Nikon D7000 tips

Each time I purchase a new camera I make an attempt to learn as much about it's different functions as possible and get my monies worth out of the equipment but many people just learn enough to get by and go no further. Due to the fact that my research on line to find tips and information out about the Nikon D7000 didn't turn up much I came up with the idea to write a thread and give other as much information and tips about the D7000 as I could. About once a week another tip is added with the idea that D7000 owners will have a place to go for helpful information and to be able to learn more about their camera. If you have the time you might want to start a thread about your camera so you can help others also, Jeff

The Virtual Horizon on your camera will help you get all your pictures level and eliminate them slanting to the right or left. I thought that the Virtual Horizon only worked in the live mode on the LCD screen. I just figured out that it can show up in the viewfinder if you set it up. As I find out things about my D7000 I will post them here. If you already know what I post just disregard my thread but hopefully maybe some of the things I find out and post will be new to more members than just myself. If you have a tip that you would like to share please feel free to send it to me and I will write it up and add it to the list. I can be contacted by Email or PM by clicking on "Grandpaw" just above my picture on the left hand side of this post, Jeff

NOTE: many of the tips will also work on other Nikon models.

This is how to get the virtual horizon to show up in the viewfinder.
Go to custom settings in menu
F- controls
F3 assign button. I assigned the FN button for this.
Highlight virtual horizon and press OK

At the bottom of the viewfinder the light meter shows over and under exposure. If you press the button you assigned on the camera and the meter will change to the virtual horizon mode. It will look the same as the exposure looked but if you tilt your camera down left or right you will see the effect on the meter at the bottom of your viewfinder. The Virtual Horizon will stay active until you take a picture or your meter times out. I thought the virtual horizon only worked in the live mode with the LCD screen. I found this to be helpful and hope you do also, Jeff

Starting today (April 14th 2012) I will start keeping a list of the different tips here in case you wish to come back and re read a TIP in this thread so it will be easier to locate them. Hope this helps you out, Jeff

COMPLETE LIST OF TIPS
Tip #1 The Virtual Horizon
Tip #2 Nikon built in flash adjustment
Tip #3 Where was the focus point of my picture
Tip #4 Menus driving you nuts My Menu
Tip #5 Manuals hard to understand Digitutor
Tip #6 Saving all your setting for your favorite type of shooting U1 & U2
Tip #7 Reducing noise in your pictures
Tip #8 Need faster FLASH SYNC SPEED than 1/250??
Tip #9 You might consider a battery grip and this is why
Tip #10 Capturing the natural look or mood with photos taken inside by using fill flash
Tip #11 When to use different flash fill modes and what they do
Tip #12 Additional observation or thought for the tip in my post #10
Tip #13 Some reasons to add an external flash to your list of equipment
Tip #14 Ever wish you had access to your camera manual while you were out shooting?
Tip #15 Lighting up the rear LCD display
Tip #16 Easy was to change your ISO setting in aperture mode
Tip #17 Ever need to get your active focus point back to the center quickly?
Tip #18 Nikon ML-L3 wireless remote
Tip #19 Having trouble with the auto focus in low light
Tip #20 Using the auto ISO setting and setting the minimum shutter speed
Tip #21 Discovering blown out areas quickly while you are still shooting so you can correct your mistakes
Tip #22 Getting your own custom look to your pictures
Tip #23 Wanting to compare two or more pictures up close
Tip #24 Customizing your metering system
Tip #25 Adding copyright information to the EXIF data of each of your pictures
Tip #26 Quick check all your settings BEFORE each time you shoot
Tip #27 Getting a custom white balance
Tip #28 Is your camera a pain in the neck?
Tip #29 Viewing your pictures, menus, or info on the rear LCD screen
Tip #30 Saving custom white balance settings
Tip #31 Getting the rear LCD screen to stay on as long as you need it
Tip #32 Another option to navigate menus with, other than the multi selector button
Tip #33 If you use a wide angle lens you may find this tip very helpful
Tip #34 Does part of your pictures disappear when you have enlargements made?
Tip #35 Ever consider trying "Active D Lighting" or "Regular D Lighting"
Tip #36 Getting a custom look to your pictures under many different situations
Tip #37 Resetting your Nikon SB 800 flash back to normal operation
Tip #38 What is the Diopter, where is it and what does it do
Tip #39 Finding a photo on your memory card in the camera
Tip #40 Try converting photos to black and white for a different look & feel
Tip #41 This tip is for people shooting more than one model camera
Tip $42 A simple tip that may save you money and headaches
Tip #43 Setting your camera to take a picture only after focus has been acquired
Tip #44 Beware of UFOs when changing lenses
Tip #45 Sometimes your rear LCD screen lighting up is annoying to others
Tip #46 Sometimes you may not want the flash to fire in AUTO mode
Tip #47 Accidentally shooting without a memory card in the camera
Tip #48 Ever wonder just what a particular menu selection does?
Tip #49 You may find turning on the grid display in the viewfinder helpful
Tip #50 My focus point needs to stay active longer
Tip #51 After a couple of shots my flash quit working
Tip #52 Obtaining FOCUS LOCK and EXPOSURE LOCK separately
Tip #53 Ever have the EV setting seem to change by itself?
Tip #54 Seeing your ISO in the viewfinder
Tip #55 Assigning the role played by the second SD slot
Tip #56 I think I might give the video a try
Tip #57 Getting some help with manual focusing
Tip #58 Be careful adjusting the brightness of the rear LCD screen
Tip #59 Adjusting exposure compensation
Tip #60 Tired of having to hold a button down while turning a dial to make adjustment
Tip #61 Reversing your "-"minus and "+"plus indicators
Tip #62 Quick check list to use before shooting
Tip #63 Using Live View to frame your shot and get correct exposure
Tip #64 Try this when focusing is critical
Tip #65 A very simple but helpful tip when using your tripod
Tip #66 A great book to get on the Nikon D7000
Tip #67 Protecting your rear LCD screen
Tip #68 Selecting a UV filter
Tip #69 Additional AUTO ISO information
Tip #70 My camera just went nuts!!!
Tip #71 Choosing a SD card for your Nikon D7000
Tip #72 Should I have my lens's VR turned on when shooting on a tripod
Tip #73 What would you do if your battery or charger quit working?
Tip #74 My shutter speeds in "M" and "S" modes won't go over 320
Tip #75 Do you find the RED RECORD BUTTON a pain in the neck for movies?
Tip #76 Updating to the latest firmware in your D7000 camera
Tip #77 Setting White Balance for "Sunrise" and "Sunset" pictures
Tip #78 Copy images from one SD card to another within your camera
Tip #79 Are you having trouble keeping your horizons level?
Tip #80 Are you having trouble with dust spots in your pictures?
Tip #81 Why or why not turn the audible beep to "ON" for Autofocus
Tip #82 Increasing your percentage of keepers when shooting
Tip #83 Why doesn't my D7000 give me pictures like I see in the sample galleries
Tip #84 My tripod and camera is setup but where is my remote
Tip #85 Getting great pictures of your kids on rides at attractions
Tip #86 Things I learned about shooting video while on vacation
Tip #87 Do's and Don'ts when taking a video of Christmas displays
Tip #88 I get my focus lock but my shutter button doesn't work
Tip #89 My pictures are all foggy, what is going on?
Tip #90 Start using your speedlite as a remote flash
Tip #91 Its time to update your copyright info in your cameras EXIF data Tip #92 Shooting photos from a vehicle
Tip #92 Shooting photos from a vehicle
Tip #93 A quick and easy way to format your SD cards
Tip #94 The effects of Depth of Field using different focal length lenses
Tip #95 Do you know when to use the "Normal" and "Active" position on a VR lens?
Tip #96 Learning from other photographers camera settings.
Tip #97 Needing a copyright symbol for your watermark
Tip #98 A few more reasons to have an umbrella available when out shooting.
Tip #99 Why I shoot single point focus point
Tip #100 Looking at things a little different might give you better results

Nikon built in flash adjustment
I learned something new today and thought I would pass it on. Some of you probably already know this but I have to believe that there are many that don't.

Want to adjust the power of the on camera flash for a Nikon D7000!

Here is how you do it
Press the info button down so you can view the rear screen. Now hold down the button that makes the on camera flash pop up. Next while holding that button down turn the finger wheel button on the front of the camera. This allows you to turn the power of the on camera flash down. When taking pictures up close, having the ability to lower the power of the on camera flash will be very helpful and help you to keep from over exposing as much. Hope this is new information to a few folks out there like it was to me. I am doing this on my Nikon D7000 but it may also work on other models, Jeff
REMEMBER like all settings that you change now and then, be sure to change it back when you are done or it could drive you nuts!!!!
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Let me add a clarification to this tip. You are not really adjusting the power output of the flash you are actually adding or subtracting compensation of the flash as compared to what it would normally choose to use. This way if it is giving you more light than you want the flash can be adjusted to get the effect you are looking for. This is just adjusting or compensating for the reading the camera has chosen to use with the flash just like you compensate for the exposure with the "EV" button on top of the camera for non flash exposures.

good to see you're getting to know your camera and passing it along!

Where was the focus point of my picture? You can wait until you get your file in your computer and find out it was off the mark that you wanted the focus to be on or you can know instantly if you nailed it. Have you ever looked at one of your pictures that you intended to have the focus on an eye and actually was on an ear instead, leaving the eye soft? This might be for you.

When the preview comes up on the LCD screen I like having the focus point of that picture displayed so I can verify and see exactly where my point of focus was when the picture was taken. Doing this will display a red focus point where it was during the exposure.

Here is how you do it
Go to the PLAYBACK MENU
DISPLAY MODE
Check FOCUS POINT
Next go up the menu to DONE and press OK.

If you try it and do not like it just repeat and UN-check FOCUS POINT, Jeff

Menus driving you nuts! Ever get frustrated trying to find what you want among all those long menus in your camera? Well just go down to MY MENU and set up just the options you want in the order you want them in.

Here is how you do it
If you need to know how to add this to MY MENU it was covered in tip #4 but I will place it here for your convenience
Here is how you do it
Go to MY MENU which is the six menu down on the left side and press OK
Scroll to ADD ITEMS and press OK
Next choose the PLAYBACK MENU and press OK
Next scroll down to IMAGE REVIEW and press OK
Press OK one more time to save it to MY MENU

Then rearrange them in the order you use them the most and a lot of your headaches with the menus will disappear. Everything you need will be in one nice neat orderly place, Jeff

Boy, you're really getting into this :)
The quick menu feature is definitely one of my favorites. I have my Fn button assigned to pull this menu up.
The depth of field preview button is also able to be customized...I like using it to kill the flash for situations were maybe I want flash...maybe I don't.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by n8

Boy, you're really getting into this :)
The quick menu feature is definitely one of my favorites. I have my Fn button assigned to pull this menu up.
The depth of field preview button is also able to be customized...I like using it to kill the flash for situations were maybe I want flash...maybe I don't.

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When would you need a button like that to kill the flash? It won't pop up unless you do it manually or you are in auto and then all you have to do is turn it one more notch on the mode dial and it is auto without flash. When would you use a button to turn it off? Just curious, Jeff

When I have a speed light attached. I did this a lot when shooting the vietnow pics in viewfinder. I had the flash on the whole time, but was shooting with a 1.8, and with the iso performance...the light wasn't essential...just useful for certain shots. There are a ton of applications for this, but it pretty much is only useful if you have a strobe attached. Using the dof preview button is essential too, as you can still reach it with your right ring finger while shooting in portrait with the grip attached.

Manuals hard to understand?
You might want to go to the link below and view the Nikon Digitutor for the D7000. It is a video on the Nikon site that will give you a good over view of what the camera can do and how it operates. Each time I get a new Nikon I review the video for my new camera and recommend you check it out also, Jeff

Here is the link to the video.....
Nikon | Imaging Products | Digitutor | D7000

Saving all your settings for your favorite type of shooting.

Ever spend a lot of time getting all the settings fine tuned for taking shots at the beach, portraits, landscapes or something else only to loose them after changing to a different mode selection and have to figure them out again the next time you shoot? If you have, then take advantage of all the time you spent tweaking your settings and save them to U1 or U2 on the mode dial of your camera. After you have invested all the time getting your favorite tweaks for, lets say shots at the beach, BEFORE you move that mode dial just pick U1 or U2 on the mode dial and save all the settings and tweaks for the next time by doing this.

Go to MENU > SETUP > Save user settings > (select U1 or U2) > Save settings

Now the next time you go back to that style of photography all the work is done, just turn the mode dial to whichever selection you saved them to and you are ready to go. If you find that after using it a little while you need to make a few more fine adjustments then repeat the steps above. Be sure to save the new adjustments BEFORE you move the mode dial or you will loose the latest adjustments and revert back to the last time you saved. This is a feature that few cameras have and you can save a complete set of settings for two types of photography of your choice so take advantage of this great function, Jeff

I would be interested in hearing from some of the members to find out if any of you are getting any helpful information out of this, if so let me know and I will keep posting. Close to 400 views with only n8 giving any comments. Thanks n8!!

Reducing noise in your pictures.
To start with this tip applies to pictures taken preferably on a tripod and have a relatively still subject. What you do is to take multiple pictures of the same subject and have "auto gain" on which results in a noticeable decrease in noise by taking either two or three pictures and dividing the exposure between the frames and merging them back together into one image within the camera.

To do this go to SHOOTING MENU
Multiple exposure, select Number of shots, go down to AUTO Gain and turn it on then scroll up to DONE and click OK.

You have a choice of two or three frames and I like to use three to reduce the noise as much as possible. The three ways you can trip the shutter are 1st, manually pushing the button three times, 2nd using a remote to do the same thing, or 3rd by placing your camera on CH burst mode and doing three quick pictures by pressing the shutter button once. You have to pay attention because you will be shooting at 6FPS. I prefer this method because it is the fastest and reduces the chances of movement while taking the three shots. The multiple exposure function automatically turns off and will need to be reset to take additional multiple pictures. If you leave the AUTO GAIN off each of your pictures will be exposed for the full amount needed to take a single picture so make sure the AUTO GAIN is turned on. I have already posted a picture taken with this method and will add it below so you can see it again. Any camera can take multiple pictures that can be merged into one shot using PhotoShop or additional software but the Nikon's will do it quickly IN CAMERA for simple, instant results. Try this and see what you think, you should have a noticeable reduction in the amount of noise that can be seen, Jeff

Note: the noise reduction was off in the camera for this shot and no noise reduction was done in post production. The only method to reduce noise was the method used above. Also I suggest adding the multiple exposure button to your "My Menu" so it can be accessed easily and quickly for additional shots like this.

Need faster FLASH SYNC SPEED than 1/250???
I have my camera set to 1/320 (AUTO FP). The reason I have changed it is because at the default setting your camera flash will only sync up to 1/250 and go no higher. By changing the setting to 1/320 (AUTO FP) it will allow your camera to sync normally up to the faster 1/320 speed using the full power of your flash and also go much higher automatically if you need it to go above the 1/320 sync level. As you pass the 1/320 sync speed the duration of the flash has to be extended due to how the shutter operates on your camera so the sensor is equally exposed to the light from the flash. Your camera has a focal plane shutter that exposes the sensor in two different movements and not all at the same time. As the speed of the shutter increases the flash needs to operate longer to be able to equally cover and expose light to the sensor because of the way the shutter exposes the sensor in the two different movements. Remember that at 1/320 (AUTO FP) that everything up to and including 1/320 will operate with NO DECREASE in flash power. If you go above that speed the flash power will slowly decrease due to extending the length of duration the flash has to operate at.
One example of when you may need the higher flash sync speed would be if you were taking a picture outside and wanted to use a larger F-stop to blur the background but also need some FILL FLASH. This would allow you to use an F-stop of say F2.8 that would call for a fast shutter speed that would eliminate using fill flash at the higher shutter speed if your camera was at the default setting of 1/250 sec.
Having the camera set to 1/320 (AUTO FP) all the time will allow you to sync your flash up to this speed any time you need it at full flash power and automatically let you go above that if you need it without having to go into any menus. To me it is a win, win situation.

If you would like to try it, this is how you do it.
Go to CUSTOM MENU
E- BRACKETING
E1- FLASH SYNC SPEED 1/320 push menu selector to the right and select FLASH SYNC SPEED 1/320 (AUTO FP) then push OK

The “FP” in the setting stands for “FOCAL PLANE” which is the type of shutter your camera has that determines the speed of the sync with your flash.
You can get more information about this if you Google Nikon High Speed Flash Sync.
I leave my camera set to this setting all the time and never change it. Hope this might be of some benefit to some of the readers, Jeff

Feel free to leave any comments about my "Tips" thread and let me know if you are benefiting from any of these posts, Jeff

Thank you for all these tips, Jeff. I'm leaving shortly for a photo trek with my D7000 -- unfortunately my life has been incredibly busy ever since I got this camera, so your tips are helping me brush up on some details.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by pweb

Thank you for all these tips, Jeff. I'm leaving shortly for a photo trek with my D7000 -- unfortunately my life has been incredibly busy ever since I got this camera, so your tips are helping me brush up on some details.

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Thanks Pam for saying something. These are things I thought might be helpful to others but with almost 800 views and so few replies or comments I'm not so sure if it isn't just a waist of time. Hopefully some of the people that have viewed the tips have found some helpful information. Thanks again Nate and Pam for showing some interest, Jeff

Keep up the good work Jeff. Tips are very helpful. Sorry I dont post much, not much of a "talker" more of a "listener".

Greg

You might consider a battery grip and this is why....

After you have the essentials such as the body, lenses, a flash and tripod you may want to consider checking out a battery grip for the better handling and extra battery life with an additional battery.

I purchased my first SLR camera in1970, a Nikon F with FTN meter, and have had several cameras since then and none up until I bought my Nikon D7000 had a battery grip or grip of any kind. They do have a fair sized price tag on them and they do add some weight. These are two reasons that I have never had one before. Months ago I began getting interested in one and started doing some research on battery grips and decided to purchase one for my Nikon D7000. After doing my research I decided to go with a Nikon grip instead of a third party grip so I would lessen the chance for buyer’s remorse. I have to say that sometimes I take a lot of handheld vertical pictures and for me to be able to comfortably take these type of pictures, and for this alone, would make it worth the price of the grip. I was skeptical about the added weight and cost but find that for me the pluses outweigh the negatives.

The grip allows you to add a second battery for longer shooting and it will also give you the ability to use AA batteries as a backup in an emergency. On the grip itself there is a second shutter button, thumb and finger wheel, navigation joystick button and a second AE-L and AF-L button on the grip itself all designed for use when shooting vertical images. There is also an on-off switch so when you are not using the grip it can be turned off so the extra buttons cannot be used or accidentally pressed. In the camera you can choose which battery to use first and then change over to the second one. I have mine to use the battery in the grip first and then when it is finished start using the one in the camera.

You may read in some reviews that by having one battery in the grip and the other one in the camera that this is a mistake on Nikon's design. After using mine I personally think it is a good thing because if I want to quickly remove the grip to make the camera smaller or lighter, having one of the batteries still in the camera makes this a one step change over and I do not have to locate and reattach the battery door to be able to use my camera.

The Nikon MB-D11 battery grip is well built and matches the D7000 perfectly. It looks just like it was made on the camera and not an add on. It does not give you more FPS as some grips do but does give you a more professional looking camera with a much better grip in both the horizontal and vertical positions and twice as much battery life with the addition of a second battery. Now that I have tried using a grip I will probably always get one for any future cameras that I might own. Is this something that you can live without? Yes you can! Is it for everyone? No it isn't! But I must say that after shooting without one for forty years that I am very happy that I took the plunge and made the purchase. This grip is something that I find very useful and would recommend checking it out if you have some extra cash. I purchased mine for about $219 with free shipping. If you get interested in one make sure, if you want the Nikon brand, that what you are looking at actually is really a Nikon grip and not a knockoff of one. This is not a must have piece of equipment but I have to tell you that I am very happy with mine and would recommend getting one if you are interested. I think it is one of those things that if you do splurge and get it you will ask yourself why you didn’t do it sooner, Jeff

wow..this is a very nice thread for a d7000 user like me.thanks for the tips,my d7000 is just a 3 weeks old and your experience helps me to understand some of my dilemma.

Capturing the natural look or mood with photos taken inside by using fill flash.

When you take pictures inside and use your flash the subject usually comes out right and the background looks dark and it is obvious that a flash was used, maybe giving you that deer in the headlights look. On the other hand if you use just the ambient or natural light in the room sometimes the subject will come out a little dark due to your camera metering for the whole scene. What just might be the answer is to shoot in manual and add a little fill in flash. Earlier I told you about your ability to adjust the strength of your on camera flash for fill outdoors and now we are going to do the same thing except we are adding flash indoors to fill in. To do this you will need to shoot in manual mode and this might be a scary thing to think about if you have never used it before.

To shoot on manual mode you first pick an ISO that will work in the conditions you will be shooting in. Next turn the mode dial on your camera to "M". Next chose either an F stop or shutter speed that you like to use and adjust the opposite choice to get the correct exposure while looking at the light meter in the bottom of the viewfinder. When using fill flash inside you will need to shoot in manual instead of "A" or "S" modes because if you try fill flash in these modes , when you flip up the flash to activate it your shutter speed will change to 1/60 sec and mess up your previous meter reading.

HINT... If you are a little scared of using "M" mode to get your settings, then you can always go to full "auto" and see what the settings would be for the picture and return to manual and use these same settings. In manual the finger wheel in the front changes the F stop and the thumb wheel on the rear of the camera will change or set the shutter speed.

Lets say that the scene you are taking you choose to use "A" or "Aperture Priority" mode. You pick a F stop of say F 3.5 and after adjusting your shutter speed to get your exposure correct using the light meter that you can view in the bottom of the viewfinder, the shutter speed the camera gave you is 1/100 sec. and you then take a shot. If the room looks fairly evenly well lit but your subject could use just a little more light than the camera meter gave it, this is where the fill flash can help. The camera averaged in the lights that may be beyond your subject causing your subject to be a little dark.

Push the button to make the flash pop up and take a shot. Is your subject now just a little too bright? If it is, and it probably will be due to adding the light from the flash, this is where turning down the power of the flash to get the right mix of ambient light and flash come in. Press the info button at the bottom right corner of the rear LCD screen. Now press the same button that you pressed to make the flash pop up and while you are holding the button "IN" rotate the finger wheel on the front of the camera near the shutter button and turn down the flash and try taking the shot again. Repeat this until the correct amount of fill flash is achieved and you are happy with the results. You are looking for a picture that has the ambient natural light look with only the flash powered up enough to get the job done and not be noticeable. You are going for a natural, no flash used look. Remember that you are using the meter to get the settings for the natural light and then your adding only enough fill flash to bring out your subject.

I think you will find after playing with this just a little that this tip will be very helpful and the pictures you take will have a much more pleasing and natural look to them. Do remember to change your flash back to full strength and if you normally do not use "M" mode return it to what you normally use so it won't mess you up the next time you shoot.

If any of these tips have helped you or you have any questions please post a reply and let me know, Jeff

NOTE: This can also be done with an external flash if the power is adjustable.

I shoot football in the dark at HS fields. When I am at the back of the endzone, I pop up the flash. I have been turning down the ISO number. Now I can set the flash 3 stops lower and keep shooting at 4000. Great info!

Not sure if you covered this yet Jeff, but selecting slow/rear curtain will also allow enough ambient light in to keep the pic looking natural. I think selecting slower shutter speeds in manual forces this, and the mode changes automatically.

Ok I just pulled the trigger on a D7000 as a backup and companion camera to the D700. Now I need to go back and read all you great tips on the D7000. I spent about an hour on Ken Rosewell's site reading up about it before I made the final decision. I'll be putting the the D2h up for sale soon.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by n8

Not sure if you covered this yet Jeff, but selecting slow/rear curtain will also allow enough ambient light in to keep the pic looking natural. I think selecting slower shutter speeds in manual forces this, and the mode changes automatically.

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fotofill, I am glad you found something new to try out. You may want to use the rear curtain setting as Nate mentioned and I will write up something on that before too long.

Nate, I haven't covered slow or rear curtain settings but I will in the weeks to come, thanks for the idea.

Oldtimer, hopefully there might be something that you will benefit from but with your experience you may not read anything that you don't already know. Most of the tips I have written up apply to many more models than just the Nikon D7000.

I do appreciate the feedback and ideas so keep them coming. I know there is a wide range of experience within the members and visitors of our site so some of the readers will get more out of these tips than others will depending on their experience in photography. The reason I am posting these tips is to hopefully inform the readers about something they didn't already know and give them new things to try and experiment with. I am aware that there are many members with a vast amount of knowledge and know much more than I do but I am also aware that to some, this will be something new and helpful. So take any of the tips for what it is worth or you can get out of it that may make you photography a little more fun and exciting. If you have any suggestions of things to cover contact me either here or by PM or E-mail and if it is something I know about or can study up on I will be glad to post a tip about it.

Thanks everyone for taking the time to read the tips and I do hope you may get some benefit out something that you didn't already know, Jeff

When to use different flash sync modes and what they do.

Nate had mentioned in an earlier reply to one of my tips about using the rear flash sync mode and I said that I would write something up about how it works and what it does. To explain this would involve a lot of writing to cover it all so I looked around for a video that would do it and I think I have found one that covers it very well. If you are interested in how the sync modes work and when to use them than this will do a very good job in helping you understand when and what to do.

Check out this video for using your camera's, "flash sync modes", Jeff

Thanks for the information and the post!!!

Jeff, your tips are fantastic and to some degree will benefit everyone, especially a novice like myself.
Great job and many thanks.

Additional observation or thought for the tip in my post #10
Saving all your settings for your favorite type of shooting.

I was discussing this tip with a friend of mine and he was telling me that he had programmed both U1 & U2 on his camera and wished that there were more than two positions available. I know this is obvious but just because you set up U1 & U2 doesn't mean they have to stay that way permanently. If you have some special shooting session coming up there is no reason you can't take the time a few days ahead of time, while you are not under stress, to reset and save your new settings to one of these positions for your upcoming shooting condition. Waiting until you actually need to set your camera under shooting conditions may end in disaster.

I know this is obvious but some times we get blinders on and get stuck in one train of thought. This is just to remind you to be flexible and remember these settings and options, as are many others on your camera, there to help you and are not cut in stone. As time goes by your tastes or needs may change and you need to stay flexible enough to change with them.

If you do decide to re program U1 or U2 and may have a need to reset it back to what you had it saved for earlier you need to make a note of the settings so it can be accomplished easily and you don't have to start from scratch and figure them out again, Jeff

Some reasons to add an external flash to your list of equipment

External flashes are not cheap but they really add a lot to your ability to get great pictures. The external flash is much stronger, delivering much more power and range by several times over the on board flash. You now have increased the options for lighting your subject properly greatly by giving you many more ways to light up your subject. With the D7000 and many other Nikon cameras you can use the on board flash by itself, you can use the external flash by itself or use a combination of both. The extra flash can be mounted on the camera or placed away from the camera and controlled wirelessly by the on camera flash and camera settings, when it is placed in COMMANDER MODE found in the settings within your menus. (This is one of the things I suggest adding to the "MY MENU" in your camera so it can be accessed easily). I told you how this is done in post #5 of this thread. You can also actually adjust the power of a remote wireless flash through the camera menus without touching the flash itself. The external flash allows you to bounce the flash off of wall and ceilings or anything else for that matter. By placing the flash further from the lens you can also drastically cut down or eliminate that annoying red eye that you get in pictures when using a flash. Another thing you can do with the EF is use gels on the flash to help correct white balance or to get different effects with your lighting. The strong flash also gives you a much greater ability to use fill flash when shooting outside. This might sound like a strange statement but you might find that the more light you have effecting your image the more a flash, or FILL FLASH, will be needed to help eliminate all the little shadows created by the existing light sources especially strong sunlight.

Have you ever taken a picture with the on board flash and found that you had a round shadow on the bottom of your pictures? Well if you have a wide lens, longer lens or a sunshade on you lens when taking picture using the on board flash, this is caused by the flash hitting the top front edge of one of these throwing a shadow on your picture. The strange thing is that depending on where you have your lens zoomed to it may cause a shadow on some pictures and not others. Whether the shadow shows up or not depends on if the lens or lens shade got in the line of the light from the flash to your subject or not. An external flash usually will eliminate this problem in most cases.

It also allows you to bounce the flash off walls or ceilings to help improve your lighting and also eliminate the irritating red eye in your photos. Having a second flash will expand your options when needing extra light. Instead of having just the one option of the straight on harsh lighting that the on camera flash provides, you can now bounce the light from your flash off of the ceiling or walls.

In the Nikon system if you place the camera and external flash in TTL mode, (Through the lens mode} it will adjust you lighting automatically whether it is on or off the camera. I would suggest getting one because it will open up a whole world of new opportunities in addition to the ones you already have, Jeff

Ever wish you had access to your camera manual with you while out shooting?

Well how about downloading your camera manual into your smartphone or ipod so you always have it handy. You can do a word search and get quick access to just what you need.
You can find the manual for the Nikon D7000 HERE.

You can also download the manual for your flash or any other equipment in case you need it.

Another thing that you can do is make notes about settings, equipment, time of day and conditions for different shooting situations and download all the information and keep it at your fingertips for easy access any time you need it.

This may be just the excuse to purchase that ipod you have been wanting. This would be a good thing to not only having access to while out shooting but to have with you in that boring waiting room of your doctors office while you are waiting for your appointment. This way you can make better use of the normally wasted times when you are just setting around with nothing to do, Jeff

Lighting up the rear LCD display

Have you ever been shooting in the dark and needed the rear LCD display turned on to check or change some settings and had to fumble around to find the INFO button to turn it on? Well there is a much easier way to to do it. The on and off switch for your camera when turned past the "on" position will back light the top LCD screen. Did you know it can be set to also turn on or light up the rear LCD at the same time. The power on switch , at least to me, is easier to find in the dark for turning on the rear screen. If you would like to try this option look below.

Here is how you do it.
Go to the Custom Setting Menu which is the third one down on the left that looks like a pencil
Next go to the right and down to "F Controls" and push the right side of your toggle button
Next choose f1 switch and push the right side of your toggle button
Next select the bottom option that says "info and information display" and press OK

From now on turning your camera power switch past the on position will not only turn on the back light to the top screen it will turn on the rear LCD screen where you can see it also, Jeff

Easy way to change ISO setting in Aperture Priority mode.

If you shoot in Aperture Priority mode you are choosing the aperture and letting the camera choose the shutter speed. If after choosing the aperture or F-stop you desire to get the depth of field you want, the shutter speed is too low you need to raise the ISO. To keep the same aperture and get the shutter speed more in line with what you need you would need to press the ISO button and then rotate the thumb dial to get a higher ISO which in turn will allow for a faster shutter speed. This requires pushing down and holding the ISO button while rotating the thumb wheel at the same time and also requires taking your eye away from the viewfinder.

There is a setting in the CUSTOM SETTING MENU that will allow you to keep your eye on the viewfinder and just turn the thumb wheel to change the ISO. This works only in the "A" or "Aperture Priority" mode and is easy to change.

Here is how you do it
First you go to the CUSTOM SETTING MENU which is the third selection down on the left side and it looks like a pencil
Next go to the right menu and choose "D" Shooting/display and press the right side of your toggle button
Next scroll down to d3 ISO display and adjustment and press the right side of your toggle button again
Next scroll down to Show ISO/Easy ISO and push your "OK" button

After doing this you will be able to not only see your subject in the viewfinder and the ISO reading you will have the capability and ease of adjusting the ISO by turning just the thumb wheel to get your shutter speed where you need it without ever taking your eye off the viewfinder. Remember that this will only change the action for the "A" or "Aperture Priority Mode" and the thumb wheel will act as it always has in the other modes.

I use "A" mode a lot and find this to be a handy option, Jeff

Ever need to get your active focus point back to the center quickly?

With the Nikon D7000 having 39 focus point sometimes you spot something you need to take an image of and you have no idea where the focus point is at and you need to quickly get your focus point back to the center to be able to get the shot.

Here is how you do it.
The fastest way to achieve this is to press the OK button in the middle of your toggle switch on the rear of your camera and no matter where it was it returns to the center point with one press of the button.

Nikon ML- L3 wireless remote


This is a very handy accessory to have and probably the cheapest thing you will ever buy made by Nikon. This remote can be purchased for less that $15.00. With the new D7000, Nikon has added a censor to the back side of the camera allowing this remote to be used either from the front or rear of the camera. Having this remote will allow you, with the aid of a tripod, to get in the picture yourself without using the timer on the camera and running to get into position for the shot. Having this remote will also let you take multiple pictures without returning to your camera. I have also used it before on a very cold night to take pictures of the eclipse of the moon. I set up my camera, jumped into my car with the heater going and snapped away in comfort.

Another use for this remote would be to set your camera in the menu option to raise the mirror the first time you press the remote and then take a picture on the second pressing of the remote. This will allow you to eliminate any movement from the mirror vibrations. This is a handy option to use especially when using longer lenses or slower shutter speeds. You also have an option to lock up the mirror on the lower mode ring dial but for what I shoot I find this works better and lets me review the picture on the rear LCD screen each time after taking a shot.

REMEMBER!!!!! Below is how you set it up, but to actually use the remote you need to set the outer mode dial on top left hand side of your camera to REMOTE. Press to lock release button and turn the dial to REMOTE which is the little icon between the timer and mirror lock up modes.As always when you are done using the remote return this dial back to a regular shooting position and DO NOT LEAVE it set to remote.

Here is how you set it up
Go to the shooting menu which is the second one down on the left and looks like a camera
Scroll down to REMOTE CONTROL and press the right side of the toggle button on the rear of your camera
You have three choices, so scroll down to REMOTE MIRROR UP and then press OK

NOTE: You have three options when using the remote
Operate like listed above
Fire immediately
Fire with a 2 second delay

Having trouble with auto focus in low light

Ever go out at night and the light is so low you just can't get your camera to focus! Well I have a simple answer.

Here is what you do
I have had this happen a few times and have found that with your camera on single area focus point activated on the spot you want to focus on, if your camera will not focus, all you need to do is buy a laser light pen at Walmart for about $2.50 and point it at the spot that your focus point is on and the camera will lock on followed by the little green light in the viewfinder magically appearing and your shot will be in focus. This of course is for stationary subjects taken in dark surroundings but it will make your camera lock on to the focus quickly.

Remember to not point the light in people's or animal's eyes and it is probably not a good idea to point it at the sensor of your camera.

NOTE: I normally wait several days in between posting tips but I am doing this one ahead of time due to getting ready for my trip to Disney World at the end of the week. Merry Christmas to everyone and a Happy New Year, Jeff

I would have never thought of that. Good tip Jeff. I think this could be posted somewhere else too as it's for more than d7k users.

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Originally Posted by n8

I would have never thought of that. Good tip Jeff. I think this could be posted somewhere else too as it's for more than d7k users.

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Thanks Nate for reading my tip thread. You made my day when you found something in it that you can use also. When I posted this I also posted this tip in the HELP forum at the same time because I thought many members and visitors besides Nikon users may find it useful, Jeff

Subscribed!

Very nice thread, thanks for the tips

Using the Auto ISO setting and setting minimum shutter speed

The Auto ISO setting will work on all the mode settings EXCEPT P,S,A,M, U1 and U2 modes. If you use any of the other modes on the dial or choose any of the 19 Scene modes that you have to choose from you can set your ISO to automatically increase as the need arises. If you choose to use Auto ISO mode I would recommend setting the limit of what the ISO will go up to. You will have to determine for yourself the highest ISO by determining how high you can go and still maintain the picture quality you desire. I do not use auto ISO myself but if I did the highest I would probably allow it to go would be 3200. You will also be able to set your minimum shutter speed in the same place in the menu allowing you to set the shutter speed to not go below what is needed to stop action in the shot or eliminate blur from shaky hands.

An example of when this may be helpful is when you start shooting pictures at your child's baseball game and as the game goes on the sun starts going down and the light gets less and less. By choosing the Auto ISO setting ahead of time as the sun goes down your camera will allow you to keep taking pictures by increasing the ISO automatically so you can keep on shooting. If you have it set to a certain ISO such as ISO 400, after the point the light gets past it's ability to capture the pictures you want, your pictures will just start getting darker. If you have chosen the Auto ISO setting you can continue shooting and the camera will increase the ISO as needed to allow you to keep capturing those special memories. As with changing any settings I would recommend doing it before hand so it doesn't catch you off guard at the game. Trying to change settings when you are under pressure to get the next shot is not the time to try and figure out what you need to do or how to do it.

If you would like to try this, here is how you do it.

Go to the shooting menu. The second one down on the left that looks like a camera
Next go to ISO sensitivity settings and press the right side of your toggle switch
Go to Auto ISO sensitivity control and turn it on
Next go down to Maximum sensitivity and press the right toggle button and choose the limit that you want and press OK
Next choose the minimum shutter speed that you think you can handle or is needed and press OK
You are now all set up and ready to go

Can you see how if you wait until the game and you are under presser that figuring out how to do this could get you all messed up.
Also remember that you may have to set the ISO higher than you might like to get the shot of your child. Sometimes you have to set the ISO higher than you would like because having a little noise in the shot is a better option than not getting the shot at all.

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Originally Posted by Grandpaw

Saving all your settings for your favorite type of shooting.

Ever spend a lot of time getting all the settings fine tuned for taking shots at the beach, portraits, landscapes or something else only to loose them after changing to a different mode selection and have to figure them out again the next time you shoot? If you have, then take advantage of all the time you spent tweaking your settings and save them to U1 or U2 on the mode dial of your camera. After you have invested all the time getting your favorite tweaks for, lets say shots at the beach, BEFORE you move that mode dial just pick U1 or U2 on the mode dial and save all the settings and tweaks for the next time by doing this.

Go to MENU > SETUP > Save user settings > (select U1 or U2) > Save settings

Now the next time you go back to that style of photography all the work is done, just turn the mode dial to whichever selection you saved them to and you are ready to go. If you find that after using it a little while you need to make a few more fine adjustments then repeat the steps above. Be sure to save the new adjustments BEFORE you move the mode dial or you will loose the latest adjustments and revert back to the last time you saved. This is a feature that few cameras have and you can save a complete set of settings for two types of photography of your choice so take advantage of this great function, Jeff

I would be interested in hearing from some of the members to find out if any of you are getting any helpful information out of this, if so let me know and I will keep posting. Close to 400 views with only n8 giving any comments. Thanks n8!!

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I have just purchased a D7000 to replace my D70 but have to wait 3 weeks for delivery :(

Anyway I was just thinking, could you also save the settings to your SD card and load them when needed? This way you could have several "favourites" ready to go. You could name them something meaningful as well? :)

Keep up the good work Jeff!!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Muzzargh

I have just purchased a D7000 to replace my D70 but have to wait 3 weeks for delivery :(

Anyway I was just thinking, could you also save the settings to your SD card and load them when needed? This way you could have several "favourites" ready to go. You could name them something meaningful as well? :)

Keep up the good work Jeff!!

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I am checking into this option and will let you know what I find out.