Need help for Nikon D7000 vs Canon EOS 7D

This will be my first DSLR camera and I am a complete noobe, (I had a canon EOS 88 which I only used on auto mode). Also instead of looking at an entry level DSLR I wish to invest in a mid and mid+ level DSLR as I wont be upgrading for atleast next 5-6 years, and don't wish to outgrow a entry level camera soon. I zeored in on 2 models: Nikon D7000 and 7D.

After searching a lot on the net I found that a lot of people are having back focus issues with the D7000, and they blame it on faulty hardware. Then I went to a showroom each of nikon and canon and tried both. I had the best grip with the canon 7D probably due to my xrtra large hands.  Next I went to Nikon showroom and tried with the D7000. Under burst mode I found that it focussed on the back wall instead of the person standing in front. Also I couldn't focus with 100% confidence with the D7000. I did experience focus issues as an amateur photographer. The salesman said since its 39 point autofocus, that is why I am experiencing focus issues, and in the mean time the battery of his demo piece exhausted and he had no more spare battery for strange reasons. Also the D7000 felt a bit heavier and slippery compared to the canon. Now I am badly confused. I felt really happy with 7D as far as ergonomics are concerned but as I see the samples of both these cams on the net I feel the images from the D7000 are noticeably better with less grains and better colors.

I am interested in doing outdoor photography, but I want good low light performance as well for indoor parties and indoor pics. I found nikon is considered better for low light/ high ISO performace but the focus issues really put me off.

Please help me decide my first DSLR for the long RUN !!!

(P.S. I have already posted a similar query the canon forum section and now I want opinion from you nikon users)

Yes there where a lot of threads at first when the D7000 came out. Some people had real problems without doubt.

This is IMO very important : how does the camera feels in your hands !!

In burst mode ?? What were the camera's settings ??? Maybe they were changed by someone before you ???

Maybe you could learn something about the D7000 auto focus and the settings involved and go back to try out the camera ??

See also Graystars auto focus explanation : http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/post/38617537

and http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/d7000/af-settings.htm

If the D7000 feels not good in your hands and the canon is OK, then go for the canon !! IMO both camera'a are fine and in real life will have good IQ. Compare pictures from trastable sources eg dpreview camera reviews when comparing both camera's.

You should also consider the glass you want to buy.

Cannot speak for canon glass , ask on the canon forum. Nikon has excellent kit lenses.

See http://www.bythom.com/rationallenses.htm and http://bythom.com/nikon-dx-lens-summary.htm

Good luck !!

Greetings,
Marc
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http://www.ronbigelow.com/articles/articles.htm
http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials.htm
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/
http://www.normankoren.com/sitemap.html
If you want to learn about CNX2 :
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http://www.nx101.com/
my photos (examples, see dpreview galleries):

Hi, I can't comment on what would be best for you as I've not used the Canon but I can confirm that the 'focus issue' you experienced on the D7000 is very likely due to the setting used. As default, the D7000 auto selects it's focus point based on something in the scene it thinks is most likely to be the subject of interest (eg: if there was a picture on the wall of a face, it may well focus to that).

It's easy to switch to eg: single focus point - this mode is probably what most of us expect when focusing.

I've only recently moved to a D7000 and my experience of it is that it has no 'issues' but is a very sophisticated camera compared to what I was used to. It therefore takes a bit of practice and study to make best use of.

Good luck and enjoy whatever choice you make

Canon 7d is my pick AF is far superior to the D7k

Granted the sensor isn't as good but hey you want "in focus shots" and the 7d delivers better than the D7k

As for the focus on the wall behind people, might be a setting issue..might be a normal D7k back focus out of the box problem lots of D7000's have back focus problems I know I owned 2 of them.

I haven't found any problems with the AF system on my D7000.

However it is a sophisticated AF system, and I have taken the time to understand the various modes and options.  If you don't do this, you may find the AF behaving in ways that you don't understand or intend.  If you do take the time, you will find a very capable and rewarding system.

I also tested my AF system using a sensible and reliable method to verify that it was working correctly. Took about 2 hours in total; well worth doing.

Shane

95% of people reporting AF issues with the d7000 have been new users and not setting the camera properly, or users shooting at extremes of aperture (F1.4 . F2.8) lwhere dof is extremely shallow.

internet paranoia is rife, people buy a camera, read of "issues" start incorrectly shooting test charts and start nit-picking.

i own 2 d7000s, and apart from a minor wet clean on one have had no real issues.

the d7000 is a superb camera in all respects. i shoot mostly macro where focus is critical and cannot imagine using another camera.

Most show room demo D7000 are set to Auto dynamic 39 point focus. This setting will pick the brightest target in the midle of viewfinder. Single point, continues or single focus mode is the one to try where you pick the focus point.

Nearly all cameras will have problem focus accurately with percision in low light/flat contrast subjects unless you have one of the higher line models. But generally D7000 has an excellent focusing system. In Nikon line next would be D800/e and D4.

Whatever camera you buy get it with a good return/exchange policy just in case.

That was the problem Barry had with both his D7K's and 4 D90's he returned. He now shoots a A57 with less "issues". Sometimes "simple" helps

Do you have both of them ?

Also considering good low light and fast action photography, which camera averages out the best  ?

seems like a no brainer to me! if the pictures from one stand out from the other its obvious which one to choose.

all manufacturers have released cameras with issues prevalent among their earlier batches. bugs get ironed out and further batches are problem free.

2 friends of mine are experiencing AF problems with the 7D after a year of use. the problem for one of them was not sorted out by the manufacturer after he sent it in for service.

I can't speak for the Canon as I've never found them comfortable in my hands. However I bought a new D7000 4 months ago upgrading from D5000. It is excellent in every way including focusing. I have had no back focus issues.

It's true to say there has been some experience of this issue (back focus) but it needs putting into perspective - I bet there are vastly more happy D7000 owners than not.

The focus system is much more than on the D5000 and like all new things it does take time to get used to but checking it out in a shop you need to set your own settings to be sure of whether you are happy.

I went through the decisiion of which camera to buy about 9 months ago.  The D7000 and 7D were on the list.  I shoot mostly outdoors including wildlife whenever possible.  I did a lot of research, read a lot of reviews.  Finally, I bought the D7000 and have been very pleased.  I have had no focus issues.  To get the best shots there is a very steep learning curve.

Yup I have had more focusing issue with 60D than D7000.

One was sent to service twice then sold

The other was returned to Amazon as "faulty" for a refund.

I'm not trying to scare you off buying one, just commenting on what I have owned and used. I am concerned that Nikon do have serious QC issues, esp regarding the autofocus on these models.

If you do get one test it thoroughly esp regarding the autofocus and it's accuracy.I found even using fine tune the AF was not that consistent with lots of missed shots (way higher than I would expect)

Those who dismiss the issues as "mere internet chatter or settings etc"

This kinda sums it up for me:

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/post/50110247

"True confession: I sometimes have a *terrible* time with my D7000's phase-detect focus. And it's not for lack of trying; I just find that it isn't consistent."

There are so many other threads/complaints/user reviews about the D7000 (esp autofocus problems) you can see for yourself there is a problem here.

If you do get one I hope you have better luck. On the other hand it might be easier to just avoid any hassles and angst with AF problems and find something more reliable.

And this still needs putting into perspective - there will still be many thousands of happy D7000 users out there as well.

I'm sure there are, but it also has to be said that there are still issues with later production D7000's too.

Not just an early batch QC problem as some have said.

I suppose it also has to be said there are people around who don't understand more complex AF systems and who don't know how to check if the AF system on their camera is working correctly.

Well if there are you should quantify. What are you measuring dissatisfaction against?? We talking about 1 or 50 or 100? These things need to be put into perspective otherwise comments on internet boards can frankly just be misleading.

Think of things like cars where manufacturers haver had recalls on models - does that mean all their cars are bad? No of course not. Put it into perspective otherwise it's not a useful comment.

For the OP I'm always guided by how a camera feels in my hand - if it's not comfortable then I generally don't touch it - that does not mean it's a bad camera just doesn't suit me.  I am very happy with my D7000 as are thousands of others worldwide.

Do you normally use auto focus for your macros?

--
Patco
A photograph is more than a bunch of pixels