I knew sooner or later it would probably happen. I read every tip several times and check them before posting so that you can rely on the information to be accurate.

I would like to thank all of the people that take the time to read my tips and also for the many positive E-mails and PM's I receive about them. One more time, thanks to Raymond for asking me about the tip so I could correct the information. Jeff

[Raymond_K]

Hi there Jeff,

Initially, thanks for your comments with respect to my video question (and also to "wfooshee" and "MotorToad" too). I currently "only" have the standard 18 - 105mm that came with the camera and a 50mm f/1.8 that I've started using for portraits but will try them out soon at the studio for her.

Once again, thank you - all of you.

Happy shooting!!!

Raymond

[gobo fongo]

Hello everyone, first of all thank you Jeff for this awesome thread. I’ve found a few great tips that I had overlooked on my camera and I appreciate the time you’ve put into the clear directions.

I’m new to the forum (just found it), I’ve been taking pictures for a long time, and bought a D7000 a little over a year ago for a documentary trip to Kerala India in the monsoon season because of it’s superior weather resistance, durability, and video capabilities.

Since then I’ve been using it for more or less equal parts professional photography and video production, so I thought I could shed a little light about the video side of things for people like Raymond, and also offer a few tips of my own if you don’t mind.

First in response to Raymond’s questions:

I'm wondering if you (or any other reader of this forum) could avise with respect to VIDEO recording with the D7000. To be more specific in my case:

I currently had 2 32Gb cards in the camera (they will be empty to start with) and I plan to film at HD(720p) - not 1080.

My very basic questions are:

1). Are you aware of a (more of less) recording time for each card? I know that there's a maximum of 20 mins per "take", but I'm referring to a TOTAL time per card.

2). What really happens when card 1 fills? Is the video actually split between the 2 cards and, if this is the case, is it easy to recover it (I mean, to store it as just 1 video on a PC).

3). As I have to film a dance type show (I mean, with normal theatre lighting but with a lot of movement on the stage - i.e. jumps, leaps, and God knows what else!!), would you still advise to recording simply in live view and "auto"? If not, are there any basic rules to what you would recommend?

The only reason that I've posted this here now as I feel sure that there are many of your readers who, like me, would appreciate guidance on this subject.

Keep up the great work on these hints and tips - for me at least, they are already proving very useful.

Regards to all,

Raymond

1 - Almost 300 minutes or 5 hours. Approximately. Understand that the actual time will vary greatly depending on camera settings, SD cards, and other factors. (a 32 GB card actually holds a little over 29 GB, and 720p @ 30fps records at more or less 100 MB per minute.)

2 - When a card is full the camera will stop recording, when you start again it will record to the other disk.

3 - Jeff is spot on with regard to the autofocus. No offense to Nikon but the live-view / video AF is a joke and all but useless except for very rare circumstances. As (almost) any DSLR videographer will tell you: manual focus, manual focus, and then manual focus. Therein is the main drawback (for me anyway) to DSLR videography, but you’ll learn to deal with it. The main rule for beginners is to focus before your shot and then DO NOT move the camera. If you focus, turn AF off, and then move the camera it’s out of focus again; it’s better to have a series of nice stationary shots than jerky movement and distracting focus problems.

On another note:

Jeff stated in Tip # 63 that when in Manual Mode and with Live View on, you can easily adjust the shutter speed and ISO normally, but not the aperture. This is true and is the subject of maddening frustration for Nikon DSLR videographers, it is an obvious problem on Nikon’s part.

You ARE allowed to adjust the aperture for your videos, but you have to:
Turn off live view
Adjust the aperture normally (with the secondary command wheel by default)
Switch live view back on and it’s changed
That’s it. BE AWARE that under some circumstances you will be able to change the aperture in live view mode, at least as displayed on screen and on the top LCD display, but the aperture WILL NOT actually change EVER with Live View on, it’s lying to you.
This is due to mechanical limitations and unfortunately unlikely to change for Nikon cameras.

[gobo fongo]

And with regard to the D5100 questions, I personally feel that the D3200 is not only an incredible camera that has fixed many issues with the 5100 and 7000, upgraded the megapixels and video capabilities, and comes in red, but it is an excellent value at current prices.

Before buying a D5100 I suggest you compare it closely with the 3200. In my opinion the 3200 is an awesome deal and a better buy.

[Raymond_K]

Hi there "Gobo Fongo",

Thank you so much for your reply and clarifying my questions.

With respect to the total recording time on a 32Gb card, you stated that it would be around 300 mins "and 720p @ 30fps records at more or less 100 MB per minute.)" - I'm presuming that if one records at 1080p @ 25fps (as I understand it's when one records in PAL format (we're here in the UK)), then this would be reduced accordingly??

Also, thank you for mentioning the D3200 but, for the "swivel" screen that the D5100 has, my daughter decided on that model as she found that a very desirable option.

Well, you know how women are!!!

Very best wishes and welcome to the forum. Like yourself, I'm loving it!!

Raymond

[Grandpaw]

Welcome Gobo Fongo to our site and the Tips thread. Hope you stick around and post some pictures.

As far as knowing how much time you have on a card that is nice to know but if you shoot video and follow tip #55 you will not only know how much video your card will hold you will also always have the even more helpful knowledge of knowing exactly how much time you have remaining on your card. Jeff

[Raymond_K]

Hi there Jeff,

Just a thought (although maybe more for the people who look after this wonderful forum of yours):

As you well know, this forum is starting to get very popular and, in your last post (number 196) you mentioned that in tip #55 we could find more useful information about card capacity for video recording.

Well, to actually FIND tip #55, there doesn't seem to be a way of knowing exactly on which PAGE it is (it's already showing as 8 pages long when I access it) and this involves some guess work to actually find this tip.

Maybe I'm misunderstanding the mechanics of this forum (if I am, I apologise) but, if not, I feel that this forum could get too large for easy management and as a referral "data base for hints and tips". Can you imagine when there are around 500 or even 1000 entries (which I feel could easily happen due to the great information that's being posted here) just how complicated it would be to find a particular entry.

Well, once again, I thank especially Jeff and others who have already replied to me on this forum and look forward to reading more very useful information in the near future.

Best wishes to all,

Raymond

[Grandpaw]

Hi there Jeff,

Just a thought (although maybe more for the people who look after this wonderful forum of yours):

As you well know, this forum is starting to get very popular and, in your last post (number 196) you mentioned that in tip #55 we could find more useful information about card capacity for video recording.

Well, to actually FIND tip #55, there doesn't seem to be a way of knowing exactly on which PAGE it is (it's already showing as 8 pages long when I access it) and this involves some guess work to actually find this tip.

Maybe I'm misunderstanding the mechanics of this forum (if I am, I apologise) but, if not, I feel that this forum could get too large for easy management and as a referral "data base for hints and tips". Can you imagine when there are around 500 or even 1000 entries (which I feel could easily happen due to the great information that's being posted here) just how complicated it would be to find a particular entry.

Well, once again, I thank especially Jeff and others who have already replied to me on this forum and look forward to reading more very useful information in the near future.

Best wishes to all,

Raymond

There are several ways to show how the posts are viewed such as 1st post shown 1st or the last post shown 1st. There are also other options of how the posts can be viewed and each way makes the posts come up differently so I do not see and way to give you a list of the page each tip shows up on. Out of 69 tips so far I have only referred back to a previous tip maybe two or three times. The only thing I can say is that it may take a few seconds to locate a particular tip that I reference but I can assure you it will take a lot less time than it takes me to think up each tip, research it and write it up. Referencing a tip shouldn't happen that often. I'm glad you and others are finding the tips useful. Jeff

[Raymond_K]

Hi there again Jeff,

And thanks for one of your (very usual) quick replies too!

I can only agree with you that it's not "terribly difficult" to search through and find a particular tip - it's just that I felt that it would be a nice option on this site.

HOWEVER, as you say, I can fully appreciate your time and effort in writing up these tips and, from personal experience, it's certainly more than worth the time searching for a tip for the value that's in each of them as I'm still personally experimenting with them and have not even considered searching other sites for more information.

I have the feeling that others on this forum feel as I do too!!!

Very best wishes - and thanks again for all your efforts here.

Raymond

[Grandpaw]

My camera just went nuts!!!

I have owned the D80, D90, and the D7000 and at one time or another I have been taking pictures and everything just goes nuts. I think all three of these cameras are very nice but all three have caused this same problem while I have been shooting. I will be taking pictures, especially in portrait position, with the camera tilted on it's side, and things will just go nuts on the exposure right in the middle of taking pictures. The problem I have found with all three is that the mode dial turns too easy and can be bumped and turned into a totally different picture taking mode causing me problems. I wish that the dial either was stiffer to turn or had a lock button on it. It also has a tendency to get bumped into a different position while placing in or removing it from your camera bag.

Here is what to do.

Tip... Check it each time before shooting or taking out of your bag to make sure it hasn't been changed to something you do not want. Also remember to check it once in a while during shooting. If you look at you rear screen to preview a picture and the lighting is way off this would be the first thing I would check. Jeff