The Optimal SD Card for the Nikon D7000

Question

In my quest for new equipment I have now reached SD cards.

Now I know the Nikon D7000 supports UHS-1 (1) , but how is the performance gain? H ow many MB/sec does it support? I don't want to buy a 95MB/sec card if it only supports 50MB/sec.

Thanks for reading.

(1) Source: http://imaging.nikon.com/lineup/dslr/d7000/features03.htm

Asked by Allan Kimmer Jensen

Answer

Rob Galbraith has a full spread of tests with just about every popular card for this camera. To sum up the results, the fastest card is the SanDisk Extreme Pro 8GB SDHC card. It performed at 27.7MB/s JPEG and 26.4MB/s RAW for a burst of 39 shots in 30 seconds. The speed test was performed by shooting 17 JPEG Fine and then 10 NEF files.

More info can be found here: Rob Galbraith D7000 write speed test

The "optimal" card might include price, which varies and goes out of date, so I won't comment on that here.

Answered by dpollitt

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Practical Difference Between Nikon 80-200 f/2.8 and 70-200 f/2.8?

Question

As a photographer for my college's newspaper, most of what I shoot is either low light (concerts, dances, etc.) or sports, so I'm looking into getting a low-light/high speed telephoto zoom for my Nikon D7000. I already have a 35mm f/1.8 that I use for most low-light photography when I have the opportunity to get close to my subject, but I can't always get a press pass for campus events (passes are handled by individual campus clubs who don't always respond to emails), and so I often wish I had some zoom besides my kit 55-200 (from a D40 kit several years ago) that would still be clear in low-light.

I've come across two lenses by Nikon that seem to be mostly the same for my purposes: The AF 80-200mm f/2.8D ED, and the AF-S 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II. I ask, because there's nearly a $1300 dollar difference between them: Is there a practical difference between these two lenses?

I'm aware of the obvious technical differences, AF vs AF-S, and the lack of VR on the 80-200, but I was curious if either of these features made a practical difference in focus speed and usability. From what I understand, on my D7000, the AF vs AF-S shouldn't make a difference, but is VR really worth the extra $1300?

On a related note, I've also heard some people mention cheaper Sigma and Tamron lenses in the same focal range and aperture size, and I was curious what some of the differences would be between those and their Nikon equivalents?

Asked by Jake M

Answer

I used that 80-200 for quite a few years, and currently use the first iteration of the the 70-200.

I think the 80-200 is a steal! It's optically very good, built well, and focuses quickly on a capable body. I don't hesitate to recommend it in the least. (Regarding autofocus: on an N65 and D50 it's not slow to focus, but it's clearly not fast. On an F100, D70, D200, and D300 it focuses quickly. I don't know how the AF motor of the D7000 compares.)

The 70-200 is a great step beyond the 80-200. With AF-S it clearly focuses faster, VR is a big advantage, and optically it is also clearly superior. A fantastic lens, and I think it's worth the price. I don't have experience with the current "II" iteration of the lens, but based on other reviews I think it's equally excellent.

Is it worth the price difference? On a great day, shooting in ideal conditions and stopped down, I would say that no the 70-200 is not worth an extra $1300. Want to shoot wide open in difficult conditions with continuous-focusing action with questionable shutter speeds -- go for the 70-200 and you'll enjoy the outing more.

Answered by Dan Wolfgang

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Would these lenses fit my future Nikon D7000?

Question

I am in the progress of choosing my new equipment. First of all I have picked the Nikon D7000, it seems like a very nice camera, and it is not that expensive. I could go Full-Frame but seeing the price-tag that might be a little too much, and I would rather like some nice lenses.

Right now I got my eyes on these two:

• Nikon Nikkor AF-S 50mm f/1.4G
• Nikon Nikkor 105mm f/2.8G AF-S VR Micro

I feel this should cover, a lot of the photos I would like to be taking. The 105mm could be replaced with a Nikon Nikkor AF-S DX Micro 85mm f/3.5G ED VR, but I am hearing that the 105mm will give a little extra.

I would like to know, does these lenses fit the Nikon D7000? Would they still be nice if I in some years upgrade to FX?

Would you recommend some other lenses? And in time what lens would you recommend as the third lens.

Also feel free to comment on the choice of the Nikon D7000, I have been looking at cameras like Canon D7, but I feel the Nikon is a little better.

I have used a Canon 450D and a Canon 600D before, also a little bit of Nikon... mostly rented by friends.

Thanks for reading, I hope you got some input!

Asked by Allan Kimmer Jensen

Answer

Both those lenses are compatible with the D7000 and that should also be the case with any FX camera you buy further down the line. A 50mm lens is an excellent choice for a starter lens, and the 1.4 is an excellent example of one. The 105mm will be very good for portraits, and of course macro photography.

Your choice for a third lens will be determined by what kind of photography you want to do. If you feel you want to try landscape photography, you may want to invest in a wider angle lens. If you want to try wildlife or sports photography, you will want something longer. I would concentrate on learning the camera and photography in general before even thinking about a third lens, however. A good tripod is arguably more important anyway.

The D7000 is by all accounts an excellent camera and is a great choice. Happy photographing!

Answered by ElendilTheTall

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Why is the D7000 limited to shutter speed of 1/250th when the flash is up?

Question

Sometimes in bright backlight and with large aperture (f2.8) I want flash at high shutter speeds. But when I pop the flash up on D7000 it caps the shutter speed to 1/250th, which overexposes the shots and makes everything look like a nuclear bomb just went off.

What's the logic behind the limiting of the shutter speed when using flash? Is there anything I can do to get flash + faster shutter speeds?

Asked by Ricibob

Answer

The limitation has to do with synchronizing the length of the exposure with the length of the flash burst. The flash does not go off immediately...it occurs a fraction of a moment after the shutter has opened, and the burst only lasts a fraction of the time the shutter is open. This is necessary to produce a proper exposure when using a full-powered flash due to the way the shutter itself works. The maximum shutter speed that can be achieved at is 1/200th or 1/250th of a second most of the time. With more precise logic and shutter timing, you can achieve 1/500th of a second flash sync, however thats more difficult (and therefor expensive) to do, which is why its relegated to only top of the line pro-grade cameras. This ensures that the front shutter curtain is fully open before the flash pulse is set off, and that it stays open long enough for the effects of flash to properly light the scene and allow correct exposure before the second curtain closes.

There is also an alternative approach to flash, called high-speed flash sync. This allows flash to be used at any shutter speed. The difference between high speed flash sync and normal flash sync is that at shutter speeds above about 1/500th of a second, the second curtain starts to close before the first curtain is fully open...a shutter "gap" transitions across the sensor. High speed flash sync uses a lower-powered flash pulse set off multiple times in rapid succession to ensure that the scene is properly lit for each part of the sensor as that shutter gap moves across it. High speed flash sync is generally not as good as standard flash, and in most cases it should not be needed...but in a pinch it can do the job.

Answered by jrista

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D7000 1/250 shutter speed limit when flash up

Question

Sometimes in bright backlight and large aperture (f2.8) I want flash at high shutter speeds. But when I pop the flash up on D7000 it caps the shutter speed to 1/250th which overexposes the shots and makes everything look like a nuclear bomb just went off.
Whats the logic behind the limiting of the shutter speed when using flash?
Is there anything I can do to get flash + faster shutter speeds?

Asked by Ricibob

Answer

The limitation has to do with synchronizing the length of the exposure with the length of the flash burst. The flash does not go off immediately...it occurs a fraction of a moment after the shutter has opened, and the burst only lasts a fraction of the time the shutter is open. This is necessary to produce a proper exposure when using a full-powered flash due to the way the shutter itself works. The maximum shutter speed that can be achieved at is 1/200th or 1/250th of a second most of the time. With more precise logic and shutter timing, you can achieve 1/500th of a second flash sync, however thats more difficult (and therefor expensive) to do, which is why its relegated to only top of the line pro-grade cameras. This ensures that the front shutter curtain is fully open before the flash pulse is set off, and that it stays open long enough for the effects of flash to properly light the scene and allow correct exposure before the second curtain closes.

There is also an alternative approach to flash, called high-speed flash sync. This allows flash to be used at any shutter speed. The difference between high speed flash sync and normal flash sync is that at shutter speeds above about 1/500th of a second, the second curtain starts to close before the first curtain is fully open...a shutter "gap" transitions across the sensor. High speed flash sync uses a lower-powered flash pulse set off multiple times in rapid succession to ensure that the scene is properly lit for each part of the sensor as that shutter gap moves across it. High speed flash sync is generally not as good as standard flash, and in most cases it should not be needed...but in a pinch it can do the job.

Answered by jrista

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Can I shoot sports photography in the studio with continuous lights?

Question

I want to try to shoot some sports action, for example shattering bricks and wood. My lighting equipment is not so advanced and needs 0.8 sec to recharge for the next flash, so I can't use high fps. My question is:

Am I able to use cinematic continuous lights? Are there any tips to action photography with this kind of lights?

And if you know any good resource on studio sports photography please share.

Asked by Synxmax

Answer

You can use continuous lights to shoot sports in a studio but you're going to have to up the ISO a lot to get a fast enough shutter speed. A better solution however is to use flash. The shortness of the flash duration when using a flashgun that uses trail trimming (where a transistor cuts power after a certain delay when lower power is required (thus giving a very short pulse)) such as most hotshoe flashes is ideal for stopping motion, and you'll maintain image quality as you'll capture a lot more light than continuous lighting will provide.

You'll lose the ability to shoot at a high framerates, but the action you're trying to capture will most likely be over in a shorter time than the gap between frames anyway, so you're better off working on your timing and shooting the same action many times to get the shots you want.

Answered by Matt Grum

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Why is the on-camera flash trying to pop up when using a D7000 with a MK930 Speedlite?

Question

So I decided to buy a cheap flash to experiment bouncing flash on walls or ceilings. I can't stand flash in pictures so I thought this would be a great way to try, and seeing these things are barely 60$ on eBay it wasn't much of an investment to see if I can deal with it.

Now I just put the flash on the camera, set it to "auto" and the pop-up flash tries to come out even though the flash is mounted on the camera. I thought that the "auto" mode would use the mounted flash instead of the pop-up flash, and then I could adjust the flash settings depending on what I want.

If I set it to "auto no flash" then the mounted flash doesn't fire.

Asked by ruinernix

Answer

When using a third party speedlight such as your NM930 there is no communication between the camera and flash so the camera has no idea the flash is there, so it pops up the onboard flash as usual. It will dutifully close the circuit across the hotshoe to fire the flash when the shutter opens but that's it.

If you use a Nikon flash the flash talks to the camera using extra contacts in order to set the flash power according to how much light from a preflash comes back down the lens.

The solution to your problem is to shoot manual or semi manual and set the power yourself (it's a bit hit and miss 'till you get the hang of it!)

Answered by Matt Grum

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Using a D7000 with a MK930 Speedlite. Why is the on-camera flash trying to pop-up?

Question

So I decided to buy a cheap flash to experiment bouncing flash on walls or ceilings. I can't stand flash in pictures so I thought this would be a great way to try, and seeing these things are barely 60$ on eBay it wasn't much of an investment to see if I can deal with it.

Now I just put the flash on the camera, set it to "auto" and the pop-up flash tries to come out even though the flash is mounted on the camera. I thought that the "auto" mode would use the mounted flash instead of the pop-up flash, and then I could adjust the flash settings depending on what I want.

If I set it to "auto no flash" then the mounted flash doesn't fire.

Any help would be appreciated! Thank you.

Asked by ruinernix

Answer

When using a third party speedlight such as your NM930 there is no communication between the camera and flash so the camera has no idea the flash is there, so it pops up the onboard flash as usual. It will dutifully close the circuit across the hotshoe to fire the flash when the shutter opens but that's it.

If you use a Nikon flash the flash talks to the camera using extra contacts in order to set the flash power according to how much light from a preflash comes back down the lens.

The solution to your problem is to shoot manual or semi manual and set the power yourself (it's a bit hit and miss 'till you get the hang of it!)

Answered by Matt Grum

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Shooting with the Nikon D7000?

Question

Does anyone know how good the movie features in the D7000 is in real-life compared to a film camera to the same price? Is it very poor on autofocusing? Can one use it to shoot an action scene for instance?

Asked by 50ndr33

Answer

I am sure manual focus is used almost exclusively on a DLSR for video making. How good of a video can you make? I think a very good bordering professional which I did not know until yesterday when some kids in my town made THIS VIDEO using the D7000. This video should pretty much answer your question as it is of action scenes shot in low light (4AM in the morning).

BTW this is worth watching if you are interested what some Canadian teens do for fun in the winter; hockey in the day and street skiing in the night...

Answered by Jakub

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Will the price on D7000 drop after D800?

Question

As you all probably already know the D800 comes out in the near future. I'm going to buy a D7000, but do you think the price will drop after the D800 comes out? Will I get it cheaper if I wait. Does anyone know how the price changed (or didn't change) after a new model came out before?

Thanks!

Asked by 50ndr33

Answer

Often enough people have the mentality of waiting 'till the latest model comes out before buying used that demand spikes which causes the prices to go up, not down!

The price of a D7000 will decrease over time regardless of the D800, however you have to offset a possible cost reduction against the time you could be out shooting with your D7000!

Answered by Matt Grum

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Is back-button autofocus possible on the Nikon D7000?

Question

A while back I asked about the purpose of back-button autofocus and got several answers. The Nikon D7000 lacks the "AF ON" button that's present in some higher-end cameras.

Is it possible to use custom settings to configure the D7000 for some sort of back-button autofocus arrangement? If so, does one lose anything compared with a camera with a true back button dedicated for that purpose?

Answer

See this photo.net post: http://photo.net/nikon-camera-forum/00Z4WD

Essentially, the camera is too small to accommodate an AF-ON button. You can map this function to the AF-L/AE-L button by changing custom setting f5. You will not be able to use the button for autofocus lock or auto-exposure lock if you do so.

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D7000 HD video format - can each frame contain metadata?

Question

In fact the question is the other way round:

I shoot a HD video with my Nikon-D7000, and along the way things happen, such as I change zoom, focal length, light levels change such that the D7000 adjusts its sensitivity during the recording...

Is all this data available for reading somewhere, and if yes how?

I could not find the information on regular websites (Nikon's, www.imaging-resource.com, general google search).

I tried exiftool, but it seems to only show general metadata that is true for the overall video recording.

So is this data recorded somewhere, and can I read it on my Linux system?

Any answer or hint appreciated.

Answer

No. Standard video formats do not work like that and the D7000 is no exception to this. Conceivably it can be done but I am sure it is not on anyone's priority list. I worked for 9 years on video processing and rendering software and there are more important problems to solve. Indexing and managing that data would also become a problem. When working on functions that process video from a series of still images, it makes it vastly simpler to assume the metadata of the first frame applies to all subsequent ones.

Obviously I understand why it would be desirable but this is the same on all cameras. GPS is another perfect example. On cameras with built-in GPS, only the location of at the time video recording starts is recorded while you may be shooting from a moving vehicle and cover some ground while recording.

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Choosing Nikkor Lens For Panoramic Photography?

Question

I want to buy a wide or fisheye lens for taking panoramic (360°) photos. My camera is the Nikon D7000 . I am a little bit confused about FX and DX lenses; could you guide me to select the correct lens?

Answer

I agree that a wide angle lens gives too much distortion to allow auto-stitching software to function correctly.

The 50mm Nikkor 1.8 might be a good choice, but bear in mind that 50mm on a Nikon cropped sensor is 75mm. This might make it a bit too zoomed in for your liking. It really depends on your subject matter. If it fits, the 50mm is a great lens. It's extremely sharp for the money. And can be used for great portrait shots too.

If the 50mm's no good, Nikon do a 35mm 1.8 that might fit better.

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Can anyone show me an example of Zoom Creep?

Question

Looking for some pictures which certainly demonstrating this problem on Nikkor lenses.. I am about to purchase the lense and want to be able to distinguish.

Answer

I own an 18-200 VR and it has a bit of creep. If I have the camera hanging on a strap with the lens pointing down, it will sometimes slowly extend out to 200mm. If I have it at 18mm, it will usually stay put, but if it's at 50mm or so, it may exhibit the creep. It's not a big deal to me.

Here's a video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5FmLiXiEx0

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Can you help me justify my desire to purchase the Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 even though I find it rather pricey?

Question

I have a D70 with the stock Nikkor AF-S 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5G ED DX lens. I'm about to replace the body with a D7000. I've found the 3.5 f-stop a little limiting in terms of DoF - and having viewed some photos from a friend with an f/2.8 lens am keen to get something that goes to this aperture/speed. Is the Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 G AF-S ED the lens to go for? I mostly shoot my family in and outdoors and am really looking for some nice upclose head and sholder shots taken while kids play etc (i.e. not posed). Should I go wider, e.g. 17-55mm f/2.8 G DX AF-S IF-ED? Later I'd also be interested in the 70-200mm f2.8 G AF-S VR IF ED II zoom - which of the previous 2 would this go best with? Are there any cheeper alternatives to these lenses (which are pretty pricey...)?

Edit: I should have mentioned that I have a Nikkor 50mm f/1.8 AF prime that takes great shots - the issue here is that because I'm shooting my family in action (kids at play, parties etc) I really need the flexibily of a zoom. A prime maybe OK if say everyone sitting round a table but when kids are moving, running round and playing you just can't move fast enough to keep up and frame a good shot with a prime (well I can't).

UPDATE: I ended up dropping a whole lot of cash on a Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 G AF-S ED - which I don't regret for an instant. This lens is beautiful and once the shots start rolling in, you quickly understand that a good lens is priceless. I would greatly encourage anyone new to digital photography to put money in the lens and NOT in the body - i.e. I think you'd be better off with a second hand $150 D70 + a great lens rather than a modern body that cost $1000+ but which will be worth $100 in 2 years. In 10 years your $1400 lens will likely be worth around $1400...

UPDATE: StuckinCustoms has this basic review of the Nikkor 24-70 lens with some nice sample shots (althought they are all HDR - but if you ignor that you they still give a good feel for the Dof and zoom range of this lens.

Answer

The Nikkor 24-70mm f2.8 G AF-S ED is a superb piece of kit, and priced accordingly. If your livelihood isn't dependant on getting absolutely optimal quality every time, you could consider a third-party alternative.

I use a Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 Macro lens that's good enough 99% of the time, and costs less than half the price of the Nikon version. You should check that a third-party lens works with the D7000 before buying one. I've heard of incompatibilities between third-party lenses and cameras that didn't exist when they were produced but I don't know if there's any truth in that.

The 70-200mm f2.8 G AF-S VR IF ED II is the natural partner to the Nikkor 24-70mm f2.8 G AF-S ED because one picks up where the others focal length ends. It's probably one of the most common configuration in a pros kit bag (along with a wide angle and probably a 50mm prime, just in case).

If you use the the 18-24 range of your current lens in your existing photos, you might consider another lens. That's up to you.

Personally, I don't want to carry a 0.9 kg lens around with me all the time. If I were you, I'd go for a Nikon 50mm f1.8 D AF. It'll give you high quality images for a fraction of the price assuming you don't mind "zooming with your feet". That's what I use 90% of the time when I know I'm shooting people at a modest distance. Spend some of what you've saved on an SB-700 flash, which will give you far more flexibility.

If you find you need a bit wider (group shots or indoors?), there's a Nikon 35mm f/1.8. If you need to shoot from further away (sports, or just less distracting?), there's a Nikon 85mm f/1.8. Those will all work better in low light, and you can buy the whole lot for less than a Nikkor 24-70mm. You lose the ability to go from one length to the other in a twist of the lens, but you probably know in advance what length you'll be shooting at in a given circumstance. You save money and (more importantly) carrying weight.

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How can I disable EXIF auto rotation on a Nikon D7000?

Question

In older Nikon DSLRs like the D70 there was an option to not add image rotation information to the EXIF data of the image. I can't find this option in a D7000. Can anyone please confirm that it is not available anymore or where I can find it?

Answer

It is there, in the Setup menu (the one with the wrench/spanner icon). It's called Auto Image Rotation, and it comes between 'Image Content' and 'Image Dust Off ref photo'.

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Can I make flash bracketing on my Nikon D7000 automatically take all three shots?

Question

I tried exposure bracketing and it works fine - I set the C(h) and hold the shutter button and it will take all shots while I am holding. However, for flash I have to press 3 times. Is there any setting to have flash bracketing to continuously take the shots?

Answer

Flashgun will do the job. Built-in flash is not able to fire continuosly in Cl or Ch

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Why is the D7000 commander mode flash firing during exposure when the manual says it won't?

Question

I'm wondering if I'm using the D7000's Commander mode incorrectly. Page 225 of the Nikon D7000 manual says

The built-in flash does not fire [in "--" Option], although remote flash units do.

Yet what I've found is that the built-in flash in fact does fire, adding ugly on-camera, direct flash to my photos especially for short-distance subjects. I present Exhibit A below, where it is seen that both the remote SB900's and the on-camera's flash are captured, even in "--" Commander option. How do I fix this?

Answer

They lie.

It does, it just not supposed to fire enough to matter. The flash is how it communicates with external units.

You can get an SG-31R unit to block it and let the IR only through.

Your other option is to ditch CLS and go with radio triggers - of which, if you search, we have various questions about.

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Does the Nikon D7000 video overheat like the D90?

Question

I currently have a D90 and I'm shooting more and more video so I was considering going to the D7000.

My question is, does the D7000 overheat after 5 consecutive 5min shooting and automatically shut down or is this something of the past?

Thanks for any help.

Answer

Nikon D7000 does continuously 20 minutes video. It has also full time autofocus. Here at the end end of video you may see the quality and how does fulltime autofocus work.

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Why am I getting overexposed shots in P mode with a D7000?

Question

When using my D7000 I often have the feeling that it overexposes by 1/3 or even more, on the P programme - it also depends on the lens. Is it just me? Or am I doing something wrong?

EDIT: Exposure seems to be taken from the whole frame (which is what I expect).

Example (from Bruges)

Answer

1/3 of a stop over or under exposure isn't really very much. It corresponds to a shutter speed of 1/125 instead of 1/100. When I process raw files I routinely have to correct by more than a stop. Auto metering just isn't that accurate as it doesn't know the colour of objects in your scene, or the intended 'look' of the image.

My suggestion would be to shoot in Av mode, chose your aperture based on DOF requirements and level of light and dial in a little exposure compensation if it's consistently overexposing. Disclaimer I'm not a Nikon shooter but I assume the d7000 supports EC.

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